CYLINDER DEACTIVATION CONTROL SYSTEM

• US 20170328287A1
• Filed: 05/16/2016
• Published: 11/16/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Leone, Thomas G., Miller, Kenneth James, Hocking, Chris James
• Granted Patent: US 10,036,333 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2040/0881 Seat occupation; Driver or passenger presence
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/1882 characterised by the working point of the engine, e.g. by using engine output chart
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 17/02 Cutting-out cutting-out engines in multiple engine arrangements F02D25/04
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2200/50 said parameters being related to the vehicle or its components
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2200/60 said parameters being related to the driver demands or status
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/0087 Selective cylinder activation, i.e. partial cylinder operation deceleration cut-off F02D41/123
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/021 Introducing corrections for particular conditions exterior to the engine conjoint control of vehicle sub-units for propelling the vehicle B60W30/18

Abstract

A vehicle includes a transmission; a torque converter coupled to the transmission; a controller in communication with the transmission and the torque converter; a driver seat, a passenger seat, and a back seat coupled to the transmission; and sensors configured to detect user occupancy of the seats. The sensors are in communication with the controller. The controller is programmed to receive data from the sensors, determine an occupancy status based on the occupancy data, set an engine operating parameter of one of the transmission and the torque converter based on the occupancy status, and control one or both of the transmission and the torque converter to operate according to the parameter.

Claims

1. A controller comprising a processor and a memory for a vehicle including an engine with a plurality of cylinders, the controller programmed to:

determine an occupancy status of the vehicle based on received sensor data;

select a set of active cylinders from the plurality of cylinders based on the occupancy status; and

activate the set of active cylinders and deactivate a remainder of the plurality of cylinders.

2. The controller of claim 1, wherein the occupancy status is one of an occupied status and an unoccupied status.

3. The controller of claim 2, wherein a set of active cylinders for the unoccupied status is no greater than, and for at least some vehicle conditions smaller than, a set of active cylinders for the occupied status.

4. The controller of claim 1, wherein the occupancy status is one of a driver-seat occupied status, a passenger-seat-only-occupied status, a back-seat-only-occupied status, and an unoccupied status.

5. The controller of claim 4, wherein a set of active cylinders for the unoccupied status is no greater than, and for at least some vehicle conditions smaller than, a set of active cylinders for the back-seat-only-occupied status;

and the set of active cylinders for the back-seat-only-occupied status is no greater than, and for at least some vehicle conditions smaller than, a set of active cylinders for one of the driver-seat-occupied status and the passenger-seat-only-occupied status.

6. A method of controlling a vehicle including an engine with a plurality of cylinders comprising:

detecting an occupancy status of the vehicle;

selecting a set of active cylinders from the plurality of cylinders based on the occupancy status; and

activating the set of active cylinders and deactivating a remainder of the plurality of cylinders.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the occupancy status is one of an occupied status and an unoccupied status.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein a set of active cylinders for the unoccupied status is no greater than, and for at least some vehicle conditions smaller than, a set of active cylinders for the occupied status.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the occupancy status is one of a driver-seat occupied status, a passenger-seat-only-occupied status, a back-seat-only-occupied status, and an unoccupied status.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein a set of active cylinders for the unoccupied status is no greater than, and for at least some vehicle conditions smaller than, a set of active cylinders for the back-seat-only-occupied status;

and a set of active cylinders for the back-seat-only-occupied status is no greater than, and for at least some vehicle conditions smaller than, a set of active cylinders for one of the driver-seat-occupied status and the passenger-seat-only-occupied status.

11. A vehicle comprising:

an engine including a plurality of cylinders;

a controller in communication with the engine;

a driver seat, a passenger seat, and a back seat coupled to the engine; and

sensors configured to detect occupancy of the driver seat, of the passenger seat, and of the back seat and in communication with the controller;

wherein

the controller is programmed to receive occupancy data from the sensors, determine an occupancy status of the vehicle based on the occupancy data, select a set of active cylinders from the plurality of cylinders based on the occupancy status, and activate the set of active cylinders and deactivate a remainder of the plurality of cylinders.

12. The vehicle of claim 11, wherein the controller is further programmed to determine the occupancy status as an occupied status if the occupancy data indicates that at least one of the seats are occupied and as an unoccupied status if the occupancy data indicates that the seats are unoccupied.

13. The vehicle of claim 12, wherein a set of active cylinders for the unoccupied status is no greater than, and for at least some vehicle conditions smaller than, a set of active cylinders for the occupied status.

14. The vehicle of claim 11, wherein the controller is further programmed to determine the occupancy status as a driver-seat-occupied status if the occupancy data indicates that the driver seat is occupied, as a passenger-seat-only-occupied status if the occupancy data indicates that the passenger seat is occupied and the driver seat is unoccupied, as a back-seat-only-occupied status if the occupancy data indicates that the driver and passenger seats are unoccupied and the back seat is occupied, and as an unoccupied status if the occupancy data indicates that the seats are unoccupied.

15. The vehicle of claim 14, wherein a set of active cylinders for the unoccupied status is no greater than, and for at least some vehicle conditions smaller than, a set of active cylinders for the back-seat-only-occupied status;

and the set of active cylinders for the back-seat-only-occupied status is no greater than, and for at least some vehicle conditions smaller than, a set of active cylinders for one of the driver-seat-occupied status and the passenger-seat-only-occupied status.

16. The vehicle of claim 11, further comprising a driver-identification sensor in communication with the controller, wherein the controller is further programmed to receive driver-identifying data from the driver-identification sensor and determine the occupancy status based on the driver-identifying data.

17. The vehicle of claim 16, wherein the controller is further programmed to determine the occupancy status as a front-seat-occupied status if the occupancy data indicates that at least one of the driver and passenger seats is occupied and the driver-identifying data indicates that an occupant of the at least one of the driver and passenger seats is a non-chauffeur;

as a chauffeur status if the occupancy data indicates that the driver seat is occupied, the passenger seat is unoccupied, and the driver-identifying data indicates that an occupant of the driver seat is a chauffeur;

as a back-seat-only-occupied status if the occupancy data indicates that the driver and passenger seats are unoccupied and the back seat is occupied, and as an unoccupied status if the occupancy data indicates that the seats are unoccupied.

18. The vehicle of claim 17, wherein a set of active cylinders for the unoccupied status is no greater than, and for at least some vehicle conditions smaller than, a set of active cylinders for the back-seat-only-occupied status;

and the set of active cylinders for the back-seat-only-occupied status is no greater than, and for at least some vehicle conditions smaller than, a set of active cylinders for the front-seat-occupied status.

19. The vehicle of claim 17, wherein a set of active cylinders for the unoccupied status is no greater than, and for at least some vehicle conditions smaller than, a set of active cylinders for the chauffeur status;

and the set of active cylinders for the chauffeur status is no greater than, and for at least some vehicle conditions smaller than, a set of active cylinders for the front-seat-occupied status.

20. The vehicle of claim 17, wherein the chauffeur status and the back-seat-only-occupied status are the same occupancy status.