Initiating preparations for engine autostop prior to vehicle stop

• US 9,682,691 B2
• Filed: 08/07/2012
• Issued: 06/20/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/07/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Wang, Xiaoyong, McGee, Ryan Abraham
• Primary Examiner(s): Shriver, II, J. Allen
• Assistant Examiner(s): Coolman, Travis
• Application Number:
  US13/568,187
• Publication Number:
  US 20140046577A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,778 Days
• Field of Search: 701 54, 701112, 701113
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/06 including control of combustion engines
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/10 including control of change-speed gearings
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/30 including control of auxiliary equipment, e.g. air-conditioning compressors or oil pumps
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/10 Longitudinal speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/0683 Engine manifold pressure
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/1005 Transmission ratio engaged
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/305 target power to auxiliaries
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/181 Preparing for stopping
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/0097 Predicting future conditions
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/042 for stopping the engine
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 11/0822 related to action of the driver
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 2200/0801 Vehicle speed
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 2200/101 Accelerator pedal position
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/40 Engine management systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/84 Data processing systems or methods, management, administration

Abstract

A stop/start vehicle includes at least one controller that, in response to predicting a vehicle stop, initiates an engine pre-shutdown protocol such that vehicle subsystems begin to prepare for engine shutdown prior to a speed of the vehicle reaching approximately zero to reduce time between the speed of the vehicle reaching approximately zero and engine shutdown.

Claims

1. A vehicle comprising:

an engine;

a vehicle component; and

at least one controller configured to, in response to predicting a vehicle stop,

initiate an engine pre-shutdown protocol for the vehicle component, prior to a speed of the vehicle reaching zero and prior to receiving a command to initiate engine auto-shutdown, at a time selected to permit completion of the engine pre-shutdown protocol prior to the speed reaching zero, and

initiate the engine auto-shutdown after the speed reaches approximately zero.

2. The vehicle of claim 1 wherein the vehicle component is an intake manifold in fluid communication with the engine and wherein initiating the engine pre-shutdown protocol includes initiating a purge of the intake manifold.

3. The vehicle of claim 1 wherein the vehicle component is an electrical bus and wherein initiating the engine pre-shutdown protocol includes initiating a reduction of a voltage on the electrical bus to a predetermined value.

4. The vehicle of claim 1 wherein the vehicle component is an automatic transmission mechanically coupled with the engine and wherein initiating the engine pre-shutdown protocol includes initiating a shifting of gears of the automatic transmission.

5. The vehicle of claim 1 wherein the vehicle component is an electric pump and wherein initiating the engine pre-shutdown protocol includes initiating an activation of the electric pump.

6. A stop/start method comprising:

in response to predicting a vehicle stop, initiating engine pre-shutdown preparations for at least one vehicle component, prior to vehicle speed reaching zero and prior to receiving a command to shut down the engine, at a time selected to permit completion of the engine pre-shutdown preparations prior to the vehicle speed reaching zero; and

in response to the vehicle speed reaching approximately zero, shutting down the engine.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the at least one vehicle component is an intake manifold in fluid communication with the engine and wherein initiating engine pre-shutdown preparations includes initiating a purge of the intake manifold.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein the at least one vehicle component is an electrical bus and wherein initiating engine pre-shutdown preparations includes initiating a reduction in voltage on the electrical bus to a predetermined value.

9. The method of claim 6 wherein the at least one vehicle component is an automatic transmission mechanically coupled with the engine and wherein initiating engine pre-shutdown preparations includes initiating a shifting of gears of the automatic transmission.

10. The method of claim 6 wherein the at least one vehicle component is an electric pump and wherein initiating engine pre-shutdown preparations includes initiating an activation of the electric pump.