Vehicle control method and vehicle

Abstract

The invention relates to a vehicle control method and a vehicle, and belongs to the technical field of engines. The vehicle control method comprises the following steps that when a vehicle door unlocking signal is received, whether an engine needs to be preheated or not is judged; and when it is judged that the engine needs to be preheated, the vehicle body control unit controls the heating component to preheat the engine. The engine preheating trigger node is advanced to the time when the vehicle door is unlocked, so that the waiting time after the vehicle is powered on in the traditional process is shortened by effectively utilizing the time window for getting-on preparation of a driver, the response speed and the operation convenience of vehicle starting in the low-temperature environment are improved, and the user experience is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the technical field of engines, and more particularly to a vehicle control method and a vehicle. Background Technology

[0002] The engine is the power component of a motor vehicle, and its reliable starting directly determines the vehicle's normal driving and operating capabilities. In low-temperature environments, the temperature of compressed air inside the engine cylinder decreases, the fuel atomization effect deteriorates, and the viscosity of lubricating oil increases, making it difficult for the engine to meet the conditions required for normal starting.

[0003] Diesel engines, in particular, rely on compressed air to generate high temperatures for combustion. In low-temperature environments, the temperature of the compressed air inside the engine cylinders cannot reach the ignition point of diesel fuel, leading to starting difficulties. Existing diesel vehicles typically use heating components such as glow plugs to heat the air inside the cylinders to assist starting. However, the heating of these components is usually controlled by the engine control unit (ECU), which typically only operates after the vehicle is powered on, and then controls the heating of the glow plugs and other components. This means that the driver must wait for a period of time after powering on the vehicle for preheating to complete, which not only prolongs the overall starting time and reduces operational convenience but also negatively impacts the user's driving experience. Summary of the Invention

[0004] To address the issues of engine preheating delay and long vehicle start-up time in existing technologies, this application provides a vehicle control method and vehicle. By determining the engine preheating requirement during the door unlocking phase, the body control unit controls the heating components to perform preheating operations. This eliminates the need to wait for the vehicle to be powered on before the engine control unit starts preheating, effectively advancing the preheating start-up time, shortening the overall vehicle start-up time, improving the convenience of vehicle operation, and enhancing the user's driving experience.

[0005] In a first aspect, this application provides a vehicle control method, comprising: Upon receiving a door unlock signal, determine whether the engine needs to be preheated; When it is determined that the engine needs to be preheated, the vehicle control unit controls the heating components to preheat the engine.

[0006] In this embodiment, by determining whether the engine needs preheating when the driver unlocks the vehicle door, the engine preheating trigger point is advanced to the moment the door is unlocked. This reduces the waiting time after the driver powers on the vehicle, improves the vehicle's start-up response speed, and enhances the user's starting experience in low-temperature environments. The preheating process is controlled by the body control unit, eliminating the need to wait for the vehicle to power on before the engine control unit initiates the preheating process. This effectively advances the preheating start-up time and shortens the overall vehicle start-up time.

[0007] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, when it is determined that the engine needs to be preheated, it is determined whether the body control unit has received a power-on signal; If the body control unit does not receive a power-on signal, the body control unit will control the heating components to preheat the engine. If the vehicle control unit receives a power-on signal, the engine control unit will control the heating components to preheat the engine.

[0008] In this embodiment, if the vehicle body control unit does not receive a power-on signal, it indicates that the vehicle's engine has not started. At this time, the engine control unit is not powered on and cannot control the heating component to work. The vehicle body control unit controls the heating component to preheat the engine in advance before starting the engine, so that the engine can be started directly or the driver's waiting time for preheating can be reduced. If the vehicle body control unit receives a power-on signal, it indicates that the vehicle's engine has started. The engine control unit is powered on and controls the heating component to preheat the engine, ensuring the smoothness and reliability of the engine preheating process. This ensures that the engine can quickly reach the conditions required for normal starting in low-temperature environments, effectively solving the problem of starting difficulties caused by insufficient compressed air temperature in the cylinder, especially for diesel engines, in low-temperature environments. This improves the success rate of engine starting in low temperatures and the driving and operating capabilities of motor vehicles in low-temperature environments.

[0009] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, when the body control unit controls the heating component to preheat the engine, if the body control unit receives a power-on signal, the body control unit exits control of the heating component, and the engine control unit takes over control of the heating component from the body control unit.

[0010] In this embodiment, after receiving the power-on signal, the body control unit actively withdraws from controlling the heating component, and the engine control unit takes over the control of the heating component to ensure the reliability of the heating component control and avoid the control logic conflict caused by the two control units controlling the heating component.

[0011] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, when the engine control unit takes over the control of the heating components from the body control unit, it determines whether the engine needs to continue preheating. If the engine needs to continue to preheat, control the heating components to continue preheating the engine; If the engine does not need to be preheated, the heating element is controlled to stop preheating the engine.

[0012] In this embodiment, the engine control unit determines whether to control the heating component to continue preheating by judging whether the engine needs to continue preheating, so as to avoid insufficient preheating leading to difficulty in starting the engine, while avoiding excessive preheating that increases the starting time, improving the reliability of starting, and reducing unnecessary energy consumption.

[0013] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the method for determining whether the engine needs to continue preheating includes the following steps: Get the current engine coolant temperature; Compare the engine's current coolant temperature with the first threshold; If the current engine coolant temperature is higher than the first threshold, it is determined that the engine does not need to continue preheating. If the engine coolant temperature is below the first threshold, a second determination is made as to whether the engine needs to be preheated, based on the preheating information of the heating components.

[0014] In this embodiment, a first threshold is used as a preliminary judgment standard. The engine's current coolant temperature is compared with the first threshold to determine whether the engine should continue to preheat. If the engine's current coolant temperature exceeds the first threshold, it indicates that the engine has reached the ideal temperature required for starting, and the engine no longer needs to be preheated. The engine control unit controls the heating component to stop preheating the engine to avoid energy waste and time consumption caused by continued preheating. If the engine's current coolant temperature is lower than the first threshold, the judgment is made in conjunction with the preheating history information of the heating component to increase the accuracy of the judgment on whether the engine needs to continue to preheat. This not only avoids energy waste and time consumption, but also prevents the engine from starting difficult due to premature stopping of preheating when the coolant temperature is not up to standard, ensuring the effectiveness and accuracy of engine preheating in low-temperature environments.

[0015] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the secondary determination method for whether the engine should continue to preheat includes the following steps: The duration for which the vehicle body control unit controls the heating components to preheat the engine is recorded as the first preheating duration. If the first preheating time is less than the second threshold, it is determined that the engine needs to continue preheating. If the first preheating time is greater than or equal to the second threshold, then it is further determined whether the engine needs to continue preheating.

[0016] In this embodiment, a second threshold is used as a preliminary judgment standard. The second threshold represents the minimum preheating time required for the air temperature inside the engine cylinder to reach the preset temperature. If the preheating time of the heating component is greater than or equal to the second threshold, it indicates that the heating component has heated the air inside the engine cylinder to the preset temperature, and the engine no longer needs preheating. The engine control unit does not control the heating component to operate, so as to avoid energy waste and time consumption caused by continued preheating. If the preheating time is less than the second threshold, it indicates that the heating component has not heated the air inside the engine cylinder to the preset temperature, and the engine needs to continue preheating. By comparing the preheating time of the heating component to the engine with the second threshold, it is determined whether the engine should continue preheating, so as to avoid stopping preheating prematurely before the air temperature inside the engine cylinder reaches the preset temperature, which would lead to difficulty in starting the engine, and ensure the effectiveness and accuracy of engine preheating in low-temperature environments.

[0017] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the secondary determination method for whether the engine should continue preheating when the first preheating duration is greater than or equal to the second threshold further includes the following steps: Calculate the time interval between the last time the vehicle body control unit controlled the heating components to preheat the engine and the current time; Compare whether the time interval is greater than or equal to the third threshold; If the time interval is greater than or equal to the third threshold, it is determined that the engine needs to continue to warm up; If the time interval is less than the third threshold, it is determined that the engine does not need to continue warming up.

[0018] In this embodiment of the application, if the vehicle body control unit controls the heating component to fully preheat the engine, and then the engine is started again after a long interval, even if the first preheating time is greater than or equal to the second threshold, the heat from the heating component to the engine may have been dissipated. Therefore, by comparing the time interval between the last time when the vehicle body control unit controls the heating component to preheat the engine and the current time with the third threshold, it can be inferred whether the heat from the heating component to the engine has been dissipated, thereby determining whether the engine needs to be preheated.

[0019] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, when the vehicle body control unit controls the heating component to preheat, if the engine preheating time reaches a set value, the heating component is controlled to stop preheating; if the engine preheating time does not reach the set value, the heating component is controlled to continue preheating.

[0020] In this embodiment, the set value can be considered as the minimum preheating time for the heating component to heat the engine and fully preheat it. When the engine preheating time reaches the set value, it indicates that the engine has been fully preheated, and the engine preheating is determined to be complete. When the engine preheating time does not reach the set value, it indicates that the engine may not have been fully preheated, and the engine preheating is determined to be incomplete. When the body control unit controls the heating component to preheat the engine, since the body control unit is not powered on and the power-on time is unknown, the condition for determining whether preheating is complete is to use the engine preheating time reaching the set value, so that the engine can be fully preheated, thereby extending the heat dissipation time in the engine cylinder.

[0021] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the method for determining whether the engine needs preheating includes the following steps: Obtain the ambient temperature at the moment the engine stops; Compare the ambient temperature at the time of shutdown with the fourth threshold; If the ambient temperature at the time of shutdown is greater than or equal to the fourth threshold, the engine is determined not to need preheating. If the ambient temperature at the time of shutdown is less than the fourth threshold, the engine coolant temperature at the time of shutdown, the ambient temperature at the time of shutdown, and the shutdown duration are obtained to further determine whether the engine needs to be preheated.

[0022] In this embodiment, a layered judgment method is used to determine whether the engine needs preheating. First, by comparing the ambient temperature at the time of engine shutdown with a fourth threshold, a direct judgment is made for cases where preheating is not required, thus simplifying the judgment process. For cases requiring further judgment, a comprehensive analysis of multiple parameters, including the engine coolant temperature at the time of shutdown, the ambient temperature at the time of shutdown, and the shutdown duration, is conducted to accurately identify whether the engine requires preheating for low-temperature starts. This avoids ineffective preheating when there is no need and the absence of preheating when there is a need, improving the accuracy and effectiveness of preheating judgment while reducing unnecessary energy consumption.

[0023] Secondly, this application provides a vehicle, including: Memory, which stores executable program code; The processor is used to call and run executable program code from memory, enabling the vehicle to perform the vehicle control method of the first aspect.

[0024] In this embodiment, a memory and a processor are configured in the vehicle. The memory stores executable program code that implements the vehicle control method. The processor calls and executes this code to drive the vehicle to complete the corresponding preheating operation. This allows the vehicle to automatically start the preheating judgment and operation when the door is unlocked, so that preheating and driver preparation actions can be carried out simultaneously. This shortens the waiting time for preheating after power-on, effectively improves the starting reliability and efficiency of the vehicle in low-temperature environments, reduces the overall vehicle starting time, improves the convenience and intelligence level of vehicle operation, and enhances the user's driving experience.

[0025] The beneficial effects of the technical solutions provided in this application include at least the following: The vehicle control method and the process for determining the engine preheating requirement when the vehicle unlocks through the door, provided in this application embodiment, allow the vehicle control unit to control the heating components to perform preheating operations when the vehicle control unit does not receive a power-on signal. This eliminates the need to wait for the engine control unit to start preheating after the vehicle is powered on, effectively advancing the preheating start time, significantly shortening the overall vehicle start-up time, improving the convenience of vehicle operation, and enhancing the user's driving experience.

[0026] The above description is only an overview of the technical solution of this application. In order to better understand the technical means of this application, it can be implemented according to the contents of the specification. In order to make the above and other objects, features and advantages of this application more apparent, specific embodiments of this application are given below. Attached Figure Description

[0027] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0028] Figure 1 This is a schematic flowchart of the vehicle control method according to an embodiment of this application.

[0029] Figure 2 This is a flowchart illustrating the process of determining whether the engine needs to be preheated, as described in an embodiment of this application.

[0030] Figure 3 This is a control flowchart of the heating component in an embodiment of this application.

[0031] Figure 4 This is a control flowchart of the heating component when the vehicle body control unit does not receive a power-on signal according to an embodiment of this application.

[0032] Figure 5This is a flowchart illustrating the process by which the vehicle control unit determines whether the engine should continue to preheat after receiving a power-on signal, according to an embodiment of this application.

[0033] Figure 6 This is a flowchart illustrating the control process of the heating component after the vehicle body control unit receives the power-on signal, according to an embodiment of this application.

[0034] Figure 7 This is a flowchart of a vehicle control method according to an embodiment of this application.

[0035] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the engine preheating system in an embodiment of this application.

[0036] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the vehicle architecture according to an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0037] To make the technical problems to be solved, the technical solutions, and the beneficial effects of the present invention clearer, the present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative of the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention.

[0038] The prefixes such as "first" and "second" used in this application embodiment are merely for distinguishing different descriptive objects and do not limit the position, order, priority, quantity, or content of the described objects. The use of ordinal numbers and other prefixes used to distinguish descriptive objects in this application embodiment does not constitute a limitation on the described objects. The description of the described objects is given in the claims or the context of the embodiments, and should not constitute unnecessary restrictions due to the use of such prefixes. Furthermore, in the description of this embodiment, unless otherwise stated, "multiple" means two or more.

[0039] The technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the description of the embodiments of this application, unless otherwise stated, " / " means "or," for example, A / B can mean A or B; the term "and / or" in this document is merely a description of the relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can represent: A existing alone, A and B existing simultaneously, and B existing alone.

[0040] In the embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed systems and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the device embodiments described above are merely illustrative. For instance, the division of units is only a logical functional division, and in actual implementation, there may be other division methods. For example, multiple units or components may be combined or integrated into another system, or some features may be ignored or not executed. Furthermore, the coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed may be through some interfaces; the indirect coupling or communication connection between devices or units may be electrical, mechanical, or other forms.

[0041] A vehicle's electrical system typically includes a body control module (BCM) and an engine control module (ECM). The BCM controls power windows, power mirrors, air conditioning, headlights, turn signals, anti-theft locking system, central locking, and defrosting devices. The BCM can be connected to the engine control module via a bus. The engine control module (ECM) is an electronic device that controls the operation of the internal combustion engine and is a specialized automotive microcomputer controller.

[0042] The vehicle's "power-on signal" refers to the command signal used to activate the vehicle's electrical system (such as the instrument panel, central control unit, and power bus). After the vehicle is "powered on," both the body control unit and the engine control unit will receive the power-on signal. The way to trigger the vehicle's "power-on" is usually to insert the key into the ignition lock cylinder and turn it to the ON / ACC position, or to press the start button in keyless start models.

[0043] When the door is unlocked, the vehicle is not powered on, and neither the body control unit nor the engine control unit receives a power-on signal. At this time, the engine control unit cannot work, but the body control unit will receive a local trigger signal related to door unlocking, which activates some functions of the body control unit. In this application, these functions include controlling the heating components.

[0044] The engine control unit can be considered to have an on state and an off state. When the engine control unit receives a power-on signal, it is in the on state; when the engine control unit does not receive a power-on signal, it is in the off state.

[0045] The body control unit includes a low-power standby state, a full-operation state, and a power-off state. When the body control unit receives a door unlock signal, it is in a low-power standby state; when it receives a power-on signal, it is in a full-operation state; and when it neither receives a power-on signal nor a door unlock signal, it is in a power-off state.

[0046] Diesel engines are a common type of engine. They rely on compressed air to generate high temperatures, which then ignite diesel fuel. In low-temperature environments, the temperature of the compressed air inside the engine cylinders cannot reach the ignition point of diesel fuel, leading to starting difficulties. Therefore, heating elements are needed to heat the air inside the engine cylinders, allowing the engine to start smoothly. The heating time of these heating elements varies depending on the coolant temperature and intake air temperature; the lower the temperature, the longer the heating time. Some heating elements typically heat for about 3-5 seconds.

[0047] In some light-duty diesel vehicles, the heating components are usually controlled by the engine control unit. The engine control unit can only operate after the vehicle is powered on, and then it controls the heating components to heat up. In winter, when the driver enters the vehicle and starts the engine, it takes 3-5 seconds for the starter motor to pull and start the engine. This not only prolongs the overall vehicle starting time but also reduces the user's driving experience.

[0048] Based on the above application scenarios, this application proposes a vehicle control method that uses a process to determine the engine preheating requirement during the door unlocking phase. When the vehicle is not powered on, the body control unit controls the heating components to carry out preheating operations, eliminating the need to wait for the engine control unit to start preheating after the vehicle is powered on. This effectively advances the start time of the preheating operation, thereby shortening the overall vehicle start-up time, improving the convenience of vehicle operation, and enhancing the user's driving experience.

[0049] Figure 1 This is a schematic flowchart illustrating a vehicle control method provided in this embodiment. The vehicle control method includes the following steps: S1. Upon receiving a door unlock signal, determine whether the engine needs to be preheated; S2. When it is determined that the engine needs to be preheated, the body control unit controls the heating components to preheat the engine.

[0050] In step S1, by determining whether the engine needs to be preheated when the driver unlocks the door, the engine preheating trigger point is advanced to when the door is unlocked, thereby reducing the waiting time after the driver completes the vehicle power-on, improving the vehicle's start-up response speed and operational convenience, and improving the user's start-up experience in low-temperature environments.

[0051] In some embodiments, the door unlocking signal can be sent remotely via the car key, via a mobile app, or mechanically unlocked using the car key. Door unlocking is prior art and will not be described further.

[0052] Preferably, the engine warm-up requirement is determined only upon receiving a signal that the driver's side door is unlocked. This is because, compared to other vehicle doors, such as the trunk and rear doors, when the driver's side door is unlocked, the driver is more likely to drive the vehicle. When the trunk is unlocked, it is generally assumed that items are being taken from or placed in the trunk. Similarly, when the rear doors are unlocked, it is generally assumed that items are being taken from or placed inside the vehicle. Although other passengers may also be getting into the vehicle when the rear doors are unlocked, if the driver's side door is not unlocked, other passengers must wait for the driver to get in before the vehicle can be driven by the driver. Therefore, in this embodiment, the unlocking of the driver's side door is used as the criterion for preheating the engine, thereby reducing the vehicle's start-up time.

[0053] It should be noted that engine preheating by heating components refers to the heating components heating the air inside the engine cylinders. Heating components can be glow plugs or other devices. Glow plugs, also known as electrothermal plugs, are auxiliary components that provide heat energy for starting diesel engines. They are mainly used to improve engine cold-start performance in extremely cold environments, and have the characteristics of rapid heating and sustained high temperature.

[0054] In the embodiments of this application, such as Figure 2 As shown, the method for determining whether an engine needs preheating includes the following steps: S11. Obtain the ambient temperature at the moment the engine stops; S12. Compare the ambient temperature at the time of shutdown with the fourth threshold; S13. If the ambient temperature at the time of shutdown is greater than or equal to the fourth threshold, it is determined that the engine does not need to be preheated. S14. If the ambient temperature at the time of engine shutdown is less than the fourth threshold, then obtain the engine coolant temperature at the time of engine shutdown, the ambient temperature at the time of engine shutdown, and the shutdown duration to further determine whether the engine needs to be preheated. It should be noted that engine coolant temperature, ambient temperature, etc., are usually detected by relevant sensors. When the engine is stopped, these sensors are in a non-working state due to power failure and cannot obtain engine coolant temperature and ambient temperature in real time. If the engine coolant temperature and ambient temperature are obtained in real time when the engine is stopped, additional devices are required. Based on this, in this embodiment, without adding any additional devices, the ambient temperature at the time of engine stop is used to determine whether the engine needs to be preheated, and the coolant temperature at the time of engine stop, the ambient temperature at the time of engine stop, and the duration of engine stop are used to make a further determination on whether the engine needs to be preheated.

[0055] In step S13, if the ambient temperature at the moment the engine stops is greater than or equal to the fourth threshold, it indicates that the ambient temperature at the moment the engine stops is relatively high. A higher ambient temperature will reduce the rate of heat loss from the engine block and the air in the cylinder. After the engine stops, it can maintain the temperature state at the moment of stopping for a relatively long time. The temperature of the air in the cylinder will not drop rapidly. Even after a certain period of stopping, the compressed air in the engine cylinder can still be compressed to above the ignition point of diesel during the starting process, which meets the temperature requirements for low-temperature engine starting. There is no need to heat the air in the cylinder through additional heating components. Therefore, it is determined that the engine does not need to be preheated in this case. This can avoid the energy consumption caused by unnecessary and ineffective preheating, simplify the engine preheating judgment process, and improve the efficiency of preheating judgment.

[0056] In step S14, if the ambient temperature at the moment the engine stops is less than the fourth threshold, it indicates that the ambient temperature at the moment the engine stops is low. Low temperature environment will accelerate the heat loss rate of the engine block and the air in the cylinder, making the cooling process required after the engine stops shorter. The overall temperature of the engine will drop rapidly to a state close to the ambient temperature. It is not possible to determine whether the actual temperature of the engine has reached the temperature requirement for smooth start based solely on the ambient temperature at the moment of engine stop, nor can it be determined whether the compressed air in the engine cylinder can reach the ignition point of diesel fuel during start-up. Therefore, it is necessary to combine the water temperature at the moment the engine stops, the ambient temperature at the moment the engine stops, and the duration of engine stop for comprehensive analysis and judgment to determine whether the engine has a preheating requirement for low-temperature start-up. This avoids misjudging the engine preheating requirement due to the limitations of judging by a single parameter, prevents energy waste caused by ineffective preheating when there is no preheating requirement, and also avoids engine starting difficulties caused by failure to preheat in time when there is a preheating requirement, ensuring the accuracy and effectiveness of engine preheating judgment.

[0057] It should be noted that obtaining the coolant temperature at the moment the engine is stopped is to assess the heat carried by the engine coolant at that time, thereby determining the engine's resistance to freezing. Generally, the higher the coolant temperature at shutdown, the more heat the engine stores, and the less preheating is required when restarting.

[0058] In practical applications, the higher the ambient temperature at the time of shutdown, the higher the engine coolant temperature at the time of shutdown, and the shorter the shutdown time, the less the engine needs to preheat; conversely, the lower the ambient temperature at the time of shutdown, the lower the engine coolant temperature at the time of shutdown, and the longer the shutdown time, the more the engine needs to preheat.

[0059] In some embodiments, when the ambient temperature at the time of shutdown is less than the fourth threshold, a second determination is made based on the relevant data of engine coolant temperature at the time of shutdown, ambient temperature at the time of shutdown, and shutdown duration in Table 1 to determine whether the engine needs to be preheated.

[0060] Table 1. Correspondence Table of Engine Preheating Requirement Determination Parameters

[0061] In Table 1, X represents the engine coolant temperature at the time of shutdown (in °C); Y represents the ambient temperature at the time of shutdown (in °C); and the intermediate data represents the shutdown duration (in min).

[0062] For example, if the ambient temperature at the time of shutdown is 0°C and the engine coolant temperature at the time of shutdown is 120°C, and the shutdown duration is greater than 360 minutes, then the engine is determined to need preheating; if the shutdown duration is less than or equal to 360 minutes, then the engine is determined not to need preheating.

[0063] In some embodiments, the fourth threshold is 10°C.

[0064] A tiered approach is used to determine whether the engine needs preheating. First, by comparing the ambient temperature at the moment the engine stops with a fourth threshold, cases where preheating is not required are directly identified to simplify the judgment process. For cases requiring further judgment, a comprehensive analysis of multiple parameters, including the engine coolant temperature at the moment of shutdown, the ambient temperature at the moment of shutdown, and the duration of shutdown, is conducted to accurately identify whether the engine requires preheating for low-temperature starts. This avoids ineffective preheating when there is no need and missing preheating when there is a need, improving the accuracy and effectiveness of preheating judgment while reducing unnecessary energy consumption.

[0065] In some optional embodiments of this application, when the ambient temperature at the time of shutdown is less than the fourth threshold, the water temperature at the time of engine shutdown, the ambient temperature at multiple time points before shutdown, and the shutdown duration are obtained to further determine whether the engine needs to be preheated.

[0066] The method for determining whether an engine needs preheating based on the coolant temperature at the moment of engine shutdown, the ambient temperature at multiple time points before shutdown, and the duration of shutdown includes: obtaining the ambient temperature change trend based on multiple ambient temperature data before shutdown; obtaining the ambient temperature drop rate based on multiple ambient temperature data before shutdown and the time of acquisition of the ambient temperature data; calculating the predicted coolant temperature of the engine at the current moment based on the coolant temperature at the moment of engine shutdown, the ambient temperature change trend, the ambient temperature drop rate, and the duration of shutdown; if the predicted temperature of the engine at the current moment is lower than a preset start-up temperature threshold, then the engine is determined to need preheating; if the predicted temperature of the engine at the current moment is not lower than the preset start-up temperature threshold, then the engine is determined not to need preheating.

[0067] It should be noted that the preset start-up temperature threshold is the lowest water temperature at which the engine can start directly without preheating; the determination of the preset start-up temperature threshold and the calculation of the predicted water temperature of the engine at the current moment based on the trend of ambient temperature change, the rate of decrease of ambient temperature, the water temperature at the moment of engine shutdown, and the duration of shutdown are existing technologies in this field and will not be elaborated here.

[0068] In step S2, when the door is unlocked, the body control unit controls the heating components to preheat the engine, so that the engine is preheated in advance. When the driver wants to drive the vehicle, the engine may already be preheated or will only need a short time to preheat, thereby reducing the driver's waiting time and improving the driver's driving experience.

[0069] In practical applications, when a driver is driving a vehicle, they typically unlock the doors first, then power on the vehicle, and then drive it. If the body control unit does not receive a power-on signal when the doors are unlocked, it indicates that the driver has not powered on the vehicle and the engine is not started. In this situation, the driver will not drive the vehicle and is unable to do so; it is generally considered that the vehicle is in the pre-driving preparation stage. When the body control unit receives a power-on signal, it indicates that the driver has powered on the vehicle, the engine has started, and the driver may drive the vehicle at any time.

[0070] Theoretically, during the preheating process of the heating components, the engine starting conditions are met when the air temperature inside the engine cylinders reaches a preset temperature, which is the minimum preheating temperature required for a smooth engine start. However, the time it takes for the driver to power on the vehicle and start the engine is uncertain when the vehicle control unit controls the heating components to perform preheating. If preheating stops when the air temperature inside the cylinders reaches the minimum preheating temperature, the heat inside the cylinders will dissipate rapidly. It is highly likely that when the driver subsequently powers on the engine to start it, the cylinder temperature will have dropped below the minimum preheating temperature, requiring the engine to preheat again before starting. Furthermore, within the temperature range required for engine starting, generally, the higher the air temperature inside the engine cylinders, the higher the diesel combustion efficiency, and the better the engine starting performance.

[0071] Based on this, this application sets a set value and uses whether the actual preheating time of the heating component to the engine reaches the set value as the criterion for determining whether the engine has completed preheating. This ensures that the air in the cylinder can be fully preheated, preventing the rapid loss of heat in the cylinder after preheating stops. At the same time, it allows the air in the cylinder to reach a better temperature under the continuous heating of the set value, improving diesel combustion efficiency and ensuring that the engine gets a better start-up effect.

[0072] Specifically, if the engine preheating time has not reached the set value, it is determined that the engine preheating is not complete and the air temperature in the engine cylinder has not reached the optimal combustion temperature. Continuing to preheat the engine will result in better engine starting performance. Therefore, when it is determined that the engine preheating is not complete, the vehicle body control unit controls the heating components to continue preheating the engine.

[0073] When the engine preheating time reaches the set value, the engine preheating is determined to be complete. At this time, the air temperature in the engine cylinder is relatively high, and the engine combustion effect is good. However, if preheating continues, it may waste energy and may also have adverse consequences. Therefore, when the engine preheating is determined to be complete, the vehicle body control unit controls the heating components to stop preheating the engine.

[0074] It should be noted that the set value is the minimum preheating time required for the engine to fully warm up. The minimum preheating time required for the engine to fully warm up varies under different operating conditions. The time required for the engine to fully warm up under operating condition A may be 10 seconds, while the time required for the engine to fully warm up under operating condition B may be 5 seconds. Theoretically, the optimal set value for the engine under operating condition A is 10 seconds, and the optimal set value for the engine under operating condition B is 5 seconds. However, since most of the sensors on the vehicle stop working when the engine is off, it is difficult to obtain the vehicle's operating condition in real time. Therefore, it is difficult to determine the specific value of the set value based on the actual operating condition of the vehicle. Based on this, in this embodiment, a "one-size-fits-all" approach is adopted, setting the set value to a fixed value (e.g., 20 seconds). This fixed value is the preheating time required for the engine to fully warm up under extreme operating conditions, so that the engine can be fully preheated when the heating time of the heating component reaches the set value, regardless of the vehicle's operating condition.

[0075] It should also be noted that the preheating time of the heating component will not affect the operation of the heating component until the set value is reached. Taking the time required for the engine to fully preheat under condition A as 10 seconds and the set value as 20 seconds as an example, when the preheating time of the heating component to the engine is 10 seconds, the engine has actually been fully preheated. However, the body control unit is not powered on and the power-on time is unknown. The heating component continuing to heat will not increase the time the driver has to wait for the engine to preheat. At this time, the body control unit will control the heating component to continue heating because the current preheating time has not reached 20 seconds. When the preheating time of the heating component to the engine reaches 20 seconds, the body control unit will control the heating component to stop heating.

[0076] In other embodiments of this application, additional devices may be provided to detect the vehicle's operating condition so that the specific value of the set value can be adjusted according to changes in the vehicle's operating condition.

[0077] The fact that the heating element stops preheating the engine does not mean that the heating element has stopped working; the heating element can keep the air inside the engine cylinders warm.

[0078] Furthermore, it should be noted that the engine preheating status can be determined based on the temperature of the cylinders. The methods for determining whether the engine is preheated sufficiently and whether the cylinder temperature has reached the preset temperature are existing technologies in this field and will not be elaborated further.

[0079] If the body control unit does not receive a power-on signal, it means that the driver has not powered on the vehicle and the engine has not started. At this time, the driver will not drive the vehicle and is unable to drive it. The engine is preheated by the heating components controlled by the body control unit. When the driver wants to drive the vehicle, the engine may already be preheated or will be preheated in a very short time, thereby reducing the driver's waiting time and improving the driver's driving experience.

[0080] The body control unit (BCU) is primarily responsible for comfort functions. While it can receive start commands and send requests to the engine control unit (ECU), it lacks the data and speed required to process the combustion process. The ECU, however, can read critical data such as coolant temperature and intake air temperature in real time. Directly controlling the heating components via the ECU allows for more efficient engine preheating, avoiding delays caused by complex communication. Therefore, in this embodiment, when the BCU receives a power-on signal, the ECU controls the heating components to preheat the engine. This ensures that the current engine preheating requirement matches the engine's actual condition as closely as possible, effectively preventing engine starting difficulties due to insufficient preheating, while also preventing energy waste from overheating and reducing driver waiting time for preheating.

[0081] In this embodiment, by determining whether the vehicle body control unit receives a power-on signal, it is determined whether the engine control unit is in the powered-on state, thereby inferring whether the driver is about to drive the vehicle, and thus determining the control method of the heating component.

[0082] It should be noted that after the body control unit receives the power-on signal, the engine control unit also receives the power-on signal. When the body control unit does not receive the power-on signal, the engine control unit is in a powered-off state. When the body control unit receives the door unlock signal, the body control unit is in a low-power standby state. The body control unit has already activated some functions. Therefore, judging whether the vehicle is powered on by whether the body control unit receives the power-on signal is more reliable and accurate than judging whether the engine control unit receives the power-on signal.

[0083] It should also be noted that in this application, when the body control unit controls the heating component, the body control unit is in a low-power standby state; when the engine control unit controls the heating component, the engine control unit is in an on state.

[0084] In this embodiment, when the body control unit receives a power-on signal, it exits control of the heating component. At this time, the engine control unit also receives a power-on signal and takes over control of the heating component from the body control unit. This ensures the reliability of the control of the heating component and avoids conflicts between the control logic of the two control units, which could cause the heating component to malfunction.

[0085] In some practical applications, when the engine needs to be preheated, the body control unit first controls the heating components to preheat the engine before receiving the power-on signal. Then, when the body control unit receives the power-on signal, the engine control unit controls the heating components to preheat.

[0086] like Figure 3 As shown, the control flow of the heating component is as follows: Determine if the car door is unlocked; if not, the heating element will not work; if so, determine if the engine needs to be preheated. When the engine does not need to be preheated, the heating element does not work. When the engine needs to be preheated, the body control unit controls the heating element to preheat the engine and determines whether the body control unit has received a power-on signal. If the body control unit does not receive a power-on signal, the body control unit controls the heating components to preheat the engine; When the body control unit receives a power-on signal, the engine control unit controls the heating components to preheat the engine.

[0087] like Figure 4 As shown, when the body control unit does not receive a power-on signal, the control logic of the heating component is as follows: determine whether the door is unlocked; if not, the heating component does not work; if so, determine whether the engine needs to be preheated; if not, the heating component does not work; if so, the body control unit controls the heating component to preheat the engine. When the preheating time exceeds the set value, the body control unit controls the heating component to stop preheating the engine; when the preheating time does not exceed the set value, the body control unit controls the heating component to preheat the engine.

[0088] It should be noted that when the engine control unit receives the power-on signal, the driver may drive the vehicle immediately. However, the body control unit has already controlled the heating components to preheat the engine for a period of time. If the air temperature in the engine cylinder has reached the preset temperature, the engine can be started without further preheating and waiting time. If the air temperature in the engine cylinder has not reached the preset temperature, the engine needs to continue to preheat before it can be started to avoid insufficient preheating and difficulty in starting the engine.

[0089] Based on this, in this application, when the engine control unit takes over the control of the heating components from the body control unit, the engine control unit determines whether the engine should continue to preheat, so as to avoid insufficient preheating leading to difficulty in starting the engine, or excessive preheating leading to increased starting time, thereby improving the reliability of starting and reducing unnecessary energy consumption.

[0090] If the engine needs to continue preheating, the engine control unit controls the heating element to continue preheating the engine to ensure effective preheating and thus ensure the engine's combustion efficiency. If the engine does not need to continue preheating, the engine control unit controls the heating element to stop preheating the engine to avoid overheating the engine, which would increase start-up time and reduce the user's driving experience.

[0091] In this embodiment, the engine control unit determines whether the engine needs to continue preheating and for how long based on the preheating information of the heating component and the current engine coolant temperature. This ensures that the engine reaches the temperature required for starting while minimizing unnecessary preheating time and reducing the driver's waiting time.

[0092] In some embodiments of this application, such as Figure 5 As shown, the method for determining whether the engine should continue to warm up includes the following steps: S301, Obtain the current engine coolant temperature; S302. Compare the current engine coolant temperature with the first threshold. S303. If the current engine coolant temperature is higher than the first threshold, it is determined that the engine does not need to continue preheating. S304. If the current engine coolant temperature is lower than the first threshold, the engine control unit will make a secondary judgment on whether the engine needs to be preheated based on the preheating information of the heating components.

[0093] In step S303, if the current engine coolant temperature is higher than the first threshold, it indicates that the engine temperature is high and the air temperature inside the engine cylinder is high. The engine no longer needs to be preheated. The engine control unit controls the heating components to stop preheating the engine to avoid energy waste and time consumption caused by the engine continuing to preheat.

[0094] In step S304, the current engine coolant temperature being below the first threshold indicates a low engine temperature. Theoretically, a low engine temperature means a correspondingly low air temperature inside the engine cylinders, requiring preheating. However, since the vehicle body control unit has already controlled the heating element for preheating for a period of time while the engine control unit is controlling the heating element, and the heating element is preheating the air inside the cylinders, the current engine coolant temperature remains unchanged. Therefore, the current engine coolant temperature being below the first threshold does not necessarily indicate a low air temperature inside the engine cylinders. If the vehicle body control unit effectively preheats the engine using the heating element, further preheating is unnecessary. If the vehicle body control unit fails to effectively preheat the engine using the heating element, continued preheating is required. Based on this, this application performs a second judgment based on the preheating information of the heating element when the current engine coolant temperature is below the first threshold, to determine whether and for how long the preheating should continue, thereby increasing the accuracy of the judgment.

[0095] It should be noted that the engine is not currently running and is actually still in a stopped state. However, the stop time in this application refers to the moment when the engine just stopped. Since the vehicle is powered off after the engine stops and the engine control unit is turned off, it is impossible to continue to obtain the engine coolant temperature. Therefore, before the vehicle is powered on again, the engine coolant temperature data at the moment of stop can only be used for judgment.

[0096] like Figure 5 As shown in the embodiments of this application, the secondary determination method for whether the engine should continue to preheat includes the following steps: S305. Obtain the duration for which the vehicle body control unit controls the heating components to preheat the engine, and record it as the first preheating duration; S306. Compare whether the first preheating time is less than the second threshold; S307. If the first preheating time is less than the second threshold, it is determined that the engine needs to continue preheating. S308. If the first preheating time is greater than or equal to the second threshold, then it is further determined whether the engine needs to continue preheating.

[0097] For ease of explanation, the control of the heating component by the body control unit is referred to as the first stage, and the control of the heating component by the engine control unit is referred to as the second stage.

[0098] The second threshold is used to characterize the minimum preheating time required for the air temperature inside the engine cylinder to reach the preset temperature; for ease of expression, the minimum preheating time required for the air temperature inside the engine cylinder to reach the preset temperature is simply referred to as the rated time.

[0099] The rated duration of a vehicle varies under different operating conditions. The rated duration for vehicle A might be 2 seconds, while for vehicle B it might be 5 seconds. Theoretically, the optimal value for the second threshold under vehicle A is 2 seconds, and the optimal value for the second threshold under vehicle B is 5 seconds. However, since most of the sensors on the vehicle stop working when the body control unit does not receive a power-on signal, it is difficult to obtain real-time vehicle operating conditions. Therefore, determining the specific value of the second threshold based on the vehicle's current actual operating conditions is also difficult. Based on this, in this embodiment, a "one-size-fits-all" approach is adopted, setting the second threshold to a fixed value (e.g., 5 seconds). This fixed value is the rated duration of the vehicle under extreme operating conditions, ensuring that regardless of the vehicle's operating conditions, the heating duration of the heating component reaching the second threshold guarantees that the air temperature inside the engine cylinder reaches the preset temperature.

[0100] In other embodiments of this application, additional devices may be provided to detect the vehicle's operating condition, so that the second threshold can be a dynamic value that can be adjusted according to changes in the vehicle's operating condition.

[0101] In step S307, a first preheating time greater than or equal to a second threshold indicates that the heating component has heated the air in the engine cylinder to a preset temperature in the first stage, and the engine no longer needs to be preheated. The engine control unit does not control the heating component to work in order to avoid energy waste and time consumption caused by continued preheating, and to increase the time the driver has to wait for the engine to preheat.

[0102] In step S308, if the first preheating time is less than the second threshold, it indicates that the heating component has not heated the air in the cylinder of the engine to the preset temperature in the first stage. The engine needs to continue preheating to avoid the engine stopping preheating before the air temperature in the cylinder reaches the preset temperature, which would cause difficulty in starting the engine and ensure the effectiveness and accuracy of engine preheating in low temperature environments.

[0103] It should be noted that if the time interval between the first stage and the second stage is long, even if the heating components fully preheat the engine in the first stage, the heat from the first stage may have been dissipated in the second stage. Based on this, in this embodiment, the engine needs to be further preheated according to the time interval between the first stage and the second stage.

[0104] Specifically, such as Figure 5 As shown, when the first preheating time is greater than or equal to the second threshold, the secondary determination method for whether the engine should continue preheating also includes the following steps: S309. Calculate the time interval between the last time when the vehicle body control unit controls the heating components to preheat the engine and the current time. S310. Compare whether the time interval is greater than or equal to the third threshold; S311. If the time interval is greater than or equal to the third threshold, it is determined that the engine needs to continue to preheat. S312. If the time interval is less than the third threshold, it is determined that the engine does not need to continue preheating.

[0105] In step S311, a time interval greater than or equal to the third threshold indicates that the time interval between the first stage and the second stage is relatively long. The time that the heating component spends preheating the engine in the first stage may be dissipated. Therefore, it is determined that the engine needs to continue preheating.

[0106] In step S312, a time interval less than the third threshold indicates that the time interval between the first stage and the second stage is short, and the time spent by the heating component preheating the engine in the first stage has not been dissipated. Therefore, it is determined that the engine does not need to continue preheating.

[0107] The method for determining the preheating time of the engine includes the following steps: The engine control unit determines the total engine warm-up time based on the current engine coolant temperature. If the first preheating time is less than the second threshold, it is determined that the engine needs to continue preheating and the duration of continued preheating is the difference between the total preheating time and the first preheating time.

[0108] If the time interval is greater than or equal to the third threshold, it is determined that the engine needs to continue to warm up and the duration of continued warm-up is the total warm-up time. It should be noted that the method by which the engine control unit obtains the current engine coolant temperature is a conventional technique in this field and will not be elaborated further.

[0109] Generally, the lower the engine coolant temperature, the longer the engine needs to warm up; the higher the engine coolant temperature, the shorter the engine needs to warm up.

[0110] In some embodiments, the relationship between engine coolant temperature and preheating time is shown in Table 2. When the engine coolant temperature is known, the required preheating time of the engine can be obtained according to the relationship between engine coolant temperature and preheating time in Table 2.

[0111] Table 2 Relationship between engine coolant temperature and warm-up time

[0112] The following will fully explain whether the engine should continue to warm up and how to determine the duration of preheating, including the following steps: The engine's current coolant temperature, the first preheating time of the heating component controlled by the body control unit, and the time interval between the last time the heating component is controlled by the body control unit are obtained. Compare the engine's current coolant temperature with the first threshold; If the current engine coolant temperature is higher than the first threshold, it is determined that the engine does not need to continue preheating. If the current engine coolant temperature is lower than or equal to the first threshold, then compare the first preheating time with the second threshold. If the first preheating time is greater than or equal to the second threshold, then the time interval is compared with the third threshold. If the time interval is less than the third threshold, then it is finally determined that the engine does not need to continue preheating; if the time interval is greater than or equal to the third threshold, then it is finally determined that the engine needs to continue preheating, and the duration of continued preheating is the total preheating time. If the first preheating time is less than or equal to the second threshold, the time interval is compared with the third threshold. If the time interval is less than the third threshold, it is finally determined that the engine needs to continue preheating, and the duration of continued preheating is the difference between the total preheating time and the first preheating time. If the time interval is greater than or equal to the third threshold, it is finally determined that the engine needs to continue preheating, and the duration of continued preheating is the total preheating time.

[0113] The first threshold is the minimum coolant temperature threshold required to ensure smooth engine start-up; the second threshold is the shortest preheating time required for the body control unit to control the heating components to heat the air in the engine cylinder to the preheating temperature; the third threshold is the longest time interval during which the heat in the cylinder does not dissipate effectively after the body control unit has preheated; and the total preheating time is the total heating time required for the heating components to ensure the engine reaches the start-up temperature, determined based on the current engine coolant temperature.

[0114] In some embodiments, the first threshold is 20°C, the second threshold is 5s, and the third threshold is 5s.

[0115] In some embodiments of this application, when the preheating time of the heating element on the engine exceeds 20 seconds, the engine control unit controls the heating element to stop preheating the engine; when the preheating time of the heating element on the engine is less than 5 seconds, the engine control unit obtains the continued preheating time of the heating element according to Table 2.

[0116] In some embodiments of this application, when the body control unit receives a power-on signal, it sends the preheating information of the heating component to the engine control unit. The preheating information includes at least the preheating time during which the heating component has preheated the engine, so that the engine control unit can obtain the preheating information of the heating component after power-on. This allows the engine control unit to combine the current engine coolant temperature with the preheating information of the heating component to make subsequent preheating judgments, effectively avoiding judgment deviations caused by missing information, ensuring the accuracy of subsequent preheating control, ensuring that the engine can be preheated to a state that meets the starting requirements, and improving the reliability of engine starting in low-temperature environments.

[0117] It should be noted that the preheating time of the heating element on the engine can be the cumulative preheating time of the engine over a certain period of time, or it can be the preheating time of a single operation of the heating element on the engine.

[0118] It should be noted that when the vehicle is not powered on, the body control unit cannot obtain the engine coolant temperature and can only use the engine coolant temperature at the moment of shutdown to determine whether the engine needs to be preheated. However, after the vehicle is powered on, the engine control unit can obtain the current engine coolant temperature. Therefore, the engine control unit can determine whether the engine needs to continue to preheat based on the current engine coolant temperature.

[0119] like Figure 6 As shown, after the body control unit receives the power-on signal, the control logic of the heating component is as follows: determine whether the engine needs to continue preheating. If not, the engine control unit controls the heating component to stop preheating the engine. If so, calculate the duration for which the heating component will continue to preheat, and the engine control unit controls the heating component to preheat the engine until the set duration is reached.

[0120] The following will combine Figure 7 This application provides a complete description of the vehicle control method in the embodiments of the present application. The vehicle control method includes the following steps: Determine if a door unlock signal is received; if not, the heating element will not work; if so, determine if the engine needs to be preheated. When the engine does not need to be preheated, the heating components do not work. When the engine needs to be preheated, it is determined whether the body control unit has received a power-on signal. If the body control unit does not receive a power-on signal, the body control unit controls the heating component to preheat the engine. If the preheating time exceeds the set value, the body control unit controls the heating component to stop preheating the engine. If the preheating time does not exceed the set value, the body control unit controls the heating component to preheat the engine. When the body control unit receives a power-on signal, the engine control unit controls the heating component to operate, and the body control unit relinquishes control of the heating component. At the same time, the body control unit sends the preheating information of the heating component to the engine control unit. The engine control unit determines whether the engine needs to continue preheating. If so, it controls the heating component to continue preheating the engine, calculates the duration of continued preheating based on the current engine coolant temperature and the preheating information of the heating component, and controls the heating component to stop preheating the engine when the calculated duration is reached. If not, it controls the heating component to stop preheating the engine.

[0121] It should be noted that in practical applications, unlocking a car door usually unlocks all doors. When a door lock is damaged, other door locks may be unlocked while the car door remains locked. Some vehicles may allow unlocking only one door. If a door is blocked by another object, the driver may unlock the passenger door and enter the driver's seat without unlocking the passenger door. In these cases, the heating element may bypass the body control unit and be directly controlled by the engine control unit after the vehicle is powered on. In this case, it can be assumed that the body control unit controlled the heating element to preheat the engine for 0 seconds, and the engine control unit can continue to operate according to the aforementioned control logic, which will not be elaborated further here.

[0122] This application provides an engine preheating system that triggers preheating judgment and preheating operation in advance when the vehicle is not powered on by the body control unit. Combined with the power-on signal, it realizes the orderly switching of control authority between the body control unit and the engine control unit over the heating components. At the same time, relying on the information interaction and multi-parameter judgment logic between the body control unit and the engine control unit, it achieves precise and efficient control of engine preheating, solving the problem of long start-up waiting time and poor experience of diesel engines in low-temperature environments.

[0123] like Figure 8 As shown, the engine preheating system includes a heating component, a body control unit, and an engine control unit. The heating component heats the air in the engine cylinders to preheat the engine. The body control unit is connected to the heating component. The body control unit is configured to: receive a door unlock signal; determine whether the engine needs preheating based on a first preset condition; and control the heating component to preheat the engine when the engine needs preheating and no power-on signal is received. The engine control unit is connected to the heating component and the body control unit, and is configured to: determine whether the engine needs to continue preheating based on a second preset condition when a power-on signal is received; and control the heating component to preheat the engine when the engine needs to continue preheating.

[0124] By rationally configuring the functions and connections of the heating components, body control unit, and engine control unit, the body control unit can independently complete the preheating judgment and control of the heating components when the door is unlocked, realizing the early start of the preheating operation. At the same time, the body control unit and the engine control unit complete the orderly switching of control authority and effective interaction of preheating information based on the power-on signal. The engine control unit can combine multiple parameters to complete subsequent preheating judgment and control. Through the clear division of labor and coordinated cooperation of each component, the early start of the preheating process is realized, shortening the overall vehicle start-up time, while ensuring the accuracy and continuity of preheating control. This provides stable system support for the reliable and rapid start of the engine in low-temperature environments, effectively improving the convenience of vehicle operation and the user's driving experience.

[0125] The first preset condition is the criterion for determining whether the engine needs preheating when the body control unit receives a door unlock signal but does not receive a power-on signal. The first preset condition adopts a layered judgment logic. First, the ambient temperature at the time of engine shutdown is obtained and compared with the fourth threshold. If the ambient temperature at the time of shutdown is greater than or equal to the fourth threshold, it is directly determined that the engine does not need preheating. If the ambient temperature at the time of shutdown is less than the fourth threshold, the coolant temperature at the time of engine shutdown, the ambient temperature at the time of shutdown, and the shutdown duration are further obtained. Combined with Table 1, a multi-parameter comprehensive analysis is performed to determine whether the engine has a preheating requirement for low-temperature start-up.

[0126] The second preset condition is the basis for the engine control unit to determine whether to continue preheating the engine after receiving the power-on signal and taking over the control authority of the heating component. The second preset condition uses multi-parameter comprehensive analysis as its core logic. First, it obtains the current engine coolant temperature and compares it with a first threshold. If the current engine coolant temperature is higher than the first threshold, it directly determines that no further preheating is needed. If the current engine coolant temperature is lower than the first threshold, it further combines the preheating information sent by the body control unit and the time interval between the preheating end time and the time interval to make a second judgment. Specifically, if the first preheating duration is greater than or equal to the second threshold or the aforementioned time interval is less than the third threshold, it determines that no further preheating is needed. If the first preheating duration is less than the second threshold or the aforementioned time interval is greater than or equal to the third threshold, it determines that further preheating is needed. Simultaneously, the engine control unit calculates the duration of continued preheating based on parameters such as the current engine coolant temperature and the first preheating duration, thereby ensuring the accuracy of preheating control. This avoids both insufficient preheating leading to engine starting difficulties and excessive preheating causing energy waste and time consumption.

[0127] The engine preheating system operates by comprising the following stages: a preheating judgment stage triggered by door unlocking; a preheating execution stage led by the body control unit; a control authority switching stage triggered by power-on signal; and a preheating control stage led by the engine control unit. It should be noted that the preheating execution stage led by the body control unit is also the first stage, and the preheating control stage led by the engine control unit is also the second stage.

[0128] Preheating judgment phase triggered by door unlocking: When the door receives the unlock signal, the body control unit is partially activated and enters a low-power standby state. During this phase, the vehicle is not powered on, and the engine control unit remains off and cannot participate in control. After receiving the door unlock signal, the body control unit initiates the first preset condition judgment process for engine preheating demand: First, it obtains the ambient temperature at the moment the engine stops and compares it with the fourth threshold. If the ambient temperature is greater than or equal to the fourth threshold, it is determined that the engine has no preheating demand, and the heating components remain inactive. If the ambient temperature is less than the fourth threshold, it further obtains the coolant temperature at the moment the engine stops, the ambient temperature at the moment of stopping, and the duration of stopping. Combining these with Table 1, it performs a multi-dimensional comprehensive judgment to determine whether the engine has a preheating demand for low-temperature start-up. If it is determined that there is no preheating demand, the heating components remain inactive. If it is determined that there is a preheating demand, it enters the preheating execution phase led by the body control unit.

[0129] The preheating execution phase led by the body control unit: When the engine preheating requirement is determined after judging the first preset conditions, the body control unit first checks whether it has received a vehicle power-on signal. If the body control unit does not receive a power-on signal, meaning the vehicle is still in the pre-driving preparation phase, the body control unit directly takes over the control of the heating components, sending control commands to the heating components to drive them to heat the air in the engine cylinders, thus achieving preheating of the engine. During this phase, the body control unit will continuously monitor the preheating time of the heating components and compare it with the set value. If the preheating time has not reached the set value, it will continue to control the heating components to preheat; if the preheating time reaches the set value, it will determine that the engine has completed preheating, control the heating components to stop heating, and can keep the air in the cylinders warm to avoid unnecessary energy consumption and excessive work of the heating components, while always maintaining real-time monitoring of the power-on signal.

[0130] Control authority switching phase triggered by power-on signal: During the operation of the heating component under the control of the body control unit, if the body control unit receives a vehicle power-on signal, it will immediately trigger an orderly switching process of control authority: the body control unit actively relinquishes control of the heating component; at the same time, the body control unit will send the relevant preheating information of the heating component to the engine control unit. The engine control unit receives the power-on signal at the same time as the body control unit receives the vehicle power-on signal. The engine control unit receives and stores the preheating information sent by the body control unit and takes over the control authority of the heating component.

[0131] The engine control unit-led preheating control phase: After the engine control unit takes over the control of the heating component, it initiates the second preset condition judgment process. Combining the received preheating information and the engine status, it determines whether to control the heating component to continue preheating the engine. If it determines that the engine needs to continue preheating, the engine control unit controls the heating component to preheat based on the preheating information of the heating component and the preheating time calculated from the current engine coolant temperature. If it determines that the engine does not need to continue preheating, it controls the heating component to stop preheating the engine. This ensures that the engine reaches the temperature required for starting while minimizing ineffective preheating and energy consumption, achieving rapid and reliable engine starting in low-temperature environments.

[0132] This application provides a vehicle that can automatically initiate preheating judgment and operation when the door is unlocked, realizing the synchronization of preheating and the driver's preparation actions to get into the vehicle, shortening the waiting time for preheating after power-on, effectively improving the starting reliability and starting efficiency of the vehicle in low-temperature environments, reducing the overall vehicle starting time, improving the convenience and intelligence level of vehicle operation, and enhancing the user's driving experience.

[0133] like Figure 9 As shown, the vehicle includes a memory, a processor, and a computer program stored in the memory and executable on the processor. When the processor executes the computer program, it enables the processor to implement the vehicle control method described in the above embodiments.

[0134] By configuring a memory and processor in the vehicle, the memory stores executable program code that implements the preheating method. The processor calls and executes this code to drive the vehicle to complete the corresponding preheating operation. This enables the vehicle to automatically start the preheating judgment and operation when the door is unlocked, realizing the synchronization of preheating with the driver's preparation to get in the car. This shortens the waiting time for preheating after power-on, effectively improves the starting reliability and efficiency of the vehicle in low-temperature environments, reduces the overall vehicle starting time, improves the convenience and intelligence of vehicle operation, and enhances the user's driving experience.

[0135] Those skilled in the art will recognize that the modules, units, and method steps of the various examples described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented in electronic hardware, or a combination of computer software and electronic hardware. Whether these functions are implemented in hardware or software depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Those skilled in the art can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered beyond the scope of this application.

[0136] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of this application, but the scope of protection of this application is not limited thereto. Any variations or substitutions that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed in this application should be covered. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A vehicle control method, characterized in that, include: Upon receiving a door unlock signal, determine whether the engine needs to be preheated; When it is determined that the engine needs to be preheated, the vehicle body control unit controls the heating components to preheat the engine.

2. The vehicle control method according to claim 1, characterized in that, When it is determined that the engine needs to be preheated, it is determined whether the body control unit has received a power-on signal; If the body control unit does not receive a power-on signal, the body control unit will control the heating components to preheat the engine. If the vehicle body control unit receives a power-on signal, the engine control unit controls the heating component to preheat the engine.

3. The vehicle control method according to claim 2, characterized in that, When the body control unit controls the heating component to preheat the engine, if the body control unit receives a power-on signal, the body control unit exits control of the heating component, and the engine control unit takes over control of the heating component from the body control unit.

4. The vehicle control method according to claim 3, characterized in that, When the engine control unit takes over the control of the heating component from the body control unit, it determines whether the engine needs to continue preheating. If the engine needs to continue to be preheated, the heating element is controlled to continue preheating the engine. If the engine does not need to be preheated, the heating element is controlled to stop preheating the engine.

5. The vehicle control method according to claim 4, characterized in that, The method for determining whether the engine needs to continue preheating includes the following steps: Obtain the current coolant temperature of the engine; Compare the current engine coolant temperature with a first threshold; If the current engine coolant temperature is higher than the first threshold, it is determined that the engine does not need to continue preheating. If the current engine water temperature is lower than the first threshold, a second determination is made as to whether the engine needs to be preheated based on the preheating information of the heating component.

6. The vehicle control method according to claim 5, characterized in that, The secondary determination method for whether the engine should continue to preheat includes the following steps: The duration for which the vehicle body control unit controls the heating component to preheat the engine is recorded as the first preheating duration. If the first preheating time is less than the second threshold, it is determined that the engine needs to continue preheating. If the first preheating time is greater than or equal to the second threshold, then it is further determined whether the engine needs to continue preheating.

7. The vehicle control method according to claim 6, characterized in that, When the first preheating duration is greater than or equal to the second threshold, the secondary determination method for whether the engine should continue preheating further includes the following steps: Calculate the time interval between the last time when the vehicle body control unit controlled the heating component to preheat the engine and the current time; Compare whether the time interval is greater than or equal to a third threshold; If the time interval is greater than or equal to the third threshold, it is determined that the engine needs to continue preheating. If the time interval is less than the third threshold, it is determined that the engine does not need to continue preheating.

8. The vehicle control method according to claim 1, characterized in that, When the vehicle body control unit controls the heating component to preheat, if the preheating time of the engine reaches a set value, it controls the heating component to stop preheating. If the preheating time of the engine does not reach the set value, the heating component is controlled to continue preheating.

9. The vehicle control method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The method for determining whether the engine needs preheating includes the following steps: Obtain the ambient temperature at the moment the engine stops; Compare the ambient temperature at the time of shutdown with the fourth threshold; If the ambient temperature at the time of shutdown is greater than or equal to the fourth threshold, then the engine is determined not to need preheating. If the ambient temperature at the time of engine shutdown is less than the fourth threshold, the engine coolant temperature at the time of engine shutdown, the ambient temperature at the time of engine shutdown, and the shutdown duration are obtained to further determine whether the engine needs to be preheated.

10. A vehicle, characterized in that, include: Memory, which stores executable program code; A processor is configured to call and run the executable program code from the memory, causing the vehicle to perform the vehicle control method as described in any one of claims 1 to 8.

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