Automatic reactivation of passenger-activated functions for short engine run cycle times
View Patent ↗Methods and apparatus are provided for automatically reactivating passenger-activated functions in an automobile, upon restart of the automobile engine, following an engine shutdown. The functional status of each passenger-activated function that is activated when the engine is shut off is stored. An activation time of each passenger-activated function, which corresponds to the time that the passenger-activated function was activated prior to the engine being shut off, is also stored. Upon engine restart, each passenger-activated function that was previously activated is reactivated to its stored functional status, if its stored activation time is less than a predetermined calibration time.
1. In an automobile having an engine and one or more passenger-activated functions each having a functional status, a method of reactivating a passenger-activated function that was previously activated by an automobile passenger, the method comprising:
storing the functional status of each passenger-activated function that is activated when the engine is shut off;
storing an activation time of each passenger-activated function, the activation time corresponding to a time that the passenger-activated function was activated prior to the engine being shut off;
reactivating upon engine restart, each passenger-activated function that was previously activated to its stored functional status, if its stored activation time is less than a predetermined calibration time;
determining an engine shut-off time, which corresponds to a time that the engine has been shut-off; and
wherein each passenger-activated function is reactivated to its stored functional status if (i) its stored activation time is less than a predetermined calibration time and (ii) the engine shut-off time is less than a predetermined soak time.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the passenger-activated function is reactivated to its stored functional status if (i) its stored activation time is less than a predetermined calibration time and (ii) the engine is re-stated remotely.
3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
initiating a driver notification upon the reactivation of each passenger-activated function.
4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining if a capability to reactivate a passenger-activated function upon engine restart has been activated by the automobile passenger.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the passenger-activated function is a seat healer.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the passenger-activated function is a mirror heater.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the passenger-activated function is a window defogger.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the passenger-activated function includes one or more lights.
9. In an automobile having an engine, a system for reactivating previously activated functions, comprising:
a controller operable to at least monitor one or more passenger-activated functions, each passenger-activated function having a functional status;
a timer circuit in operable communication with the controller and operable to determine an activation time of each passenger-activated function, the activation time corresponding to a time that the passenger activated function was activated prior to the engine being shut off; and
a memory coupled to receive and store, upon engine shut-off, both the functional status and the activation time of each passenger-activated function that is activated when the engine is shut off;
wherein the controller is further operable, upon engine restart, to reactivate, to its stored functional status, each passenger-activated function that was activated when the engine was shut off, if its stored activation time is less than a predetermined calibration time;
wherein the timer circuit is further operable to determine an engine shut-off time, which corresponds to a time that the engine has been shut; and
wherein the controller is operable, upon engine restart, to reactivate each passenger-activated function to its stored functional status if (i) its stored activation time is less than a predetermined calibration time and (ii) the engine shut-off time is less than a predetermined soak time.
10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the controller is operable, upon engine restart, to reactivate each passenger-activated function to its stored functional status if (i) its stored activation time is less than a predetermined calibration time and (ii) the engine is re-started remotely.
11. The system of claim 9 , wherein the controller is further operable to generate one or move driver notification signals, each signal be generated upon the reactivation of each passenger-activated function.
12. The system of claim 9 , further comprising:
a reactivation functional selector coupled to the contoller, the reactivation function selector having at least an on position and an off position,
wherein the controller is operable to reactivate a passenger-activated function upon engine restart, if the reactivation function selector is in the on position.
13. The system of claim 9 , wherein the passenger-activated function is a seat heater.
14. The system of claim 9 , wherein the passenger-activated function is a mirror heater.
15. The system of claim 9 , wherein the passenger-activated function is a window defogger.
16. The system of claim 9 , wherein the passenger-activated function includes one or more lights.
17. An automobile comprising:
an engine;
a controller operable to at least monitor one or more passenger-activated functions, each passenger-activated function having a functional status;
a timer circuit in operable communication with the contoller and operable to determine an activation time of each passenger-activated function, the activation time corresponding to a time that the passenger activated function was activated prior to the engine being shut off; and
a memory coupled to receive and store, upon engine shut-off, both the functional status and the activation time of each passenger-activated function that is activated when the engine is shut off;
wherein the controller is further operable, upon engine restart, to reactivate, to its stored functional status each passenger-activated function that was activated when the engine was shut off, if its stored activation time is less than a predetermined calibration time;
wherein the timer circuit is further operable to determine an engine shut-off time, which corresponds to a time that the engine has been shutoff; and
wherein the controller is operable, upon engine restart, upon to reactivate each passenger-activated function to its stored functional status if (i) its stored activation time is less than a predetermined calibration time and (ii) the engine shut-off time is less than a predetermined soak time.
18. The automobile of claim 17 wherein the controller is operable, upon engine restart, to reactivate each passenger-activated function to its stored functional status if (i) its stored activation time is less than a predetermined calibration time and (ii) the engine is re-started remotely.