# US 11,440,532 B2 · Method and system for controlling vehicle engine pull-down > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,440,532 B2 - Document ID: US11440532B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/140,691 - Filed: 2021-01-04 - Published: 2022-07-07 - Granted: 2022-09-13 - Earliest claimed: 2021-01-04 - Assignees: Ford Global Technologies, LLC - Applicants: Ford Global Technologies, LLC - Inventors: Walter Joseph Ortmann; Ashish Kumar Naidu; Thomas William Megli; Mrudula Uday Orpe - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11440532B2 ## CPC - B60W 20/15: Control strategies specially adapted for achieving a particular effect - B60W 10/06: including control of combustion engines - B60W 40/09: Driving style or behaviour - B60W 50/0097: {Predicting future conditions} - F02D 29/02: peculiar to engines driving vehicles; peculiar to engines driving variable pitch propellers - F02D 41/042: {for stopping the engine} - F02D 41/065: {at hot start or restart (F02D41/067 takes precedence)} - G08G 1/0116: {from roadside infrastructure, e.g. beacons} - G08G 1/096725: {where the received information generates an automatic action on the vehicle control} - G08G 1/096741: {where the source of the transmitted information selects which information to transmit to each vehicle} - G08G 1/09675: {where a selection from the received information takes place in the vehicle} - G08G 1/096758: {where no selection takes place on the transmitted or the received information} - G08G 1/096775: {where the origin of the information is a central station} - G08G 1/096783: {where the origin of the information is a roadside individual element} - G08G 1/096791: {where the origin of the information is another vehicle} - G08G 1/22: {Platooning, i.e. convoy of communicating vehicles} - B60W 10/08: including control of electric propulsion units, e.g. motors or generators - B60W 2540/30: Driving style - B60W 2552/20: Road profile, i.e. the change in elevation or curvature of a plurality of continuous road segments - B60W 2554/406: Traffic density - B60W 2554/408: Traffic behavior, e.g. swarm - B60W 2555/60: Traffic rules, e.g. speed limits or right of way - F02D 2200/70: said parameters being related to the vehicle exterior - 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 - F02D: CONTROLLING COMBUSTION ENGINES (vehicle fittings, acting on a single sub-unit only, for automatically controlling vehicle speed B60K31/00; conjoint control of vehicle sub-units of different type or different function, road vehicle drive control systems for purposes other than the control of a single sub-unit B60W) - G08G: TRAFFIC CONTROL SYSTEMS (guiding railway traffic, ensuring the safety of railway traffic B61L; arrangement of road signs or traffic signals E01F9/00; radar or analogous systems, sonar systems, lidar systems specially adapted for traffic control G01S13/91, G01S15/88, G01S17/88; {radar or analogous systems, sonar systems, lidar systems specially adapted for anti-collision purposes G01S13/93, G01S15/93, G01S17/93}) ## Abstract A vehicle includes an engine, a wireless transceiver that receives attribute data, and a controller. The controller selectively shuts down the engine responsive to such requests based on whether a predicted fuel savings associated with a predicted engine off duration is greater than a predicted fuel usage to restart the engine. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A vehicle comprising: an engine; a wireless transceiver configured to receive attribute data; and a controller programmed to selectively shut down the engine based on whether a predicted fuel savings associated with a predicted engine off duration is greater than a predicted fuel usage to restart the engine, wherein the predicted fuel usage to restart the engine varies with a post engine restart target speed derived from the attribute data such that for a first engine pull down request and a corresponding predicted engine off duration, the engine is shut down, and for a second engine pull down request having a same corresponding predicted engine off duration, the engine is not shut down. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the attribute data describe traffic conditions and signal timing. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The vehicle of claim 2, wherein the attribute data further describe a road grade and a speed limit. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to predict the target speed using a record of driver behavior. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the wireless transceiver is further configured to receive the attribute data from a fleet vehicle via a vehicle-to-vehicle link. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the wireless transceiver is further configured to receive the attribute data from a remote server or a local infrastructure device. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The vehicle of claim 1 further comprising a camera configured to capture the attribute data. ### Claim 8 A method comprising: selectively shutting down an engine based on whether a predicted fuel savings associated with a predicted engine off duration is greater than a predicted fuel usage to restart the engine, wherein the predicted fuel usage to restart the engine varies with a post engine restart target power derived from attribute data. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8 wherein the predicted fuel usage to restart the engine varies with the post engine restart target power derived from the attribute data such that for a first engine pull down request and a corresponding predicted engine off duration, the engine is shut down, and for a second engine pull down request having a same corresponding predicted engine off duration, the engine is not shut down. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein the attribute data describe traffic conditions and a signal timing. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein the attribute data further describe a road grade and a speed limit. ### Claim 12 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8 further comprising predicting the target speed using a record of driver behavior. ### Claim 13 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8 further comprising receiving the attribute data from a fleet vehicle via a vehicle-to-vehicle link. ### Claim 14 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8 further comprising receiving the attribute data from a remote server or from a local infrastructure device. ### Claim 15 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8 further comprising capturing, via a camera, the attribute data. ### Claim 16 A powertrain system comprising: an engine; and a controller programmed to responsive to identifying a route, predict a motion pattern reflecting a predicted speed at different sections along the route using attribute data, responsive to a power demand falling below a threshold, compare a saved fuel amount with an engine pull-up fuel consumption, wherein the saved fuel amount depends on a length of engine pull-down predicted as a part of the motion pattern, and the engine pull-up fuel consumption depends on a desired engine speed to match a predicted speed as a part of the motion pattern, and responsive to the saved fuel amount being less than the engine pull-up fuel consumption, inhibit engine pull-down. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The system of claim 16, wherein the attribute data describes a traffic condition, a signal timing on the route, a road grade, or a speed limit. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The system of claim 16 further comprising a wireless transceiver configured to receive the attribute data.