Control system for a vehicle and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2020282993-A1
Application number	US-201716310963-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 15, 2017
Priority date	Jun 21, 2016
Publication date	Sep 10, 2020
Grant date	—

Abstract

A motor vehicle stop/start control system ( 10 ) for controlling at least a portion of a powertrain of a vehicle, the system ( 10 ) being configured to: receive speed information (WSS) indicative of vehicle speed; and receive brake information (BPS) indicative that a braking system has been activated to apply brake torque; wherein the control system ( 10 ) is further configured to cause an engine ( 121 ) of the motor vehicle ( 100 ) to be switched off when a first set of predetermined conditions are met, the first set of conditions including the conditions that the brake information (BPS) indicates that the braking system is active and the speed information (WSS) indicates that vehicle speed is a below a predetermined engine-off speed, the engine-off speed being determined by the control system at least in part by reference to information received by the control system.

First claim

1 - 24 . (canceled)

25 . A motor vehicle stop/start control system for controlling at least a portion of a powertrain of a vehicle, the system comprising a controller configured to:
receive speed information indicative of vehicle speed; and receive brake information indicative that a braking system has been activated to apply brake torque; cause an engine of the motor vehicle to be switched off when a first set of predetermined conditions are met, the first set of predetermined conditions including the brake information indicating that the braking system is active and the speed information indicating that the vehicle speed is below an engine-off speed; and receive gradient information indicative of a driving surface gradient, the engine-off speed being determined by the control system at least in part by reference to the gradient information, wherein the gradient information is indicative of a gradient of a road surface ahead of the motor vehicle.

26 . The control system according to claim 25 , wherein the controller is configured to not cause the engine to be switched off when the first set of predetermined conditions are met if the gradient information indicates the gradient exceeds a critical stop/start suspend value.

27 . The control system according to claim 25 , wherein the gradient information is generated from a vehicle mounted sensor system and/or 3D map information.

28 . The control system according to claim 25 , wherein the controller is configured to receive drive demand information indicative of an amount of drive demanded of the powertrain of the vehicle, wherein the first set of predetermined conditions further includes the drive demand information indicates that positive drive is not being demanded of the powertrain.

29 . The control system according to claim 28 , wherein the drive demand information is generated at least in part in dependence on a position of a user-operated drive demand input control, wherein the controller is configured to determine that the drive demand information indicates that positive drive is not being demanded of the powertrain if the position of the user-operated drive demand input control corresponds to a predetermined position.

30 . The control system according to claim 29 , wherein the predetermined position corresponds to an input control-released position.

31 . The control system according to claim 25 , wherein the first set of predetermined conditions includes the control system has determined that a stationary vehicle lies in a path of the vehicle ahead of the vehicle.

32 . The control system according to claim 25 , wherein the first set of predetermined conditions includes the control system has determined that a traffic control system lies in a path of the vehicle ahead of the vehicle and the traffic control system indicates that the vehicle must stop.

33 . The control system according to claim 32 , wherein the traffic control system is a traffic light control system and the traffic light control system indicates that the vehicle must stop.

34 . The control system according to claim 25 , wherein the controller is configured automatically to cause a foundation braking system to apply brake force to one or more wheels to substantially prevent rollback of the vehicle if a second set of conditions are met, the second set of conditions comprising the vehicle speed has fallen substantially to zero and the engine has been stopped automatically by the stop/start control system.

35 . The control system according to claim 34 , wherein the second set of conditions further comprises the gradient information indicates that the gradient of the driving surface exceeds a predetermined gradient amount.

36 . The control system according to claim 25 , wherein the controller comprises
an electronic processor having an electrical input for receiving the brake information and speed information; and an electronic memory device electrically coupled to the electronic processor and having instructions stored therein, wherein the electronic processor is configured to access the electronic memory device and execute the instructions stored therein such that the electronic processor is operable to cause the engine of the motor vehicle to be switched off when the first set of predetermined conditions are met, the first set of conditions including the brake information indicates that the braking system is active and the speed information indicates that vehicle speed is a below an engine-off speed, the engine-off speed being determined by the electronic processor at least in part by reference to information received by the processor.

37 . The vehicle comprising the motor vehicle stop/start control system of claim 25 .

38 . The vehicle according to claim 37 , including a powertrain comprising an engine and a driveline, the driveline comprising an automatic transmission, the vehicle further comprising a torque converter configured to cause disconnection of the engine from at least a portion of the automatic transmission.

39 . The vehicle according to claim 38 , wherein the torque converter is provided in a torque flowpath from the engine to the automatic transmission.

40 . The vehicle according to claim 38 , wherein the torque converter is comprised by the automatic transmission.

41 . The vehicle according to claim 37 , comprising an electric pump for changing gear while the engine is switched off.

42 . A method of controlling a vehicle, the method being implemented by means of a control system, the method comprising:
receiving speed information indicative of vehicle speed; receiving brake information indicative that a braking system has been activated to apply brake torque; causing an engine of the vehicle to be switched off when a first set of predetermined conditions are met, the first set of predetermined conditions including the brake information indicates that the braking system is active and the speed information indicates that vehicle speed is a below an engine-off speed, the engine-off speed being determined; and receiving gradient information indicative of a driving surface gradient, the engine-off speed being determined at least in part by reference to the gradient information, wherein the gradient information is indicative of a gradient of a road surface ahead of the vehicle.

43 . A non-transitory computer readable carrier medium carrying computer readable code for controlling a vehicle to carry out the method of claim 42 .

44 . A processor configured to implement the method of claim 42 .

Assignees

• Jaguar Land Rover Ltd

Inventors

• Valero Thomas

Classifications

• B60W30/18118

  Hill holding · CPC title

• B60W10/06

  including control of combustion engines · CPC title

• F02N2200/124

  Information about road conditions, e.g. road inclination or surface · CPC title

• Y02T10/40

  Engine management systems · CPC title

• B60W30/18018 Primary

  Start-stop drive, e.g. in a traffic jam · CPC title