Vehicle coasting control system and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9789873-B2
Application number	US-201414181691-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 16, 2014
Priority date	Feb 16, 2014
Publication date	Oct 17, 2017
Grant date	Oct 17, 2017

Abstract

A vehicle coasting control system for a vehicle having a prime mover includes an accelerator pedal positional throughout an accelerator pedal position range; a vehicle controller interfacing with the accelerator pedal, the vehicle controller adapted to control operating speeds of the prime mover of the vehicle corresponding to positions, respectively, of the accelerator pedal within the accelerator pedal position range; and the vehicle controller is adapted to operate the prime mover at idle when the accelerator pedal is positioned at a coast zone within the accelerator pedal position range. A vehicle coasting control method is also disclosed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vehicle coasting control system for a vehicle having a prime mover, comprising:
an accelerator pedal interfacing with a vehicle controller, the vehicle controller configured to detect a position of accelerator pedal depression greater than zero and transmit the detected position to the vehicle controller;
the vehicle controller comprising memory storing computer program instructions and at least one processor configured to execute the computer program instructions, the at least one processor configured to operate the prime mover at idle in response to a determination by the controller that the accelerator pedal is positioned at a coast zone within an accelerator pedal position range, said idle comprising applying zero torque to wheels of the vehicle, said coast zone comprising only pedal positions of the accelerator pedal between a minimum pedal position and a maximum pedal position within the accelerator pedal position range, said coast zone and said accelerator pedal position range predetermined by the controller; and,
the at least one processor further configured to operate the prime mover to apply torque to wheels of the vehicle in response to a determination by the controller that the accelerator pedal is not positioned at the coast zone but is positioned between the minimum pedal position and the maximum pedal position.

2. The vehicle coasting control system of claim 1 wherein said minimum pedal position of the accelerator pedal corresponds to an idle operating speed of the prime mover of the vehicle and a maximum pedal position of the accelerator pedal corresponds to a maximum operating speed of the prime mover of the vehicle.

3. The vehicle coasting control system of claim 2 wherein the coast zone comprises at least one pedal position of the accelerator pedal between the minimum pedal position and the maximum pedal position within the accelerator pedal position range.

4. The vehicle coasting control system of claim 2 wherein the coast zone comprises at least one range of pedal positions of the accelerator pedal between the minimum pedal position and the maximum pedal position within the accelerator pedal position range.

5. The vehicle coasting control system of claim 1 wherein the coast zone begins at about a 10% pedal position of the accelerator pedal within the accelerator pedal position range.

6. The vehicle coasting control system of claim 1 wherein the coast zone begins at about a 20% pedal position of the accelerator pedal within the accelerator pedal position range.

7. The vehicle coasting control system of claim 6 wherein the coast zone begins at about a 20% pedal position of the accelerator pedal and ends at about a 50% pedal position of the accelerator pedal within the accelerator pedal position range.

8. A vehicle coasting control system for a vehicle, comprising:
a vehicle prime mover configured to convey the vehicle at speeds within a speed range of the vehicle;
an accelerator pedal positional throughout an accelerator pedal position range, the accelerator pedal interfacing with a vehicle controller, said vehicle controller configured to detect a position of accelerator pedal depression greater than zero within the accelerator pedal position range and transmit the detected position to the vehicle controller;
the vehicle controller further interfacing with the vehicle prime mover, the vehicle controller comprising memory storing computer program instructions and at least one processor configured to execute the computer program instructions, the at least one processor configured to control operating speeds of the prime mover of the vehicle in response to respectively detected accelerator pedal positions;
the vehicle controller further configured to operate the prime mover at idle when the accelerator pedal is positioned at a coast zone within the accelerator pedal position range, said idle comprising applying zero torque to wheels of the vehicle, said coast zone comprising only pedal positions of the accelerator pedal between a minimum pedal position and a maximum pedal position within the accelerator pedal position range, said coast zone and said accelerator pedal position range predetermined by the controller; and,
the at least one processor further configured to operate the prime mover to apply torque to wheels of the vehicle in response to a determination by the controller that the accelerator pedal is not positioned at the coast zone but is positioned between the minimum pedal position and the maximum pedal position.

9. The vehicle coasting control system of claim 8 wherein the minimum pedal position of the accelerator pedal corresponds to an idle operating speed of the prime mover of the vehicle and a maximum pedal position of the accelerator pedal corresponds to a maximum operating speed of the prime mover of the vehicle.

10. The vehicle coasting control system of claim 9 wherein the coast zone comprises at least one pedal position of the accelerator pedal between the minimum pedal position and the maximum pedal position within the accelerator pedal position range.

11. The vehicle coasting control system of claim 9 wherein the coast zone comprises at least one range of pedal positions of the accelerator pedal between the minimum pedal position and the maximum pedal position within the accelerator pedal position range.

12. The vehicle coasting control system of claim 8 wherein the coast zone begins at about a 10% pedal position of the accelerator pedal within the accelerator pedal position range.

13. The vehicle coasting control system of claim 8 wherein the coast zone begins at about a 20% pedal position of the accelerator pedal within the accelerator pedal position range.

14. The vehicle coasting control system of claim 13 wherein the coast zone begins at about a 20% pedal position of the accelerator pedal and ends at about a 50% pedal position of the accelerator pedal within the accelerator pedal position range.

15. A computer-implemented vehicle coasting control method having a prime mover and a speed control input value, the method comprising:
operating in response to a vehicle controller the prime mover at idle when the speed control input value is determined by the controller to be at a coast zone value, said speed control input value determined in response to a speed control state greater than zero, said idle comprising applying zero torque to wheels of the vehicle, said coast zone value comprising only speed control input values between a minimum vehicle speed control input value and a maximum vehicle speed control input value, said coast zone values and said minimum and maximum speed control input values predetermined by the controller; and
operating in response to a vehicle controller the prime mover by applying torque to wheels of the vehicle in response to a determination by the controller that the speed control input value is not positioned at the coast zone value but is positioned between the minimum vehicle speed control input value and the maximum vehicle speed control input value.

16. The vehicle coasting control method of claim 15 wherein determining when the speed control input value is at a coast zone value comprises determining whether an accelerator pedal of a vehicle is depressed to be at a coast zone within an accelerator pedal position range of the accelerator pedal, said coast zone comprising at least one pedal position of the accelerator pedal within the accelerator pedal position range.

17. The vehicle coasting control method of claim 16 wherein determining whether an accelerator pedal of a ve

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Crombez Dale Scott
• Skaff Ryan J
• Frederick Kenneth

Classifications

• F02D41/2422

  Selective use of one or more tables · CPC title

• B60W2030/1809

  Without torque flow between driveshaft and engine, e.g. with clutch disengaged or transmission in neutral · CPC title

• B60W30/18072 Primary

  Coasting · CPC title

• B60W2710/0666

  Engine torque · CPC title

• F02D11/105

  characterised by the function converting demand to actuation, e.g. a map indicating relations between an accelerator pedal position and throttle valve opening or target engine torque · CPC title