Load based engine start-stop control

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10005448-B2
Application number	US-201615077369-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 22, 2016
Priority date	Mar 22, 2016
Publication date	Jun 26, 2018
Grant date	Jun 26, 2018

Abstract

An engine control system for a vehicle includes a controller that initiates a start of the engine in response to a state of charge (SOC) of a battery falling below an engine start threshold, initiates a stop of the engine in response to the SOC exceeding an engine stop threshold, and adjusts a value of the engine start threshold based on whether a load remote from the vehicle is drawing power from the battery.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vehicle comprising:
a battery; and
a controller configured to
in response to detecting a load remote from the vehicle drawing power from the battery, decrease to a first predefined value a state of charge (SOC) threshold at which engine start is initiated,
in response to detecting that the load is no longer drawing power from the battery, increase the SOC threshold, and
in response to a SOC falling below the threshold, initiate engine start.

2. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to
in response to detecting the load remote from the vehicle drawing power from the battery, increase to a second predefined value a SOC threshold at which engine stop is initiated, and
in response to the SOC exceeding the SOC threshold at which engine stop is initiated, initiate engine stop.

3. The vehicle of claim 2 , wherein the controller is further configured to, in response to detecting that the load is no longer drawing power from the battery, decrease the SOC threshold at which engine stop is initiated.

4. The vehicle of claim 2 , wherein the controller is further configured to, in response to detecting presence of a request for economy mode, preclude the increase to a second predefined value.

5. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to, in response to detecting presence of a request for economy mode, preclude the decrease.

6. A method comprising:
by a controller,
decreasing a state of charge (SOC) threshold at which engine start is initiated in response to detecting a load remote from a vehicle drawing power from a vehicle battery and user input authorizing the decreasing unless a request for economy mode exists,
increasing the SOC threshold in response to detecting subsequent absence of the load, and
initiating engine start in response to a SOC falling below the SOC threshold.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising increasing to a predefined value a SOC threshold at which engine stop is initiated in response to detecting the load remote from the vehicle drawing power from the battery, and initiating engine stop in response to the SOC exceeding the SOC threshold at which engine stop is initiated.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising decreasing the SOC threshold at which engine stop is initiated in response to detecting subsequent absence of the load.

9. The method of claim 7 further comprising precluding the increasing to a predefined value in response to detecting presence of a request for economy mode.

10. An engine control system for a vehicle comprising:
a controller configured to initiate a start of the engine in response to a state of charge (SOC) of a battery of the vehicle falling below an engine start threshold, to initiate a stop of the engine in response to the SOC exceeding an engine stop threshold, and to adjust a value of the engine start threshold based on whether a load remote from the vehicle is drawing power from the battery.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the adjusting includes decreasing in response to the load drawing power from the battery.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the adjusting includes increasing in response to the load no longer drawing power from the battery.

13. The system of claim 10 , wherein the controller is further configured to adjust a value of the engine stop threshold based on whether the load remote from the vehicle is drawing power from the battery.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the adjusting a value of the engine stop threshold includes increasing in response to the load drawing power from the battery.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the adjusting a value of the engine stop threshold includes decreasing in response to the load no longer drawing power from the battery.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Mansur William Najib
• Awadi Ahmed
• Malone Mark Douglas
• Rademacher Eric Michael
• Be Tuan Anh

Classifications

• F02N2200/0809

  Electrical loads · CPC title

• B60W10/30

  including control of auxiliary equipment, e.g. air-conditioning compressors or oil pumps · CPC title

• B60L2240/44

  related to combustion engines · CPC title

• B60L2260/26

  Transition between different drive modes · CPC title

• B60L2250/12

  by confirmation, e.g. of the input · CPC title