Engine shut-off and re-start strategy

• US 9,624,893 B2
• Filed: 04/27/2015
• Issued: 04/18/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/27/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Truck Intellectual Property Co. LLC (Volkswagen AG)
• Original Assignee: International Truck Intellectual Property Co. LLC (Volkswagen AG)
• Inventors: Falaise, Nicolas, Opperman, Dean Alan, Parker, Stacey
• Primary Examiner(s): Huynh, Hai
• Assistant Examiner(s): JIN, GEORGE C.
• Application Number:
  US14/696,969
• Publication Number:
  US 20160312723A1
• Time in Patent Office: 722 Days
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 11/0818 Conditions for starting or stopping the engine or for deactivating the idle-start-stop mode
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 11/0822 related to action of the driver
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 11/0833 Vehicle conditions F02N11/0822, F02N11/0825 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 11/0837 Environmental conditions thereof, e.g. traffic, weather or road conditions
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 2200/061 Battery state of charge [SOC]
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 2200/0801 Vehicle speed
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 2200/0802 Transmission state, e.g. gear ratio or neutral state
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 2200/0803 Parking brake state
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 2200/0815 Vehicle door sensors
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 2200/101 Accelerator pedal position
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 2200/102 Brake pedal position
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/40 Engine management systems

Abstract

When a non-hybrid motor vehicle is stopped, its engine is shut-off upon concurrence of certain conditions precedent without turning off the ignition switch.

Claims

1. A motor vehicle comprising:

an internal combustion engine operable via an accelerator pedal which when operated from a non-depressed position to a depressed position propels the motor vehicle via wheels on which the motor vehicle travels, at least some of which are drive wheels which are connected through a transmission to the internal combustion engine;

service brakes operable via a service brake pedal when operated from a non-depressed position to a depressed position to cause brake torque to be applied to at least some of the wheels when rotating;

a park brake operable to lock at least some of the wheels against rotation while the speed of the motor vehicle is zero;

a controller which causes the engine to shut off in response to concurrence of certain conditions precedent comprising speed of the motor vehicle being zero, the accelerator pedal being in non-depressed position, the transmission being in a non-drive gear, the park brake locking at least some of the wheels against rotation, and the service brake pedal being in non-depressed position, in which with the engine shut off, the controller causes the engine to re-start when the service brake pedal is operated to depressed position.

2. A motor vehicle as set forth in claim 1 in which the controller conditions engine shut-off on at least one additional condition precedent.

3. A motor vehicle as set forth in claim 2 in which the at least one additional condition precedent comprises engine speed being at an engine idle speed defined by the controller.

4. A motor vehicle as set forth in claim 2 in which the at least one additional condition precedent comprises state of charge of a battery for cranking the engine being at least as great as a predetermined threshold.

5. A motor vehicle as set forth in claim 1 further comprising an ignition switch which is left in an ON position while the engine is stopped and re-started by the controller.

6. A motor vehicle as set forth in claim 1 in which the controller conditions engine re-start on a door closing a doorway which provides ingress to and egress from an interior of the motor vehicle.

7. A motor vehicle as set forth in claim 1 in which with the engine having been shut off by the controller in response to concurrence of certain conditions precedent, the controller causes the engine to re-start when engine operating temperature drops below a lower limit of a normal engine operating temperature range while the service brake pedal remains in non-depressed position.

8. A motor vehicle as set forth in claim 7 further comprising an ignition switch which is left in an ON position while the engine is stopped and re-started by the controller.

9. A method of stopping running of an internal combustion engine which propels a motor vehicle having an accelerator pedal which when operated from a non-depressed position to a depressed position propels the motor vehicle via wheels on which the motor vehicle travels, at least some of which are drive wheels which are connected through a transmission to the internal combustion engine, service brakes which when operated via depression of a service brake pedal from a non-depressed position to a depressed position cause brake torque to be applied to at least some of the wheels when rotating, a park brake operable to lock at least some of the wheels against rotation when speed of the motor vehicle is zero, the method comprising:

with the engine running, shutting off the engine via a controller in response to concurrence of certain conditions precedent comprising speed of the motor vehicle being zero, the accelerator pedal being in non-depressed position, the transmission being in a non-drive gear, the park brake locking at least some of the wheels against rotation, and the service brake pedal being in non-depressed position

including causing the controller to re-start the engine by operating the service brake pedal from non-depressed position to depressed position.

10. A method as set forth in claim 9 including conditioning engine shut-off on at least one additional condition precedent.

11. A method as set forth in claim 9 including conditioning engine shut-off on engine speed being within a defined engine idle speed range.

12. A method as set forth in claim 9 including conditioning engine shut-off on state of charge of a battery for cranking the engine being at least as great as a predetermined threshold.

13. A method as set forth in claim 9 including conditioning engine re-start on a door closing a doorway which provides ingress to and egress from an interior of the motor vehicle.

14. A method as set forth in claim 9 including causing engine re-start via the controller when engine operating temperature drops below a lower limit of a normal engine operating temperature range while the service brake pedal remains in non-depressed position.

15. A method as set forth in claim 9 comprising operating the service brake pedal from non-depressed position to depressed position after the accelerator pedal has been operated from depressed position to non-depressed position, after vehicle speed is zero, after the transmission has been placed in a non-drive gear, and after the park brake has locked at least some of the wheels against rotation.

16. A method as set forth in claim 9 further comprising, while the engine is shut off and re-started by the controller, leaving an ignition switch in an ON position.