DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Status of Claims
This action is response to the amendments filed 05/20/2026. Wherein, claims 1, 4, 6, 11, and 17 are amended. Claims 1-20 are rejected.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, see REMARKS, filed 05/20/2026, with respect to the rejection(s) of claim(s) 1-16 under USC § 103 have been fully considered and are persuasive. Therefore, the rejection has been withdrawn. However, upon further consideration, a new ground(s) of rejection is made in view of Pan et al.
With respect to the rejection of claim 17, the Applicant argues:
The Office relies upon Dickson to teach the limitations of, "when operating the hybrid vehicle with the engine off, estimate a modified driver demand power at a location on the route based on the stored baseline driver demand power, the stored first set of multiplication factors, and the stored second set of multiplication factors." Dickson is directed towards a coordinated predictive cruise control with predictive engine off coasting. See Dickson at paragraph [0021]. That is, Dickson is directed towards determining opportunities for engine off coasting.
Dickson fails to disclose or suggest estimating a modified driver demand power at a location in the manner as claimed, let alone using such an estimated modified driver demand power for the following:
[...]in response to a difference between the modified driver demand power and a pull-up threshold of an engine of the hybrid vehicle at the location being less than a first threshold difference, pressurize a driveline disconnect clutch (DCC) to a touch point of the DCC in anticipation of a power request at the location to reduce a delay in starting the engine prior to reaching the location, maintain the DCC at the touch point without starting the engine, and then, responsive to the power request, starting the engine from the DCC at the touch point.
The Office relies upon Blue to cure the deficiencies of Dickson as to pressurizing the DCC to the touch point. Whether or not Blue generally recognizes pressurizing the DCC to the touch point, there is insufficient evidence of record based on Dickson and Blue to, "pressurize a driveline disconnect clutch (DCC) to a touch point of the DCC in anticipation of a power request at the location to reduce a delay in starting the engine prior to reaching the location, maintain the DCC at the touch point without starting the engine, and then, responsive to the power request, starting the engine from the DCC at the touch point," responsive "to a difference between the modified driver demand power and a pull- up threshold of an engine of the hybrid vehicle at the location being less than a first threshold difference," as claimed.
Dickson teaches that the location of the vehicle can impact the vehicle power demand increases based on the location of the vehicle, e.g., approaching a hill. Dickson does not explicitly teach pressurizing the DCC to a touch point. However, Blue teaches adjusting the drivetrain of the vehicle based on driver demand. This adjustment includes stroking the disconnect clutch to a touch point where opposing sides of the disconnect clutch begin to make contact but where substantially zero power is transferred between the sides. When driver demand requires an engine start event, then the touch point increases to allow the engine to operate. This prevents the delay in the engine starting as described in Blue ¶ [0031]-[0040].
In summary, Dickson discloses that the vehicle power demand is based on location and that this power demand may be determined in anticipation of those locations. Dickson further teaches turning the engine on or off depending on the power demands and locations of the vehicle. Dickson does not teach that a pressurized driveline disconnect clutch is used to perform the engine on/off control. However, Blue discloses this feature as well as a zero point touch point occurring prior to engine starting, to reduce the delay in the engine start when the demand requires it.
Thus, the combination of Dickson and Blue teaches the entirety of claim 17. Therefore the previous rejections of claims 17-20 are maintained.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
Claim(s) 1-4, 11, and 12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Blue et al. (US 2021/0171014 A1, “Blue”) in view of Yu et al. (US 2014/0163789 A1, “Yu”) and in further view of Pan et al. (US 2021/0046918 A1, “Pan”).
Regarding claim 1, Blue discloses a system for controlling an engine disconnect clutch in a hybrid vehicle and teaches:
A method for a controller of a hybrid vehicle, the method comprising: (The invention is directed towards a method – See at least ¶ [0004])
during operation of the hybrid vehicle using an electric motor, an engine of the hybrid vehicle off: (FIG. 1 depicts an electrified vehicle 112 that may be referred to as a plug-in hybrid-electric vehicle (PHEV)… The electric machines 114 can provide propulsion and braking capability when the engine 118 is turned on or off – See at least ¶ [0012])
determining a difference between the modified driver demand power and a pull-up threshold of the engine at the location is less than a first threshold difference; (It should be noted that at block 104, the method 100 alternatively may determine whether or not a speed of the rotor of the M/G 18 is less than a threshold as opposed to the speed of the impeller 21 of the torque converter 22, which is also indicative of an impending or subsequent shutdown of the primary hydraulic pump 74 where the speed of the impeller of the primary hydraulic pump 74 will be zero. If the speed of the rotor of the M/G 18 is not less than the threshold, the method 100 would recycle back to the beginning of block 104. If the speed of the rotor of the M/G 18 is less than the threshold, the method 100 would move on to block 106 – See at least ¶ [0036]))
in response to the difference between the modified driver demand power and the pull-up threshold of the engine at the location being less than the first threshold difference, (It should be noted that at block 104, the method 100 alternatively may determine whether or not a speed of the rotor of the M/G 18 is less than a threshold as opposed to the speed of the impeller 21 of the torque converter 22, which is also indicative of an impending or subsequent shutdown of the primary hydraulic pump 74 where the speed of the impeller of the primary hydraulic pump 74 will be zero. If the speed of the rotor of the M/G 18 is not less than the threshold, the method 100 would recycle back to the beginning of block 104. If the speed of the rotor of the M/G 18 is less than the threshold, the method 100 would move on to block 106 – See at least ¶ [0036]) pressurizing a driveline disconnect clutch (DCC) to a touch point of the DCC to reduce a delay in starting the engine. (the method 100 moves on to block 106 where the disconnect clutch 26 is stroked and advanced to a touch point where opposing sides of disconnect clutch 26 begin to make contact but where substantially zero power is transferred between the engine 14 and the M/G 18 – See at least ¶ [0035]; To improve the drivability during such an engine start, the disconnect clutch 26 may be stroked to a touch point where opposing sides of disconnect clutch 26 begin to make contact but where substantially zero power is transferred between the engine 14 and M/G 18 in order to get the disconnect clutch 26 past its hydraulic stroke so that the disconnect clutch 26 can respond quickly to torque requests – See at least ¶ [0032])
Blue does not explicitly teach estimating a modified driver demand power at a location of the hybrid vehicle. However, Yu discloses trip oriented energy management control and teaches:
estimating a modified driver demand power at a location of the hybrid vehicle; (It may also be desirable to find an operator usage oriented Solution that optimizes the system operation and the energy consumption comprehensively. Certain examples herein focus on the trip domain feedback control and the vehicle domain system optimization. The generation of the battery SOC profile used in this disclosure discusses the minimum level of trip fore knowledge being trip distance until next charge, but the SOC profile is not limited to trip distance and may include other trip characteristics Such as route characteristics, real-time data, driver characteristics, or desired driver behavior. The route characteristics include but are not limited to map information like road type (highway, city, etc.) posted speed limits, and road grade, which is a directional change in elevation. The real-time data includes but are not limited to traffic, construction, accidents, weather, and lane closures. The driver characteristics include but are not limited to historical driver patterns, a determination if a commute is based on day of the week and time of day. The driver desired behavior includes but is not limited to driver input (performance, economy, city, etc.) or driver demand. A PHEV energy management strategy that incorporates the trip distance information can achieve better fuel economy by allowing an extended scale of system optimization – See at least ¶ [0020])
In summary, Blue discloses a system for controlling an engine disconnect clutch in a hybrid vehicle and teaches, based on driver demand and a pull-up engine threshold, initiating a clutch plate connect method. This method includes setting the clutch to a touchpoint prior to the starting of the engine in order to avoid lag of the engine when starting. Blue further discloses that this may be performed during specific traffic situations, e.g., stop and go, or at different speeds. Blue does not explicitly teach the prediction of the demand at these locations due to the existence of the specific traffic situations at those locations. However, Yu discloses a trip oriented energy management control and teaches determining for a trip patterns of behaviors of the driver, e.g., driver demands, along the path and together with map information and other data determining power demands.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the instant application to have modified the system for controlling an engine disconnect clutch in a hybrid vehicle of Blue to provide for the trip oriented energy management control, as taught in Yu, because A PHEV energy management strategy that incorporates the trip distance information can achieve better fuel economy by allowing an extended scale of system optimization. (At Yu ¶ [0020])
The combination of Blue and Yu does not explicitly teach where estimating the modified driver demand power includes calculating a baseline driver demand power based on historical driving data on a route the hybrid vehicle is located, and where the modified driver demand is further based on real-time data detected via sensors of the hybrid vehicle. However, Pan et al. discloses hybrid vehicle transmission control using driver statistics and teaches:
vehicle, where estimating the modified driver demand power includes calculating a baseline driver demand power based on historical driving data on a route the hybrid vehicle is located, and where the modified driver demand is further based on real-time data detected via sensors of the hybrid vehicle; (In some implementations, Layer 2 is configured to predict driver demand over a short-horizon period of time. While the long-horizon driver demand prediction of Layer 1 may be based on information such as predicted driver route, current traffic, etc., Layer 2 is configured to predict the short-horizon driver demand based on historical driver statistics as well as immediate environment information including, for example, data from vehicle cameras and sensors regarding the presence of other nearby vehicles. For example, if the sensor data indicates that the hybrid vehicle is approaching another vehicle from behind, the short horizon driver demand prediction may indicate that the driver is likely to decelerate the vehicle – See at least ¶ [0030]; Examiner notes that Layer 1 is a baseline driver demand power and Layer 2 is a modified driver demand.)
In summary, Blue teaches estimating driver demand power and operating the drive train in response to those demands. While Yu teaches determining driver power demand based on real-time data and historical patterns. The combination of Blue and Yu does not explicitly teach vehicle, where estimating the modified driver demand power includes calculating a baseline driver demand power based on historical driving data on a route the hybrid vehicle is located, and where the modified driver demand is further based on real-time data detected via sensors of the hybrid vehicle. However, Pan discloses hybrid vehicle transmission control using driver statistics and teaches determining a driver demand based on a first layer, i.e., a baseline, and a second layer, i.e., a modified driver demand based on historical and real-time data.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the instant application to have modified the system for controlling an engine disconnect clutch in a hybrid vehicle of Blue and Yu to provide for the hybrid vehicle transmission control using driver statistics, as taught in Pan, to apply a pre-adjustment to one or more operating settings of the hybrid vehicle in response to determining that, due to vehicle component limitations, a target set of operating settings defined by the control policy for the predicted short-horizon driver demand cannot be applied within a defined time period. (At Pan ¶ [0007])
Regarding claim 2, Blue further teaches:
in response to the difference being greater than a second threshold difference, the second threshold difference greater than the first threshold difference, setting the DCC to an open state to reduce clutch drag and increase fuel efficiency. (At decision block 108 it is determined if the speed of the impeller 21 of the torque converter 22 has increased to a value that is greater than the threshold determined at block 104 plus a hysteresis value . The threshold determined at block 104 plus the hysteresis value may be referred to as a second threshold , which is greater than the first threshold (i.e., the threshold determined at block 104). If the speed of the impeller 21 is not greater than the threshold determined at block 104 plus the hysteresis value, the method 100 recycles back to the beginning of block 108 where the position of the disconnect clutch 26 is maintained at the touch point. If the speed of the impeller 21 is greater than the threshold determined at block 104 plus the hysteresis value, the method 10 moves on to block 114 where the disconnect clutch 26 is retracted and opened. The disconnect clutch 26 is retracted and opened at block 114 because the increase in the speed of the impeller 21 is indicative that an impending or subsequent shutdown of the primary hydraulic pump 74 no longer exists – See at least ¶ [0037])
Regarding claim 3, Blue further teaches:
in response to the difference being greater than the first threshold difference and less than the second threshold difference, pressurizing the DCC to less than the touch point. (If the controller has received a signal indicative of a disconnect clutch fault or if the timer has expired after the disconnect clutch 26 was advanced to the touch point, while the speed of the impeller 21 or the speed of the rotor of the M/G 18 remains below the threshold determined at block 104 plus the hysteresis value, the method 100 moves on to block 114 where the disconnect clutch 26 is retracted and opened, i.e., pressurized to less than the touch point – See at least ¶ [0039]; Examiner notes that in this situation the disconnect clutch was advanced to the touch point, i.e., greater than the first threshold, but the threshold plus hysteresis value, i.e., the second threshold, has not been met and the clutch is retracted, i.e., pressurized to less than the touch point.)
Regarding claim 4, Blue does not explicitly teach, but Yu further teaches:
wherein the historical driving data is historical driving data of the hybrid vehicle, and wherein estimating the modified driver demand power at the location further comprises calculating the baseline driver demand power of the hybrid vehicle as a function of vehicle weight, based on at least one of: (The driver characteristics include but are not limited to historical driver patterns, a determination if a commute is based on day of the week and time of day. The driver desired behavior includes but is not limited to driver input (performance, economy, city, etc.) or driver demand – See at least ¶ [0020])
a driving profile of a driver of the hybrid vehicle; and (The system uses patterns of the previous driver behaviors and characteristics, i.e., a profile of the driver – See at least ¶ [0020])
a time of day at which the hybrid vehicle is being operated. (The driver characteristics include but are not limited to historical driver patterns, a determination if a commute is based on day of the week and time of the day – See at least ¶ [0020])
Therefore it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the instant application to have modified the system for controlling an engine disconnect clutch in a hybrid vehicle of Blue to provide for the trip oriented energy management control, as taught in Yu, because A PHEV energy management strategy that incorporates the trip distance information can achieve better fuel economy by allowing an extended scale of system optimization. (At Yu ¶ [0020])
Regarding claim 11, Blue discloses a system for controlling an engine disconnect clutch in a hybrid vehicle and teaches:
A system of a hybrid vehicle, comprising: (The invention is directed towards a system – See at least ¶ [0001])
a modular hybrid transmission (MHT) including a disconnect clutch (DCC) that connects an electric machine and an engine of the hybrid vehicle to a driveline of the hybrid vehicle; (The powertrain 12 includes an engine 14 that drives a transmission 16, which may be referred to as a modular hybrid transmission ( MHT ) – See at least ¶ [0009])
a controller, (The powertrain 12 further includes an associated controller 50 such as a powertrain control unit (PCU). While illustrated as one controller, the controller 50 may be part of a larger control system and may be controlled by various other controllers throughout the vehicle 10, such as a vehicle system controller (VSC). It should therefore be understood that the powertrain control unit 50 and one or more other controllers can collectively be referred to as a “controller” that controls various actuators in response to signals from various sensors to control functions such as starting/stopping engine 14, operating M/G 18 to provide wheel torque or charge battery 20, select or schedule transmission shifts, etc. – See at least ¶ [0016]) and instructions stored in a memory of the hybrid vehicle that when executed, cause the controller to: (Controller 50 may include a microprocessor or central processing unit (CPU) in communication with various types of computer readable storage devices or media. Computer readable storage devices or media may include volatile and nonvolatile storage in read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), and keep-alive memory (KAM), for example. KAM is a persistent or non-volatile memory that may be used to store various operating variables while the CPU is powered down. Computer-readable storage devices or media may be implemented using any of a number of known memory devices such as PROMs (programmable read-only memory), EPROMs (electrically PROM), EEPROMs (electrically erasable PROM), flash memory, or any other electric, magnetic, optical, or combination memory devices capable of storing data, some of which represent executable instructions, used by the controller in controlling the engine or vehicle – See at least ¶ [0016])
when operating the hybrid vehicle with the engine off, estimate a modified driver demand power [] (FIG. 1 depicts an electrified vehicle 112 that may be referred to as a plug-in hybrid-electric vehicle (PHEV)… The electric machines 114 can provide propulsion and braking capability when the engine 118 is turned on or off – See at least ¶ [0012]; The driver demand is determined – See at least ¶ [0036])
[] adjust the DCC to either maximize a fuel efficiency of the hybrid vehicle or reduce a delay in achieving the modified driver demand power using the engine, based on the modified driver demand power. (the method 100 moves on to block 106 where the disconnect clutch 26 is stroked and advanced to a touch point where opposing sides of disconnect clutch 26 begin to make contact but where substantially zero power is transferred between the engine 14 and the M/G 18 – See at least ¶ [0035]; To improve the drivability during such an engine start, the disconnect clutch 26 may be stroked to a touch point where opposing sides of disconnect clutch 26 begin to make contact but where substantially zero power is transferred between the engine 14 and M/G 18 in order to get the disconnect clutch 26 past its hydraulic stroke so that the disconnect clutch 26 can respond quickly to torque requests – See at least ¶ [0032])
Blue does not explicitly teach estimate a modified driver demand power at a location on a route of the hybrid vehicle. However, Yu discloses trip oriented energy management control and teaches:
[] estimate a modified driver demand power at a location on a route of the hybrid vehicle [] (It may also be desirable to find an operator usage oriented solution that optimizes the system operation and the energy consumption comprehensively. Certain examples herein focus on the trip domain feedback control and the vehicle domain system optimization. The generation of the battery SOC profile used in this disclosure discusses the minimum level of trip fore knowledge being trip distance until next charge, but the SOC profile is not limited to trip distance and may include other trip characteristics Such as route characteristics, real-time data, driver characteristics, or desired driver behavior. The route characteristics include but are not limited to map information like road type (highway, city, etc.) posted speed limits, and road grade, which is a directional change in elevation. The real-time data includes but are not limited to traffic, construction, accidents, weather, and lane closures. The driver characteristics include but are not limited to historical driver patterns, a determination if a commute is based on day of the week and time of day. The driver desired behavior includes but is not limited to driver input (performance, economy, city, etc.) or driver demand – See at least ¶ [0020])
prior to reaching the location, adjust the DCC to either maximize a fuel efficiency of the hybrid vehicle or reduce a delay in achieving the modified driver demand power using the engine, based on the modified driver demand power. (A PHEV energy management strategy that incorporates the trip distance information can achieve better fuel economy by allowing an extended scale of system optimization – See at least ¶ [0020])
In summary, Blue discloses a system for controlling an engine disconnect clutch in a hybrid vehicle and teaches, based on driver demand and a pull-up engine threshold, initiating a clutch plate connect method. This method includes setting the clutch to a touchpoint prior to the starting of the engine in order to avoid lag of the engine when starting. Blue further discloses that this may be performed during specific traffic situations, e.g., stop and go, or at different speeds. Blue does not explicitly teach the prediction of the demand at these locations due to the existence of the specific traffic situations at those locations. However, Yu discloses a trip oriented energy management control and teaches determining for a trip patterns of behaviors of the driver, e.g., driver demands, along the path and together with map information and other data determining power demands.
Therefore it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the instant application to have modified the system for controlling an engine disconnect clutch in a hybrid vehicle of Blue to provide for the trip oriented energy management control, as taught in Yu, because A PHEV energy management strategy that incorporates the trip distance information can achieve better fuel economy by allowing an extended scale of system optimization. (At Yu ¶ [0020])
The combination of Blue and Yu does not explicitly teach wherein estimating the modified driver demand power includes calculating a baseline driver demand power based on historical driving data on a route the MHT is located, and where the modified driver demand is further based on real-time data detected via sensors of the MHT. However, Pan et al. discloses hybrid vehicle transmission control using driver statistics and teaches:
[] wherein estimating the modified driver demand power includes calculating a baseline driver demand power based on historical driving data on a route the MHT is located, and where the modified driver demand is further based on real-time data detected via sensors of the MHT; (In some implementations, Layer 2 is configured to predict driver demand over a short-horizon period of time. While the long-horizon driver demand prediction of Layer 1 may be based on information such as predicted driver route, current traffic, etc., Layer 2 is configured to predict the short-horizon driver demand based on historical driver statistics as well as immediate environment information including, for example, data from vehicle cameras and sensors regarding the presence of other nearby vehicles. For example, if the sensor data indicates that the hybrid vehicle is approaching another vehicle from behind, the short horizon driver demand prediction may indicate that the driver is likely to decelerate the vehicle – See at least ¶ [0030]; Examiner notes that Layer 1 is a baseline driver demand power and Layer 2 is a modified driver demand.)
In summary, Blue teaches estimating driver demand power and operating the drive train in response to those demands. While Yu teaches determining driver power demand based on real-time data and historical patterns. The combination of Blue and Yu does not explicitly teach vehicle, where estimating the modified driver demand power includes calculating a baseline driver demand power based on historical driving data on a route the hybrid vehicle is located, and where the modified driver demand is further based on real-time data detected via sensors of the hybrid vehicle. However, Pan discloses hybrid vehicle transmission control using driver statistics and teaches determining a driver demand based on a first layer, i.e., a baseline, and a second layer, i.e., a modified driver demand based on historical and real-time data.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the instant application to have modified the system for controlling an engine disconnect clutch in a hybrid vehicle of Blue and Yu to provide for the hybrid vehicle transmission control using driver statistics, as taught in Pan, to apply a pre-adjustment to one or more operating settings of the hybrid vehicle in response to determining that, due to vehicle component limitations, a target set of operating settings defined by the control policy for the predicted short-horizon driver demand cannot be applied within a defined time period. (At Pan ¶ [0007])
Regarding claim 12, Blue further teaches:
wherein further instructions are stored in the memory that when executed, cause the controller to:
calculate a difference between the modified driver demand power and an engine pull-up threshold of the hybrid vehicle; (It should be noted that at block 104, the method 100 alternatively may determine whether or not a speed of the rotor of the M/G 18 is less than a threshold as opposed to the speed of the impeller 21 of the torque converter 22, which is also indicative of an impending or subsequent shutdown of the primary hydraulic pump 74 where the speed of the impeller of the primary hydraulic pump 74 will be zero. If the speed of the rotor of the M/G 18 is not less than the threshold, the method 100 would recycle back to the beginning of block 104. If the speed of the rotor of the M/G 18 is less than the threshold, the method 100 would move on to block 106 – See at least ¶ [0036])
in response to the difference being less than a first threshold difference, pressurize the DCC to a touch point of the DCC to reduce the delay in achieving the modified driver demand power; (If the speed of the rotor of the M/G 18 is not less than the threshold, the method 100 would recycle back to the beginning of block 104. If the speed of the rotor of the M/G 18 is less than the threshold, the method 100 would move on to block 106 – See at least ¶ [0036]; (the method 100 moves on to block 106 where the disconnect clutch 26 is stroked and advanced to a touch point where opposing sides of disconnect clutch 26 begin to make contact but where substantially zero power is transferred between the engine 14 and the M/G 18 – See at least ¶ [0035]; To improve the drivability during such an engine start, the disconnect clutch 26 may be stroked to a touch point where opposing sides of disconnect clutch 26 begin to make contact but where substantially zero power is transferred between the engine 14 and M/G 18 in order to get the disconnect clutch 26 past its hydraulic stroke so that the disconnect clutch 26 can respond quickly to torque requests – See at least ¶ [0032])
in response to the difference being greater than a second threshold difference, adjust the DCC to an open, fully-depressurized state to maximize the fuel efficiency of the hybrid vehicle; and (At decision block 108 it is determined if the speed of the impeller 21 of the torque converter 22 has increased to a value that is greater than the threshold determined at block 104 plus a hysteresis value . The threshold determined at block 104 plus the hysteresis value may be referred to as a second threshold , which is greater than the first threshold (i.e., the threshold determined at block 104). If the speed of the impeller 21 is not greater than the threshold determined at block 104 plus the hysteresis value, the method 100 recycles back to the beginning of block 108 where the position of the disconnect clutch 26 is maintained at the touch point. If the speed of the impeller 21 is greater than the threshold determined at block 104 plus the hysteresis value, the method 10 moves on to block 114 where the disconnect clutch 26 is retracted and opened. The disconnect clutch 26 is retracted and opened at block 114 because the increase in the speed of the impeller 21 is indicative that an impending or subsequent shutdown of the primary hydraulic pump 74 no longer exists – See at least ¶ [0037])
in response to the difference being between the first threshold difference and the second threshold difference, pressurize the DCC to less than the touch point. (If the controller has received a signal indicative of a disconnect clutch fault or if the timer has expired after the disconnect clutch 26 was advanced to the touch point, while the speed of the impeller 21 or the speed of the rotor of the M/G 18 remains below the threshold determined at block 104 plus the hysteresis value, the method 100 moves on to block 114 where the disconnect clutch 26 is retracted and opened, i.e., pressurized to less than the touch point – See at least ¶ [0039]; Examiner notes that in this situation the disconnect clutch was advanced to the touch point, i.e., greater than the first threshold, but the threshold plus hysteresis value, i.e., the second threshold, has not been met and the clutch is retracted, i.e., pressurized to less than the touch point.)
Claim(s) 5-10 and 13-16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Blue in view of Yu and Pan, as applied to claims 1 and 11, and in further view of Dickson et al. (US 2023/0150502 A1)
Regarding claim 5, the combination of Blue, Yu, and Pan does not explicitly teach further comprising calculating the baseline driver demand power of a vehicle as a function of vehicle weight based on at least one of: historical data of other vehicles; and crowdsourced data of other vehicles currently being operated along a route of the vehicle. However, Dickson discloses systems and methods for predictive engine off coasting and predictive cruise control for a vehicle and teaches:
calculating the baseline driver demand power of a vehicle as a function of vehicle weight based on at least one of: (Equations 1-15 (or other processes, formulas, tables, etc.) to determine the future load or future state (e.g., future power demand for propelling the vehicle at a certain speed) for the vehicle 100 based on the current state of the vehicle 100 and the look ahead information (e.g., current speed of the vehicle, current acceleration, predicted speed of the vehicle, weight of the vehicle, predicted road grated, look ahead road contour information, look ahead wind information, look ahead precipitation information, look ahead weather information, look ahead traffic information, look ahead platoon information, etc.) – See at least ¶ [0093])
historical data of other vehicles; and
crowdsourced data of other vehicles currently being operated along a route of the vehicle. (The external information source 170 may also include other vehicles 182. In this regard, the vehicle 100 may communicate with one or more other vehicles directly (e.g., via NFC, Bluetooth, wirelessly via a cellular network, other via other wireless transmission streams, etc.) to obtain data regarding one or more upcoming conditions for the vehicle 100 – See at least ¶ [0029])
Therefore it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the instant application to have modified the system for controlling an engine disconnect clutch in a hybrid vehicle of Blue, Yu, and Pan to provide for the systems and methods for predictive engine off coasting and predictive cruise control for a vehicle, as taught in Dickson, for achieving improved fuel economy, improved emissions characteristics, improved vehicle component life, improved vehicle performance, and/ or other operational objectives. (At Dickson ¶ [0003])
Regarding claim 6, the combination of Blue, Yu, and Pan does not explicitly teach, but Dickson further teaches:
wherein estimating the modified driver demand power at the location further comprises calculating a first multiplication factor to apply to the baseline driver demand power at the location, based on a vehicle density of traffic at the location on the route, the vehicle density calculated based on at least one of: (the multiplication factors are presented in Equations 1-15 – See at least ¶ [0058]-[0071])
a vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication with a different vehicle on the route of the vehicle; (The external information source 170 may also include other vehicles 182. In this regard, the vehicle 100 may communicate with one or more other vehicles directly (e.g., via NFC, Bluetooth, wirelessly via a cellular network, other via other wireless transmission streams, etc.) to obtain data regarding one or more upcoming conditions for the vehicle 100 – See at least ¶ [0029])
a vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) communication with an element of infrastructure located along the route; and
an exterior sensor of the vehicle.
Therefore it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the instant application to have modified the system for controlling an engine disconnect clutch in a hybrid vehicle of Blue, Yu, and Pan to provide for the systems and methods for predictive engine off coasting and predictive cruise control for a vehicle, as taught in Dickson, for achieving improved fuel economy, improved emissions characteristics, improved vehicle component life, improved vehicle performance, and/ or other operational objectives. (At Dickson ¶ [0003])
Regarding claim 7, the combination of Blue and Yu does not explicitly teach, but Dickson further teaches:
wherein estimating the modified driver demand power at the location further comprises determining a second multiplication factor to apply to the baseline driver demand power at the location, based on electronic horizon data and route data. (For example and as shown in FIG. 1, the computing device information source 184 may include one or more servers, computers, mobile devices, infrastructure components, etc. Accordingly, the external information provided by the computing device information source 184 may include, but is not limited to, a traffic density at a particular location at a particular time, a weather condition at a particular location at a particular time, etc. – See at least ¶ [0029])
Therefore it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the instant application to have modified the system for controlling an engine disconnect clutch in a hybrid vehicle of Blue and Yu to provide for the systems and methods for predictive engine off coasting and predictive cruise control for a vehicle, as taught in Dickson, for achieving improved fuel economy, improved emissions characteristics, improved vehicle component life, improved vehicle performance, and/or other operational objectives. (At Dickson ¶ [0003])
Regarding claim 8, the combination of Blue and Yu does not explicitly teach, but Dickson further teaches:
wherein determining the second multiplication factor based on the electronic horizon data and the route data further comprises:
identifying a characteristic or feature of the route that is likely to cause an increase or decrease in the baseline driver demand power at the location; and (The predictive cruise control system 155 utilizes the vehicle's route and automatically adjusts the cruise control set speed according to the route. For example, if the route includes an uphill portion, the predictive cruise control system 155 may adjust the cruise control set speed in advance of the uphill portion (i.e., increase the speed of the vehicle) in order to lower fuel expenditure while the vehicle traverses the uphill portion of the route because momentum from the increased speed at least partially carries the vehicle through the uphill portion at or substantially at the cruise control set speed to avoid typical large power expenditures during the uphill portion to maintain the set reference speed. Thus, the predictive cruise control system 155 may control operation of the vehicle 100 based on the look ahead information and the vehicle's surroundings – See at least ¶ [0044])
retrieving the second multiplication factor from a lookup table stored in a memory of the vehicle based on the identified characteristic or feature. (The loss from the engine 125 may be calculated from the sum of Weng-out, which is found in a lookup table of the engine torque loss, as shown in Equation (14).)
Therefore it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the instant application to have modified the system for controlling an engine disconnect clutch in a hybrid vehicle of Blue and Yu to provide for the systems and methods for predictive engine off coasting and predictive cruise control for a vehicle, as taught in Dickson, for achieving improved fuel economy, improved emissions characteristics, improved vehicle component life, improved vehicle performance, and/or other operational objectives. (At Dickson ¶ [0003])
Regarding claim 9, Blue does not explicitly teach, but Yu further teaches:
wherein the identified characteristic or feature is one of:
a traffic light;
a stop sign;
an on-ramp to a highway; and
a hill. (The route characteristics include but are not limited to map information like road type (highway, city, etc.) posted speed limits, and road grade, which is a directional change in elevation – See at least ¶ [0020])
Regarding claim 10, the combination of Blue and Yu does not explicitly teach, but Dickson further teaches:
wherein estimating the modified driver demand power at the location further comprises creating a driver demand torque/power map based on the baseline driver demand power, the first multiplication factor, and the second multiplication factor, and estimating the modified driver demand power based on the driver demand torque/power map. (Another exemplary implementation is shown in FIG. 12 and depicts a predictive cruise control operation that meets an emission objective (e.g., increase emissions filtering efficiency) by setting a cruise control set speed that increases a vehicle's aftertreatment system temperature (i.e., engine out temperature) which increases the efficiency of the aftertreatment system 115. At location 1205, the controller 140 sets the vehicle's cruise control set speed at a first set speed (e.g., 55 miles per hour) with a droop setting (e.g., +/- 5 miles per hour) and operates the engine 125 based on predicted the future loads and locations 1210, 1215, and 1220. As the vehicle 100 traverses the uphill at location 1210, the power demand for the vehicle 100 increases and the temperature of the aftertreatment system increases. The load on the engine 125 is proactively increased at locations 1210 and 1215 resulting in an increased aftertreatment system temperature (i.e., engine out temperature). The increased aftertreatment system temperature can be used by the aftertreatment system 115 to reduce emissions (e.g., NO out), regenerate components (e.g., catalysts), etc. The cruise control set speed is not changed during operation because the vehicle speed is maintained within the droop setting by advantageously using the look ahead information to increase the engine loading at an uphill location 1210. At location 1225, the controller 140 determines that the engine 125 can be turned off based on the look ahead information and the current vehicle status sop that the vehicle 100 can traverse location 1220 with the engine 125 off in order to realize fuel savings. The controller 140 provides the result of increased engine out temperature by using the look ahead information while still allowing the engine 125 to be turned off at location 1225 and maximize overall fuel savings. In some embodiments, the vehicle 100 may utilize the regenerative braking functionality of the electrical machine 106 to further extend the engine off condition in location 1220. Once the vehicle speed decreases to the lower limit of the droop setting, the engine 125 is restarted by the controller 140 – See at least ¶ [0120] and Fig. 12)
Therefore it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the instant application to have modified the system for controlling an engine disconnect clutch in a hybrid vehicle of Blue and Yu to provide for the systems and methods for predictive engine off coasting and predictive cruise control for a vehicle, as taught in Dickson, for achieving improved fuel economy, improved emissions characteristics, improved vehicle component life, improved vehicle performance, and/or other operational objectives. (At Dickson ¶ [0003])
Regarding claim 13, the combination of Blue and Yu does not explicitly teach, but Dickson further teaches:
wherein further instructions are stored in the memory that when executed, cause the controller to estimate the modified driver demand power at the location by applying one or more multiplication factors to a baseline driver demand power, the baseline driver demand power calculated based on a weight of the hybrid vehicle (Equations 1-15 (or other processes, formulas, tables, etc.) to determine the future load or future state (e.g., future power demand for propelling the vehicle at a certain speed) for the vehicle 100 based on the current state of the vehicle 100 and the look ahead information (e.g., current speed of the vehicle, current acceleration, predicted speed of the vehicle, weight of the vehicle, predicted road grated, look ahead road contour information, look ahead wind information, look ahead precipitation information, look ahead weather information, look ahead traffic information, look ahead platoon information, etc.) – See at least ¶ [0093]) and historical vehicle driving data. (The external information source 170 may also include other vehicles 182. In this regard, the vehicle 100 may communicate with one or more other vehicles directly (e.g., via NFC, Bluetooth, wirelessly via a cellular network, other via other wireless transmission streams, etc.) to obtain data regarding one or more upcoming conditions for the vehicle 100 – See at least ¶ [0029])
Therefore it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the instant application to have modified the system for controlling an engine disconnect clutch in a hybrid vehicle of Blue and Yu to provide for the systems and methods for predictive engine off coasting and predictive cruise control for a vehicle, as taught in Dickson, for achieving improved fuel economy, improved emissions characteristics, improved vehicle component life, improved vehicle performance, and/or other operational objectives. (At Dickson ¶ [0003])
Regarding claim 14, the combination of Blue and Yu does not explicitly teach, but Dickson further teaches:
wherein the baseline driver demand power is calculated based partly on data of a plurality of vehicles, the data of the plurality of vehicles including historical driving data of the plurality of vehicles and crowdsourced data of vehicles currently operating on the route. (The external information source 170 may also include other vehicles 182. In this regard, the vehicle 100 may communicate with one or more other vehicles directly (e.g., via NFC, Bluetooth, wirelessly via a cellular network, other via other wireless transmission streams, etc.) to obtain data regarding one or more upcoming conditions for the vehicle 100 – See at least ¶ [0029])
Therefore it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the instant application to have modified the system for controlling an engine disconnect clutch in a hybrid vehicle of Blue and Yu to provide for the systems and methods for predictive engine off coasting and predictive cruise control for a vehicle, as taught in Dickson, for achieving improved fuel economy, improved emissions characteristics, improved vehicle component life, improved vehicle performance, and/or other operational objectives. (At Dickson ¶ [0003])
Regarding claim 15, the combination of Blue and Yu does not explicitly teach, but Dickson further teaches:
wherein the one or more multiplication factors include a first multiplication factor based on a vehicle density of traffic on the route, (Equations 1-15 (or other processes, formulas, tables, etc.) to determine the future load or future state (e.g., future power demand for propelling the vehicle at a certain speed) for the vehicle 100 based on the current state of the vehicle 100 and the look ahead information (e.g., current speed of the vehicle, current acceleration, predicted speed of the vehicle, weight of the vehicle, predicted road grated, look ahead road contour information, look ahead wind information, look ahead precipitation information, look ahead weather information, look ahead traffic information, look ahead platoon information, etc.) – See at least ¶ [0093]) the vehicle density estimated using at least one of vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication, vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) communication, and an exterior sensor of the hybrid vehicle. (The external information source 170 may also include other vehicles 182. In this regard, the vehicle 100 may communicate with one or more other vehicles directly (e.g., via NFC, Bluetooth, wirelessly via a cellular network, other via other wireless transmission streams, etc.) to obtain data regarding one or more upcoming conditions for the vehicle 100 – See at least ¶ [0029])
Therefore it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the instant application to have modified the system for controlling an engine disconnect clutch in a hybrid vehicle of Blue and Yu to provide for the systems and methods for predictive engine off coasting and predictive cruise control for a vehicle, as taught in Dickson, for achieving improved fuel economy, improved emissions characteristics, improved vehicle component life, improved vehicle performance, and/or other operational objectives. (At Dickson ¶ [0003])
Regarding claim 16, the combination of Blue and Yu does not explicitly teach, but Dickson further teaches:
wherein the one or more multiplication factors include a second multiplication factor based on a characteristic or feature of the route at the location that is likely to cause an increase or decrease in the baseline driver demand power, (Another exemplary implementation is shown in FIG. 12 and depicts a predictive cruise control operation that meets an emission objective (e.g., increase emissions filtering efficiency) by setting a cruise control set speed that increases a vehicle's aftertreatment system temperature (i.e., engine out temperature) which increases the efficiency of the aftertreatment system 115. At location 1205, the controller 140 sets the vehicle's cruise control set speed at a first set speed (e.g., 55 miles per hour) with a droop setting (e.g., +/- 5 miles per hour) and operates the engine 125 based on predicted the future loads and locations 1210, 1215, and 1220. As the vehicle 100 traverses the uphill at location 1210, the power demand for the vehicle 100 increases and the temperature of the aftertreatment system increases. The load on the engine 125 is proactively increased at locations 1210 and 1215 resulting in an increased aftertreatment system temperature (i.e., engine out temperature). The increased aftertreatment system temperature can be used by the aftertreatment system 115 to reduce emissions (e.g., NO out), regenerate components (e.g., catalysts), etc. The cruise control set speed is not changed during operation because the vehicle speed is maintained within the droop setting by advantageously using the look ahead information to increase the engine loading at an uphill location 1210. At location 1225, the controller 140 determines that the engine 125 can be turned off based on the look ahead information and the current vehicle status sop that the vehicle 100 can traverse location 1220 with the engine 125 off in order to realize fuel savings. The controller 140 provides the result of increased engine out temperature by using the look ahead information while still allowing the engine 125 to be turned off at location 1225 and maximize overall fuel savings. In some embodiments, the vehicle 100 may utilize the regenerative braking functionality of the electrical machine 106 to further extend the engine off condition in location 1220. Once the vehicle speed decreases to the lower limit of the droop setting, the engine 125 is restarted by the controller 140 – See at least ¶ [0120] and Fig. 12) the second multiplication factor retrieved from a lookup table of the hybrid vehicle. (The loss from the engine 125 may be calculated from the sum of Weng-out, which is found in a lookup table of the engine torque loss, as shown in Equation (14).)
Therefore it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the instant application to have modified the system for controlling an engine disconnect clutch in a hybrid vehicle of Blue and Yu to provide for the systems and methods for predictive engine off coasting and predictive cruise control for a vehicle, as taught in Dickson, for achieving improved fuel economy, improved emissions characteristics, improved vehicle component life, improved vehicle performance, and/or other operational objectives. (At Dickson ¶ [0003])
Claim(s) 17-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Dickson in view of Blue.
Regarding claim 17, Dickson discloses systems and methods for predictive engine off coasting and predictive cruise control for a vehicle and teaches:
A method, comprising: (the invention is directed towards systems, methods, and apparatuses – See at least Abstract)
collecting driver demand power request data of one or more drivers of one or more hybrid vehicles during operation of the one or more hybrid vehicles on a route under engine-off conditions, the driver demand power request data including: (More specifically, the controller 140 may use Equations 1-15 (or other processes) to determine the current load (e.g., the power consumed for propelling the vehicle 100, P_propulsion) for the vehicle 100 based on the current state of the vehicle 100 (e.g., current speed, current acceleration, weight of the vehicle 100, current road grade etc.). The controller 140 may then use Equations 1-15 (or other processes, formulas, tables, etc.) to determine the future load or future state (e.g., future power demand for propelling the vehicle at a certain speed) for the vehicle 100 based on the current state of the vehicle 100 and the look ahead information (e.g., current speed of the vehicle, current acceleration, predicted speed of the vehicle, weight of the vehicle, predicted road grated, look ahead road contour information, look ahead wind information, look ahead precipitation information, look ahead weather information, look ahead traffic information, look ahead platoon information, etc.) – See at least ¶ [0093])
a location of a hybrid vehicle on the route; (The current position of the vehicle 100 may be determined by the telematics unit 145, another positioning system onboard the vehicle 100 (e.g., a GPS system), an explicit user input, a satellite positioning system, and/or some combination thereof – See at least ¶ [0053])
a weight of the hybrid vehicle; (More specifically, the controller 140 may use Equations 1-15 (or other processes) to determine the current load (e.g., the power consumed for propelling the vehicle 100, P_propulsion) for the vehicle 100 based on the current state of the vehicle 100 (e.g., current speed, current acceleration, weight of the vehicle 100, current road grade etc.) – See at least ¶ [0093])
a feature or characteristic of the route at the location; and (More specifically, the controller 140 may use Equations 1-15 (or other processes) to determine the current load (e.g., the power consumed for propelling the vehicle 100, P_propulsion) for the vehicle 100 based on the current state of the vehicle 100 (e.g., current speed, current acceleration, weight of the vehicle 100, current road grade etc.) – See at least ¶ [0093])
a vehicle density of traffic at the location;
processing the collected driver demand power request data to generate: (cause the one or more processors to: receive look ahead information and store the look ahead information in the one or more memory devices; receive vehicle information regarding operation of a vehicle including an engine; determine a coasting opportunity for the vehicle based on the look ahead information and the vehicle information; modulate a cruise control set speed based on the determined coasting opportunity; and turn the engine off during the determined coasting opportunity for the vehicle based on modulation of the cruise control set speed. The look ahead information may include one or more of a road grade, a speed limit, traffic information, or a weather condition at a particular location of a route of the vehicle.)
a baseline driver demand power scaled by vehicle weight at a plurality of locations of the route; (More specifically, the controller 140 may use Equations 1-15 (or other processes) to determine the current load (e.g., the power consumed for propelling the vehicle 100, P_propulsion) for the vehicle 100 based on the current state of the vehicle 100 (e.g., current speed, current acceleration, weight of the vehicle 100, current road grade etc.). The controller 140 may then use Equations 1-15 (or other processes, formulas, tables, etc.) to determine the future load or future state (e.g., future power demand for propelling the vehicle at a certain speed) for the vehicle 100 based on the current state of the vehicle 100 and the look ahead information (e.g., current speed of the vehicle, current acceleration, predicted speed of the vehicle, weight of the vehicle, predicted road grated, look ahead road contour information, look ahead wind information, look ahead precipitation information, look ahead weather information, look ahead traffic information, look ahead platoon information, etc.) – See at least ¶ [0093])
a first set of multiplication factors to be selectively applied to the baseline driver demand power, based on the vehicle density; (The look ahead information may include one or more of a road grade, speed limit, traffic information, or a weather condition at a particular location of a route of the vehicle – See at least ¶ [0008])
a second set of multiplication factors to be selectively applied to the baseline driver demand power, based on features or characteristics of the route at a given location of the route; and (The look ahead information may include one or more of a road grade, speed limit, traffic information, or a weather condition at a particular location of a route of the vehicle – See at least ¶ [0008])
storing in a memory of each hybrid vehicle of the one or more hybrid vehicles, a baseline driver demand power for the vehicle, the first set of multiplication factors, and the second set of multiplication factors; (Another embodiment relates to an apparatus. The apparatus includes one or more processing circuits comprising one or more memory devices coupled to one or more processors, the one or more memory devices configured to store instructions thereon that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to: receive look ahead information and store the look ahead information in the one or more memory devices – See at least ¶ [0006])
and instructions that when executed by a controller of the vehicle, cause the controller to: (Another embodiment relates to an apparatus. The apparatus includes one or more processing circuits comprising one or more memory devices coupled to one or more processors, the one or more memory devices configured to store instructions thereon that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to: receive look ahead information and store the look ahead information in the one or more memory devices – See at least ¶ [0006])
when operating the hybrid vehicle with the engine off, estimate a modified driver demand power at a location on the route based on the stored baseline driver demand power, the stored first set of multiplication factors, and the stored second set of multiplication factors, and (determine a coasting opportunity for the vehicle based on the look ahead information and the vehicle information; modulate a cruise control set speed based on the determined coasting opportunity; and turn the engine off during the determined coasting opportunity for the vehicle based on modulation of the cruise control set speed. The look ahead information may include one or more of a road grade, a speed limit, traffic information, or a weather condition at a particular location of a route of the vehicle. The vehicle information may include one or more of an engine state, a plurality of vehicle performance constraints, a vehicle performance objective, a vehicle accessories state. an aftertreatment system operation characteristic, a look ahead power, a look ahead velocity, a look ahead performance, or a look ahead energy requirement for the vehicle. The vehicle performance objective may be predetermined and stored within the one or more memory devices. The vehicle performance objective may be configured to dynamically change during operation of the vehicle. d – See at least ¶ [0006])
Dickson does not explicitly teach in response to a difference between the modified driver demand power and a pull-up threshold of an engine of the hybrid vehicle at the location being less than a first threshold difference, pressurize a driveline disconnect clutch (DCC) of the to a touch point of the DCC to reduce a delay in starting the engine, prior to reaching the location. However, Blue discloses systems for controlling an engine disconnect clutch in a hybrid vehicle and teaches:
in response to a difference between the modified driver demand power and a pull-up threshold of an engine of the hybrid vehicle at the location being less than a first threshold difference, pressurize a driveline disconnect clutch (DCC) to a touch point of the DCC to reduce a delay in starting the engine prior to reaching the location, and then, responsive to the power request starting the engine from the DCC at the touch point. (the method 100 moves on to block 106 where the disconnect clutch 26 is stroked and advanced to a touch point where opposing sides of disconnect clutch 26 begin to make contact but where substantially zero power is transferred between the engine 14 and the M/G 18 – See at least ¶ [0035]; To improve the drivability during such an engine start, the disconnect clutch 26 may be stroked to a touch point where opposing sides of disconnect clutch 26 begin to make contact but where substantially zero power is transferred between the engine 14 and M/G 18 in order to get the disconnect clutch 26 past its hydraulic stroke so that the disconnect clutch 26 can respond quickly to torque requests – See at least ¶ [0032])
Therefore it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the instant application to have modified the systems and methods for predictive engine off coasting and predictive cruise control for a vehicle of Dickson to provide for the system for controlling an engine disconnect clutch in a hybrid vehicle, as taught in Blue, to improve the drivability during an engine start. (At Blue ¶ [0032])
Regarding claim 18, Dickson does not explicitly teach, but Blue further teaches:
in response to the difference being greater than a second threshold difference, setting the DCC to an unpressurized state to reduce clutch drag of the DCC; (At decision block 108 it is determined if the speed of the impeller 21 of the torque converter 22 has increased to a value that is greater than the threshold determined at block 104 plus a hysteresis value . The threshold determined at block 104 plus the hysteresis value may be referred to as a second threshold , which is greater than the first threshold (i.e., the threshold determined at block 104). If the speed of the impeller 21 is not greater than the threshold determined at block 104 plus the hysteresis value, the method 100 recycles back to the beginning of block 108 where the position of the disconnect clutch 26 is maintained at the touch point. If the speed of the impeller 21 is greater than the threshold determined at block 104 plus the hysteresis value, the method 10 moves on to block 114 where the disconnect clutch 26 is retracted and opened. The disconnect clutch 26 is retracted and opened at block 114 because the increase in the speed of the impeller 21 is indicative that an impending or subsequent shutdown of the primary hydraulic pump 74 no longer exists – See at least ¶ [0037])
in response to the difference being between the first threshold difference and the second threshold difference, pressurizing the DCC to less than the touch point. (If the controller has received a signal indicative of a disconnect clutch fault or if the timer has expired after the disconnect clutch 26 was advanced to the touch point, while the speed of the impeller 21 or the speed of the rotor of the M/G 18 remains below the threshold determined at block 104 plus the hysteresis value, the method 100 moves on to block 114 where the disconnect clutch 26 is retracted and opened, i.e., pressurized to less than the touch point – See at least ¶ [0039]; Examiner notes that in this situation the disconnect clutch was advanced to the touch point, i.e., greater than the first threshold, but the threshold plus hysteresis value, i.e., the second threshold, has not been met and the clutch is retracted, i.e., pressurized to less than the touch point.)
Therefore it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the instant application to have modified the systems and methods for predictive engine off coasting and predictive cruise control for a vehicle of Dickson to provide for the system for controlling an engine disconnect clutch in a hybrid vehicle, as taught in Blue, to improve the drivability during an engine start. (At Blue ¶ [0032])
Regarding claim 19, Dickson further teaches:
wherein the vehicle density of traffic at the location is determined using one or more of vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication, vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) communication, and an exterior sensor of the hybrid vehicle. (The external information source 170 may also include other vehicles 182. In this regard, the vehicle 100 may communicate with one or more other vehicles directly (e.g., via NFC, Bluetooth, wirelessly via a cellular network, other via other wireless transmission streams, etc.) to obtain data regarding one or more upcoming conditions for the vehicle 100 – See at least ¶ [0029])
Regarding claim 20, Dickson further teaches:
wherein the feature or characteristic of the route at the location is determined from navigation system data of the hybrid vehicle. (The current position of the vehicle 100 may be determined by the telematics unit 145, another positioning system onboard the vehicle 100 (e.g., a GPS system), an explicit user input, a satellite positioning system, and/or some combination thereof – See at least ¶ [0053])
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CHASE L COOLEY whose telephone number is (303)297-4355. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Thursday 7-5MT.
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/C.L.C./Examiner, Art Unit 3662
/ANISS CHAD/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3662
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