SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING ALTERNATOR OR INTEGRATED STARTER GENERATOR OUTPUT VOLTAGE

• US 20130030670A1
• Filed: 07/27/2011
• Published: 01/31/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/27/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Rademacher, Eric Michael, Gibson, Alexander O'Connor, DeMarco, John Anthony, Griffin, Chad Everette, Pebley, Kirk, Tomik, Filip
• Granted Patent: US 10,322,708 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/102
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/03 for supply of electrical power to vehicle subsystems or for circuit arrangements for charging batteries H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/06 including control of combustion engines
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/08 including control of electric propulsion units, e.g. motors or generators
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 20/00 Control systems specially adapted for hybrid vehicles hybrid vehicle design, B60K6/00; electric vehicles B60L
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/10 Longitudinal speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2555/20 Ambient conditions, e.g. wind or rain
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/08 Electric propulsion units
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18018 Start-stop drive, e.g. in a traffic jam
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 11/08 Circuits or control means specially adapted for starting of engines
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 Hybrid vehicles

Abstract

An automotive vehicle includes an engine, an alternator or integrated starter generator, and at least one controller. The at least one controller reduces voltage output of the alternator or integrated starter generator prior to initiating an auto stop of the engine.

Claims

1. An automotive vehicle comprising:

an engine;

an alternator or integrated starter generator; and

at least one controller configured to (i) receive information about ambient light level and information about speed of the vehicle and (ii) prior to initiating an auto stop of the engine, reduce voltage output of the alternator or integrated starter generator based on the received information.

2. The vehicle of claim 1 wherein the at least one controller is further configured to reduce the voltage output to a target voltage prior to initiating the auto stop of the engine.

3. The vehicle of claim 2 further comprising a battery, wherein the target voltage is greater than voltage output of the battery.

4. The vehicle of claim 3 wherein the at least one controller is further configured to reduce the voltage output of the alternator or integrated starter generator from the target voltage to another target voltage approximately equal to the voltage output of the battery when the speed of the vehicle is approximately zero.

5. The vehicle of claim 1 wherein the at least one controller is further configured to determine a threshold vehicle speed at which to begin reducing the voltage output of the alternator or integrated starter generator based on the speed of the vehicle.

6. A method for controlling output voltage of an alternator or integrated starter generator of a vehicle comprising:

determining a threshold vehicle speed greater than zero;

comparing speed of the vehicle to the threshold vehicle speed; and

prior to initiating an engine auto stop, decreasing output voltage of the alternator or integrated starter generator if the speed of the vehicle is less than or equal to the threshold vehicle speed.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising determining whether a headlight is off and decreasing the output voltage if the speed of the vehicle is less than or equal to the threshold vehicle speed and the headlight is off.

8. The method of claim 6 further comprising determining ambient light level and decreasing the output voltage if the speed of the vehicle is less than or equal to the threshold vehicle speed and the ambient light level is greater than a predetermined threshold.

9. The method of claim 6 wherein the output voltage is decreased to a first target voltage greater than a battery output voltage prior to initiating the engine auto stop.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising decreasing the output voltage from the first target voltage to a second target voltage approximately equal to the battery output voltage when the speed of the vehicle is approximately equal to zero.

11. The method of claim 6 further comprising receiving information about the speed of the vehicle, wherein the threshold vehicle speed is determined based on the information about the speed of the vehicle.

12. An automotive vehicle comprising:

an engine;

an alternator or integrated starter generator; and

at least one controller configured to reduce voltage output of the alternator or integrated starter generator prior to initiating an auto stop of the engine.

13. The vehicle of claim 12 wherein the at least one controller is further configured to reduce the voltage output to a target voltage prior to initiating the auto stop of the engine.

14. The vehicle of claim 13 further comprising a battery, wherein the target voltage is greater than voltage output of the battery.

15. The vehicle of claim 14 wherein the at least one controller is further configured to reduce the voltage output from the target voltage to another target voltage approximately equal to the voltage output of the battery.

16. The vehicle of claim 14 wherein the at least one controller is further configured to reduce the voltage output from the target voltage to another target voltage when vehicle speed is approximately zero.

17. The vehicle of claim 12 wherein the at least one controller is further configured to determine a threshold vehicle speed at which to begin reducing the voltage output of the alternator or integrated starter generator.

18. The vehicle of claim 17 wherein the at least one controller is further configured to receive vehicle speed information and to determine the threshold vehicle speed based on the vehicle speed information.