Systems and methods for automatically controlling the engine of a turf-care vehicle
First Claim
1. A method for automatically controlling an engine of a turf-care vehicle, wherein the turf-care vehicle comprises:
- an internal combustion engine structured and operable to provide motive force to the vehicle;
an electrical displacement control structured and operable to control an amount of torque output by a transmission of the vehicle for controlling a terrestrial speed of the vehicle;
an engine control unit structured and operable to control a rotational speed of the engine; and
an engine speed control module structured and operable to;
receive data inputs from the electrical displacement control, the engine control unit, and a plurality vehicle components;
execute engine speed command software utilizing the data inputs; and
via execution of the engine speed command software, output commands to at least one of the electrical displacement control and the engine control unit to selectively implement one a plurality of engine speed control modes implementable by the engine speed control module;
wherein said method comprising;
receiving, at the engine speed control module, a mode selection input from an engine speed control mode selection device of the vehicle, the mode selection input indicative of which of the plurality of engine speed modes are to be implemented by the engine speed control module;
receiving, at the engine speed control module, data inputs from at least one of the electrical displacement control, the engine control unit, and the vehicle components, and thereby monitoring an operating status of at least one of the electrical displacement control, the engine control unit, and the vehicle components; and
based at least in part on the selected engine speed control mode and the received data inputs, communicating engine speed commands, via the engine speed control module, to at least one of the electrical displacement control and the engine control unit for automatically controlling at least one of a rotational speed of the engine and a terrestrial speed of the vehicle based at least in part on engine speed control parameter of the selected engine speed control mode.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system and method for automatically controlling an engine of a turf-care vehicle. The method comprises receiving, at an engine speed control module, a mode selection input from an engine speed control mode selection device. The mode selection input is indicative of one a plurality of engine speed control modes, and all of the engine speed control modes are implementable by the engine speed control module. The method additionally comprises monitoring, via the engine speed control module, an operating status of one or more vehicle systems and/or one or more vehicle sensors. The method further comprises automatically controlling, via the engine speed control module, a rotational speed of the engine based at least in part on the selected engine speed control mode and the operating status of the one or more vehicle systems and/or one or more vehicle sensors.
15 Citations
12 Claims
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1. A method for automatically controlling an engine of a turf-care vehicle, wherein the turf-care vehicle comprises:
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an internal combustion engine structured and operable to provide motive force to the vehicle; an electrical displacement control structured and operable to control an amount of torque output by a transmission of the vehicle for controlling a terrestrial speed of the vehicle; an engine control unit structured and operable to control a rotational speed of the engine; and an engine speed control module structured and operable to; receive data inputs from the electrical displacement control, the engine control unit, and a plurality vehicle components; execute engine speed command software utilizing the data inputs; and via execution of the engine speed command software, output commands to at least one of the electrical displacement control and the engine control unit to selectively implement one a plurality of engine speed control modes implementable by the engine speed control module; wherein said method comprising; receiving, at the engine speed control module, a mode selection input from an engine speed control mode selection device of the vehicle, the mode selection input indicative of which of the plurality of engine speed modes are to be implemented by the engine speed control module; receiving, at the engine speed control module, data inputs from at least one of the electrical displacement control, the engine control unit, and the vehicle components, and thereby monitoring an operating status of at least one of the electrical displacement control, the engine control unit, and the vehicle components; and based at least in part on the selected engine speed control mode and the received data inputs, communicating engine speed commands, via the engine speed control module, to at least one of the electrical displacement control and the engine control unit for automatically controlling at least one of a rotational speed of the engine and a terrestrial speed of the vehicle based at least in part on engine speed control parameter of the selected engine speed control mode. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A method for automatically controlling an engine of a turf-care vehicle, wherein the turf-care vehicle comprises:
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an internal combustion engine structured and operable to provide motive force to the vehicle; an electrical displacement control structured and operable to control an amount of torque output by a transmission of the vehicle for controlling a terrestrial speed of the vehicle; an engine control unit structured and operable to control a rotational speed of the engine; and an engine speed control module structured and operable to; receive data inputs from the electrical displacement control, the engine control unit, and a plurality vehicle components; execute engine speed command software utilizing the data inputs; and via execution of the engine speed command software, output commands to at least one of the electrical displacement control and the engine control unit to selectively implement one of an engine speed control Fixed Low Speed Mode, an engine speed control Auto-Adjust Mode, and an engine speed control Fixed Engine RPM Mode, wherein said method comprising; receiving, at the engine speed control module, a mode selection input from an engine speed control mode selection device of the vehicle, the mode selection input indicative of which one of the Fixed Low Speed, Auto-Adjust, and Fixed Engine RPM Modes is to be implemented by the engine speed control module; receiving, at the engine speed control module, data inputs from at least one of the electrical displacement control, the engine control unit, and the vehicle components, and thereby monitoring an operating status of at least one of the electrical displacement control, the engine control unit, and the vehicle components; and based at least in part on the selected engine speed control mode and the received data inputs, communicating engine speed commands, via the engine speed control module, to at least one of the electrical displacement control and the engine control unit for automatically controlling at least one of a rotational speed of the engine and a terrestrial speed of the vehicle based on engine speed control parameter of the selected engine speed control mode. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12)
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Specification