Auto-stop control for a stop/start vehicle near water

• US 9,664,136 B2
• Filed: 03/11/2013
• Issued: 05/30/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Boesch, Mathew Alan, Lockwood, John Anthony, Walley, George Edmund, Sangameswaran, Sangeetha
• Primary Examiner(s): Vo, Hieu T
• Assistant Examiner(s): Castro, Arnold
• Application Number:
  US13/793,570
• Publication Number:
  US 20140257678A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,541 Days
• Field of Search: 1231793, 1231794, 701107, 701112
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 45/00 Electrical control not provided for in groups F02D41/00 - F02D43/00
• 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 2200/124 Information about road conditions, e.g. road inclination or surface
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/40 Engine management systems

Abstract

A stop/start vehicle includes an engine and a stop/start system that prevents an auto stop of the engine when a speed of the vehicle is approximately zero in response to the vehicle being located within a specified distance from a body of water or in response to the vehicle being located in a user identified geographic region.

Claims

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

receiving input defining a user-identified geographic region remote from a current location of the vehicle; and

preventing an auto stop of an engine when a speed of the vehicle is approximately zero in response to the vehicle being located within the user-identified geographic region.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the user-identified geographic region includes a boat ramp.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the preventing is only performed if a trailer is connected to the vehicle.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the preventing is only performed if a drive-surface gradient under the vehicle exceeds a threshold value.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the vehicle being located within the user-identified geographic region is based on a comparison of a detected vehicle location against a user-identified geo-fence.

6. A stop/start vehicle comprising:

an engine; and

a stop/start system programmed to receive input defining a user-identified geographic region remote from a current location of the vehicle, and to prevent an auto stop of the engine when a speed of the vehicle is approximately zero in response to the vehicle being located within the user-identified geographic region and a trailer being attached to the vehicle.

7. The vehicle of claim 6 wherein the user-identified geographic region includes a boat ramp.

8. The vehicle of claim 6 wherein the stop/start system is further programmed to prevent an auto stop of the engine if a drive-surface gradient under the vehicle exceeds a threshold value.