# US 10,502,174 B2 · Stop-start system > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,502,174 B2 - Document ID: US10502174B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/934,216 - Filed: 2018-03-23 - Published: 2018-09-27 - Granted: 2019-12-10 - Earliest claimed: 2017-03-24 - Assignees: Ford Global Technologies, LLC - Applicants: Ford Global Technologies, LLC - Inventors: Christopher Edward Pedlar; David Hesketh - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10502174B2 ## CPC - F02N 11/0822: {related to action of the driver} - B60W 30/18018: {Start-stop drive, e.g. in a traffic jam} - F02N 11/0825: {related to prevention of engine restart failure, e.g. disabling automatic stop at low battery state} - F02N 11/0829: {related to special engine control, e.g. giving priority to engine warming-up or learning} - F02N 2200/023: Engine temperature - F02N 2200/061: Battery state of charge [SOC] - F02N 2200/0801: Vehicle speed - F02N 2200/0804: Temperature inside the vehicle cabin - F02N 2200/101: Accelerator pedal position - F02N 2200/102: Brake pedal position - F02N 2200/103: Clutch pedal position - Y02T 10/40: Engine management systems - F02N: STARTING OF COMBUSTION ENGINES; STARTING AIDS FOR SUCH ENGINES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR - 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 - Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION ## Abstract A vehicle and associated method of operating a vehicle having an engine, a user interface configured to select a start-stop mode, and a controller communicating with the engine and the user interface automatically shutdown and restart the engine, and inhibit the automatic engine shutdown or restart responsive to any of a first group of inhibitors, or alternatively, any of the first group and a second group of inhibitors depending on the start-stop mode selected via the user interface. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A vehicle comprising: an engine; and a start-stop system configured to control automatic stopping and restarting of the engine responsive to a first category of operating conditions when operating in a first start-stop mode, and both the first category of operating conditions and a second category of operating conditions when operating in a second start-stop mode, wherein one of the start-stop operating modes is selected responsive to input from a vehicle user interface, and wherein the start-stop system is inhibited from shutting down the engine in response to a third operating mode selected responsive to the input from the vehicle user interface. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The vehicle of claim 1 wherein the vehicle user interface comprises a switch or button and the start-stop operating mode is selected responsive to a signal from the switch or button. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The vehicle of claim 1 wherein the vehicle user interface comprises a clutch or an accelerator pedal and the start-stop operating mode is selected responsive to a signal from the clutch or the accelerator pedal. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The vehicle of claim 1 wherein the first category of operating conditions comprises at least one of: a low battery state, an engine fault, an engine starter fault, and a battery fault. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The vehicle of claim 1 wherein the second category of operating conditions comprises at least one of: a vehicle climate control system being active, an ambient temperature of a vehicle interior being outside a predetermined range, an engine temperature being below a threshold value, the engine having recently been restarted, a vehicle media system being active, and a power take-off port of the vehicle being in use. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The vehicle of claim 1 wherein the start-stop system is configured to select the first start-stop mode of the start-stop system following a predetermined atypical operation of a driving control of the vehicle. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The vehicle of claim 1 wherein the start-stop system is operating in the first start-stop mode and is configured to restart the engine automatically responsive to releasing a vehicle brake pedal or pressing a vehicle accelerator pedal, and to inhibit stopping the engine in response to the first category of operating conditions for a predetermined time period after restarting the engine. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The vehicle of claim 7 wherein the start-stop system is further configured to inhibit stopping the engine in response to the first category of operating conditions after restarting until vehicle speed exceeds an associated threshold. ### Claim 9 A method of operating a vehicle engine start-stop system, comprising: initiating one of first and second start-stop modes; by a controller: inhibiting engine shutdown when operating in the first start-stop mode only in response to a first plurality of predetermined operating conditions; and inhibiting engine shutdown when operating in the second start-stop mode in response to the first plurality or a second plurality of predetermined operating conditions different from the first plurality, wherein initiating one of the first and second start-stop modes comprises detecting, by the controller, predetermined atypical manipulation of vehicle driving controls. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9 wherein initiating one of the first and second start-stop modes comprises receiving an input by the controller from an associated vehicle switch or button. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9 wherein initiating one of the first and second start-stop modes comprises detecting atypical manipulation of a vehicle brake pedal, clutch pedal, or accelerator pedal. ### Claim 12 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9 wherein the first plurality of operating conditions comprises at least one of: a low battery state, an engine fault, an engine starter fault, and a battery fault. ### Claim 13 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9 wherein the second plurality of operating conditions comprises at least one of: a vehicle climate control system being active, an ambient temperature of a vehicle interior being outside a predetermined range, an engine temperature being below a threshold value, the engine having recently been restarted, a vehicle media system being active, and a power take-off port of the vehicle being in use. ### Claim 14 A vehicle comprising: an engine; a user interface configured to select a start-stop mode an accelerator pedal; a brake pedal; and a controller communicating with the engine and the user interface and configured to automatically shutdown and restart the engine, and to inhibit automatic engine shutdown or restart responsive to any of a first group of inhibitors, or alternatively, any of the first group and a second group of inhibitors depending on the start-stop mode selected via manipulation of the accelerator pedal, or the brake pedal. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The vehicle of claim 14 wherein the vehicle further comprises a clutch pedal, and wherein the start-stop mode is selected via manipulation of the clutch pedal. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The vehicle of claim 14 wherein the controller is further configured to inhibit automatic engine shutdown until vehicle speed exceeds an associated threshold. ### Claim 17 (depends on 14) The vehicle of claim 14 wherein the user interface comprises a vehicle switch or button.