Smart firing pattern selection for skip fire capable engines

A skip fire control method for an engine of a vehicle, the method comprising:

• receiving, by a controller of the vehicle and from a set of sensors, a set of operating parameters of the engine corresponding to a volumetric efficiency of the engine;
• controlling, by the controller, a plurality of sub-systems having a respective plurality of operational states that each affect transitions between a plurality of different firing patterns/fractions of the engine, wherein the plurality of sub-systems comprises a torque converter clutch (TCC) of the engine, a transmission of the engine, and at least one of a camshaft and a valvetrain of the engine;
• determining, by the controller and from the plurality of different firing patterns/fractions of the engine, a first firing pattern/fraction that will cause a lowest relative engine pumping loss, corresponding to a lowest measured manifold absolute pressure (MAP), relative to a remainder of the plurality of different firing patterns/fractions;
• determining, by the controller and for at least the first firing pattern/fraction and a second firing pattern/fraction of the remainder of the plurality of different firing patterns/fractions, a calibration parameter value based on the set of operating parameters and the plurality of operational states of the plurality of sub-systems, wherein each calibration parameter value is indicative a positive or negative impact to a volumetric efficiency of the engine resulting from switching to an associated firing pattern/fraction;
• selecting, by the controller, the second firing pattern/fraction when its associated calibration parameter value is greater than the calibration parameter value associated with the first firing pattern/fraction to obtain a target firing pattern/fraction, wherein the second firing fraction/pattern is not an intermediary firing fraction/pattern during a transition to the first firing fraction/pattern;
• and
• controlling, by the controller, the engine based on the target firing pattern/fraction to maximize an efficiency of the engine.