Stop/start vehicle and method for controlling engine of same

• US 9,145,864 B2
• Filed: 06/08/2012
• Issued: 09/29/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Kristinsson, Johannes Geir, Yu, Hai
• Primary Examiner(s): Gimie, Mahmoud
• Assistant Examiner(s): VILAKAZI, SIZO BINDA
• Application Number:
  US13/492,208
• Publication Number:
  US 20130332054A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,208 Days
• Field of Search: 123/179.1, 123/179.4, 123/179.3, 701/112, 701/113
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 11/0837 Environmental conditions thereof, e.g. traffic, weather or road conditions
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 2200/0801 Vehicle speed
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 2200/123 Information about vehicle position, e.g. from navigation systems or GPS signals
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 2200/125 Information about other vehicles, traffic lights or traffic congestion
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/40 Engine management systems

Abstract

A stop/start system of a vehicle can issue auto stop commands and auto start commands. An engine of the vehicle is auto stopped in response to the auto stop commands and auto started in response to the auto start commands. The stop/start system can prevent an auto stop of the engine based on a predicted stop duration for a predicted stop location for the vehicle such that the engine remains running when the predicted stop duration is less than a threshold duration and the vehicle is stopped in a vicinity of the predicted stop location.

Claims

1. A vehicle comprising:

an engine; and

a stop/start system configured to issue auto stop commands and auto start commands, wherein the engine is auto stopped in response to the auto stop commands and auto started in response to the auto start commands and wherein the stop/start system selectively prevents an auto stop of the engine within a stop zone around a known stop location based on a speed of the vehicle being less than a threshold speed and a predicted stop duration for the known stop location being less than a threshold duration, wherein a size of the stop zone is based on the threshold speed.

2. The vehicle of claim 1 wherein the stop/start system selectively allows an auto stop of the engine within the stop zone based on the speed being less than the threshold speed and the predicted stop duration being greater than the threshold duration.

3. The vehicle of claim 1 wherein the predicted stop duration depends on a current time of day.

4. The vehicle of claim 1 wherein the predicted stop duration depends on a current day of week.

5. The vehicle of claim 1 wherein the threshold duration depends on an amount of fuel used to auto start the engine.

6. A method for controlling a stop/start vehicle comprising:

selectively preventing an auto stop of an engine within a stop zone around a known stop location based on a speed of the vehicle being less than a threshold speed and a predicted stop duration for the known stop location being less than a threshold duration, wherein a size of the stop zone is based on the threshold speed.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising selectively allowing an auto stop of the engine within the stop zone based on the speed being less than the threshold speed and the predicted stop duration being greater than the threshold duration.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein the predicted stop duration depends on a current time of day.

9. The method of claim 6 wherein the predicted stop duration depends on a current day of week.

10. The method of claim 6 wherein the threshold duration depends on an amount of fuel used to auto start the engine.

11. A stop/start vehicle comprising:

an engine; and

one or more controllers configured to prevent an auto stop of the engine within a stop zone around a known stop location based on a speed of the vehicle being less than a threshold speed and a predicted stop duration for the known stop location being less than a threshold duration, wherein a size of the stop zone is based on the threshold speed.

12. The stop/start vehicle of claim 11 wherein the one or more controllers are further configured to allow an auto stop of the engine within the stop zone based on the speed being less than the threshold speed and the predicted stop duration being greater than the threshold duration.

13. The stop/start vehicle of claim 12 wherein the predicted stop duration depends on a current time of day.

14. The stop/start vehicle of claim 12 wherein the predicted stop duration depends on a current day of week.

15. The stop/start vehicle of claim 12 wherein the threshold duration depends on an amount of fuel used to auto start the engine.