Ford Global Technolgoies, LLC

Carefusion 207, Inc.

Tula Technology, Inc.

Continental Automotive Systems Corporation

Fca US LLC

Other

Bird Products Corporation

Ihab S Soliman

Andrew John Silveri

Deepak Aswani

Ryan Abraham McGee

Brian Keyse

Bradley Dean Riedle

Charles William Suter

Steven Duquette

Steve Michael Cicala

Jerry Dean Robichaux

Tobias John Pallett

Ken Sovel

Alex O'Connor Gibson

Hong Jiang

Felix Nedorezov

Hai Yu

Mark A Shost

Roger Lyle Huffmaster

Xiaoyong Wang

Mathew Alan Boesch

Matthew Aaron Younkins

Stephen Michael Cicala

Mark A Wilcutts

Kurt Howard Nickerson

Jerry F Fuschetto

Mark Steven Yamazaki

Fazal Urrahman Syed

Louis Joseph Serrano

Urs Christen

Steven E Carlson

Brandon R Masterson

Rainer Busch

James J Daley

Joseph B Adams

Deepa Ramaswamy

Anthony Tsakiris

Jeremy L Russell

Jing Song

Kevin MacFarlane

Brian J McKay

Mattias Kroon

Matthew Alan Boesch

Vern Brightup

Roger Leirvik

Daniel Thörsman

Truc Trung Le

Various methods and arrangements for improving fuel economy and noise, vibration, and harshness (NVH) in a skip fire controlled engine are described. An engine controller dynamically selects a gas spring type for a skipped firing opportunity. Determination of the skip/fire pattern and gas spring type may be made on a firing opportunity by firing opportunity basis.

Dynamic valve control in a skip fire controlled engine

An efficiency autonomous driving strategy which accounts for the propulsion system efficiency and energy consumption during vehicle motion planning function required for autonomous driving. Specifically, a control algorithm calculates the required energy and total efficiency for various possible vehicle path/motion plans being considered by the autonomous driving (AD) controller. Given at least one or more desired vehicle motion plans, the propulsion system selects the vehicle motion path with the highest efficiency and least energy consumption. The control algorithm accounts for the current vehicle motion (speed/acceleration, etc.), and future vehicle motion requirements for a given vehicle path plan. The control algorithm calculates the total vehicle energy required (current time up to future time) for the proposed vehicle motion plans, then recommends the most efficient vehicle motion plan to the AD controller such that total energy consumption is reduced.

Propulsion efficient autonomous driving strategy

An expanded powertrain interface and strategy for an autonomous driving controller to control powertrain torque (or vehicle acceleration/deceleration) capability at the current operating point, in addition to capability for subsequent operating points at a future time based on predictive assessment of powertrain energy management, subsystem contraints/limits, and capability in the future. The powertrain interface and strategy applies to a vehicle with electrified powertrain control (hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) or pure battery electric vehicle (BEV)) with an autonomous driving (AD) capability (either full or semi-automated driving). This powertrain interface and strategy may also be used with non-electrified powertrain (conventional) systems based on available combustion engine torque at the target vehicle speed and gear.

Predictive powertrain limits strategy for autonomous/automated driving vehicle

The present invention is a connected energy management (CEM) strategy for controlling the activation of a plurality of engine cylinders in the engine of a vehicle. A powertrain controller is operable for controlling the operation of the engine, and a second controller is in electrical communication with the powertrain controller. The second controller may be a telematics controller, or an autonomous driving vehicle controller. The second controller communicates at least one parameter to the powertrain controller, and the parameter is used to determine which of the plurality of cylinders are to be activated or deactivated. The powertrain controller then activates or deactivates one or more of the plurality of cylinders using the powertrain controller based on the parameter, which may include various road data, such as road curve shape or road grade. The parameter may also be based on a desired autonomous driving path.

Connected energy management and autonomous driving strategy for engine cylinder deactivation

In one aspect, a method is described. An operational engine torque is calculated. The engine is operated in a skip fire manner to deliver the operational engine torque. A reference engine torque is calculated using a torque model. The torque model involves estimating torque at a working chamber level. The reference engine torque is compared to the calculated operational engine torque to assess the accuracy of the operational engine torque calculation. Various embodiments of the present invention involve software, devices, systems and engine controllers that are related to one or more of the above operations.

Torque estimation in a skip fire engine control system

A method for restarting an engine of a vehicle stopped on a grade, comprising the steps of engaging a gear of a transmission through which the engine and wheels of the vehicle are drivably connected mutually, using brake pressure to engage wheel brakes and produce a road gradient wheel torque that holds the vehicle stationary on the grade, initiating an engine restart, operating the engine to produce wheel torque equal to or greater than the road gradient wheel torque, and releasing the brake pressure.

Brake assisted vehicle engine restart on a road grade

A variety of methods and arrangements for implementing a start/stop feature in a skip fire engine control system are described. In one aspect, the implementation of the start/stop feature involves automatically turning off an internal combustion engine under selected circumstances during a drive cycle. A determination is made that the engine should be restarted. During the engine startup period, the engine is operated in a skip fire manner such that a desired engine speed is reached.

Implementing skip fire with start/stop feature

A method for restarting an engine of a vehicle stopped on a grade, comprising the steps of engaging a gear of a transmission through which the engine and wheels of the vehicle are driveably connected mutually, using brake pressure to engage wheel brakes and produce a road gradient wheel torque that holds the vehicle stationary on the grade, initiating an engine restart, operating the engine to produce wheel torque equal to or greater than the road gradient wheel torque, and releasing the brake pressure.

A method for controlling restart of an engine in a hybrid electric powertrain, includes engaging a gear of a transmission, releasing a brake pedal, maintaining fluid pressure at an adaptively determined magnitude in a wheel brake, initiating a restart the engine, and reducing fluid pressure in the wheel brake when the engine restarts.

Wheel torque disturbance suppression

A method and system for controlling fluid flow settings by receiving a precondition pressure wave function, representative of a precondition frequency, a precondition amplitude and a precondition pressure of the fluid flow in the system, establishing an operating pressure wave function, representative of an operating frequency, an operating amplitude and an operating pressure of the fluid flow desired in the system, determining cycle error between the precondition pressure wave function and the operating pressure wave function, converting the cycle error to flow adjustment, and updating an operating flow with the flow adjustment.

System and method for adaptive high frequency flow interrupter control in a patient respiratory ventilator

In a powertrain for motor vehicle that includes an engine, an electric machine able to function alternately as a motor and a generator, and a transmission whose input is driveably connected to the engine and the electric machine, a method for controlling transmission input torque during an downshift including using the engine to produce torque transmitted to the transmission input, during the ratio change phase of the downshift, operating the electric machine as a motor, and controlling a net torque transmitted to the transmission input by using the engine to drive the transmission and the electric machine concurrently, and during the torque transfer phase of the downshift, operating the electric machine as a generator.

Transmission downshift input torque modulation for a hybrid electric vehicle

A method of controlling a vehicle, where the vehicle includes an internal combustion engine and a transmission having a neutral state and an engaged state, includes setting the state of the transmission. The state of the transmission is set as the neutral state or the engaged state based on a restart condition, where the restart condition is one of: (i) a no wheel torque restart condition, and (ii) a wheel torque restart condition. The method additionally includes starting the engine.

Engine restart strategy

A method for improving starting of an engine that may be repeatedly stopped and started is presented. In one embodiment, the method adjusts a transmission actuator in response to engine combustion during an engine start. The method may improve vehicle launch for stop/start vehicles.

Method for starting an engine

Growing community of inventors

Warren, MI, United States of America

Ihab S Soliman