Engine Stop-Start Control for Park Shift Restart Prevention
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current automatic stop-start engine systems in vehicles restart the engine when shifted to park, leading to increased fuel consumption, emissions, and engine wear, as they fail to account for driver intent and specific parking scenarios.
Innovation Solution
An automatic engine stop-start system that includes a controller to prevent engine restart when the vehicle is shifted to park, using driver intent logic to interpret inputs from sensors and GPS data to determine the driver's intended state, and providing warnings to the driver when the engine remains keyed-on, along with conditions such as parking location and vehicle status.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the engine automatically restarts when shifted to park, then the driver is warned that the vehicle is keyed-on, but fuel consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by providing different engine restart behaviors for different parking scenarios. When the vehicle is parked in a secure location (garage, building, parking lot) with closed doors and no safety warnings, the engine does not restart. However, when parked in unsafe locations or with open doors, the engine does restart to warn the driver. This localized differentiation resolves the contradiction by eliminating unnecessary restarts while maintaining safety warnings when needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts engine restart behavior based on real-time monitoring of multiple conditions including door status, GPS location, and safety warnings. The controller continuously evaluates these dynamic parameters to determine whether to restart the engine, transforming a static restart policy into a dynamic, context-aware decision-making system that balances safety warnings with fuel efficiency.
2Reliability
If the engine automatically restarts when shifted to park, then the driver is notified that the vehicle is keyed-on, but emissions increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent reduces emissions by applying local quality to notification delivery. Instead of relying solely on engine restarts (which generate emissions), the system provides localized notifications through alternative channels such as visual indicators on the dashboard, audible warnings, or mobile device notifications. This allows the driver to be notified of the keyed-on state without the harmful emissions from unnecessary engine restarts.
3Reliability
If the engine automatically restarts when shifted to park, then the driver is alerted that the vehicle is keyed-on, but engine wear increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent reduces engine wear by applying local quality to the alert function. Instead of using engine restarts (which cause mechanical wear) as the primary alert mechanism, the system uses alternative notification methods such as dashboard warnings, audible alerts, or electronic notifications to mobile devices. Engine restarts are reserved only for scenarios where safety warnings are necessary, significantly reducing cumulative engine wear while maintaining the driver alert function.
4Use of energy by moving object
If the system prevents engine restart when parked, then fuel consumption is reduced, but the driver may not be aware the engine is still on
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback by providing continuous information to the driver about the engine's operational state through multiple channels. Visual indicators on the dashboard, audible warnings, and electronic notifications to paired mobile devices ensure the driver receives feedback about whether the engine is on or off. This feedback mechanism compensates for the lack of engine restart feedback, maintaining driver awareness while reducing fuel consumption.
Data Source
AI summary
An automatic engine stop-start (ESS) system for a vehicle with an internal combustion engine includes a brake pedal, a gear shifter configured to shift a transmission between park, reverse, neutral, and drive, and a controller. The controller is configured to command an ESS engine stop when the gear shifter is in drive, the vehicle is stopped, and the brake pedal is pressed, prevent an ESS engine restart when the gear shifter is shifted from drive to park, and provide, when the ESS engine restart is prevented, a warning notification to a driver that the engine is keyed-on.