System and method for controlling a vehicle engine

• US 8,151,581 B2
• Filed: 11/29/2006
• Issued: 04/10/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Chen, Elaine Y., Treharne, William, Buescher, Wayne, Fox, Thomas, Kozarekar, Shailesh
• Primary Examiner(s): Jiang, Chen Wen
• Application Number:
  US11/564,488
• Publication Number:
  US 20080125935A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,959 Days
• Field of Search: 621/57, 622/44, 622/36, 622/30, 622/285, 622/281, 622/39, 701/36
• US Class Current: 62/157
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/004 for vehicles having a combustion engine and electric drive means, e.g. hybrid electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00735 Control systems or circuits characterised by their input, i.e. by the detection, measurement or calculation of particular conditions, e.g. signal treatment, dynamic models
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/021 Introducing corrections for particular conditions exterior to the engine conjoint control of vehicle sub-units for propelling the vehicle B60W30/18
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 11/084 State of vehicle accessories, e.g. air condition or power steering
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 2200/0804 Temperature inside the vehicle cabin
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 2200/0806 Air condition state
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 2300/2006 using prediction of future conditions
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/40 Engine management systems

Abstract

Systems and methods to control an engine configured to drive a compressor of a vehicle air conditioning system having a desired temperature are provided. A time until a threshold is reached is determined based on an environment condition and a vehicle interior condition. A request for the engine to run is removed if the time is greater than a minimum time.

Claims

1. A system for controlling an engine configured to drive a compressor of a vehicle air conditioning system comprising:

a control system arrangement configured to receive a vehicle environment condition, receive a vehicle interior condition, determine a time until a threshold temperature is reached based on the environment condition and the interior condition, determine a number of engine stops, and remove a request for the engine to run if the time is greater than a predetermined minimum time that is based on the number of engine stops.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the arrangement is further configured to request the engine to run if the time is less than the minimum time.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the threshold temperature is a threshold apparent cabin temperature.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the environment condition comprises at least one of an ambient temperature, an ambient humidity, and a sun load.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the interior condition comprises at least one of a cabin temperature, a cabin humidity, and a sun load.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the arrangement is further configured to receive a comfort-level selection including at least one of an economy mode and a non-economy mode and wherein the threshold in the economy mode is greater than the threshold in the non-economy mode.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the arrangement is further configured to request the engine to run at the expiration of the time.

8. A method for controlling an engine configured to drive a compressor of a vehicle air conditioning system comprising:

sensing a vehicle environment condition;

sensing a vehicle interior condition;

determining a time until a threshold is reached based on the sensed conditions;

determining a number of engine stops; and

removing a request for the engine to run if the time is greater than a minimum time that is based on the number of engine stops.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising requesting the engine to run if the time is less than the minimum time.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein the threshold is a threshold apparent cabin temperature.

11. The method of claim 8 wherein the minimum time is predetermined.

12. The method of claim 8 wherein the environment condition comprises at least one of an ambient temperature, an ambient humidity, and a sun load.

13. The method of claim 8 wherein the interior condition comprises at least one of a cabin temperature, a cabin humidity, and a sun load.

14. The method of claim 8 further comprising receiving a comfort-level selection including at least one of an economy mode and a non-economy mode and wherein the threshold in the economy mode is greater than the threshold in the non-economy mode.