Description:TECHNICAL FIELD
[001] Embodiments disclosed herein relate to vehicle operations, and more particularly to overcome hot stalling of an engine in a vehicle, when a driver is operating the vehicle.
BACKGROUND
[002] A stall is slowing or stopping of a process and in case of an engine refers to a sudden stopping of the engine -, usually brought about accidentally. When stalling, the engine abruptly ceases operating and stops turning. It due to not getting enough air/poor oxygen intake, contaminated fuel, engine overheating or in response to a sudden increase in engine load by external means. This increase in engine load is common in vehicles with a manual transmission when a clutch is released too suddenly/running with minimal power and a heavy load come across to traction implement. Stalling can be dangerous, especially in heavy traffic/vehicle carrying load on a gradient condition.
[003] The ways in which an on road/off road vehicle can stall are usually down to a driver, especially with the manual transmission. For instance, if the driver takes foot off the clutch too quickly/drives with minimal torque or power while stationary, then the vehicle may stall. This can be avoided by taking the foot off the clutch slowly, increasing engine power and keeping vehicle in neutral. Stalling can also happen when the driver forgets to depress the clutch and/or change to neutral while stopping the vehicle.
[004] This problem of engine stalling leads to issues such as, battery discharge, heating, failure to crank, and so on, which can damage the vehicle and can result in poor experience for the driver.
OBJECTS
[005] The principal object of embodiments herein is to disclose methods and systems of overcoming hot stalling in vehicles, when the vehicle is being operated by de-clutching a clutch plate in a transmission of the vehicle through an electromechanical solenoid, on detecting a sudden load increase.
[006] These and other aspects of the embodiments herein will be better appreciated and understood when considered in conjunction with the following description and the accompanying drawings. It should be understood, however, that the following descriptions, while indicating at least one embodiment and numerous specific details thereof, are given by way of illustration and not of limitation. Many changes and modifications may be made within the scope of the embodiments herein without departing from the spirit thereof, and the embodiments herein include all such modifications.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF FIGURES
[007] Embodiments herein are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, through out which like reference letters indicate corresponding parts in the various figures. The embodiments herein will be better understood from the following description with reference to the drawings, in which:
[008] FIG. 1 depicts a system in a vehicle, wherein the system can prevent hot stalling in vehicles, according to embodiments as disclosed herein; and
[009] FIG. 2 is a flowchart depicting the process of overcoming hot stalling in vehicles, when the vehicle is currently being operated by de-clutching a clutch plate in a transmission of the vehicle through an electromechanical solenoid, on detecting a sudden load increase, according to embodiments as disclosed herein.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0010] The embodiments herein and the various features and advantageous details thereof are explained more fully with reference to the non-limiting embodiments that are illustrated in the accompanying drawings and detailed in the following description. Descriptions of well-known components and processing techniques are omitted so as to not unnecessarily obscure the embodiments herein. The examples used herein are intended merely to facilitate an understanding of ways in which the embodiments herein may be practiced and to further enable those of skill in the art to practice the embodiments herein. Accordingly, the examples should not be construed as limiting the scope of the embodiments herein.
[0011] The embodiments herein achieve methods and systems of overcoming hot stalling in vehicles, when the vehicle is being operated by de-clutching a clutch plate in a transmission of the vehicle through an electromechanical solenoid, on detecting a sudden load increase. Referring now to the drawings, and more particularly to FIGS. 1 through 2, where similar reference characters denote corresponding features consistently throughout the figures.
[0012] FIG. 1 depicts a system in a vehicle, wherein the system can prevent hot stalling in the vehicles. The vehicle, as disclosed herein, can be any vehicle equipped with a manual transmission. Examples of the vehicle can be, but not limited to, tractors, trucks, buses, cars, two wheeled vehicles, and so on. The system 100, as depicted, comprises a controller 101 and a solenoid 102.
[0013] The controller 101 can be a unit present in the vehicle, which can prevent hot stalling in the vehicle. In an embodiment herein, the controller 101 can be a dedicated control unit. In another embodiment herein, the controller 101 can be a control unit, which can perform one or more functions related to the vehicle, in addition to prevent hot stalling in the vehicle.
[0014] The term 'controller 101' as used in the present disclosure, may refer to, for example, hardware including logic circuits; a hardware/software combination such as a processor executing software; or a combination thereof. For example, the processing circuitry more specifically may include, but is not limited to, a central processing unit (CPU), an arithmetic logic unit (ALU), a digital signal processor (DSP), a microcomputer, a field programmable gate array (FPGA), a System-on-Chip (SoC), a programmable logic unit (PLU), a microprocessor, application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), etc. For example, the controller 101 may include at least one of, a single processer, a plurality of processors, multiple homogeneous or heterogeneous cores, multiple Central Processing Units (CPUs) of different kinds, microcontrollers, special media, and other accelerators.
[0015] The controller 101 can receive inputs from an ignition supply, an alternator, a vehicle speed sensor, and a gear shift indicator. The ignition supply can provide inputs, such as, the current state of the ignition (i.e., if the ignition is ON or OFF) to the controller 101. The alternator can provide inputs, such as, the Revolutions Per Minute (RPM) of the engine to the controller 101. The vehicle speed sensor can provide inputs, such as, the current speed of the vehicle, to the controller 101. The gear shift indicator can provide inputs, such as, the currently selected gear, to the controller 101.
[0016] The controller 101, based on the received inputs, can actuate the solenoid 102, wherein the actuated solenoid 102 will release the clutch plate inside a transmission of the vehicle (i.e., the clutch is de-clutched) for a period of time, on a pre-defined criteria being met. The controller 101, based on the received inputs, can de-actuate the solenoid 102, wherein the de-actuated solenoid 102 will engage the clutch, on the pre-defined criteria not being met. In an embodiment herein, the solenoid 102 can be an electro-mechanical solenoid.
[0017] Table 1 depicts a plurality of inputs and the pre-defined criteria, depending on which the controller 101 can actuate the solenoid 102. If the ignition is OFF, the controller 101 does not actuate the solenoid 102, irrespective of the input conditions. If the ignition is ON and the vehicle speed is 0 (i.e., the vehicle is not moving), the controller 101 does not actuate the solenoid 102, irrespective of the input conditions. If the ignition is ON and the vehicle is in neutral, the controller 101 does not actuate the solenoid 102, irrespective of the input conditions. If the ignition is ON, the engine is not running (i.e., the engine RPM is 0), the vehicle is in neutral, and the vehicle speed is 0, the controller 101 does not actuate the solenoid 102. If the ignition is ON, the engine RPM is greater than a first pre-defined RPM threshold (Y), the vehicle is not in neutral, and the vehicle speed is 0, the controller 101 does not actuate the solenoid 102. If the ignition is ON, the engine RPM is greater than or equal to a second pre-defined RPM threshold (X, wherein X < Y), the vehicle is not in neutral, and the vehicle speed is non-zero (but the vehicle speed is constant and/or there is a uniform/constant increase in the speed), the controller 101 does not actuate the solenoid 102. If the ignition is ON, the engine RPM is less than the second pre-defined RPM threshold (X) (but there is an immediate decrease in the engine RPM with reference to a previous RPM), the vehicle is not in neutral, and the vehicle speed is non-zero (but there is an immediate decrease in the vehicle speed with reference to a previous vehicle speed), the controller 101 actuates the solenoid 102. On the solenoid 102 being actuated, the clutch plate inside the transmission of the vehicle is released (i.e., the clutch is de-clutched).

Ignition Engine RPM Vehicle Neutral Condition Vehicle Speed Solenoid Actuation
Off Off On 0 No
On 0 On 0 No
On >Y Off 0 No
On X Off 0> (Constant/increased rate Speed) No
On 0 but decreases with reference to previous speed Yes
Off 850 Off 0 No
On 600 Off 0> Constant/increased rate Speed No
On <600 but decreases with reference to previous speed Off >0 but decreases with reference to previous speed Yes
Off <600 but decreases with reference to previous speed Off =0 but decreases with reference to previous speed No
Table 2
[0022] FIG. 2 is a flowchart depicting the process of overcoming hot stalling in vehicles, when the vehicle is currently being operated by declutching a clutch plate in a transmission of the vehicle through an electromechanical solenoid, on detecting a sudden load increase. In step 201, the controller 101 receives inputs from the ignition supply, the alternator, the vehicle speed sensor, and the gear shift indicator. The ignition supply provides inputs, such as, the current state of the ignition (i.e., if the ignition is ON or OFF) to the controller 101. The alternator provides inputs, such as, the Revolutions Per Minute (RPM) frequency of the engine to the controller 101. The vehicle speed sensor provides inputs, such as, the current speed of the vehicle, to the controller 101. The gear shift indicator provides inputs, such as, the currently selected gear, to the controller 101.
[0023] In step 202, the controller 101, based on the received inputs (on the pre-defined criteria being met), actuates the solenoid 102, wherein the actuated solenoid 102 will release the clutch plate inside a transmission of the vehicle (i.e., the clutch is de-clutched) for the period of time. The controller 101 can actuate the solenoid 102 for the period of time, if the ignition is ON, the engine RPM is less than the second pre-defined RPM threshold (X) (but there is an immediate decrease in the engine RPM with reference to a previous RPM input), the vehicle is not in neutral, and the vehicle speed is non-zero (but there is an immediate decrease in the vehicle speed with reference to a previous vehicle speed). On the solenoid 102 being actuated, the clutch plate inside the transmission of the vehicle is released (i.e., the clutch is de-clutched).
[0024] In step 203, on at least one of the pre-defined criteria not being met (if the ignition is OFF, the engine RPM is not less than the second pre-defined RPM threshold (X), the vehicle is in neutral, and/or the vehicle speed is zero), the controller 101 de-actuates the solenoid 102, thereby stopping the de-clutching of the vehicle. The various actions in method 200 may be performed in the order presented, in a different order or simultaneously. Further, in some embodiments, some actions listed in FIG. 2 may be omitted.
[0025] The embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented through at least one software program running on at least one hardware device and performing network management functions to control the network elements. The network elements shown in FIG. 1 include blocks which can be at least one of a hardware device, or a combination of hardware device and software module.
[0026] The embodiment disclosed herein describes methods and systems of overcoming hot stalling in vehicles, when the vehicle is currently being operated by de-clutching a clutch plate in a transmission of the vehicle through an electromechanical solenoid, on detecting a sudden load increase. Therefore, it is understood that the scope of the protection is extended to such a program and in addition to a computer readable means having a message therein, such computer readable storage means contain program code means for implementation of one or more steps of the method, when the program runs on a server or mobile device or any suitable programmable device. The method is implemented in at least one embodiment through or together with a software program written in e.g. Very high speed integrated circuit Hardware Description Language (VHDL) another programming language, or implemented by one or more VHDL or several software modules being executed on at least one hardware device. The hardware device can be any kind of portable device that can be programmed. The device may also include means which could be e.g. hardware means like e.g. an ASIC, or a combination of hardware and software means, e.g. an ASIC and an FPGA, or at least one microprocessor and at least one memory with software modules located therein. The method embodiments described herein could be implemented partly in hardware and partly in software. Alternatively, the invention may be implemented on different hardware devices, e.g. using a plurality of CPUs.
[0027] The foregoing description of the specific embodiments will so fully reveal the general nature of the embodiments herein that others can, by applying current knowledge, readily modify and/or adapt for various applications such specific embodiments without departing from the generic concept, and, therefore, such adaptations and modifications should and are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalents of the disclosed embodiments. It is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation. Therefore, while the embodiments herein have been described in terms of embodiments and examples, those skilled in the art will recognize that the embodiments and examples disclosed herein can be practiced with modification within the scope of the embodiments as described herein.
, Claims:We claim:
1. A system (100) to overcome hot stalling/late cranking of an engine in a vehicle, said system (100) comprising:
a controller (101); and
a solenoid (102),
the controller configured to:
de-clutching a clutch of the vehicle by actuating the solenoid (102) on detecting that ignition of the vehicle is ON, a Revolutions per Minute (RPM) of the engine is less than a second pre-defined RPM threshold, the vehicle is not in neutral, and a speed of the vehicle is non-zero.

2. The system, as claimed in claim 1, wherein the solenoid (102) is an electromechanical solenoid.

3. The system, as claimed in claim 1, wherein the controller (101) is configured to detect a decrease in the RPM of the engine with reference to a previous RPM input

4. The system, as claimed in claim 1, wherein the controller (101) is configured to detect a decrease in the speed of the vehicle with reference to a previous vehicle speed.

5. The system, as claimed in claim 1, wherein the controller (101) is configured to stop de-clutching the clutch of the vehicle by de-actuating the solenoid (102) on detecting at least one of the ignition being OFF, the engine RPM is not less than the second pre-defined RPM threshold, the vehicle is in neutral, and the vehicle speed is zero.

6. The system, as claimed in claim 1, wherein the controller (101) is configured to take a value of the second pre-defined RPM threshold from a table.

7. A method to overcome hot stalling/late cranking of an engine in a vehicle, the method comprising:
de-clutching a clutch of the vehicle, by a controller (101), by actuating a solenoid (102) on detecting that ignition of the vehicle is ON, a Revolutions per Minute (RPM) of the engine is less than a second pre-defined RPM threshold, the vehicle is not in neutral, and a speed of the vehicle is non-zero.

8. The method, as claimed in claim 7, wherein the controller (101) detects a decrease in the RPM of the engine with reference to a previous RPM input.

9. The method, as claimed in claim 7, wherein the controller (101) detects a decrease in the speed of the vehicle with reference to a previous vehicle speed.

10. The method, as claimed in claim 7, wherein the controller (101) stops the de-clutching the clutch of the vehicle by de-actuating the solenoid (102) on detecting at least one of the ignition being OFF, the RPM of the engine RPM is not less than the second pre-defined RPM threshold, the vehicle is in neutral, and the vehicle speed is zero; and
the controller (101) takes a value of the second pre-defined RPM threshold from a table.