ASSISTED DIRECT START ENGINE CONTROL FOR ENHANCED LAUNCH PERFORMANCE

• US 20110071746A1
• Filed: 09/21/2009
• Published: 03/24/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Lewis, Donald, O`Connor Gibson, Alexander, Kolmanovsky, Ilya Vladimir
• Granted Patent: US 9,677,530 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/101
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 11/0837 Environmental conditions thereof, e.g. traffic, weather or road conditions
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 2200/104 Driver's intention to turn, e.g. by evaluating direction indicators
• 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: F02N 2300/306 with external senders or receivers, e.g. receiving signals from traffic lights, other vehicles or base stations
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/40 Engine management systems

Abstract

A system and method for controlling an internal combustion engine include anticipating vehicle launch in response to vehicle position relative to a traffic stream and controlling automatic restart and shut down in response to an anticipated vehicle launch to prevent an automatic engine shut down or to initiate an automatic engine restart. Embodiments include determining vehicle position and traffic position using GPS coordinates. Automatic restart may be initiated in response to movement of a forward vehicle away from the vehicle or in response to a signal from a traffic control device, for example. Automatic shutdown may be inhibited in response to movement of a forward vehicle in cross traffic, in response to a turn indicator being active, or in response to wheel angle, for example.

Claims

1. A method for controlling an internal combustion engine having automatic restart and automatic shut down, the method comprising:

anticipating vehicle launch in response to vehicle position relative to a traffic stream; and

controlling the automatic restart and shut down in response to detecting an anticipated vehicle launch to prevent an automatic engine shut down or to initiate an automatic engine restart.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the traffic stream includes cross traffic through an intersection and wherein anticipating vehicle launch comprises:

detecting a vehicle turn indicator; and

detecting an anticipated launch when the vehicle turn indicator is active and the vehicle is within a predetermined distance of the intersection.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein anticipating vehicle launch comprises detecting movement of a forward vehicle.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein anticipating vehicle launch comprises detecting movement of a forward vehicle away from the vehicle.

5. The method of claim 3 wherein anticipating vehicle launch comprises detecting movement of a forward vehicle across a detector field of view.

6. The method of claim 3 wherein detecting movement of a forward vehicle comprises processing a video image.

7. The method of claim 3 wherein detecting movement of a forward vehicle comprises processing a directed energy beam signal reflected from the forward vehicle.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising preventing an automatic engine shut down in response to a signal received from a traffic control device.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein anticipating vehicle launch comprises detecting speed of a forward vehicle, the method further comprising preventing an automatic engine shut down when the forward vehicle speed exceeds a corresponding threshold.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein anticipating vehicle launch comprises detecting an anticipated launch when wheel turning angle exceeds a corresponding threshold.

11. A system for controlling an internal combustion engine comprising:

at least one sensor that provides a signal indicative of vehicle position relative to a traffic stream;

a controller in communication with the at least one sensor, the controller anticipating vehicle launch in response to the vehicle position relative to the traffic stream and controlling automatic restart and shut down of the engine in response to detecting an anticipated vehicle launch.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein the traffic stream includes cross traffic through an intersection and wherein the controller detects a vehicle turn indicator and detects an anticipated launch when the vehicle turn indicator is active and the vehicle is within a predetermined distance of the intersection.

13. The system of claim 11 wherein the at least one sensor comprises a sensor that detects movement of a forward vehicle, wherein the controller determines an anticipated launch when movement of a forward vehicle exceeds a corresponding threshold.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein the corresponding threshold represents a distance threshold.

15. The system of claim 13 wherein the corresponding threshold represents a speed threshold.

16. The system of claim 13 wherein the at least one sensor comprises a camera and wherein the controller detects an anticipated vehicle launce when the camera detects traffic crossing in front of the vehicle.

17. The system of claim 13 wherein the at least one sensor comprises a non-imaging transceiver that transmits an electromagnetic beam and determines distance to a forward vehicle based on a received beam reflected from the forward vehicle.

18. The system of claim 11 further comprising a transceiver that receives a signal indicative of the vehicle position relative to position of a traffic stream.

19. A computer readable storage medium having stored data representing instructions executable by a microprocessor to control an internal combustion engine having automatic restart and automatic shut down, the computer readable storage medium comprising:

instructions for detecting vehicle position relative to a traffic stream; and

instructions for controlling the automatic restart and shut down in response to an anticipated vehicle launch based on the vehicle position relative to the traffic stream.

20. The computer readable storage medium of claim 19 further comprising:

instructions for detecting movement of a forward vehicle; and

instructions for restarting the engine when movement of the forward vehicle exceeds a corresponding threshold.