All-wheel-drive system interaction with fuel savings operation of a motor vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9346460-B2
Application number	US-201414217690-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 18, 2014
Priority date	Mar 18, 2014
Publication date	May 24, 2016
Grant date	May 24, 2016

Abstract

A method for controlling vehicle powertrain operation includes activating all-wheel-drive or 4×4-operation provided one of an environmental condition, vehicle use condition and vehicle electrical condition exceeds a corresponding reference, deactivating fuel saving operation provided all-wheel-drive or 4×4-operation is activated, activating fuel saving operation provided none of said conditions indicates need for AWD/4×4-operation, deactivating all-wheel-drive or 4×4-operation provided fuel saving operation is activated.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for controlling vehicle powertrain operation, comprising:
(a) activating AWD/4×4-operation provided one of an environmental condition, vehicle use condition and vehicle electrical condition exceeds a corresponding reference;
(b) deactivating a fuel saving operation provided the AWD/4×4-operation is activated;
(c) activating fuel saving operation provided none of said conditions indicates need for the AWD/4×4-operation;
(d) deactivating the AWD/4×4-operation provided fuel saving operation is activated.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein said environmental condition is one of altitude at which the vehicle is operating, grade of a surface on which the vehicle is located, a material of said surface, traction conditions of said surface, and current weather conditions.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein said vehicle use condition is one of vehicle cargo bed load, vehicle towing load, fifth wheel attached to the vehicle and contacting the ground, off-road terrain, adaptive/historical vehicle usage, estimated torque demand, engine throttle activation history, low transmission speed ratio, and state of requested engine braking.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein said vehicle electrical condition is one of current electric load of the vehicle, status of active electric systems of the vehicle, prediction of capability of supporting the AWD/4×4-operation, and a magnitude of electric energy reserve stored in a battery.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein said fuel saving operation includes automatic engine stop/restart-operation and hybrid electric-only operation of the powertrain.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein step (a) is executed provided a request for the AWD/4×4-operation is present.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein step (b) includes producing a warning representing a recommendation that the AWD/4×4-operation be activated.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein step (d) includes producing a warning representing a recommendation that fuel saving operation be activated.

9. A method for controlling vehicle powertrain operation, comprising:
(a) activating AWD/4×4-operation provided one of an environmental condition, vehicle use condition and vehicle electrical condition exceeds a corresponding reference, or in response to a request for the AWD/4×4-operation;
(b) deactivating a fuel saving operation provided the AWD/4×4-operation is activated;
(c) activating fuel saving operation provided none of said conditions indicates a need for the AWD/4×4-operation;
(d) deactivating the AWD/4×4-operation provided fuel saving operation is activated.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein said environmental condition is one of altitude at which the vehicle is operating, grade of a surface on which the vehicle is located, a material of said surface, traction conditions of said surface, and current weather conditions.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein said vehicle use condition is one of vehicle cargo bed load, vehicle towing load, fifth wheel attached to the vehicle and contacting the ground, off-road terrain, adaptive/historical vehicle usage, estimated torque demand, engine throttle activation history, low transmission speed ratio, and state of requested engine braking.

12. The method of claim 9 , wherein said vehicle electrical condition is one of current electric load of the vehicle, status of active electric systems of the vehicle, prediction of capability of supporting the AWD/4×4-operation, and a magnitude of electric energy reserve stored in a battery.

13. The method of claim 9 , wherein said fuel saving operation includes automatic engine stop/restart-operation and hybrid electric-only operation of the powertrain.

14. The method of claim 9 , wherein step (b) includes producing a warning representing a recommendation that the AWD/4×4-operation be activated.

15. The method of claim 9 , wherein step (d) includes producing a warning representing a recommendation that the fuel saving operation be activated.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Mansur William N
• Malone Mark D
• Be Tuan A
• Awadi Ahmed

Classifications

• B60W20/10

  Controlling the power contribution of each of the prime movers to meet required power demand · CPC title

• B60W10/119

  including control of all-wheel-driveline means, e.g. transfer gears or clutches for dividing torque between front and rear axle (B60W10/14 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B60W50/14

  Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention · CPC title

• B60W2552/35

  Road bumpiness, e.g. potholes · CPC title

• B60W2552/05

  Type of road, e.g. motorways, local streets, paved or unpaved roads · CPC title