# US 6,836,718 B2 · Vehicle with engine idle-management system

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- Number: US 6,836,718 B2
- Document ID: US6836718B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 10/408,505
- Filed: 2003-04-07
- Published: 2004-10-07
- Granted: 2004-12-28
- Earliest claimed: 2003-04-07
- Assignees: International Truck Intellectual Property Company, LLC
- Inventors: Lawrence D. Hasfjord; Michael P. Harding; Kenneth Bultemeier, Jr.; Richard S. Justice
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US6836718B2

## CPC

- B60W 30/18: Propelling the vehicle
- B60W 10/04: including control of propulsion units
- B60W 10/11: Stepped gearings
- B60W 30/1819: {Propulsion control with control means using analogue circuits, relays or mechanical links}
- F02N 11/0803: {characterised by means for initiating engine start or stop (F02N11/0814 takes precedence)}
- F02N 11/101: {for preventing engine starter actuation or engagement}
- B60W 2510/0676: Engine temperature
- B60W 2510/244: Charge state
- B60W 2710/065: Idle condition
- F02N 2200/023: Engine temperature
- F02N 2200/061: Battery state of charge [SOC]
- F02N 2200/0803: Parking brake state
- F02N 2200/0804: Temperature inside the vehicle cabin
- 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
- F02N: STARTING OF COMBUSTION ENGINES; STARTING AIDS FOR SUCH ENGINES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR

## Abstract

A vehicle according to the present invention has an internal combustion engine that is controlled by an engine-control computer that is operable, when the vehicle is parked, to operate in an idle-management mode to automatically start and stop idling operation of the internal combustion engine in order to maintain desirable electrical system energy levels, maintain desirable fluid temperatures of the internal combustion engine, and/or enable maintenance of comfortable occupant cabin temperatures. Each vehicle according to the present invention has a unique configuration of safety-interlock provisions that affect when and if an idle-management mode of operation of the engine-control computer is initiated and/or maintained.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A vehicle, comprising:
(a) one or more rigid and strong frame structures to which a majority of other components of said vehicle are directly or indirectly engaged and from which said majority of other components of said vehicle derive support directly or indirectly;
(b) a suspension system that is engaged to and supports said one or more frame structures above the ground and that provides the vehicle with a relatively low resistance to movement along the ground;
(c) an occupant cabin that is engaged to and supported by said one or more frame structures and within which occupants of said vehicle may reside;
(d) a powertrain for driving said vehicle along the ground;
(e) wherein said powertrain comprises an internal combustion engine for supplying power to downstream components of said powertrain in order to drive said vehicle along the ground;
(f) wherein said powertrain comprises a selectable-ratio power transmission with a clutch system for selectively coupling and decoupling an input shaft of said selectable-ratio power transmission and an output shaft of said internal combustion engine;
(g) wherein said selectable-ratio power transmission comprises an output shaft;
(h) wherein said selectable-ratio power transmission is constructed such that said output shaft of said selectable-ratio power transmission can be selectively coupled to said input shaft of said selectable-ratio power transmission at one of plurality of speed ratios;
(i) wherein said selectable-ratio power transmission is further constructed such that said output shaft of said selectable-ratio power transmission can be decoupled from said input shaft of said selectable-ratio power transmission to effect a neutral operational state of said selectable-ratio power transmission;
(j) a transmission-control computer that is operable to either effect coupling of said output shaft of said selectable-ratio power transmission to said input shaft of said selectable-ratio power transmission at one of said speed ratios or to effect said neutral operational state of said selectable-ratio power transmission in which said output shaft of said selectable-ratio power transmission is decoupled from said input shaft of said selectable-ratio power transmission;
(k) an engine-control computer that is operable in an idle-management mode of operation to automatically start end stop idling operation of said internal combustion engine in a manner dependent upon one or more of an electrical system energy level, one or more engine fluid temperatures, and an internal temperature of said occupant cabin;
(l) wherein engine-control logic according to which said engine-control computer operates requires that said engine-control computer be receiving a safety-interlock signal, which is received through a safety-interlock input channel of said engine-control computer, before said engine-control computer will operate in said idle-management mode of operation;
(m) wherein a hood-tilt switch and switched terminals of a normally-open transmission-neutral relay are connected in series with said safety-interlock input channel such that said safety-interlock signal must be transmitted to said safety-interlock input channel through said hood-tilt switch and said switched terminals of said normally-open transmission-neutral relay;
(n) wherein said selectable-ratio power transmission or said transmission-control computer comprises a transmission-neutral output terminal that is connected to ground voltage level of an electrical system of said vehicle when said selectable-ratio power transmission has a neutral operating state; and
(o) wherein a switching circuit of said normally-open transmission-neutral relay is connected on one side to an ignition-switched voltage source and on an opposite side to said transmission-neutral output terminal.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The vehicle of claim 1, wherein:
(a) said engine-control logic is such that a clutch-state signal, which is received through a clutch-state input channel of said engine-control computer, must change from a first value to a second value and back to said first value in order for said engine-control computer to enter said idle-management mode of operation; and
(b) said vehicle further comprises a dummy clutch switch mounted within said occupant cabin of said vehicle and connected to said clutch-state input channel of said engine-control computer.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The vehicle of claim 2, wherein:
(a) said transmission-control computer receives electrical power from an ignition-switched voltage source.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The vehicle of claim 3, wherein:
(a) said vehicle comprises an anti-lock brake system controller that is communicatively linked to said transmission-control computer or said engine-control computer; and
(b) said anti-lock brake system controller receives electrical power from said ignition-switched voltage source.

### Claim 5

A vehicle, comprising:
(a) one or more rigid and strong frame structures to which a majority of other components of said vehicle are directly or indirectly engaged and from which said majority of other components of said vehicle derive support directly or indirectly;
(b) a suspension system that is engaged to arid supports said one or more frame structures above the ground and that provides said vehicle with a relatively low resistance to movement along the ground;
(c) an occupant cabin that is engaged to and supported by said one or more frame structures and within which occupants of said vehicle may reside;
(d) a powertrain for driving said vehicle along the ground;
(e) wherein said powertrain comprises an internal combustion engine for supplying power to downstream components of said powertrain in order to drive said vehicle along the ground;
(f) wherein said powertrain comprises a selectable-ratio power transmission with a clutch system for selectively coupling and decoupling an input shaft of said selectable-ratio power transmission and an output shaft of said internal combustion engine;
(g) wherein said selectable-ratio power transmission comprises an output shaft;
(h) wherein said selectable-ratio power transmission is constructed such that said output shaft of said selectable-ratio power transmission can be selectively coupled to said input shaft of said selectable-ratio power transmission at one of a plurality of speed ratios;
(i) wherein said selectable-ratio power transmission is further constructed such that said output shaft of said selectable-ratio power transmission can be decoupled from said input shaft of said selectable-ratio power transmission to effect a neutral operational state of said selectable-ratio power transmission;
(j) a transmission-control computer that is operable to either effect coupling of said output shaft of said selectable-ratio power transmission to said input shaft of said selectable-ratio power transmission at one of said speed ratios or to effect said neutral operational state of said selectable-ratio power transmission in which said output shaft of said selectable-ratio power transmission is decoupled from said input shaft of said selectable-ratio power transmission;
(k) wherein said transmission-control computer is further operable to control said clutch system to couple/decouple said input shaft of said selectable-ratio power transmission to/from said output shaft of said internal combustion engine;
(l) an engine-control computer that is operable in an idle-management mode of operation to automatically start and stop idling operation of said internal combustion engine in a manner dependent upon one or more of an electrical system energy level, one or more engine fluid temperatures, and an internal temperature of said occupant cabin;
(m) wherein engine-control logic according to which said engine-control computer operates is such that a clutch-state signal, which is received through a clutch-state input channel of said engine-control computer, must change from a first value to a second value and back to a first value in order for said engine-control computer to enter said idle-management mode of operation; and
(n) wherein said vehicle further comprises a dummy clutch switch mounted within said occupant cabin of said vehicle and connected to said clutch-state input channel of said engine-control computer.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The vehicle of claim 5, wherein:
(a) said transmission-control computer receives electrical power from an ignition-switched voltage source.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The vehicle of claim 6, wherein:
(a) said vehicle comprises an anti-lock brake system controller that is communicatively linked to said transmission-control computer or said engine-control computer; and
(b) said anti-lock brake system controller receives electrical power from said ignition-switched voltage source.