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US 9,169,922 B1Granted
System and method for improving fuel economy of a vehicle powertrain
AssigneeFord Global Technologies, LLC
InventorEnrique Remes
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A controller for a vehicle may include communication channels and control logic. The communication channels may be configured to receive distance data from a proximity sensor disposed on a vehicle and to send shift commands to a transmission. The control logic may be configured to respond to distance data indicating a second vehicle disposed at a distance closer than a threshold distance while the vehicle is moving at or below a threshold speed by sending a shift command to the transmission.
Claims19
A method of controlling a vehicle transmission comprising:
- capturing data from a proximity sensor to estimate a distance between the vehicle and an object;
- monitoring a speed sensor to estimate a vehicle speed;
- entering a traffic mode in response to the object being within a threshold distance of the vehicle and the vehicle speed being less than a threshold speed;
- and
- while in the traffic mode with a shift selector in a drive position, shifting the transmission to a neutral state.
2 more elements
A vehicle comprising:
- a transmission;
- a proximity sensor disposed on the vehicle and configured to capture distance data;
- and
- at least one controller programmed to, while the vehicle is moving at a speed below a threshold speed, shift the transmission from a drive state to a neutral state in response to the distance data from the proximity sensor identifying a second vehicle disposed at a distance closer than a threshold distance from the proximity sensor.
1 more element
A controller for a vehicle comprising:
- communication channels configured to receive distance data from a proximity sensor disposed on a vehicle and to send shift commands to a transmission;
- and
- control logic configured to respond to distance data indicating a second vehicle disposed at a distance closer than a threshold distance while the vehicle is moving at or below a threshold speed by sending a shift command to the transmission.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.