Electronic control systems for grounds maintenance vehicle

A grounds maintenance vehicle comprising:

• a chassis;
• an engine supported by the chassis and having an operative state and an inoperative state;
• a ground engaging drive member connected to the chassis and operable to propel the vehicle over a ground surface;
• a transmission operatively connected between the engine and the ground engaging drive member, wherein the transmission comprises forward, neutral, and reverse states;
• a transmission control input mechanically connected to the transmission, wherein the transmission control input comprises forward, neutral, and reverse states corresponding to the forward, neutral, and reverse states of the transmission, respectively;
• a parking brake having an engaged state adapted to immobilize the ground engaging drive member, and a disengaged state;
• an electronic control unit (ECU) in electrical communication with the transmission control input, parking brake, and OP switch;
• and
• an ignition switch in communication with the engine and the ECU, wherein the ignition switch comprises an off state, a start state, and a run state, and wherein the engine is in the operative state when the ignition switch is in either the run state or the start state, and further wherein the engine is in the inoperative state when the ignition is in the off state;
• wherein the ECU, in response to a pre-defined operator activity, is adapted to manipulate the parking brake to the engaged state when the ignition switch is manipulated from the off state to either the run state or the start state and the transmission control input is in the neutral state.

A grounds maintenance vehicle comprising:

• a chassis;
• an engine supported by the chassis, the engine comprising an operative state and an inoperative state;
• an implement supported by the chassis;
• a ground engaging drive member connected to the chassis and operable to propel the vehicle over a ground surface;
• a transmission operatively connected between the engine and the ground engaging drive member, wherein the transmission comprises forward, neutral, and reverse states;
• a transmission control input operatively connected to the transmission, wherein the transmission control input comprises forward, neutral, and reverse states corresponding to the forward, neutral, and reverse states of the transmission, respectively;
• a clutch operatively connected between the engine and the implement, the clutch adapted for selective manipulation between a disengaged state, wherein the engine is operatively decoupled from the implement, and an engaged state, wherein the engine is operatively coupled to the implement;
• a parking brake having an engaged state adapted to immobilize the ground engaging drive member, and a disengaged state;
• an operator presence (OP) switch having an off state and an on state;
• and
• an electronic control unit (ECU) in electrical communication with the transmission control input, clutch, parking brake, and OP switch;
• wherein in response to a pre-defined operator activity, the ECU is adapted to manipulate the clutch from the engaged state to the disengaged state, while the engine remains in the operative state, when the transmission control input is in the neutral state and the OP switch changes from the on state to the off state.