System and method for controlling neutral idle operation of a vehicle

A control system for controlling neutral idle operation of a vehicle, said vehicle having an engine coupled to a transmission, said transmission including a clutch having a first state torsionally disengaging said engine from a vehicle wheel to initiate neutral idle operation and a second state torsionally engaging said engine to said wheel to end neutral idle operation, comprising:

• a pressure sensor generating a signal indicative of a brake pressure in a brake control line, said line communicating fluid to a brake coupled to said wheel of said vehicle;
• a sensor generating a signal indicative of an incline angle of said vehicle, said incline angle corresponding to both a downhill incline angle and an uphill incline angle;
• and,
• a controller receiving said pressure signal and said incline angle signal, said controller configured to determine a desired brake pressure based on said incline angle, said controller being further configured to control an operational state of said clutch based on said brake pressure signal and said desired brake pressure while maintaining said vehicle at a predetermined position.

An article of manufacture comprising:

• a computer storage medium having a computer program encoded therein for controlling neutral idle operation of a vehicle, said vehicle having an engine coupled to a transmission, said transmission including a clutch having a first state torsionally disengaging said engine from a vehicle wheel to initiate neutral idle operation and a second state torsionally engaging said engine to said wheel to end neutral idle operation, said computer storage medium comprising:
• code for receiving a signal indicative of a breake pressure in a brake control line communicating fluid to a break coupled to said wheel of said vehicle;
• code for determining a desired brake pressure based on said incline angle, said incline angle corresponding to both a downhill incline angle and an uphill incline angle;
• and,
• code for controlling an operational state of said clutch of said transmission based on said brake pressure signal and said desired brake pressure while maintaining said vehicle at a predetermined position.

A method for controlling neutral idle operation of a vehicle, the vehicle having an engine coupled to a transmission, the transmission including a clutch having a first state torsionally disengaging the engine from a vehicle wheel to initiate neutral idle operation and a second state torsionally engaging the engine to the wheel to end neutral idle operation, the method comprising:

• determining an incline angle of said vehicle;
• determining a desired brake pressure based on said incline angle to maintain said vehicle at a stationary position;
• and,
• controlling an operational state of said clutch based on a pressure applied to a brake coupled to said vehicle wheel and said desired brake pressure.