Engine Start Duration Memory for Automatic Stop-Start Systems
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
In vehicles equipped with automatic switch-off and switch-on systems for internal combustion engines, there is a lack of transparency for drivers and workshop staff regarding why the engine may not switch off automatically or start promptly, leading to customer complaints and potential irritation.
Innovation Solution
A control unit that measures the duration of the engine start process and sends duration-dependent memory signals to a memory unit, allowing for the storage of time-dependent memory entries that can be read out to identify issues, such as prolonged start times, and includes features like counting units for differentiating between normal, longer, and extremely long start processes, as well as type-dependent and cause-dependent memory entries to determine the cause of delays.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If the engine start process duration is not monitored and stored, then the system remains simple, but workshop staff cannot diagnose prolonged start issues and customers become irritated
Solution Approach 1:
The control unit proactively measures and stores the start process duration before any diagnostic need arises. A timer is activated when the start command is issued and stopped when the engine reaches operating speed, automatically recording the duration in memory for later retrieval by workshop staff.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary timer mechanism that bridges the start command issuance and engine startup completion. This timer acts as a mediator to accurately measure the elapsed time and transfer this information to the control unit's memory for diagnostic purposes.
2Loss of energy
If automatic switch-off and switch-on systems are implemented, then fuel consumption is reduced, but drivers lack transparency about why the engine does not switch off or start promptly
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements feedback by storing start process duration data that can be retrieved and analyzed. This feedback mechanism provides transparency into why the engine may not be switching off automatically or starting promptly, allowing workshop staff to diagnose issues with the automatic start-stop system.
Solution Approach 2:
The control unit prepares diagnostic information by continuously monitoring and storing start process durations before any customer complaint arises. This preliminary data collection enables proactive identification of problems with the automatic switch-off/switch-on system.
3Measurement precision
If the start process duration is measured and stored with detailed categorization, then diagnostic precision is improved, but the memory unit and processing requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the start process duration into distinct categories: normal start (below first threshold), prolonged start (between first and second thresholds), and extended start (above second threshold). This segmentation allows precise diagnostic information to be stored in an organized manner that balances measurement accuracy with efficient memory usage.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the parameter representation by storing categorized duration data rather than raw continuous values. By converting actual start times into categorical indicators (normal/prolonged/extended), the system achieves high diagnostic precision while minimizing memory storage requirements.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
The invention relates to a control unit for controlling a starting action of a automotive drive gear in a motor vehicle, the control unit transmitting a starting signal for carrying out corresponding starting measures for starting the automotive drive gear in response to a starting request. The control unit determines a duration from the start of the starting action to the completion of a successful starting action and transmits a duration-dependent memory signal to the memory unit which in turn creates a duration-dependent memory entry.