Vehicle Engine Control Mapping for Urban Emissions
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle engine control systems fail to effectively adjust engine operation based on the vehicle's location within specific geographical areas, such as urban environments, leading to inefficiencies in fuel economy and emissions control.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a system that uses vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) and vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) communications to determine when a vehicle enters a defined geographical area, adjusting the engine mapping and control strategies to optimize acceleration, torque response, and emissions management accordingly, by switching between different control mappings based on the vehicle's location.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If the vehicle uses a fixed engine control mapping, then the system complexity is low, but fuel economy and emissions control are insufficient in urban areas
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic engine control mapping that automatically adjusts based on detected driving conditions (urban vs non-urban environments). The control system switches between different pre-defined maps optimized for different conditions, making the system adaptive rather than static, thereby improving fuel economy without requiring overly complex real-time calculations
Solution Approach 2:
The system pre-defines multiple engine control maps optimized for specific conditions (urban and non-urban) before operation. When the environment is detected, the appropriate pre-optimized map is selected and applied, avoiding the need for complex real-time optimization calculations while achieving condition-specific fuel economy improvements
2Ease of operation
If the vehicle accelerates sharply in response to driver input, then the responsiveness is high, but emissions increase in urban areas
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies different control characteristics locally based on the operating environment. In urban areas, the control mapping is modified to provide smoother acceleration with lower peak torque, reducing emissions. In non-urban areas, the original responsive acceleration characteristics are maintained, preserving driver expectation and performance
3Object-generated harmful factors
If the engine control is adjusted for smooth acceleration in urban areas, then emissions are reduced, but the acceleration control mapping becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the operating environment into distinct categories (urban and non-urban areas) with clearly defined characteristics. For each segment, a specific optimized control map is applied. This segmentation approach simplifies the overall control strategy compared to continuous real-time optimization, as each segment has its own pre-determined control characteristics
4Use of energy by moving object
If the vehicle uses location-based control adjustments, then fuel economy improves, but the system requires additional sensors and communication infrastructure
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses existing vehicle sensors (accelerometer, GPS, speed sensors) and communication infrastructure for multiple purposes: navigation, driver assistance, and now emissions control. By making these existing components multi-functional, the patent avoids adding dedicated hardware solely for location-based control, minimizing additional system complexity
Data Source
AI summary
Methods and systems are provided for controlling vehicle operating parameters depending on whether the vehicle is operating within an area defined by an adjustable geographical boundary, the adjustable geographical boundary defined based on wireless communication between vehicles and infrastructures. In one example, a method comprises determining that the vehicle has entered into an area defined by the adjustable boundary, and adjusting a control mapping of an acceleration control of the vehicle in response to the determining. In this way, fuel economy, emissions, and customer satisfaction may be improved.