METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR IMPROVING THE FUEL ECONOMY OF A VARIABLE DISPLACEMENT ENGINE

• US 20130073169A1
• Filed: 09/15/2011
• Published: 03/21/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Powerteq LLC
• Original Assignee: 128 Combustion, LLC
• Inventors: SILVESTRI, Chester J., EMBERSON, David R., MOSHER, Kendall J., RAPER, Adam
• Granted Patent: US 8,738,270 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/99
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2400/11 After-sales modification devices designed to be used to modify an engine afterwards
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 28/00 Programme-control of engines
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/0087 Selective cylinder activation, i.e. partial cylinder operation deceleration cut-off F02D41/123
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/266 the computer being backed-up or assisted by another circuit, e.g. analogue

Abstract

A secondary controller for controlling the performance of a moving automobile is described. The secondary controller can be configured to communicate with one or more vehicle controllers, such as the engine control unit, while the automobile is being driven. The secondary controller can send control commands, such as self-test or diagnostic commands to the vehicle controller to effect the operation of the vehicle'"'"'s power train. The secondary controller can receive power train related data from the engine control unit and based upon the received power train data determine when to send the control commands. In one embodiment, the secondary controller communicates with the vehicle controller via the vehicle'"'"'s diagnostic port, such as an OBD-II port. In another embodiment, the secondary controller can be configured to control a variable displacement engine in a vehicle to improve the fuel efficiency of the vehicle while it is driven.

Claims

1. An electronic device comprising:

a housing;

a processor and a memory disposed within the housing;

an interface that allows the processor and the memory to communicate with a vehicle having an engine control unit;

wherein the processor is configured to

     1) receive from the engine control unit, power train state data characterizing a current operational state of the vehicle,

     2) based upon the power train state data, determine whether to send a control command recognized by the vehicle wherein the control command effects operation of the vehicle while it is being driven; and

     3) when the control command is sent, receive a message from the vehicle indicating whether the control command has been implemented or rejected by the vehicle.

2. The electronic device of claim 1, further comprising:

a connector that allows the electronic device to be coupled to a diagnostic port associated with the vehicle.

3. The electronic device of claim 2, wherein the diagnostic port is OBD-II compliant.

4. The electronic device of claim 2, wherein the diagnostic port is JOBD or EOBD compliant.

5. The electronic device of claim 2, wherein the connector is configured to receive power from the diagnostic port.

6. The electronic device of claim 1, further comprising:

a power source disposed within the housing for delivering power to operate the processor.

7. The electronic device of claim 1, further comprising:

a CAN-controller and a CAN transceiver for sending and receiving messages on a CAN compliant vehicle communication bus.

8. The electronic device of claim 7, wherein the processor is further configured to communicate using a CAN communication protocol.

9. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the power train data is one or more of a vehicle speed, a manifold pressure, an engine RPM, an accelerator pedal position, an engine a coolant temperature, a transmission gear or a calculated load.

10. The electronic device of claim 1, further comprising:

a status indicator for indicating an operational state of the electronic device.

11. The electronic device of claim 10, wherein the status indicator is one of a light, an audio device, a vibration device or a display.

12. The electronic device of claim 1, further comprising:

a mounting interface for mounting the electronic device to a surface of the vehicle.

13. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the vehicle includes a variable displacement engine and wherein the control command is for changing a displacement mode of the variable displacement engine.

14. The electronic device of claim 13, wherein processor is further configured to repeatedly issue the control command to change the displacement mode of the engine while the vehicle is being driven based upon a current operational state to improve the fuel efficiency of the vehicle.

15. The electronic device of claim 13, wherein the control command is sent to a vehicle controller wherein the vehicle controller is configured to issue a command to change the displacement mode of the engine based upon a determination that is independent of determination made by the electronic device.

16. The electronic device of claim 13, wherein the processor is further configured to 1) determine one or more of whether the vehicle is in a cruise state, 2) an accelerator pedal position has changed over a first time period more than a first threshold amount, 3) a calculated engine load has changed more than over a second time period more than a second threshold amount, 4) the calculated engine load is below a third threshold amount or 5) combinations thereof and in response the determination, determine whether to issue the command for changing the displacement mode of engine.

17. The electronic device of claim 1 wherein the control command is self-test or diagnostic command.

18. A method in a controller for controlling an automobile including an a variable displacement engine comprising:

receiving from power train state data including a calculated engine load data and an accelerator pedal position data;

applying a data smoothing algorithm to at least the calculated engine load and the accelerator pedal position and storing the smoothed data;

based upon the smoothed calculated engine load data and the smoothed accelerator pedal position data, determining one or more of

     1) whether the vehicle is in a cruise state,

     2) an accelerator pedal position has decreased more than a first threshold amount over a first time period,

     3) a calculated engine load has decreased more than a second threshold amount over a second time period,

     4) the calculated engine load is below a third threshold value or combinations thereof.

based upon the determination, determining a determining a desired displacement mode of the variable displacement mode engine; and

when the desired displacement mode is different from a current displacement mode, sending one or more control commands configured to cause the variable displacement mode engine to operate in the desired displacement mode.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

normalizing the calculated engine load data and the accelerator pedal position data.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the variable displacement engine includes two or more displacement modes.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein the one or more control commands are self-test or diagnostic commands.

22. The method of claim 18, wherein the controller is an engine control unit.

23. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

determining a plurality of first derivatives with respect to time using the smoothed accelerator pedal position data, based upon the plurality of first derivatives determining a local maximum for the accelerator pedal position wherein the change in the accelerator pedal position over the first time period is determined based upon an amount of change from the local maximum.

24. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

determining a plurality of first derivatives with respect to time using the smoothed calculated load data, based upon the plurality of first derivatives determining a local maximum for the calculated load wherein the change in the calculated load over the second time period is determined based upon an amount of change from the local maximum.

25. The method of claim 18 wherein the data smoothing algorithm is an exponential smoothing algorithm.

26. A computer readable medium including computer code for controlling an automobile including an a variable displacement engine comprising:

computer code for receiving from power train state data including a calculated engine load data and an accelerator pedal position data;

computer code for applying a data smoothing algorithm to at least the calculated engine load and the accelerator pedal position and storing the smoothed data;

computer code for, based upon the smoothed calculated engine load data and the smoothed accelerator pedal position data, determining one or more of

     1) whether the vehicle is in a cruise state,

     2) an accelerator pedal position has decreased more than a first threshold amount over a first time period,

     3) a calculated engine load has decreased more than a second threshold amount over a second time period,

     4) the calculated engine load is below a third threshold value or combinations thereof.

computer code for, based upon the determination, determining a determining a desired displacement mode of the variable displacement mode engine; and

computer code for, when the desired displacement mode is different from a current displacement mode, sending one or more control commands to cause the variable displacement mode engine to operate in the desired displacement mode.