State of charge based engine start-stop control

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9816474-B2
Application number	US-201514918002-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 20, 2015
Priority date	Oct 20, 2015
Publication date	Nov 14, 2017
Grant date	Nov 14, 2017

Abstract

A controller may be configured to respond to an engine start condition that occurs while an SOC of the battery is within a first predetermined range by running an engine until first occurrence of the start condition ceasing or the SOC achieving a target. The controller may further be configured to respond to an engine start condition that occurs while the SOC is within a second predetermined range less than the first by running the engine until the SOC achieves the target.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vehicle engine control method, comprising:
by a processor,
in response to an engine start condition occurring while an SOC is within a first predetermined range, running the engine until first occurrence of the start condition ceasing or the SOC achieving a target, and
in response to an engine start condition occurring while the SOC is within a second predetermined range less than the first, running the engine until the SOC achieves the target.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising, in response to the SOC falling below the second predetermined range, running the engine until the SOC achieves the target.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the engine start condition includes activation of an electrical load.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first predetermined range and the second predetermined range are numerically adjacent to each other.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising, in response to the SOC falling below a minimum threshold, prohibiting engine start.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the target has a value greater than values within the first and second predetermined ranges.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising adjusting the first predetermined range according to configuration data.

8. A vehicle comprising:
an engine;
a battery; and
a controller configured to,
in response to an engine start condition occurring while an SOC of the battery falls within a first predetermined range, running the engine until first occurrence of the start condition ceasing or the SOC achieving a target, and
in response to an engine start condition occurring while the SOC falls within a second predetermined range less than the first, running the engine until the SOC achieves the target.

9. The vehicle of claim 8 , wherein the controller is further configured to, in response to the SOC falling below the second predetermined range, running the engine until the SOC achieves the target.

10. The vehicle of claim 8 , wherein the engine start condition includes activation of an electrical load.

11. The vehicle of claim 8 , wherein the first predetermined range and the second predetermined range are numerically adjacent to each other.

12. A vehicle comprising:
an engine;
a battery; and
a controller configured to end an engine on-cycle for the engine with an auto-stop upon first occurrence of an engine start condition ceasing or an SOC of the battery achieving a target in response to the engine on-cycle beginning with an auto-start that is triggered by the engine start condition arising while the SOC is in a first predetermined range less than the target, wherein the controller is further configured to end the on-cycle for the engine with an auto-stop upon the SOC achieving the target in response to the engine on-cycle beginning with an auto-start that is triggered by the engine start condition arising while the SOC is in a second predetermined range less than the first predetermined range.

13. The vehicle of claim 12 , wherein the controller is further configured to prohibit auto-start in response to the SOC falling below a minimum threshold.

14. The vehicle of claim 12 , wherein the engine start condition includes presence of an electrical load.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Khafagy Hafiz Shafeek
• Chen Hanyang
• Shaska Gjergji
• Awadi Ahmed
• Bremmer Sr John T

Classifications

• F02N11/0833 Primary

  Vehicle conditions (F02N11/0822, F02N11/0825 take precedence) · CPC title

• F02N11/0825

  related to prevention of engine restart failure, e.g. disabling automatic stop at low battery state · CPC title

• F02N11/084

  State of vehicle accessories, e.g. air condition or power steering · CPC title

• F02N11/04

  the motors being associated with current generators · CPC title

• F02N2200/061

  Battery state of charge [SOC] · CPC title