Ford Global Technolgoies, LLC

Hussam Makkiya

Hafiz Shafeek Khafagy

Ahmed Awadi

Siraj Siddiqui

Eric Michael Rademacher

Elena Ilieva

Abraham Mezaael

Kirt Eschtruth

Jonathan Edward Gunger

Andrew Moen

Luis Chaboya

Colin Drummond

Candice Villanueva

Bernard D Nefcy

Marvin Paul Kraska

Daniel Scott Colvin

Francis Thomas Connolly

Nunzio Decia

James C Rollinson

Hank Kwong

Yamen Taleb

Gregory Ziemba

Marirose Ilkka

Ricardo Walker

Laurie Elizabeth Transou

Daniel Borrello

Garrett Tietz

Yunjiao Cai

The disclosure generally pertains to systems and methods to minimize false alerts in a geofence system. In an example embodiment, a controller may receive location information of a vehicle traveling on a road that is substantially aligned with a segment of a geofence. The controller may identify a margin of error present in the location information and redefine the segment of the geofence based on the margin of error. The controller may then detect geofence violations with respect to the redefined segment of the geofence. In another example embodiment, a controller may receive location information of a vehicle. The controller may evaluate the location information and determine that the vehicle is crisscrossing a segment of a geofence while traveling on a road. The controller minimizes nuisance geofence exit alerts by redefining the geofence so as to include a geofence buffer zone that encompasses the crisscrossing travel path of the vehicle.

Systems and methods to adaptively redefine a geofence

A vehicle geofence system may include a vehicle location detection device configured to provide vehicle location data for a vehicle, a memory configured to maintain geofence data, and a processor programmed to receive the vehicle location data, compare a vehicle location as indicated by the vehicle location data to the geofence data, in response to determining that the vehicle has crossed a geofence, present an inquiry, to a user, requesting feedback as to the accuracy of the geofence crossing, receive user feedback to the inquiry, and provide the user feedback to a server external of the vehicle.

Dynamic geofencing hysteresis

The disclosure describes systems and methods for controlling a geo-fence. Through the use of the geo-fence and through monitoring of connections between mobile devices and the vehicle, a geo-fence is dynamically enabled and disabled for a user of a vehicle and the geo-fence control system provides notifications to users of the vehicle.

Systems and methods for controlling a geo-fence

Methods and systems are provided for optimizing engine climate control performance and fuel economy in engines configured with start/stop capabilities. Climate control inhibits of start/stop actions are adjusted as a function of operator driving habits and climate control inputs and preferences. The approach enables climate performance to be improved while also allowing for frequent idle-stop operation.

Method and system for engine start/stop control

Systems and methods for operating a vehicle that includes an engine that may be automatically stopped and started are described. In one example, an engine may be automatically stopped in response to an electric assisted braking threshold level that is adjusted responsive to vehicle speed so that opportunities to automatically stop an engine may be increased, thereby conserving fuel.

Methods and system for automatically stopping an engine

Methods and systems are provided for adjusting a steering torque threshold for automatically stopping and starting a vehicle engine. In one example, a method may include, while the engine is running, determining a first steering torque threshold for inhibiting stop-start of the engine based on a steering wheel angle, and, while the engine is auto-stopped, determining a second steering torque threshold for inhibiting the stop-start based on the steering wheel angle and whether a static stop-start event is present or a rolling stop-start event is present. In this way, a non-linear hysteresis is provided for automatically stopping and starting the engine.

System and method for a stop-start engine

Systems and methods for operating a vehicle that includes an engine that may be automatically stopped and started are described. In one example, the inhibiting or preventing automatic engine stopping may be performed when a human driver releases a brake pedal, which causes the engine to automatically start, and the inhibiting may continue until vehicle speed exceeds a speed where the engine was automatically stopped.

Methods and system for inhibiting automatic engine stopping

Systems and methods for improving operation of a vehicle that includes an engine that may be automatically stopped and started are presented. In one example, vehicle launch control parameters are adjusted responsive to a learned driving style. The approach may provide vehicle launches that are closer to driver expectations than vehicle launches that are based solely on accelerator pedal position.

Methods and systems for improving automatic engine stopping and starting

Methods and apparatus for controlling an electronic power assisted steering (EPAS) motor in response to detecting engine stall while restarting an auto stop-start engine are described. A controller is to ramp out current from an EPAS motor in response to detecting that an auto stop-start engine is stalled. The controller is also to invoke a stall recovery attempt at the auto stop-start engine in response to the ramp out of current. The controller is also to ramp in current to the EPAS motor in response to detecting that the auto stop-start engine has been successfully restarted based on the stall recovery attempt.

Methods and apparatus for controlling an electronic power assisted steering motor in response to detecting engine stall while restarting an auto stop-start engine

Methods and apparatus for controlling the ramp in of current to an electronic power assisted steering motor associated with an auto stop-start engine are described. A controller is to determine a moving average voltage of a vehicle battery. The controller is also to determine a voltage rate of change based on the moving average voltage. The controller is also to determine a moving average engine speed of an auto stop-start engine of the vehicle. The controller is also to ramp in current to an electronic power assisted steering motor of the vehicle based on the moving average voltage, the voltage rate of change, and the moving average engine speed.

Methods and apparatus for controlling the ramp in of current to an electronic power assisted steering motor associated with an auto stop-start engine

Systems and methods for operating a vehicle that includes an engine that may be automatically stopped and started are described. In one example, inhibiting of automatic engine stopping and starting may be withdrawn in response to a change in driver vehicle settings or when a temperature of an engine is less than a threshold temperature.

System and methods for operating an engine

Methods and systems are provided for improving the operation of a start/stop vehicle having an FEAD-driven AC compressor. During an engine idle-stop, fragrance is dispensed into a vehicle cabin via a fragrance dispensing device integrated with a vent of a vehicle AC unit. The dispensed fragrance masks must smells attributed to an evaporator when the engine is shut-down, thereby extending the duration of idle-stop.

Systems and methods for improving operation of a four wheel drive vehicle that includes automatic engine stopping and starting are presented. In one example, engagement of a driveline wheel mode is not permitted when an engine is automatically started so that a driveline wheel mode actuator may fully engage a driveline wheel mode when it is requested to do so.

Methods and systems for controlling automatic engine starting

Onboard need for data is determined based on a vehicle process requesting data. A request for the data is wirelessly communicated directly to other vehicles in local wireless communication. A price for the data is negotiated, and the data is received, responsive to sending an agreement to pay the negotiated price.

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Dearborn, MI, United States of America

Hussam Makkiya