Cylinder deactivation control system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10036333-B2
Application number	US-201615155552-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 16, 2016
Priority date	May 16, 2016
Publication date	Jul 31, 2018
Grant date	Jul 31, 2018

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.

First claim

What is claimed is:

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, wherein the occupancy status is one of a front-seat-occupied status, a back-seat-only-occupied status, and an unoccupied status;
select a set of active cylinders from the plurality of cylinders based on the occupancy status, 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; 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 a driver-seat occupied status, a passenger-seat-only-occupied status, the back-seat-only-occupied status, and the 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 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.

4. A method of controlling a vehicle including an engine with a plurality of cylinders comprising:
detecting an occupancy status of the vehicle, wherein the occupancy status is one of a front-seat-occupied status, a back-seat-only-occupied status, and an unoccupied status;
selecting a set of active cylinders from the plurality of cylinders based on the occupancy status, 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; and
activating the set of active cylinders and deactivating a remainder of the plurality of cylinders.

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

6. The method of claim 5 , 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.

7. 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, wherein the occupancy status is one of a front-seat-occupied status, a back-seat-only-occupied status, and an unoccupied status,
select a set of active cylinders from the plurality of cylinders based on the occupancy status, 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, and
activate the set of active cylinders and deactivate a remainder of the plurality of cylinders.

8. The vehicle of claim 7 , 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 the 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 the unoccupied status if the occupancy data indicates that the seats are unoccupied.

9. The vehicle of claim 8 , 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.

10. The vehicle of claim 7 , 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.

11. The vehicle of claim 10 , wherein the controller is further programmed to determine the occupancy status as the 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 the 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 the unoccupied status if the occupancy data indicates that the seats are unoccupied.

12. The vehicle of claim 11 , 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.

13. The vehicle of claim 11 , wherein the chauffeur status and the back-seat-only -occupied status are the same occupancy status.

14. The controller of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further programmed to receive driver-identifying data from a driver-identification sensor and determine the occupancy status based on the driver-identifying data.

15. The controller of claim 14 , wherein the controller is further programmed to determine the occupancy status as the front-seat-occupied status if the occupancy data indicates that at least one of the dr

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Leone Thomas G
• Miller Kenneth James
• Hocking Chris James

Classifications

• F02D41/0225

  in relation with the gear ratio or shift lever position · CPC title

• F02D17/02 Primary

  Cutting-out (cutting-out engines in multiple engine arrangements F02D25/04) · CPC title

• F02D41/0082

  per groups or banks (F02D41/0087 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F02D41/021

  Introducing corrections for particular conditions exterior to the engine (conjoint control of vehicle sub-units for propelling the vehicle B60W30/18) · CPC title

• F02D2200/60

  said parameters being related to the driver demands or status · CPC title