Claims:We Claim:

1. A system (100) for assisting coasting of a vehicle, the system (100) comprising:
an auxiliary clutch pedal (101) pivotally connected to a bracket (103);
an actuator (104) coupled to the auxiliary clutch pedal (101); and
a control unit (108), communicatively coupled to the actuator (104), wherein the control unit (108) is configured to:
receive, operating parameters from a plurality of sensors (113) associated with the vehicle;
analyze, condition of the received operating parameters; and
operate, the actuator (104) based on the analyzed condition of the operating parameters to selectively displace the auxiliary clutch pedal between the first position and the second position.

2. The system (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the auxiliary clutch pedal (101) pivots independent to pivotal displacement of the primary clutch pedal (102).

3. The system (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the auxiliary clutch pedal (101) and the primary clutch pedal (102) are configured to pivot about a common axis A-A.

4. The system (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the actuator (104) is at least one of an electric actuator, a pneumatic actuator and a hydraulic actuator.

5. The system (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first position of the auxiliary clutch pedal (101) corresponds to released state and the second position of the auxiliary clutch pedal (101) corresponds to pressed state.

6. The system (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the operating parameters are position of an accelerator pedal, position of a primary clutch pedal (102), position of a brake pedal, gear position in a transmission, vehicle speed, road slope/ vehicle acceleration, steering angle, obstacle in close proximity to vehicle, state of exhaust throttle valve and battery voltage.

7. The system (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the control unit (108) is configured to operate the actuator (104) to pivot the auxiliary clutch pedal (101) from the first position to the second position, when the analysed condition of the operating parameters is equal to a threshold condition of the operating parameters.

8. The system (100) as claimed in claim 7, wherein the threshold condition of the operating parameters are disengaged position of an accelerator pedal, disengaged position of the primary clutch pedal (102), disengaged position of a brake pedal, gear position in one of the pre-defined gears, vehicle speed between pre-defined range for corresponding gear position, road slope/vehicle acceleration lesser than threshold value, steering angle lesser than threshold value, no obstacle in close proximity to vehicle, deactivated state of exhaust throttle valve and battery voltage greater than threshold value.

9. The system (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the control unit (108) is configured to alter engine speed [RPM] in relation to predetermined speed corresponding to geared position of the vehicle, before actuating the auxiliary clutch pedal (101) from the second position to the first position, after assisted coasting.

10. A vehicle comprising a system (100) as claimed in claim 1.

11. A method of assisting coasting of a vehicle, the method comprising:
receiving, by a control unit (108), operating parameters from a plurality of sensors (113) associated with the vehicle;
analysing by the control unit (108), a condition of the received operating parameters; and
actuating by the control unit (108), an actuator (104) based on the analysed condition of the operating parameters to selectively pivot the auxiliary clutch pedal (101) between a first position and a second position.

12. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the operating parameters are position of an accelerator pedal, position of a primary clutch pedal (102), position of a brake pedal, gear position in a transmission, vehicle speed, road slope/ vehicle acceleration, steering angle, obstacle in close proximity to vehicle, state of exhaust throttle valve and battery voltage.

13. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein analysing the condition of the operating parameters by the control unit (108) comprises determining condition of the operating parameters and comparing the determined condition of the operating parameters with a threshold condition of the operating parameters.

14. The method as claimed in claim 13, wherein the threshold condition of the operating parameters are disengaged position of an accelerator pedal, disengaged position of the primary clutch pedal (102), disengaged position of a brake pedal, gear position in one of the pre-defined gears, vehicle speed between pre-defined range for corresponding gear position, road slope/ vehicle acceleration lesser than threshold value, steering angle lesser than threshold value, no obstacle in close proximity to vehicle, deactivated state of exhaust throttle valve and battery voltage greater than threshold value.

15. The method as claimed in claim 11, comprises altering engine speed [RPM] in relation to predetermined speed corresponding to geared position of the vehicle, by a control unit (108), before actuating the auxiliary clutch pedal (101) from the second position to the first position, after assisted coasting.

Dated this 03rd December 2021

GOPINATH ARENUR SHANKARAJ
IN/PA 1852
Of K&S Partners
AGENT FOR THE APPLICANT
, Description:FORM 2
THE PATENTS ACT 1970
[39 OF 1970]
&
THE PATENTS RULES, 2003

COMPLETE SPECIFICATION
[See section 10; rule 13]

TITLE: “A SYSTEM FOR ASSISTING COASTING OF A VEHICLE AND A METHOD THEREOF”

Name and Address of the Applicant: TATA MOTORS LIMITED; Bombay House, 24 Homi Mody Street, Hutatma Chowk, Mumbai 400 001 Maharashtra, India.

Nationality: IN

The following specification particularly describes the invention and the manner in which it is to be performed.

TECHNICAL FIELD

[001] Present disclosure generally relates to a field of automobiles. Particularly, but not exclusively, the present disclosure relates to assisting the coasting of a vehicle. Further, embodiments of the present disclosure discloses a system and a method for coasting the vehicle for fuel economy benefit.

BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE

[002] Generally, automobiles are equipped with power train assembly for transmitting power generated by a prime mover i.e. engine or an electric motor to the wheels of the vehicle. The power train assembly usually comprises a clutch system to facilitate engagement and disengagement of plurality of gears to control the power or tractive torque transferred to the wheels, in order to serve the needs of power requirement at various power bands of the vehicle. Further, the power train assembly includes a propeller shaft, a differential assembly and wheel axles.

[003] During operation of the vehicle, operators usually tend to coast the vehicles to increase the fuel efficiency in topographies such as plane road, slopes or downhill condition of the roads by releasing accelerator pedal and brake pedal initially. Further to increase the coasting distance, the operators tend to disengage the clutch or engage the gear to neutral position in order to minimize the engine losses, avoid negative engine torque, thereby enabling the vehicle to remain moving for longer duration. By increasing the time period of coasting the vehicle, fuel efficiency can be increased, it can in-turn benefit from the kinetic energy stored in the vehicle to continue running for a longer duration with no or minimum fuel consumption. However, coasting the vehicle and switching the vehicle to normal operating condition (i.e., geared condition) solely depends on skill of the operator. Also, coasting the vehicle for longer durations by disengaging the clutch causes fatigue to the operator. In some instances, operators may not further coast the vehicle even when the conditions are favoring for coasting, which may affect fuel-efficiency of the vehicle. Further, during switching of the vehicle to the normal operating condition from neutral gear coasting, selecting right gear corresponding to vehicle speed depends on the skill of the operator. In some instances, operators are likely to shift wrong gears i.e., higher gear at lower vehicle speed and lower gear at higher vehicle speed. Such undesired shifting of gears would cause failure of components in the power train assembly, such as burning out or bursting of clutch, valve stamping, engine damage and the likes, which is undesired. Alternatively, switching back to normal driving condition, the driver might engage clutch at too low or too high vehicle speeds, which might result in stalling, sudden jerk or engine failures leading to undesired driving behavior on road.

[004] The present disclosure is directed to overcome one or more limitations stated above or other limitations associated with the existing art.

SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

[005] One or more shortcomings of conventional systems are overcome, and additional advantages are provided through the system and method as claimed in the present disclosure. Additional features and advantages are realized through the techniques of the present disclosure. Other embodiments and aspects of the disclosure are described in detail herein and are considered as a part of the claimed disclosure.

[006] In one non-limiting embodiment of the disclosure, a system for assisting coasting of a vehicle is disclosed. The system includes an auxiliary clutch pedal pivotally connected to a bracket. Further, the system includes an actuator coupled to the auxiliary clutch pedal and a control unit, communicatively coupled to the actuator. The control unit is configured to receive operating parameters from a plurality of sensors associated with the vehicle, analyze condition of the received operating parameters and operate the actuator based on the analyzed condition of the operating parameters to selectively displace the auxiliary clutch pedal between the first position and the second position.

[007] In an embodiment of the disclosure, the auxiliary clutch pedal pivots independent to pivotal displacement of the primary clutch pedal.

[008] In an embodiment of the disclosure, the auxiliary clutch pedal and the primary clutch pedal are configured to pivot about a common axis A-A.

[009] In an embodiment of the disclosure, the actuator is at least one of an electric, a pneumatic and a hydraulic actuator.

[010] In an embodiment of the disclosure, the first position of the auxiliary clutch pedal corresponds to released state and the second position of the auxiliary clutch pedal corresponds to pressed state.

[011] In an embodiment of the disclosure, the operating parameters are position of an accelerator pedal, position of a primary clutch pedal, position of a brake pedal, gear position in a transmission, vehicle speed, road slope/ vehicle acceleration, steering angle, obstacle in close proximity to vehicle, state of exhaust throttle valve and battery voltage.

[012] In another non-limiting embodiment of the present disclosure, the control unit is configured to actuate the actuator to pivot the auxiliary clutch pedal from the first position to the second position, when the analyzed condition of the operating parameters is equal to a threshold condition of the operating parameters.

[013] In an embodiment of the disclosure, the threshold condition of the operating parameters are disengaged position of an accelerator pedal, disengaged position of the primary clutch pedal, disengaged position of a brake pedal, gear position in one of the pre-defined gears, vehicle speed between pre-defined range for corresponding gear position, road slope/vehicle acceleration lesser than threshold value, steering angle lesser than threshold value, no obstacle in close proximity to vehicle, deactivated state of exhaust throttle valve and battery voltage greater than threshold value.

[014] In an embodiment, control unit is configured to alter engine rpm in relation to predetermined speed corresponding to geared position of the vehicle, before actuating the auxiliary clutch pedal from the second position to the first position, after assisted coasting.

[015] In an embodiment, a method for assisting coasting of a vehicle is disclosed. The method includes a receiving by a control unit, operating parameters from a plurality of sensors associated with the vehicle. Further, the method includes analyzing by the control unit, a condition of the received operating parameters and actuating by the control unit, an actuator based on the analyzed condition of the operating parameters to selectively pivot the auxiliary clutch pedal between a first position and a second position.

[016] In an embodiment, analyzing the condition of the operating parameters by the control unit comprises determining condition of the operating parameters and comparing the determined condition of the operating parameters with a threshold condition of the operating parameters.

[017] In an embodiment, the method comprises altering engine speed [RPM] in relation to pre-determined speed corresponding to geared position of the vehicle, by a control unit (108), before actuating the auxiliary clutch pedal (101) from the second position to the first position, after assisted coasting.

[018] It is to be understood that the aspects and embodiments of the disclosure described above may be used in any combination with each other. Several of the aspects and embodiments may be combined together to form a further embodiment of the disclosure.

[019] The foregoing summary is illustrative only and is not intended to be in any way limiting. In addition to the illustrative aspects, embodiments, and features described above, further aspects, embodiments, and features will become apparent by reference to the drawings and the following detailed description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF ACCOMPANYING DRAWINGS

[020] The novel features and characteristic of the disclosure are set forth in the appended claims. The disclosure itself, however, as well as a mode of use, further objectives, and advantages thereof, will best be understood by reference to the following detailed description of an embodiment when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. One or more embodiments are now described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein like reference numerals represent like elements and in which:

[021] Figure. 1 is a perspective view of a system for assisting coasting of a vehicle, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[022] Figure. 2 is a block diagram of the system for assisting coasting of the vehicle, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[023] Figures. 3a and 3b illustrates working conditions of a system of Figure. 1, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[024] Figure. 4 is a flow chart depicting operational sequence of the system, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[025] The figures depict embodiments of the disclosure for purposes of illustration only. One skilled in the art will readily recognize from the following description that alternative embodiments of the structures and methods illustrated herein may be employed without departing from the principles of the disclosure described herein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[026] While the embodiments in the disclosure are subject to various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments thereof have been shown by way of example in the figures and will be described below. It should be understood, however, that it is not intended to limit the disclosure to the particular forms disclosed, but on the contrary, the disclosure is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternative falling within the scope of the disclosure.

[027] It is to be noted that a person skilled in the art would be motivated from the present disclosure and modify various features of a system for assisting coasting of the vehicle and method of assisting coasting of the vehicle, without departing from the scope of the disclosure. Therefore, such modifications are considered to be part of the disclosure. Accordingly, the drawings show only those specific details that are pertinent to understand the embodiments of the present disclosure, so as not to obscure the disclosure with details that will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skilled in the art having benefit of the description herein.

[028] The terms “comprises”, “comprising”, or any other variations thereof used in the disclosure, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion, such that a system that comprises a list of components does not include only those components but may include other components not expressly listed or inherent to such system. In other words, one or more elements in a system or device proceeded by “comprises… a” does not, without more constraints, preclude the existence of other elements or additional elements in the system or device.

[029] Embodiments of the present disclosure disclose a system for assisting coasting of a vehicle. To improve fuel efficiency of the vehicle, during plane road, slope or downhill condition of the roads, operators tend to coast the vehicle by pressing the clutch pedal or shifting the gear to neutral position. However, such conventional techniques especially pressing the clutch pedal for longer duration for coasting the vehicle would cause fatigue to the operator. Further, during switching of the vehicle to the normal operating condition from neutral gear coasting, selecting right gear corresponding to vehicle speed depends on the skill of the operator. In some instances, operators are likely to shift wrong gears i.e., higher gear at lower vehicle speed and lower gear at higher vehicle speed. Such undesired shifting of gears would cause failure of components in the power train assembly, such as burning out or bursting of clutch, valve stamping, engine damage and the likes, which is undesired. Alternatively, switching back to normal driving condition, the driver might engage clutch at too low or too high vehicle speeds, which might result in stalling, sudden jerk or engine failures leading to undesired driving behavior on road.

[030] Accordingly, the present disclosure discloses the system for assisting the coasting of vehicle. The system facilitates automatic assisting of coasting of the vehicle, when condition of predetermined operating parameters of the vehicle are ideal. The system may include an auxiliary clutch pedal, which may be pivotally connected to a bracket. Further, the system may include an actuator, which may be coupled to the auxiliary clutch pedal. The actuator may be configured to operate the auxiliary clutch pedal between a first position (i.e., released condition) and a second position (i.e., pressed condition). The auxiliary clutch pedal may be configured to operate independent to the operation of the primary clutch pedal. Furthermore, the system may include a control unit, which may be communicatively coupled to the actuator. The control unit may be configured to receive operating parameters from a plurality of sensors, associated with the vehicle. Further, the control unit may analyze condition of the received operating parameters, and operate the actuator to selectively pivot the auxiliary clutch pedal between the first position and the second position, based on the analyzed condition of the operating parameters. That is, once the condition of the operating parameters are equal to a threshold condition of the operating parameters, the control unit may operate the actuator to pivot the auxiliary clutch pedal from the first position to the second position, causing the clutch to disengage, thereby assisting coasting of the vehicle. Further, when at least one condition of the operating parameters deviates from the threshold condition, the control unit may operate the actuator to pivot the auxiliary clutch pedal from the second position to the first position, causing the clutch to engage, and thereby switching the vehicle to normal operating condition. This configuration, therefore facilitates automatic assisting of coasting of the vehicle, thus reducing fatigue to the operator and also increasing coasting distance of the vehicle, thereby improving fuel economy benefit. Also, the control unit may be configured to alter engine speed [RPM] corresponding to engaged gear position, before operating the vehicle to normal operating condition, after coasting. This configuration aids in mitigating shifting of gears (i.e., up-shifting or down-shifting) by the operator, when the vehicle is being operated to normal condition after coasting. Therefore, with no necessity to change gears after coasting the vehicle, undesired gear selection by the operator with respect to speed of the vehicle and inappropriate clutch engagement after coasting is eliminated. Hence, service life of the power transmission components is improved.

[031] The following paragraphs describe the present disclosure with reference to Figures. 1 to 4. In the figures, the same element or elements which have similar functions are indicated by the same reference signs.

[032] Figure. 1 illustrates a perspective view of the system (100) for assisting coasting of a vehicle. The system (100) may automatically assist in coasting of the vehicle, unlike conventional techniques where the operator presses the clutch manually or shifts to neutral to further coast the vehicle, which solely depends on the operator. Further, the system (100) may aid in altering the engine speed [RPM] corresponding to gear position of the vehicle after assisted coasting, thereby mitigating the need of changing gears by the operator while switching to normal operating condition, thereby mitigating chances of undesired gear selection by the operator post coasting of the vehicle.

[033] As seen in Figures. 1 and 2, the system (100) may include an auxiliary clutch pedal (101), which may be connected to a bracket (103) connected to a body of the vehicle through a mounting bracket (115). In an embodiment, the bracket (103) may also be configured to receive the primary clutch pedal (102) which is pivotally connected or may be an independent bracket which may be positioned in a cabin (not shown in Figures) of the vehicle. The auxiliary clutch pedal (101) may be pivotally coupled to the bracket (103) and may be configured to pivot between a first position and a second position. As an example, the auxiliary clutch pedal (101) may be pivotally coupled to the bracket (103) through a shaft (105), which may rigidly fixed to the bracket (103). In an embodiment, the auxiliary clutch pedal (101) may be configured to pivot independent to the pivotal displacement of the primary clutch pedal (102). That is, during pivotal displacement of the primary clutch pedal (102) between the first position and the second position, the auxiliary clutch pedal (101) may be stationary at the first position and vice-versa. In an illustrated embodiment, the auxiliary clutch pedal (101) may be configured to pivot about axis A-A, which is the same axis about which the primary clutch pedal (102) is configured to pivot between the first position and the second position corresponding to actuation by the operator. However, the same cannot be construed as a limitation, since the auxiliary clutch pedal (101) may be connected at a different location and may operate independent to operation of the primary clutch pedal (102). Further, as apparent from Figure. 1, the auxiliary clutch pedal (101) may be connected to a master cylinder (107) through a clevis rod (106). The clevis rod (106) may be configured to operate the master cylinder (107) corresponding to pivotal displacement of the auxiliary clutch pedal (101) between the first position and the second position. In an embodiment, the term “first position” may correspond to released state of the auxiliary clutch pedal (101) and the term “second position” corresponds to pressed state of the auxiliary clutch pedal (101).

[034] Referring further to Figures. 1 and 2, the system (100) may include an actuator (104), which may be coupled to the auxiliary clutch pedal (101). As an example, the auxiliary clutch pedal (101) may be coupled to the actuator through a cable or linkage (116), where the cable (116) may be operated by the actuator to pivot the auxiliary clutch pedal (101) between the first position and the second position. The actuator (104) may be configured to selectively pivot the auxiliary clutch pedal (101) between the first position and the second position. In an embodiment, the actuator (104) may be one of but not limiting to an electric actuator, a hydraulic actuator, a pneumatic actuator and the likes. Furthermore, the system (100) may include a control unit (108), which may be communicatively coupled to the actuator (104). The control unit (108) may be configured to operate the actuator (104) to selectively pivot the auxiliary clutch pedal (101) [during coasting] from the first position to the second position to further assist in coasting of the vehicle and from the second position to the first position to switch the vehicle back to normal operating condition. The term “normal operating condition” may be inferred as operating the vehicle in a geared condition i.e., with gears engaged and the vehicle moving at a desired speed. Additionally, the system (100) may include an indication unit [not shown in figures] which may be communicatively coupled to the control unit (108). In an embodiment, the indication unit may be positioned in a cabin of the vehicle at a visible region to the operator. The control unit (108) may generate a signal through the indication unit, which is an indication regarding activation of the system (100) for assisting coasting of the vehicle. In an embodiment, the control unit (108) may be configured to generate the signal through the indication unit, which is an indication of malfunction or faulty state of the system (100).

[035] In an embodiment, the indication unit is at least one of an audio unit, a visual unit and an audio-visual unit. The audio unit generate an audio warning signal, the visual unit generates a visual warning signal, typically on an instrument cluster and the audio-visual unit generated both audio and video warning signal.

[036] Referring further to Figure. 2, the control unit (108) may include a receiving module (109), a processing module (110), a memory module (112) and an actuation module (111). The control unit (108) may be configured to operate the actuator (104) to selectively pivot the auxiliary clutch pedal (101) [during coasting] from the first position to the second position to further assist in coasting of the vehicle and from the second position to the first position to switch the vehicle back to normal operating condition, based on operating parameters of the vehicle, which may be received from a plurality of sensors (113) associated with the vehicle. As an example, the plurality of sensors (113) may be an Accelerator pedal sensor, Brake pedal sensor, Clutch pedal sensor, Gear position sensor, Clutch Out speed sensor, Steering sensor, Vehicle Speed sensor, Proximity sensor, Exhaust Throttle Valve (ETV) position sensor and Battery voltage sensor.

[037] The receiving module (109) of the control unit (108) may be configured to receive operating parameters from a plurality of sensors (113), which may be associated with the vehicle. In an embodiment, the operating parameters may be position of an accelerator pedal, position of primary clutch pedal (102), pre-defined gear position in transmission, vehicle speed corresponding to gear position speed, road slope/ vehicle acceleration, steering angle, obstacle proximity to the vehicle, state of exhaust throttle valve and battery voltage. The operating parameters received by the receiving module (109) that may be fed into a processing module (110). The processing module (110) may analyze condition of the operating parameters. In an embodiment, analyzing the condition of the operating parameters may include determining the condition of the operating parameters and comparing the determined condition of the operating parameters with a threshold condition of the operating parameters. In an embodiment, threshold condition of the operating parameters may be disengaged position of an accelerator pedal, disengaged position of the primary clutch pedal (102), gear position in one of the pre-defined gears (i.e., one of the top gears depending on the gearbox), vehicle speed between pre-defined range for corresponding gear position, road slope/ vehicle acceleration lesser than threshold value, steering angle lesser than threshold value, no obstacle in close proximity to vehicle, deactivated state of exhaust throttle valve and battery voltage greater than threshold value, which may be stored in the memory module (112). Based on the analysis i.e., if the determined condition of the operating parameters is equal to or matches with the threshold condition of the operating parameters, the processing module (110) may generate a signal to the actuation module (111). The actuation module (111) upon receiving the signal from the processing module (110) may operate the actuator (104) to pivot the auxiliary clutch pedal (101) from a first position to the second position [best seen in Figure. 3b], to disengage the clutch for coasting. Simultaneously, the actuation module (111) may activate the indication unit, which may indicate about the system (100) for coasting of the vehicle being activated. Further, the control unit (108) may be configured to alter engine speed [RPM] corresponding to engaged gear position, before operating the vehicle to normal operating conditions after assisted coasting, thereby mitigating shifting of gears (i.e., up-shifting or down-shifting) by the operator, when the vehicle is being operated to normal condition after assisted coasting.

[038] In an embodiment, the processing module (110) may continuously analyze condition of the operating parameter. When at least one of the determined condition of the operating parameter is not equal to or mismatches with the threshold condition of the operating parameters, the processing module (110) may generate another signal to the actuation module (111). The actuation module (111) upon receiving another signal may operate the actuator (104) [after altering the engine speed (RPM], to pivot the auxiliary clutch pedal (101) from the second position to the first position [best seen in Figure. 3a] to operate the vehicle under normal condition. Simultaneously, the actuation module (111) may deactivate the indication unit, which may indicate about deactivation of the system (100).

[039] In an embodiment, the operating parameters defined in the foregoing paragraphs are exemplary embodiment and the same cannot be construed as a limitation, since other operating parameters may be included based on the requirement for assisting coasting of the vehicle.

[040] Turning now to Figure. 4, which is a flowchart depicting operational sequence of the system (100) for assisting coasting of the vehicle. As illustrated in flowchart of Figure. 4, the one or more blocks illustrates a sequence of operation of the system (100). The operation may be described in the general context of computer executable instructions. Generally, computer executable instructions may include routines, programs, objects, components, data structures, procedures, modules, and functions, which perform functions or implement abstract data types.

[041] As seen in Figure. 4, at block 201, the receiving module (109) may receive operating parameters from the plurality of sensors (113) associated with the vehicle. Further, the received operating parameters may be fed into the processing module (110). The processing module (110) may analyze condition of the operating parameters (at block 202). In an embodiment, analyzing the condition of the operating parameters may include determining the condition of the operating parameters and comparing the determined condition of the operating parameters with a threshold condition of the operating parameters. Based on the analysis i.e., if the determined condition of the operating parameters is equal or matches with the threshold condition of the operating parameters, the processing module (110) may generate a signal to the actuation module (111).

[042] At block 203, the actuation module (111) based on the signal from the processing module (110) may operate the actuator (104) to pivot the auxiliary clutch pedal (101) from the first position to the second position for disengaging the clutch, during assisted coasting of the vehicle. Simultaneously, the actuation module (111) may activate the indication unit, which may indicate about the status of the system (100) being activated (for assisting coasting of vehicle), in the form of an audio signal or a visual signal or audio-visual signal.

[043] In an embodiment, the system (100) may include a fault diagnostic unit (114). The fault diagnostic unit (114) may be configured to monitor functioning of the components of the system (100) and the plurality of sensors (113) associated with the vehicle. Further, the fault diagnostic unit (114) may be configured to indicate a faulty alert through an indication unit, upon detection of deviation on functioning of at least one of components of the system (100) and the plurality of sensors (113).

[044] In an embodiment, the fault diagnostic unit (114) may be an integral component of the control unit (108) or may be an external unit which may be communicatively coupled to the control unit (108).

[045] In an embodiment, the system (100) may facilitate in further coasting of the vehicle, thus facilitates in enhancing the coasting distance of the vehicle, thereby increasing fuel economy of the vehicle.

[046] In an embodiment, the system (100) may be fitted in the existing vehicles without substantial modification.

[047] In an embodiment, the system (100) is modular, simple, and effectively facilitates automatic assisting of coasting of the vehicle and alters engine speed [RPM] to match with the geared position of the vehicle, before the vehicle is being operated to the normal condition, after assisted coasting.

[048] In an embodiment of the disclosure, the control unit (108) may be a centralized control unit, or a dedicated control unit. The control unit (108) may be implemented by any computing systems that is utilized to implement the features of the present disclosure. The processing module (110) of the control unit (108) may comprise at least one data processor for executing program components for executing user or system generated requests. The processing module (110) may be a specialized processing module such as integrated system (bus) controllers, memory management control units, floating point units, graphics processing modules, digital signal processing modules, etc. The processing module (110) may include a microprocessor, such as AMD Athlon, Duron or Opteron, ARM’s application, embedded or secure processors, IBM PowerPC, Intel’s Core, Itanium, Xeon, Celeron or other line of processors, etc. The processing module (110) may be implemented using a mainframe, distributed processor, multi-core, parallel, grid, or other architectures. Some embodiments may utilize embedded technologies like application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), digital signal processors (DSPs), Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs), etc.

[049] In some embodiments, the control unit (108) may be disposed in communication with one or more memory devices (e.g., RAM, ROM etc.) via a storage interface. The storage interface may connect to memory devices including, without limitation, memory drives, removable disc drives, etc., employing connection protocols such as serial advanced technology attachment (SATA), integrated drive electronics (IDE), IEEE-1394, universal serial bus (USB), fiber channel, small computing system interface (SCSI), etc. The memory drives may further include a drum, magnetic disc drive, magneto-optical drive, optical drive, redundant array of independent discs (RAID), solid-state memory devices, solid-state drives, etc.

[050] It is to be understood that a person of ordinary skill in the art may develop a system (100) of similar configuration without deviating from the scope of the present disclosure. Such modifications and variations may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. Therefore, it is intended that the present disclosure covers such modifications and variations, provided they come within the ambit of the appended claims and their equivalents.

Equivalents:

[051] With respect to the use of substantially any plural and/or singular terms herein, those having skill in the art can translate from the plural to the singular and/or from the singular to the plural as is appropriate to the context and/or application. The various singular/plural permutations may be expressly set forth herein for sake of clarity.

[052] It will be understood by those within the art that, in general, terms used herein, and especially in the appended claims (e.g., bodies of the appended claims) are generally intended as “open” terms (e.g., the term “including” should be interpreted as “including but not limited to,” the term “having” should be interpreted as “having at least,” the term “includes” should be interpreted as “includes but is not limited to,” etc.). It will be further understood by those within the art that if a specific number of an introduced claim recitation is intended, such an intent will be explicitly recited in the claim, and in the absence of such recitation no such intent is present. For example, as an aid to understanding, the following appended claims may contain usage of the introductory phrases “at least one” and “one or more” to introduce claim recitations. However, the use of such phrases should not be construed to imply that the introduction of a claim recitation by the indefinite articles “a” or “an” limits any particular claim containing such introduced claim recitation to inventions containing only one such recitation, even when the same claim includes the introductory phrases “one or more” or “at least one” and indefinite articles such as “a” or “an” (e.g., “a” and/or “an” should typically be interpreted to mean “at least one” or “one or more”); the same holds true for the use of definite articles used to introduce claim recitations. In addition, even if a specific number of an introduced claim recitation is explicitly recited, those skilled in the art will recognize that such recitation should typically be interpreted to mean at least the recited number (e.g., the bare recitation of “two recitations,” without other modifiers, typically means at least two recitations, or two or more recitations). Furthermore, in those instances where a convention analogous to “at least one of A, B, and C, etc.” is used, in general such a construction is intended in the sense one having skill in the art would understand the convention (e.g., “a system having at least one of A, B, and C” would include but not be limited to systems that have A alone, B alone, C alone, A and B together, A and C together, B and C together, and/or A, B, and C together, etc.). In those instances, where a convention analogous to “at least one of A, B, or C, etc.” is used, in general such a construction is intended in the sense one having skill in the art would understand the convention (e.g., “a system having at least one of A, B, or C” would include but not be limited to systems that have A alone, B alone, C alone, A and B together, A and C together, B and C together, and/or A, B, and C together, etc.). It will be further understood by those within the art that virtually any disjunctive word and/or phrase presenting two or more alternative terms, whether in the description, claims, or drawings, should be understood to contemplate the possibilities of including one of the terms, either of the terms, or both terms. For example, the phrase “A or B” will be understood to include the possibilities of “A” or “B” or “A and B.” While various aspects and embodiments have been disclosed herein, other aspects and embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art. The various aspects and embodiments disclosed herein are for purposes of illustration and are not intended to be limiting, with the true scope and spirit being indicated by the following claims.

Referral Numerals:

Particular Reference number
System 100
Auxiliary clutch pedal 101
Primary clutch pedal 102
Bracket 103
Actuator 104
Shaft 105
Clevis rod 106
Master cylinder 107
Control unit 108
Receiving module 109
Processing module 110
Actuation module 111
Memory module 112
Sensors 113
Fault diagnostic unit 114
Mounting bracket 115
Cable or linkage 116