IP Library Granted Patent US 10,266,178
Granted Patent B2
US 10,266,178 · App. 15/292,471 · Granted Apr 23, 2019

Automatic engine start-stop control during driver exit events

Inventors: Hafiz Shafeek Khafagy (Dearborn, MI); Eric Michael Rademacher (Royal Oak, MI); Ahmed Awadi (Farmington Hills, MI); Hank L. Kwong (Farmington Hills, MI); Giuseppe Domenico Suffredini (Shelby Township, MI)
Assignee: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
B60W30/18054B60W10/06B60W10/182F02D41/042F02D41/065F02N11/0814F02N11/0822B60W2520/10B60W2540/10B60W2710/186F02D2200/602F02N2200/0801F02N2200/106F02N2300/2011Y02T10/48
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,266,178
App. No.
15/292,471
Granted
Apr 23, 2019
Kind
B2
Abstract

A vehicle includes an engine and a controller programmed to autostop and autostart the engine. The controller is further programmed to, in response to receiving signals indicative of a driver exiting the vehicle while the engine is auto stopped, autostart the engine, and after expiration of a predetermined duration, autostop the engine and inhibit vehicle propulsion until an ignition cycle is initiated.

Claims (27)

1. A vehicle comprising:

an electric parking brake;

an engine; and

a controller programmed to autostop and autostart the engine, activate the electric parking brake responsive to autostopping the engine and vehicle speed being less than a predetermined speed, and responsive to receiving signals indicative of a driver exiting the vehicle during engine autostops, autostart the engine, and after expiration of a predetermined duration, autostop the engine and inhibit vehicle propulsion until initiating an ignition cycle.

2. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further programmed to, in response to receiving signals indicative of the driver reentering the vehicle before the predetermined duration is expired, autostop the engine.

3. The vehicle of claim 1 further comprising a seat belt sensor configured to provide a signal indicative of a connection status of a seat belt, and the signal is indicative of a driver exiting the vehicle when the connection status indicates that the seat belt is unlatched.

4. The vehicle of claim 1 further comprising a door sensor configured to provide a signal indicative of a state of a driver door, and the signal is indicative of the driver exiting the vehicle when the signal indicates that the driver door is open.

5. The vehicle of claim 1 further comprising a weight sensor configured to provide a signal indicative of an amount of weight present on a driver seat of the vehicle, and the signal is indicative of the driver exiting the vehicle when the amount of weight decreases by a predetermined amount.

6. The vehicle of claim 1 , further comprising a weight sensor configured to provide a signal indicative of an amount of weight present on a driver seat of the vehicle, and the signal is indicative of the driver exiting the vehicle when the amount of weight is less than a predetermined weight.

7. The vehicle of claim 1 further comprising a position sensor for a brake pedal configured to provide a brake pedal travel signal, and wherein the controller is further programmed to, in response to a the brake pedal travel signal becoming less than a predetermined amount that is indicative of the brake pedal being released while the engine is autostopped, maintain activation of the electric park brake.

8. A method of controlling a vehicle comprising:

autostopping, by a controller, an engine responsive to a brake pedal travel exceeding a predetermined threshold;

activating, by the controller, an electric parking brake responsive to autostopping the engine and a speed of the vehicle being less than a predetermined speed;

autostarting, by the controller, the engine responsive to receiving signals indicative of a driver exiting the vehicle while the engine is autostopped;

autostopping, by the controller, the engine after expiration of a predetermined duration; and

inhibiting, by the controller, autostarting the engine until an ignition cycle is initiated.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein signals indicative of the driver exiting the vehicle include a seat belt sensor indicating an unlatched state and a driver door sensor indicating a door opened state.

10. The method of claim 8 further comprising autostopping, by the controller, the engine in response to receiving signals indicative of the driver reentering the vehicle before expiration of the predetermined duration and a speed of the vehicle exceeding a predetermined speed.

11. The method of claim 8 further comprising autostopping, by the controller, the engine in response to receiving signals indicative of the driver reentering the vehicle before expiration of the predetermined duration.

12. A powertrain control system for a vehicle comprising:

a controller programmed to (i) autostop and autostart an engine, (ii) command activation of an electric park brake during engine autostops when a speed of the vehicle is less than a predetermined speed, and, (iii) in response to receiving signals indicative of a driver exiting the vehicle while the engine is autostopped, autostart the engine for a predetermined duration.

13. The powertrain control system of claim 12 , wherein the controller is further programmed to, in response to receiving signals indicative of the driver reentering the vehicle before the predetermined duration is expired, autostop the engine.

14. The powertrain control system of claim 12 , wherein the controller is further programmed to, in response to a driver demand for propulsion exceeding a first predetermined threshold while the engine is autostopped, autostart the engine.

15. The powertrain control system of claim 14 , wherein the controller is further programmed to, in response to the driver demand for propulsion exceeding a second predetermined threshold, command deactivation of the electric park brake.

16. The powertrain control system of claim 12 , wherein the controller is further programmed to receive a signal indicative of a connection status of a seat belt from a seat belt sensor and the signal is indicative of a driver exiting the vehicle when the connection status indicates that the seat belt is unlatched.

17. The powertrain control system of claim 12 , wherein the controller is further programmed to receive a signal from a door sensor indicative of a state of a driver door and the signal is indicative of the driver exiting the vehicle when the signal indicates that the driver door is open.

18. The powertrain control system of claim 12 , wherein the controller is further programmed to, in response to expiration of the predetermined duration, autostop the engine and inhibit vehicle propulsion until an ignition cycle is initiated.

Assignments (2)
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE SECOND INVENTOR'S EXECUTION DATE PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL: 040008 FRAME: 0252. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE ASSIGNMENT. Recorded Nov 21, 2016
From: KHAFAGY, HAFIZ SHAFEEK; RADEMACHER, ERIC MICHAEL; AWADI, AHMED; KWONG, HANK L.; SUFFREDINI, GIUSEPPE DOMENICO
To: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
Reel/Frame 040652/0612 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 13, 2016
From: KHAFAGY, HAFIZ SHAFEEK; RADEMACHER, ERIC MICHAEL; AWADI, AHMED; KWONG, HANK L.; SUFFREDINI, GIUSEPPE DOMENICO
To: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
Reel/Frame 040008/0252 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20180105178A1 · Apr 19, 2018
Cited By (1)
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