Patent ID: 8958965
Filing Date: 2015-02-17
Classification: B60K,B60W,Y02T,Y10T

Abstract:
1. A method for managing a powertrain in a vehicle including a prime mover, a front drive wheel and a rear drive wheel, the vehicle being operable in a first driving mode, in which the front and rear drive wheels are selected to drive the vehicle, and a second driving mode, in which either but not both of the front or rear drive wheels is selected to drive the vehicle, the vehicle further including a clutch disposed between the prime mover and a certain one of the drive wheels, the certain one of the drive wheels having a changeable connection status to the powertrain such that it is selectively connectable to and disconnectable from the powertrain, the clutch having a disabled mode wherein it is not engagable and an enabled mode wherein it is engagable for connecting the certain one of the drive wheels to the prime mover when the certain one of the drive wheels is connected to the powertrain, the method comprising: determining whether the vehicle is operating in the first driving mode; determining whether the vehicle has changed from the second driving mode to the first driving mode within a first predetermined time period, when it is determined that the vehicle is operating in the first driving mode; and connecting the certain one of the drive wheels to the powertrain and enabling the clutch when it is determined that the vehicle has changed from the second driving mode to the first driving mode within the first predetermined time period.