Methods and system for adaptively switching an engine starting device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11326571-B2
Application number	US-202016983224-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 3, 2020
Priority date	Aug 3, 2020
Publication date	May 10, 2022
Grant date	May 10, 2022

Abstract

A method and system for operating a vehicle that includes a plurality of engine starting devices and an internal combustion engine is described. In one example, the method selects one of a plurality of engine starting devices to start an engine based on durability metrics of each of the plurality of engine starting devices. In addition, engine starting device selection may be based on calibration parameters that are generated via a server that is external to the vehicle.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for operating a vehicle, comprising:
selecting a preference for a first engine starting device in response to vehicle attributes;
selecting a preference for a second engine starting device in response to engine starting device attributes, where the engine starting device attributes include a total number of engine starts generated divided by a distance traveled by the vehicle;
selecting an engine starting device via a controller in response to the preference for the first engine starting device and the preference for the second engine starting device; and
starting an engine via the engine starting device.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising referencing a table or a function via the preference for the first engine starting device.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising referencing the table or the function via the preference for the second engine starting device.

4. The method of claim 3 , where the engine is started based on output from the table or function and further comprising:
adjusting a minimum driver demand torque at which automatic engine pull-down is permitted.

5. The method of claim 1 , where the vehicle attributes include vehicle speed, engaged transmission gear, and propulsion pedal position and further comprising:
adjusting a driveline torque reserve and a transmission shifting schedule in response to engine starting devices that are available for starting the engine.

6. The method of claim 1 , where the engine starting device is selected from a group including a belt integrated starter/generator, a starter, and an integrated starter generator.

7. A vehicle system, comprising:
an internal combustion engine;
a plurality of engine starting devices; and
a controller including executable instructions stored in non-transitory memory that cause the controller to adjust a starting device selection procedure in response to data received from a server that is external to a vehicle that includes the internal combustion engine, and additional executable instructions stored in non-transitory memory that cause the controller to transmit data to the server, where data includes values of automatic engine stop inhibit adjustment factors.

8. The vehicle system of claim 7 , where the values of automatic engine stop inhibit adjustment factors are based on engine starting device durability metrics.

9. The vehicle system of claim 8 , where the engine starting device durability metrics include a total number of engine starts performed via an engine starting device since a time when the engine starting device was installed in a vehicle.

10. The vehicle system of claim 8 , where the engine starting device durability metrics include a total distance traveled by a vehicle since a time when the starting device was installed in the vehicle.

11. The vehicle system of claim 7 , further comprising additional executable instructions stored in non-transitory memory that cause the controller to select a preference for a first engine starting device in response to vehicle attributes.

12. The vehicle system of claim 11 , further comprising additional executable instructions stored in non-transitory memory that cause the controller to select a preference for a second engine starting device in response to starting device attributes.

13. A method for operating a vehicle, comprising:
starting an engine via a controller and an engine starting device included in a vehicle that includes a plurality of engine starting devices, the engine starting device starting the engine in response to an engine starting device preference, the engine starting device preference based on an actual total number of engine starts initiated via a first engine starting device and a distance traveled by a vehicle since the first engine starting device was installed in the vehicle, the engine starting device preference further based on an actual total number of engine starts initiated via a second engine starting device and a distance traveled by a vehicle since the second engine starting device was installed in the vehicle.

14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising collecting, aggregating, and processing driveline data via the controller and transmitting the driveline data to a server that is external to the vehicle; and
starting the engine via the engine starting device or the second engine starting device in response to data received from the server that is external to the vehicle.

15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising adjusting vehicle calibration parameters in response to the data received from the server.

16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising transmitting the vehicle calibration parameters from the server to the vehicle.

17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising generating the vehicle calibration parameters via the server.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Doering Jeffrey
• Hilditch James A
• Rollinger John
• Ortmann Walter Joseph
• Meyer Jason

Classifications

• F16H61/0213

  characterised by the method for generating shift signals · CPC title

• F16H2061/0223

  Generating of new shift maps, i.e. methods for determining shift points for a schedule by taking into account driveline and vehicle conditions · CPC title

• F02N2200/0802

  Transmission state, e.g. gear ratio or neutral state · CPC title

• F02N11/006 Primary

  using a plurality of electric motors · CPC title

• F02N11/04

  the motors being associated with current generators · CPC title