Methods and system for inhibiting engine shutdown
AssigneeFord Global Technologies, LLC
InventorsZachary John Sinisi, Andrew E. Burt, Kenneth Leisenring
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Systems and methods for inhibiting automatic stopping of an internal combustion engine are described. In one example, inhibiting of automatic engine stopping may be prevented in response to vehicle speed and/or an amount of time since the most recent time inhibiting of automatic engine stopping was permitted. Further, the inhibiting of automatic engine starting may be based on vehicle speed and engine starting when vehicle speed is less than two threshold speeds.
Claims20
A method for inhibiting automatic stopping of an engine, comprising:
- automatically stopping the engine in response to a vehicle speed decreasing below a lower threshold speed;
- subsequent to the step of automating stopping the engine, starting the engine in response one or more vehicle operating conditions and when the vehicle speed is above the lower threshold speed and less than an upper threshold speed;
- and
- inhibiting automatic stopping of the engine in response to execution of the step of starting the engine;
- where the upper threshold speed is a threshold speed above which automatic stopping of the engine is permitted;
- where the lower threshold speed is a threshold speed below which automatic stopping of the engine is permitted;
- and
- where the upper threshold speed and the lower threshold speed are constant and non-zero values.
A system, comprising:
- an internal combustion engine;
- and
- a controller including executable instructions stored in non-transitory memory that cause the controller to:
- automatically stop the engine in response to a vehicle speed decreasing below a lower threshold speed;
- subsequent to the step of automating stopping the engine, start the engine in response one or more vehicle operating conditions and when the vehicle speed is above the lower threshold speed and less than an upper threshold speed;
- and
- inhibit automatic stopping of the internal combustion engine in response to execution of the step of starting the engine;
- where the upper threshold speed is a threshold speed above which automatic stopping of the engine is permitted;
- where the lower threshold speed is a threshold speed below which automatic stopping of the engine is permitted;
- and
- where the upper threshold speed and the lower threshold speed are constant and non-zero values.
A method for starting an engine, comprising:
- automatically stopping the engine in response to a vehicle speed decreasing below a lower threshold speed;
- subsequent to the step of automating stopping the engine, starting the engine in response one or more vehicle operating conditions and when the vehicle speed is above the lower threshold speed and less than an upper threshold speed;
- and
- inhibiting automatic stopping of the engine in response to execution of the step of starting the engine;
- and
- where the upper threshold speed is a threshold speed above which automatic stopping of the engine is permitted;
- where the lower threshold speed is a threshold speed below which automatic stopping of the engine is permitted;
- and
- where the upper threshold speed and the lower threshold speed are constant and non-zero values.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.