System and method for modulating power to vehicle accessories during auto-start and auto-stop

• Main Authors: Jim C Rollinson, Farouq Mozip, Jonathan Wentworth, Eric Gerd Schaefer, Hafiz Shafeek Khafagy
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 25.10.2017
• Subjects: BLASTING; COMBUSTION ENGINES; CONJOINT CONTROL OF VEHICLE SUB-UNITS OF DIFFERENT TYPE ORDIFFERENT FUNCTION; CONTROL SYSTEMS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR HYBRID VEHICLES; ELECTRIC EQUIPMENT OR PROPULSION OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLEDVEHICLES; ELECTRODYNAMIC BRAKE SYSTEMS FOR VEHICLES, IN GENERAL; HEATING; HOT-GAS OR COMBUSTION-PRODUCT ENGINE PLANTS; LIGHTING; MAGNETIC SUSPENSION OR LEVITATION FOR VEHICLES; MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; ROAD VEHICLE DRIVE CONTROL SYSTEMS FOR PURPOSES NOT RELATED TOTHE CONTROL OF A PARTICULAR SUB-UNIT; STARTING AIDS FOR SUCH ENGINES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDEDFOR; STARTING OF COMBUSTION ENGINES; TRANSPORTING; VEHICLES IN GENERAL; WEAPONS

Power to a vehicle accessory, such as a heated windshield, is controlled to be gradually shut down and gradually restored during a vehicle stop-start procedure. After a request for an auto-shutdown of an internal combustion engine of a vehicle is detected, power to the vehicle accessory is reduced on a predetermined schedule responsive to such detection. The occurrence of a restart of the internal combustion engine of a vehicle is determined, and power supplied to the vehicle accessory is increased on a predetermined schedule responsive to the restart (fig 3). The predetermined schedule includes blocks that are deactivated/activated in order. This reduces engine speed flare/lagging and increases drivability and occupant satisfaction.