Start-Stop System Neutral Gear Recommendation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional vehicles with automatic start-stop systems struggle to optimize fuel consumption, as drivers often fail to shift into neutral gear when stationary, leading to increased engine duty cycles and fuel consumption, due to unfamiliarity with the system's operation.
Innovation Solution
An operating method that provides visual, acoustic, or haptic recommendations to shift the manual transmission into neutral position when the vehicle is moving, based on speed, deceleration, and environmental factors, allowing the engine to be switched off efficiently during braking maneuvers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If the automatic switch-off system requires the manual transmission to be in neutral position to switch off the engine, then fuel consumption can be reduced during stationary periods, but drivers unfamiliar with this requirement cannot operate the vehicle economically
Solution Approach 1:
The system issues a neutral gear recommendation in advance when the vehicle is still moving and certain conditions are met (speed below threshold, clutch closed, no load request). This preliminary guidance allows the driver to shift to neutral before stopping, enabling the engine to switch off automatically and reduce fuel consumption during stationary periods.
Solution Approach 2:
The system provides continuous feedback to the driver through visual, acoustic, or haptic signals indicating when neutral gear should be selected. This feedback mechanism guides unfamiliar drivers on when to shift to neutral, making the fuel-saving operation intuitive and easy to learn.
2Ease of operation
If the neutral gear recommendation is only issued when the vehicle is stationary, then drivers can understand when to engage neutral, but the engine cannot be switched off during braking maneuvers, increasing fuel consumption
Solution Approach 1:
The system determines in advance whether conditions favor engine switch-off during deceleration (speed threshold, clutch position, load request status) and issues the neutral gear recommendation before the vehicle comes to a complete stop. This allows the engine to be switched off during braking maneuvers, capturing fuel savings that would otherwise be lost.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts the timing of the neutral gear recommendation based on real-time vehicle conditions including speed, deceleration rate, and transmission state. The recommendation is issued at the optimal moment during deceleration to enable engine switch-off, rather than using a fixed stationary trigger point.
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3
AI summary
The invention relates to an operating method for a vehicle (1, 20), which comprises an internal combustion engine (2) coupled to a manual transmission (4) by means of a clutch (3) and comprises a start-stop device having an automatic switch-off function, which switches off the internal combustion engine (2) when defined stop conditions are met, wherein one of the stop conditions provides that the manual transmission (4) is in a neutral position, wherein an optical and/or acoustic and/or haptic suggestion to shift the manual transmission (4) into the neutral position is output if the speed of the vehicle (1, 20) is greater than 0 km/h.