Adaptive Start-Stop System Obstruction Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current automatic start-stop systems for motor vehicles with automatic gearboxes rely solely on driver actions for engine deactivation and activation, which leads to inefficient fuel consumption and increased pollutant emissions, and do not adequately prevent collisions caused by unintended creep movement when the engine is automatically restarted.
Innovation Solution
An automatic start-stop system that uses driver-operated brake pedal signals to control engine deactivation and activation, incorporating sensors to detect obstructions in the vehicle's path and prevent creep by maintaining brake pressure or shifting into neutral if an obstruction is detected, ensuring safe vehicle standstill.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If the engine is automatically deactivated when the vehicle comes to a standstill, then fuel consumption is reduced, but the vehicle may creep forward when the brake is released causing safety hazards
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary detection of obstructions in the vehicle's path before the driver releases the brake pedal. When an obstruction is detected, the system proactively prevents engine restart and creep movement by maintaining brake pressure or shifting to neutral gear, thereby avoiding potential collisions while still enabling fuel-saving deactivation during normal stops
Solution Approach 2:
The system continuously monitors the vehicle's surroundings using sensors to detect obstructions and provides feedback to the start-stop control unit. This feedback mechanism allows the system to dynamically adjust engine deactivation/activation decisions based on real-time environmental conditions, preventing creep movement when obstructions are present while maintaining fuel efficiency when the path is clear
2Productivity
If the engine is automatically restarted when the brake is released, then the vehicle can move forward efficiently, but it may cause collisions with obstructions in the path
Solution Approach 1:
Before the engine is automatically restarted upon brake release, the system performs a preliminary check for obstructions in the vehicle's path. If an obstruction is detected, the restart is prevented and alternative actions are taken (maintaining brake pressure or shifting to neutral), thereby eliminating collision risk while preserving efficient movement when the path is clear
Solution Approach 2:
The system applies preliminary anti-action by detecting obstructions and preemptively preventing engine restart and vehicle movement when hazards are present. This counter-measure blocks the automatic restart function that would otherwise cause collisions, while allowing normal efficient operation when no obstructions are detected
3Reliability
If manual deactivation of the engine is required, then collision safety is maintained, but fuel consumption and emissions are not optimized
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables the vehicle to serve itself by automatically detecting stop conditions and performing engine deactivation without requiring manual driver action. The start-stop control unit autonomously manages engine shutdown and restart decisions based on vehicle state and environmental sensors, optimizing fuel consumption while maintaining safety through obstruction detection
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses feedback from sensors detecting vehicle speed, brake pedal position, and surrounding obstructions to automatically control engine deactivation and activation. This feedback loop enables the system to optimize fuel consumption by deactivating the engine during appropriate stops while preventing unsafe creep movement, eliminating the need for manual driver intervention
Data Source
AI summary
An automatic start-stop system for vehicles with an automatic gearbox or and automated gearbox in which the motor vehicle can creep in a released state of a brake pedal is provided. The automatic start-stop system is designed to detect an obstruction in the present direction of travel of the vehicle, to trigger an automatic deactivation process of a drive machine of the vehicle if the vehicle speed is lower than a predefined speed threshold close to standstill and the brake pedal is actuated, and to trigger an automatic activation process of the automatically deactivated drive machine if a released brake pedal is detected, with creeping of the motor vehicle being prevented by not initiating automatic activation of the drive machine or by activating a creep prevention measure, if, upon release of the brake pedal or in a released state of the brake pedal, an obstruction situated in the present direction of travel of the motor vehicle is detected.