Ford Global Technolgoies, LLC

Peter Douglas Kuechler

Terry Gene Feldpausch

Jeffrey Allen Doering

John Eric Rollinger

Dennis C Reed

Mary Catherine Farmer

Bradley Dean Riedle

Julia Helen Buckland

Matthew John Gerhart

Alexander Phillip McDonnell

Allen Dennis Dobryden

Suzanne Kay Wait

Joshua Nicholas Dewalt

David H Schmitt

De-Shiou Chen

John Milton Lapetz

Dimitar Petrov Filev

Brendan F Diamond

Keith Weston

Matthew John Shelton

Michael Glenn Fodor

Patrick Joseph Curran

Nicholas Dashwood Crisp

Peter Mitchell Lyon

Alan Robert Dona

Dev Saberwal

Ryan O'Rourke

Mike Rowland

Andrew Clement Dame

Michael M S Simon

Derek Bier

Matthew Blake Tranter

Justin Lesniak

Mitchell Thomas Fink

Kevan Bates

Trevor Losch

A vehicle determines that a vehicle enhanced driving mode has been requested. The vehicle determines whether a condition for engaging such a mode has been met. Additionally, the vehicle offers a user-override, when the condition has not been met and the condition is a condition defined as over-rideable and responsive to override acceptance, engaging the requested driving mode. In other instances, the vehicle monitors mode usage against predefined maximum usage constraints, and may facilitate excess mode usage if constraints are exceeded.

Track / off road mode UX emissions and fuel label compliant using geofencing

A vehicle includes an powerplant, a manual transmission, and a clutch. A vehicle controller is programmed to automatically control operation of the clutch allowing the driver to shift gears by just operating the gear shifter. The vehicle also includes an input allowing the driver to override the controller and operate the clutch. The input is located on the gear shifter and is in electric communication with the controller. The controller is programmed to, inter alia, command the clutch to reduce clutch capacity responsive to receiving a signal from the sensor indicating grasping of the shifter.

Manual transmission with electric clutch

A vehicle includes a powertrain and a controller. The powertrain includes a powerplant. The controller is programmed to, responsive to a tip-in resulting in a powertrain torque direction reversal and upon obtaining a base value of a desired powertrain lash angle, adjust a powerplant torque schedule. The controller is then subsequently programmed to adjust the desired powertrain lash angle from the base to an adjusted value based on an observed powertrain lash angle that corresponds to a maximum powertrain acceleration during the tip-in.

Vehicle powertrain lash crossing control strategy

A system and method for controlling backlash in a vehicle powertrain includes the step of controlling a torque request of the powertrain with a first control strategy after an occurrence of a backlash predictor and prior to an occurrence of backlash. The first control strategy is modified when backlash occurs during the first control strategy. The torque request is controlled with the modified first control strategy after another occurrence of a backlash predictor and before another occurrence of backlash.

Adaptive control of backlash in a vehicle powertrain

A system and method for controlling backlash in a vehicle powertrain includes the step of controlling a torque request of the powertrain with a first control strategy after an occurrence of a backlash predictor and before an occurrence of a backlash. Another step may be employed whereby the torque request is controlled with a second control strategy after the first control strategy and before the occurrence of the backlash such that a torque request level is below a highest torque request level obtained during the first control-strategy.

System and method for controlling backlash in a vehicle powertrain

Embodiments are disclosed that relate to controlling a compressor. In one example, method of controlling a compressor comprises regulating a discharge capacity of the compressor via a control current supplied to a control device, holding the control current supplied to the control device at substantially zero amperes for a first duration, and stepping the control current from substantially zero amperes to a sustainable current that provides a sustainable level of a performance parameter of the compressor.

Variable discharge compressor control

Methods and systems are provided for improving boost response in a turbocharged engine. In one example, a method may include in response to a tip-out following a tip-in, when an exhaust catalyst temperature is within a threshold range, deactivating fuel injectors to the engine and increasing air flow to an exhaust turbine based on a desired increase in a turbine speed to maintain the turbine speed at or above a threshold speed.

Methods and systems for improving boost response

Systems and methods for improving operation of a vehicle are presented. In one example, automatic engine stopping is inhibited in response to a driver communicating a desire to not automatically stop an engine. The driver communicates intentions to allow or inhibit automatic engine stopping via a brake pedal.

Methods and systems for a stop/start engine

A method for controlling a vehicle driveline having a power source and a transmission clutch includes using a difference between two spaced locations in the subject vehicle driveline to determine driveline twist speed due to applied torque, using a product of driveline twist speed and a sampling interval to produce an estimated driveline twist from the sum of incremental changes in driveline twist that are between predetermined upper and lower magnitudes, producing, in response to a demanded wheel torque, a first signal that controls torque transmitted from the power source to the clutch during a lash crossing using the estimated driveline twist and the current driveline torque; and producing a second signal that controls clutch torque capacity such that clutch slip is produced during the lash crossing.

Bounded vehicle driveline twist estimating

Methods and systems are provided for controlling a vehicle engine, the engine including a turbocharger and a transmission. One example method comprises, operating the transmission at a first lower gear with a first boost level, increasing the boost from the first boost level before completing a shift from the first lower gear to a second higher gear, and after completing the shift, operating the transmission at the second higher gear with the increased boost.

Methods and systems for turbocharger control

A method for controlling a driveline having a transmission clutch includes locking the clutch before a driveline lash crossing occurs; maintaining a locked clutch during the lash crossing; after the lash crossing occurs, increasing a clutch capacity at a slower rate than a driveline twist torque rate; and after the lash crossing occurs, producing clutch slip by controlling engine torque and clutch capacity such that engine torque exceeds clutch capacity.

Dual clutch driveline twist control

A control system for a bi-fuel engine is provided. The control system includes a powertrain controller and a bi-fuel controller The controller has a set of fuel injector drivers The controller has a set of gasoline fuel injector drivers and a set of alternate fuel (AF) fuel injector drivers Each of drivers in controller is electrically connected to a driver and a driver in controller Thus, a control signal generated by a single driver can be utilized by either of drivers to generate a corresponding control signal for controlling a gasoline fuel injector or a AF fuel injector respectively.

Control system and method for a bi-fuel engine

Growing community of inventors

Canton, MI, United States of America

Peter Douglas Kuechler