Service station maintenance mode for extended range electric vehicles and hybrid vehicle applications
AssigneeGM Global Technology Operations LLC
InventorsMarco J. Gatti, Paul A. Bauerle
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method of controlling an Extended Range Electric Vehicle (EREV) or a hybrid vehicle that includes an internal combustion engine (ICE) that is capable of automatically starting in response to a pre-defined event includes determining if the vehicle is within a pre-defined distance of a service station, determining if the ICE is running, determining if the vehicle is in an ignition on mode or in an ignition off mode, and automatically starting the ICE when the vehicle is within the pre-defined distance of the service station, the engine is not running and the ignition is in the ignition on mode to notify a service technician that the ICE is in the ignition on mode.
Claims20
A method of controlling a vehicle having an internal combustion engine capable of automatically starting in response to a pre-defined event, the method comprising:
- detecting the presence of a service station within a pre-defined distance of the vehicle;
- determining if the vehicle is in an ignition on mode or in an ignition off mode;
- determining if the internal combustion engine is running or is not running when the vehicle is in the ignition on mode;
- and
- automatically starting the internal combustion engine when the vehicle is within the pre-defined distance of the service station, the internal combustion engine is not running, and the vehicle is in the ignition on mode to notify a service technician that the vehicle is in the ignition on mode.
A method of servicing an extended range electric vehicle or a hybrid vehicle having an internal combustion engine capable of automatically starting in response to a pre-defined event, the method comprising:
- tracking the location of the vehicle with a Global Positioning Satellite device to determine the location of the vehicle;
- comparing the tracked location of the vehicle to a location of a known service station stored in a memory to determine if the vehicle is within a pre-defined distance of the service station;
- determining if the vehicle is in an ignition on mode or in an ignition off mode;
- determining if the internal combustion engine is running or is not running when the vehicle is in the ignition on mode;
- sensing a speed of the vehicle;
- automatically starting the internal combustion engine when the vehicle is within the pre-defined distance of the service station, the internal combustion engine is not running, the vehicle is in the ignition on mode, and the speed of the vehicle is less than a pre-defined speed to notify a service technician that the vehicle is in the ignition on mode;
- maintaining operation of the internal combustion engine until the vehicle is switched to the ignition off mode when the vehicle is within the pre-defined distance of the service station, the internal combustion engine is running, and the vehicle is in the ignition on mode;
- detecting an override signal from a scan tool;
- and
- stopping the operation of the internal combustion engine upon detection of the override signal when the vehicle is within the pre-defined distance of the service station, the internal combustion engine is running, and the vehicle is in the ignition on mode.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.