System and method for preventing unwanted engine restarts while parking a vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016201633-A1
Application number	US-201514595863-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jan 13, 2015
Priority date	Jan 13, 2015
Publication date	Jul 14, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

What is described is a system for controlling an engine of a vehicle. The system includes a gear shifter having a gear selection sensor configured to determine a selected gear position. The system also includes a proximity sensor configured to detect object data within a predetermined area of the vehicle. The system also includes a controller coupled to the gear shifter and the proximity sensor and configured to control the engine based on the selected gear position and the object data.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A system for controlling an engine of a vehicle comprising:
a gear shifter having a gear selection sensor configured to determine a selected gear position; a proximity sensor configured to detect object data within a predetermined area of the vehicle; and a controller coupled to the gear shifter and the proximity sensor and configured to control the engine based on the selected gear position and the object data.

2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the gear shifter has a park gear position, a drive gear position and a reverse gear position between the park gear position and the drive gear position and wherein the controller is further configured to prevent the engine from starting when the gear shifter being is in the reverse gear position and the object data indicates that an object is within the predetermined area of the vehicle.

3 . The system of claim 1 further comprising:
a speedometer configured to detect a speed of the vehicle;
a brake request sensor configured to detect a braking request; and
wherein the controller is further configured to:
instruct the engine to be off when the gear shifter is in a drive gear position, the speed of the vehicle is below a predetermined threshold and the braking request is detected,
instruct the engine to be on when the gear shifter is in the drive gear position and the braking request is not detected, and
instruct the engine to be off when the gear shifter is in a reverse gear position and an object is detected by the proximity sensor.

4 . The system of claim 1 further comprising:
a speedometer configured to detect a speed of the vehicle;
a brake request sensor configured to detect a braking request; and
wherein the controller is further configured to:
instruct the engine to be off when the speed of the vehicle is below a predetermined threshold and the braking request is detected,
instruct the engine to be on when the braking request is not detected, and
instruct the engine to be off when the speed of the vehicle is below the predetermined threshold and an object is detected by the proximity sensor.

5 . The system of claim 1 further comprising the engine, wherein the engine includes a throttle, a fuel injector and a spark plug and the controller is configured to control at least one of the throttle, the fuel injector or the spark plug.

6 . The system of claim 1 wherein the controller is further configured to determine whether the object data satisfies a predetermined quality including at least one of a size, an opaqueness, a mass, a density or a relative motion based on the object data.

7 . The system of claim 6 wherein the controller is configured to control the engine based on whether the object data satisfies the predetermined quality.

8 . A system for preventing restarts of an engine of a vehicle having a start/stop system as a gear shifter of the vehicle is positioned in a reverse gear position, the system comprising:
a proximity sensor configured to detect an object within a predetermined area of the vehicle; and a controller coupled to the proximity sensor and configured to prevent the engine of the vehicle from starting when the engine is off, the gear shifter is in the reverse gear position and the proximity sensor detects the object.

9 . The system of claim 8 further comprising a brake request sensor configured to generate a braking request signal in response to a braking request and wherein the controller is further configured to prevent the engine from starting when the engine is off and the braking request signal is generated.

10 . The system of claim 9 further comprising a speedometer configured to detect a speed of the vehicle and wherein the controller is further configured to:
instruct the engine of the vehicle to turn off when the speed of the vehicle reaches a predetermined threshold and the braking request signal is generated; and
instruct the engine of the vehicle to turn on when the braking request signal is not being generated.

11 . The system of claim 10 , wherein the predetermined threshold is between 0 mph and 30 mph.

12 . The system of claim 8 further comprising the engine, wherein the engine includes a throttle, a fuel injector and a spark plug and the controller is configured to prevent the engine from starting by controlling at least one of the throttle, the fuel injector or the spark plug.

13 . The system of claim 8 wherein the controller is further configured to determine whether the object satisfies a predetermined quality including at least one of a size, an opaqueness, a mass, a density or a relative motion.

14 . The system of claim 13 wherein the controller is configured to prevent the engine of the vehicle from starting only when the object satisfies the predetermined quality.

15 . A method for preventing an engine of a vehicle having a start/stop system from restarting as a gear shifter is positioned in a reverse gear position, the method comprising:
detecting, by a gear selection sensor, that the gear shifter is in the reverse gear position; detecting, by a proximity sensor, an object within a predetermined area of the vehicle; and determining, by a controller, that the engine should be off when the gear shifter is in the reverse gear position and the object is detected.

16 . The method of claim 15 further comprising detecting, by a brake request sensor, a braking request and determining, by the controller, that the engine should be off when the gear shifter is in the reverse gear position, the object is detected and the braking request is detected.

17 . The method of claim 16 further comprising:
detecting, by a speedometer, a speed of the vehicle;
determining, by the controller, that the engine should be off in response to the braking request being detected and the speed of the vehicle reaching a predetermined threshold; and
determining, by the controller, that the engine should be on when the braking request is not detected.

18 . The method of claim 17 wherein the predetermined threshold is between 0 mph and 30 mph.

19 . The method of claim 15 further comprising controlling, by the controller, at least one of a throttle, a fuel injector or a spark plug based on the controller determining that the engine should be off.

20 . The method of claim 15 further comprising detecting, by the proximity sensor, at least one of a size, an opaqueness, a mass, a density or a relative motion of the object and wherein determining that the engine should be off is further based on the at least one of the size, the opaqueness, the mass, the density or the relative motion of the object.

Assignees

• Toyota Eng & Mfg North America

Inventors

• Quinteros Luis C

Classifications

• B60W2554/00

  Input parameters relating to objects · CPC title

• F16H2312/12

  Parking · CPC title

• F16H59/44

  dependent on machine speed {, e.g. the vehicle speed} (F16H59/46 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B60W2540/16

  Ratio selector position · CPC title

• B60W2520/10

  Longitudinal speed · CPC title