# US 10,369,982 B2 · Hybrid vehicle and method of controlling an engine disconnect clutch for engine start-up

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- Number: US 10,369,982 B2
- Document ID: US10369982B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/925,209
- Filed: 2018-03-19
- Published: 2018-07-26
- Granted: 2019-08-06
- Earliest claimed: 2015-07-17
- Assignees: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
- Applicants: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
- Inventors: Alexander O'Connor Gibson; Felix Nedorezov; Jeffrey Allen Doering; Xiaoyong Wang; Walter Joseph Ortmann
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10369982B2

## CPC

- B60W 20/00: Control systems specially adapted for hybrid vehicles {(hybrid vehicle design, B60K6/00; electric vehicles B60L)}
- B60W 10/02: including control of driveline clutches
- B60W 10/06: including control of combustion engines
- B60K 2006/4825: {Electric machine connected or connectable to gearbox input shaft}
- B60W 2050/0088: {Adaptive recalibration}
- B60W 2710/027: Clutch torque
- B60Y 2200/92: Hybrid vehicles
- Y02T 10/62: Hybrid vehicles
- Y10S 903/903: having energy storing means, e.g. battery, capacitor
- B60W: CONJOINT CONTROL OF VEHICLE SUB-UNITS OF DIFFERENT TYPE OR DIFFERENT FUNCTION; CONTROL SYSTEMS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR HYBRID VEHICLES; ROAD VEHICLE DRIVE CONTROL SYSTEMS FOR PURPOSES NOT RELATED TO THE CONTROL OF A PARTICULAR SUB-UNIT
- B60K: ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF PROPULSION UNITS OR OF TRANSMISSIONS IN VEHICLES; ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF PLURAL DIVERSE PRIME-MOVERS IN VEHICLES; AUXILIARY DRIVES FOR VEHICLES; INSTRUMENTATION OR DASHBOARDS FOR VEHICLES; ARRANGEMENTS IN CONNECTION WITH COOLING, AIR INTAKE, GAS EXHAUST OR FUEL SUPPLY OF PROPULSION UNITS IN VEHICLES
- B60Y: INDEXING SCHEME RELATING TO ASPECTS CROSS-CUTTING VEHICLE TECHNOLOGY
- Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION
- Y10S: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS

## Abstract

A vehicle includes an engine, a transmission, a clutch, and a controller. The clutch is configured to couple the engine and transmission during engine starts. The controller is programmed to, in response to an actual engine start time being greater than an upper threshold time for an engine start event, alter an engine start torque apply schedule for the clutch such that the actual engine start time is less than the upper threshold time for a next engine start event. The controller may be further programmed to, in response to the actual engine start time being less than a lower threshold time for the engine start event, alter the engine start torque apply schedule for the clutch such that the actual engine start time is greater than the lower threshold time for the next engine start event.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A vehicle comprising:
an engine;
a transmission;
a clutch configured to couple the engine and transmission during engine starts; and
a controller programmed to, in response to an actual engine start time being less than a lower threshold time for an engine start event, alter an engine start torque apply schedule for the clutch during a next engine start event such that the actual engine start time is greater than the lower threshold time.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the controller is further programmed to, in response to the actual engine start time being greater than an upper threshold time for the engine start event, alter the engine start torque apply schedule for the clutch during the next engine start event such that the actual engine start time is less than the upper threshold time.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The vehicle of claim 2, wherein the actual engine start time is defined by a time period beginning with initial contact of the clutch and ending with the engine obtaining a first firing top dead center position, and the upper and lower threshold times define a target time range for the time period.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The vehicle of claim 3, wherein the controller is further programmed to alter the engine start torque apply schedule before the next engine start event.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The vehicle of claim 4, wherein the engine start torque apply schedule is altered based on a ratio of the actual engine start time to a time falling within the target time range.

### Claim 6 (depends on 4)

The vehicle of claim 4, wherein the engine start torque apply schedule is altered based on a difference between the actual engine start time and a target time that is within the target time range.

### Claim 7 (depends on 4)

The vehicle of claim 4, wherein the actual engine start time is an average of actual engine start times of a plurality of previously executed engine starts.

### Claim 8 (depends on 2)

The vehicle of claim 2, wherein the engine start torque apply schedule is altered based on an engine coolant temperature, an engine oil temperature, or a barometric pressure.

### Claim 9

A method of operating a clutch configured to couple an engine to a transmission of a vehicle during engine starts comprising:
in response to an actual engine start time being less than a lower threshold time for an engine start event, altering an engine start torque apply schedule for the clutch during a subsequent engine start event such that the actual engine start time is greater than the lower threshold time.

### Claim 10 (depends on 2)

The vehicle of claim 2, wherein the actual engine start time is defined by a time period beginning with the engine obtaining a first firing top dead center position and ending with a speed of the engine becoming equal to an output speed of the clutch, and wherein the upper and lower threshold times define a target time range for the time period.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The vehicle of claim 10, wherein the controller is further programmed to alter the engine start torque apply schedule before the next engine start event.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The vehicle of claim 11, wherein the engine start torque apply schedule is altered based on a ratio of the actual engine start time to a time falling within the target time range.

### Claim 13 (depends on 11)

The vehicle of claim 11, wherein the engine start torque apply schedule is altered based on a difference between the actual engine start time and a time falling within the target time range.

### Claim 14 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9, further comprising:
in response to the actual engine start time being greater than an upper threshold time for the engine start event, altering the engine start torque apply schedule during the subsequent engine start event such that the actual engine start time is less than the upper threshold time.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The method of claim 14, wherein the upper and lower threshold times define a target time range, and the engine start torque apply schedule is altered based on a difference between the actual engine start time and a time falling within the target time range.

### Claim 16 (depends on 14)

The method of claim 14, wherein the upper and lower threshold times define a target time range, and the engine start torque apply schedule is altered based on a ratio of the actual engine start time to a time falling within the target time range.