Ford Motor Company Limited

Teik-Khoon Tan

Jerry Dean Robichaux

Julian A LoRusso

Daniel J Lipinski

Donald R Nowland

Gregory B Schymik

A system for selecting the number of cylinders to be operated in a multi-cylinder variable displacement internal combustion engine installed in a vehicle having a driver operable accelerator control includes an accelerator control position sensor for determining the operating position of the accelerator control and an engine speed sensor for determining the speed of the engine, as well as a processor containing stored values for engine load as functions of engine speed and accelerator position and also engine load at wide open throttle. The processor infers engine load based on the accelerator control position and engine speed then selects the number of cylinders of the engine to be operated based at least in part of a comparison of the inferred engine load and the maximum possible load at the same engine speed.

Growing community of inventors

Ann Arbor, MI, United States of America

Teik-Khoon Tan