Control of a rolling stop-start vehicle engine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9964090-B2
Application number	US-201615200461-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 1, 2016
Priority date	Jul 1, 2016
Publication date	May 8, 2018
Grant date	May 8, 2018

Abstract

A vehicle includes electric brakes, an engine with a starter, a battery and a controller. The battery has a voltage and is configured to power the starter, the electric brakes, and the controller. The controller is configured to, in response to a speed of the vehicle falling within a specified range without propulsive demand and while the voltage is greater than an upper voltage that varies based on a charge needed to engage the brakes to stop the vehicle, stop the engine.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of controlling an engine of a vehicle comprising:
stopping the engine by a controller in response to
a speed of the vehicle falling within a specified range in an absence of propulsive demand, and
a starter battery voltage being greater than a threshold that varies according to the speed.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the threshold increases as the speed increases.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the threshold further varies according to an angle of inclination of the vehicle.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the threshold further varies according to a predicted weight of the vehicle.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the threshold is indicative of a state of charge of a starter battery.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the threshold further varies according to a predicted route and a predicted stopping point along the route such that the state of charge of the starter battery is greater than a predicted consumption of vehicle electrical components along the route to the predicted stopping point.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the specified range has an upper and lower speed point.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the upper speed point is greater than 40 kilometers per hour and the lower speed point is 5 kilometer per hours.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the absence of propulsive demand is defined by depression of a brake pedal.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the absence of propulsive demand is defined by a lack of an external force applied to an accelerator pedal.

11. A vehicle comprising:
electric brakes;
an engine including a starter;
a battery having a voltage and being configured to power the starter and brakes; and
a controller programmed to, in response to a speed of the vehicle falling within a specified range without propulsive demand and while the voltage is greater than an upper voltage that varies based on a charge needed to engage the brakes to stop the vehicle, stop the engine.

12. The vehicle of claim 11 , wherein the upper voltage increases as the speed increases.

13. The vehicle of claim 11 , wherein the upper voltage increases as an angle of inclination decreases.

14. The vehicle of claim 11 , wherein the upper voltage further varies based on a predicted weight of the vehicle.

15. A vehicle comprising:
an engine;
a battery having a voltage and configured to supply power to a starter of the engine; and
a controller programmed to, in response to a speed of the vehicle falling within a specified range in an absence of propulsive demand while the voltage is greater than an upper voltage profile that varies based on a charge needed to control the vehicle, stop the engine.

16. The vehicle of claim 15 , wherein the charge needed to control the vehicle is defined by a charge needed to supply power to electric brakes.

17. The vehicle of claim 16 , wherein the charge needed to control the vehicle is defined by a charge needed to supply power to an electric power steering system.

18. The vehicle of claim 17 , wherein the upper voltage profile is further based on a predicted route and a predicted stopping point along the route such that a state of charge of the battery is greater than a predicted consumption of electric brakes and electric power steering along the route to the predicted stopping point.

19. The vehicle of claim 18 , wherein the state of charge is greater than a predicted consumption of electric brakes, electric power steering, and an electric air conditioning system along the route to the predicted stopping point.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Khafagy Hafiz Shafeek
• Kok Daniel Benjamin
• Awadi Ahmed
• Younis Raed
• Hakeem Mohannad

Classifications

• F02N11/0862

  characterised by the electrical power supply means, e.g. battery · CPC title

• F02N11/0814 Primary

  comprising means for controlling automatic idle-start-stop · CPC title

• B60L1/00 Primary

  Supplying electric power to auxiliary equipment of vehicles (circuit arrangements for charging batteries H02J7/00) · CPC title

• F02D41/042

  for stopping the engine · CPC title

• B62D5/04

  electrical, e.g. using an electric servo-motor connected to, or forming part of, the steering gear · CPC title