Rear defrost control in stop/start vehicle

• Main Authors: RADEMACHER ERIC MICHAEL, SCHAEFER ERIC GERD, ROLLINSON JAMES, PEBLEY KIRK
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 02.02.2016
• Subjects: BLASTING; COMBUSTION ENGINES; CONJOINT CONTROL OF VEHICLE SUB-UNITS OF DIFFERENT TYPE ORDIFFERENT FUNCTION; CONTROL SYSTEMS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR HYBRID VEHICLES; ELECTRIC HEATING; ELECTRIC LIGHTING NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; ELECTRIC TECHNIQUES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; ELECTRICITY; HEATING; HOT-GAS OR COMBUSTION-PRODUCT ENGINE PLANTS; LIGHTING; 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

A method for controlling a stop/start vehicle includes commanding an engine auto start in response to a calibratable time interval elapsing after receiving an electric defroster activation request when the engine is auto stopped. The method may further include activating a defroster after the engine has been auto started. The method may additionally include activating a defroster indicator when the electric defroster activation is received. The method may further include inhibiting an engine auto stop in response to an electric defroster activation request when the engine is running and further in response to a battery charge being insufficient to support a predicted current draw, and signaling an alert to a vehicle driver.