By Changing Valve Timing Patents (Class 123/347)
  • Patent number: 11035304
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a method and device for valve travel switching control of an internal combustion engine supercharged by an exhaust-gas turbocharger having a wastegate valve. This valve travel switching control includes: determining the current sensitivity of the charge pressure at a current operating point, at which a current valve travel, a current wastegate valve position and a current charge pressure are present, to changes in the wastegate valve position; determining the minimum valve travel necessary to set a desired operating point, taking into account the determined current sensitivity of the charge pressure; and switching the valve travel if the minimum valve travel necessary to set the internal combustion engine to an extended range with respect to the desired operating point differs from the current valve travel. By means of these measures, the fuel saving operating range of the internal combustion engine is enlarged.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2021
    Assignee: Vitesco Technologies GmbH
    Inventors: Thomas Burkhardt, Jürgen Dingl
  • Patent number: 10648418
    Abstract: A method for calculating Atkinson cycle intake flowrate of an internal combustion engine includes determining an intake stopping point and an engine crank angle corresponding to a piston position of the internal combustion engine at the intake stopping point; calculating mass and partial pressure of an exhaust gas and a fresh gas within a cylinder from the engine crank angle; obtaining a mass ratio of a quantity of gas pushed out of the cylinder by a piston to a total quantity of gas within the cylinder at the intake stopping point during a period of time starting from the intake stopping point until intake valve closure; and calculating intake flowrate of the fresh gas within the cylinder at the intake valve closure from the mass ratio obtained. Also disclosed is a system for calculating Atkinson cycle intake flowrate of an internal combustion engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2020
    Assignee: GUANGZHOU AUTOMOBILE GROUP CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yu He, Xuetong Lian, Sicong Lin, Jujiang Liu
  • Patent number: 10584648
    Abstract: In a control device and a control method for a variable valve timing mechanism according to the present invention, the rotational phase of a camshaft is measured based on the cam angle signal and crank angle signal upon receiving each pulse of the cam angle signal, and the rotational phase change over time within a period of the cam angle signal is measured based on the motor angle signal. It is decided whether the cam angle signal and/or crank angle signal has a prescribed pulse pattern at a diagnostic timing that comes after the last pulse of the cam angle signal. When this decision result is positive, it is then decided whether the motor angle sensor operates normally or abnormally based on the rotational phase and the amount of rotational phase change that are measured when the last pulse of the cam angle signal is received before the diagnostic timing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2020
    Assignee: Hitachi Automotive Systems, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kentaro Mikawa, Nobuhiko Matsuo, Naoki Okamoto
  • Patent number: 10132249
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a system and a method for controlling valve timing of a continuous variable valve duration engine, including: classifying a plurality of control regions based on engine load and speed; applying a maximum duration to an intake valve and a long duration to an exhaust valve in a first control region; maintaining a maximum valve overlap in a second control region; advancing intake valve closing (IVC) timing and exhaust valve closing (EVC) timing in a third control region; applying a short duration to the exhaust valve and controlling the IVC timing to bottom dead center in a fourth control region; controlling a throttle valve to be fully opened, and controlling the IVC timing to an angle after BDC in a fifth control region; and applying the long duration to the exhaust valve, and controlling the IVC timing to prevent knocking in a sixth control region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2018
    Assignee: HYUNDAI MOTOR COMPANY
    Inventors: In Sang Ryu, Kyoung Pyo Ha, You Sang Son, Kiyoung Kwon
  • Patent number: 10078828
    Abstract: A commodity is learnt and stored in an HDD on the basis of a commodity image captured by an image capturing section. Commodity registration is carried out through a key input. The commodity which is not stored in the HDD yet is stored in the HDD as commodity data when the commodity registration is carried out through a key input, in this way, the registration as a learnt commodity is realized. Then the target commodity captured by the image capturing section is read from the commodity data stored in the HDD. In this way, the commodity image can be added and learnt based on that the unregistered commodity is input through a key operation by the operator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2018
    Assignee: TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Tomonari Kakino
  • Patent number: 9920697
    Abstract: An engine control method includes: generating a torque request for an engine based on a driver input; and based on the torque request, controlling: opening of a wastegate of a turbocharger; opening of a throttle valve based on the torque request; and an intake valve phaser and an exhaust valve phaser. The engine control method also includes selectively determining an expected future increase in the torque request. The engine control method also includes, based on the expected future increase and before the torque request increases based on the expected future increase: decreasing the opening of the wastegate; and at least one of: decreasing the opening of the throttle valve; and adjusting at least one of the intake valve phaser and the exhaust valve phaser to decrease a volumetric efficiency of the engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Klaus Pochner, Christopher E. Whitney
  • Patent number: 9816452
    Abstract: A control device for an internal combustion engine controls a control object device based on an output value of a relative angle sensor that detects a relative angle of an output shaft of an actuator, and an output value of an absolute angle sensor that detects an absolute angle of a drive shaft coupled to the output shaft of the actuator via a speed reducer. In this event, the control device for the internal combustion engine corrects an output value of the absolute angle sensor based on an absolute angle of the drive shaft that is obtained from an output value of the relative angle sensor using, as a reference point, an output value of the absolute angle sensor at the start-up of the internal combustion engine, and an output value of the absolute angle sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2017
    Assignee: Hitachi Automotive Systems, Ltd.
    Inventor: Akira Kiyomura
  • Patent number: 9303569
    Abstract: An object of this invention is to appropriately control the valve timing (VT) even in a case where a plurality of local maximum points or local minimum points exist on a characteristic line representing a relation between the VT and an air amount. An engine 10 includes VVTs 42 and 44 and the like. When a predetermined operation condition that a plurality of local maximum points exist on a load characteristic line representing a relation between the VT of an intake valve 32 and a load KL is established, an ECU 60 first calculates the VT corresponding to a maximum value KLmax of the load KL as a maximum air amount VT (VTmax). Subsequently, if the maximum value KLmax of the load is less than a target KL, the ECU 60 changes the VT towards VTmax. Thus, the direction in which the VT is changed is determined based on VTmax that is calculated irrespective of a change tendency (slope) of the characteristic line or the like at the current time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2016
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yoshihiro Sakayanagi
  • Publication number: 20150136080
    Abstract: Systems and methods for improving detection and mitigation of engine misfire are presented. Engine misfire is determined by sampling exhaust pressure of a cylinder only during a time when an exhaust valve of the cylinder is in an open state. If misfire is indicated, an actuator is adjusted to reduce the possibility of misfire during a subsequent cylinder cycle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 21, 2013
    Publication date: May 21, 2015
    Applicant: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: Gopichandra Surnilla
  • Patent number: 9010302
    Abstract: In a direct injection gasoline engine, at acceleration operation, an amount of internal EGR is increased by advancing exhaust valve closing timing, and also fuel injection pressure is increased. In this case, range of increase in fuel injection pressure is determined on the basis of the exhaust valve closing timing at present.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2015
    Assignee: Hitachi Automotive Systems, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kengo Kumano, Yoshihiro Sukegawa, Yusuke Kihara, Takashi Okamoto
  • Patent number: 9004043
    Abstract: A control device calculates a maximum amount of increase in an intake pipe pressure in a ?t obtained by moving a throttle to an opening side at a maximum speed, and calculates a maximum amount of decrease in an intake pipe pressure in the ?t obtained by moving the throttle to a closing side at a maximum speed. Then, command values for each of a VVT and a WGV are determined such that an amount of change in an intake pipe pressure in the ?t required to achieve a target intake air amount falls within a range from the maximum amount of decrease to the maximum amount of increase. Then, a target opening for the throttle for a purpose of achieving the target intake air amount is calculated on the basis of command values that have been determined for the VVT and the WGV.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2015
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Satoru Tanaka
  • Patent number: 8887675
    Abstract: A control device includes: a first phase changing portion retarding a first intake valve phase relative to a second intake valve phase; a throttle valve adjusting an intake air amount of the engine, and a control portion configured to perform an intake valve phase control which controls the first phase changing portion to retard the first intake valve phase relative to the second intake valve phase such that an air amount in the cylinder of the engine is reduced to a target value to perform rich combustion, and the control portion configured to perform a throttle valve closing control which controls the throttle valve such that the air amount in the cylinder is the target value or smaller after the air amount in the cylinder is not reduced to the target value or smaller by the intake valve phase control performed by the first phase changing portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2014
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tomoyuki Kogo, Takashi Ogawa, Katsuhiro Ito, Kazuyasu Iwata
  • Publication number: 20140311449
    Abstract: A lost motion engine valve actuation system and method of actuating an engine valve are disclosed. The system may comprise a valve train element, a pivoting lever, a control piston, and a hydraulic circuit. The pivoting lever may include a first end for contacting the control piston, a second end for transmitting motion to a valve stem and a means for contacting a valve train element. The amount of lost motion provided by the system may be selected by varying the position of the control piston relative to the pivoting lever. Variation of the control piston position may be carried out by placing the control piston in hydraulic communication with a control trigger valve and one or more accumulators. Actuation of the trigger valve releases hydraulic fluid allowing for adjustment of the control piston position. Means for limiting valve seating velocity, filling the hydraulic circuit upon engine start up, and mechanically locking the control piston/lever for a fixed level of valve actuation are also disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 3, 2014
    Publication date: October 23, 2014
    Inventors: Joesph M. Vorih, Jeffrey Mossberg, Richard Vanderpoel, Steven Ernest, Guy Paterson, John A. Schwoerer, Edward T. Leitkowski, Andrew Brzoska, Gheorghe Cosma
  • Patent number: 8838306
    Abstract: In a method and a device for operating a drive unit, a first output variable of the drive unit is restricted; a setpoint value of a second output variable of the drive unit is specified; and an actual value of the second output variable of the drive unit is determined. The setpoint value is compared with the actual value, and if it is determined that the actual value does not exceed the setpoint value, then the first output variable is restricted to a first value. If it is determined that the actual value exceeds the setpoint value, then the first output variable is restricted to a second value smaller than the first value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 16, 2014
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Guenter Kettenacker, Christian Ruland, Klaus Schwarze
  • Patent number: 8826871
    Abstract: An internal combustion engine is selectably operable in one of homogeneous charge compression ignition (HCCI) mode with low lift intake and exhaust valve profiles and spark ignition (SI) mode with high lift intake and exhaust valve profiles. Transition from a current combustion mode to a desired combustion mode includes phase adjusting the one of the intake and exhaust valves exhibiting a greater effect upon an effective cylinder volume for a given phase adjustment in the desired combustion mode based upon a desired phasing for the desired combustion mode prior to lift adjusting the one of the intake and exhaust valves and adjusting the other of the intake and exhaust valves.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2014
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Jun-Mo Kang, Jyh-Shin Chen, Chen-Fang Chang
  • Patent number: 8820296
    Abstract: An ECU 1 is provided for an engine 50 provided with an exhaust VVT 57 which is capable of varying opening and closing timings of an exhaust valve 55A of plural exhaust valves 55 provided for a combustion chamber 58 with respect to opening and closing timings of an exhaust valve 55B of plural exhaust valves 55. The ECU 1 is provided with a control unit performing the phase control for making the opening timing of the exhaust valve 55A identical to the opening timing of the exhaust valve 55B when the engine 50 accelerates. Specifically, the control unit performs the advance control for making the phase of the exhaust valve 55A identical to the phase of the exhaust valve 55B.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2014
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Akio Yoshimatsu
  • Publication number: 20140202425
    Abstract: A diagnostic routine momentarily forces an engine to an alternative operating condition, and at the same time adjust fuelling of the engine so as to be appropriate to the alternative operating condition (31). In one embodiment substantially unchanged exhaust constituents (32) indicate correct adoption of the alternative operating condition. In another embodiment a substantial change in a calculated measure is indicative of correct adoption of the alternative condition. The invention allows better control of undesired exhaust emissions during operation of the diagnostic.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 21, 2012
    Publication date: July 24, 2014
    Applicant: Jaguar Land Rover Limited
    Inventor: Brian Varney
  • Publication number: 20140182546
    Abstract: A method of controlling a continuously variable valve lift apparatus, may include determining a desired valve lift of the continuously variable valve lift apparatus based on a driving status, determining a first correction factor based on the driving status, determining a second correction factor based on an amount of air flowing into an engine, determining a final correction factor from the first correction factor and the second correction factor, determining a critical value of operation inclination of the valve lift from the final correction factor and an operation status of a transmission, and controlling the operation of the continuously variable valve lift apparatus on the basis of the determined desired valve lift within the critical value of the operation inclination of the valve lift.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 13, 2013
    Publication date: July 3, 2014
    Applicants: Kia Motors Corporation, Hyundai Motor Company
    Inventor: Joonsuck Lee
  • Patent number: 8739748
    Abstract: A valve timing adjuster adjusts timing of opening and closing an intake valve or an exhaust valve by changing a phase between a drive shaft and a driven shaft. The valve timing adjuster includes a housing, a vane rotor, an urging member, a regulating member, and a control unit. The control unit controls rotation of an electric motor that rotates the drive shaft. When an internal combustion engine stops in a state, where the regulating member is positioned out of a bore, the control unit restarts the engine by controlling the electric motor in the following manner. Firstly, the motor is controlled to rotate at a first rotational speed, which is a relatively high speed and subsequently, the motor is quickly changed to rotate at a second rotational speed, which is a relatively low speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2014
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventor: Masashi Hayashi
  • Publication number: 20140123940
    Abstract: A momentary diagnostic for determining correct operation of a cam profile switching system of an internal combustion engine by calculation of changes in cylinder bank to bank air mass flow ratios: operating said engine in one condition of the cam profile switching system; providing for a first cylinder subset the inlet fuel flow and the corresponding oxygen content of the exhaust flow, and calculating the mass of air passing through the first cylinder subset in a defined time period; providing for a second cylinder subset the inlet fuel flow and the corresponding oxygen content of the exhaust flow; calculating the mass of air passing through the second cylinder subset in said defined time period; comparing the mass air flow the oxygen content for the first and second cylinder subsets to give a standard ratio; momentarily forcing the cam profile switching system of one of said cylinder subsets to an alternative condition; re-calculating providing the corresponding mass of air oxygen content passing through the
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 30, 2012
    Publication date: May 8, 2014
    Applicant: JAGUAR LAND ROVER LIMITED
    Inventor: Brian Varney
  • Patent number: 8667781
    Abstract: A vehicle control device applied to a vehicle including an internal combustion engine and an electrically heated catalyst which is warmed by applying a current, and includes a catalyst carrier supporting a catalyst and a carrier retention unit that retains the catalyst carrier and has an electrical insulation property. The control unit performs a control of suppressing a supply of an unburned gas from the internal combustion engine to the electrically heated catalyst so that the carrier retention unit is maintained at a lower temperature than the catalyst, when a condition for performing a fuel cut of the internal combustion engine during a deceleration is satisfied. Therefore, it is possible to suppress a rapid cooling of the catalyst, and it becomes possible to maintain a temperature of the carrier retention unit at a lower temperature than a temperature of the catalyst.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 11, 2014
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Mamoru Yoshioka, Noriaki Kumagai, Naoya Takagi
  • Patent number: 8606490
    Abstract: In a hybrid vehicle including an engine provided with a plurality of VVTs (variable valve timing mechanisms) as one motive power source, an ECU increments a time lapse counter when a sensor detects the fact that a greatest-retard command has been output to all VVTs and an operation position of each VVT has actually returned to a greatest-retard position in response to the greatest-retard command. The ECU determines whether count by the time lapse counter has exceeded a predetermined defined time or not, and it does not permit engine stop until count by the time lapse counter reaches the predetermined defined time and permits engine stop when count by the time lapse counter has exceeded the predetermined defined time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2013
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Daigo Ando
  • Publication number: 20130306026
    Abstract: A control device calculates a maximum amount of increase in an intake pipe pressure in a ?t obtained by moving a throttle to an opening side at a maximum speed, and calculates a maximum amount of decrease in an intake pipe pressure in the ?t obtained by moving the throttle to a closing side at a maximum speed. Then, command values for each of a VVT and a WGV are determined such that an amount of change in an intake pipe pressure in the ?t required to achieve a target intake air amount falls within a range from the maximum amount of decrease to the maximum amount of increase. Then, a target opening for the throttle for a purpose of achieving the target intake air amount is calculated on the basis of command values that have been determined for the VVT and the WGV.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 1, 2011
    Publication date: November 21, 2013
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Satoru Tanaka
  • Patent number: 8589051
    Abstract: An ECU includes: an engine control unit that controls devices provided for an engine on the basis of a target engine rotational speed; and an engine model that calculates the target engine rotational speed such that the target engine rotational speed varies in accordance with a target engine torque and an actual engine rotational speed in a steady state, and that calculates the target engine rotational speed such that the target engine rotational speed varies in accordance with the target engine torque independently of the actual engine rotational speed in a transient state in which the engine is unstable as compared with the steady state. When the engine is controlled by the thus configured ECU, the control accuracy is improved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2013
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Seiji Kuwahara, Masato Kaigawa, Toshiya Oishi, Shogo Matsumoto
  • Patent number: 8573180
    Abstract: A method for determining a cylinder charge of an internal-combustion engine having valves with a variable valve gear, may include determining a maximum intake valve lift, calculating a standardized cylinder charge relative to at least one of a defined intake spread of an intake valve opening phase and a defined exhaust spread of an exhaust valve opening phase, as a function of the maximum intake valve lift, determining an overlap value, which characterizes an actual overlap of the intake valve opening phase and the exhaust valve opening phase, and determining a corrected cylinder charge based on the standardized cylinder charge and the overlap value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2013
    Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Motors Corporation, Hyundai Motor Europe Technical Center GmbH
    Inventors: Patrizio Agostinelli, Juergen Werner
  • Patent number: 8554455
    Abstract: An IIS system that performs control related to intermittent stopping of engine operation by idling stop control is applied to an internal combustion engine including a VVT mechanism that makes the valve timing of an engine valve variable and has an intermediate lock mechanism that mechanically locks the valve timing at an intermediate lock position between a most retarded position and a most advanced position. The IIS system is configured to inhibit the engine operation from being intermittently stopped at the occurrence of a failure of the VVT mechanism to avoid the internal combustion engine from being prevented from being restarted after the intermittent stop depending on the occurrence of the failure of the VVT mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2013
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yoshiaki Miyazato, Toshio Imamura, Yuu Yokoyama, Satoshi Yoshi, Yoshiki Endo, Yuu Ueda, Hiroyuki Ishii
  • Publication number: 20130220273
    Abstract: An ECU 1 is provided for an engine 50 provided with an exhaust VVT 57 which is capable of varying opening and closing timings of an exhaust valve 55A of plural exhaust valves 55 provided for a combustion chamber 58 with respect to opening and closing timings of an exhaust valve 55B of plural exhaust valves 55. The ECU 1 is provided with a control unit performing the phase control for making the opening timing of the exhaust valve 55A identical to the opening timing of the exhaust valve 55B when the engine 50 accelerates. Specifically, the control unit performs the advance control for making the phase of the exhaust valve 55A identical to the phase of the exhaust valve 55B.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 4, 2010
    Publication date: August 29, 2013
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Akio Yoshimatsu
  • Patent number: 8499742
    Abstract: A valve train of an internal combustion engine having a swing of a link mechanism that is stabilized to stabilize the operating characteristics of an engine valve. A camshaft is provided together with a valve operating cam pivotally supported by the camshaft so as to operatively open and close an engine valve. A link mechanism allows a drive cam rotated integrally with the camshaft to swing the valve operating cam, and a drive mechanism swings the link mechanism, wherein opening and closing of the engine valve are started in a buffer section of the valve operating cam, and opening/closing timing of the engine valve is controlled by the drive mechanism swinging the valve operating cam via the link mechanism, without the provision of a buffer transition section and a buffer constant-speed section encountered at the time of transiting from a base circle to a cam lobe of the drive cam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2013
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masaki Cho, Tadashi Niino, Toshiyuki Sato
  • Patent number: 8402936
    Abstract: A vehicle control device for a vehicle system automatically stops an internal combustion engine of a vehicle when a predetermined stop condition is satisfied and automatically starts the automatically stopped internal combustion engine when a predetermined start condition is satisfied. A stop point detection unit detects a stop point, at which the vehicle possibly stops, while the vehicle travels based on map information stored in a map information storage unit. A traveling information control unit stores traveling information, which includes a state of the vehicle stopping at a stop point and a state of the vehicle passing by the stop point, in the traveling information storage unit. A stop determination unit determines whether to stop the internal combustion engine when the vehicle stops at a stop point based on the traveling information of the stop point stored in the traveling information storage unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2013
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventor: Kazuo Nakamura
  • Patent number: 8347857
    Abstract: A charged engine may utilize a plurality of independently controllable intake valves for a cylinder of the engine. A method to operate the engine includes monitoring an unmodified timing for the plurality of independently controllable intake valves for the cylinder, monitoring operation of the engine, determining a delayed timing for a first intake valve of the independently controllable intake valves for the cylinder based upon the monitored operation of the engine and the unmodified timing for the plurality of independently controllable intake valves for the cylinder, controlling the first intake valve based upon the determined delayed timing for the first intake valve, and controlling a second intake valve of the independently controllable intake valves for the cylinder based upon the monitored unmodified timing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: David J. Cleary, Paul M. Najt
  • Publication number: 20120291750
    Abstract: A start control device for an internal combustion engine controls a starting manner of the engine having a hydraulic variable mechanism, which fixes valve timing at a middle angle. Specifically, with the engine speed during cranking when the valve timing is not fixed at the middle angle defined as a first engine speed and the engine speed during cranking when the valve timing is fixed at the middle angle defined as a second engine speed, the start control device performs starting control for decreasing the first engine speed compared to the second engine speed during engine starting. As a result, the valve timing is fixed at the middle angle at increased frequency.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 10, 2010
    Publication date: November 22, 2012
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yuu Yokoyama, Masaki Numakura
  • Patent number: 8302572
    Abstract: In an internal combustion engine with a variable valve gear, which comprises a first intake valve and a second intake valve for each cylinder, configured to be driven by a first intake cam and a second intake cam, respectively, and a cam phase change mechanism configured to vary at least the phase of the second intake cam, the second intake cam is set so that the open period of the second intake valve is longer than that of the first intake valve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2012
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Jidosha Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Shinichi Murata
  • Publication number: 20120253636
    Abstract: Methods and systems for real-time engine control optimization are provided. A value of an engine performance variable is determined, a value of a first operating condition and a value of a second operating condition of a vehicle engine are detected, and initial values for a first engine control parameter and a second engine control parameter are determined based on the detected first operating condition and the detected second operating condition. The initial values for the first engine control parameter and the second engine control parameter are adjusted based on the determined value of the engine performance variable to cause the engine performance variable to approach a target engine performance variable. In order to cause the engine performance variable to approach the target engine performance variable, adjusting the initial value for the first engine control parameter necessitates a corresponding adjustment of the initial value for the second engine control parameter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 30, 2012
    Publication date: October 4, 2012
    Inventors: Li Jiang, Donghoon Lee, Hakan Yilmaz, Anna Stefanopoulou
  • Publication number: 20120222651
    Abstract: Fuel is injected into and through the exhaust port and into the cylinder of the piston engine during the time when the flow is reversed from the normally expected flow. The engine is able to operate with some or all of its fuel injected backwards of conventional expectations. In another embodiment the fuel is injected with solid stream injector sprays directed against exhaust valves and ports and deflected into the piston cylinder against the flow of normally aspirated or supercharged engines. This invention can apply to gasoline or diesel cycles and four and two stroke type cycles of engine.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 13, 2012
    Publication date: September 6, 2012
    Inventor: Francis Xavier Gentile
  • Publication number: 20120222652
    Abstract: In a hybrid vehicle including an engine provided with a plurality of VVTs (variable valve timing mechanisms) as one motive power source, an ECU increments a time lapse counter when a sensor detects the fact that a greatest-retard command has been output to all VVTs and an operation position of each VVT has actually returned to a greatest-retard position in response to the greatest-retard command. The ECU determines whether count by the time lapse counter has exceeded a predetermined defined time or not, and it does not permit engine stop until count by the time lapse counter reaches the predetermined defined time and permits engine stop when count by the time lapse counter has exceeded the predetermined defined time.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 19, 2009
    Publication date: September 6, 2012
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Daigo Ando
  • Patent number: 8224555
    Abstract: In an in-cylinder injection type spark ignition internal combustion engine in which the intake air amount is controlled by use of an intake valve or an exhaust valve, which is provided with mainly a variable valve mechanism, instable combustion during a low-load operation is avoided without an increase in pumping loss (without a decrease in the thermal efficiency). In the in-cylinder injection type spark ignition internal combustion engine, during low-load operation, on the basis of the cooling water temperature of the engine the opening and closing timing of the intake valve is controlled in a retard angle manner and the opening and closing timing of the exhaust valve is controlled in an advance angle manner. Furthermore, the fuel injection timing is controlled in a retard angle manner on the basis of the retard angle amount of the intake valve opening and closing timing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2012
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kengo Kumano, Yoshihiro Sukegawa, Shiro Yamaoka
  • Patent number: 8210141
    Abstract: An intake side phase varying mechanism varies an open/close timing of an intake valve, and an exhaust side phase varying mechanism varies an open/close timing of an exhaust valve. Before starting the engine, one of the intake and exhaust side phase varying mechanisms is caused to keep a first position wherein the intake and exhaust valves show the largest valve overlap therebetween and the other of the mechanisms is caused to keep a second position wherein the intake and exhaust valves show the smallest valve overlap therebetween. A controller is configured to carry out, after starting the engine, causing the selected one of the intake and exhaust side phase varying mechanisms to be actually controlled to the first position and causing the other to be actually controlled to the second position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2012
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventor: Makoto Nakamura
  • Patent number: 8209112
    Abstract: A method and a device are provided for operating an internal combustion engine which allow for an improved diagnosis of the valve mechanism of cylinders of the internal combustion engine. For this purpose, a variable characteristic of a suction performance of a cylinder of the internal combustion engine is ascertained. The variable characteristic of the suction performance is ascertained as a function of the mass flow flowing into an intake manifold of the internal combustion engine and of a change of the intake manifold pressure during an intake phase of the cylinder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2012
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Dirk Hartmann, Georg Mallebrein, Nicolas Ide, Andreas Roth, Lutz Reuschenbach, Frank Schiller, Markus Deissler, Michael Drung
  • Publication number: 20120116656
    Abstract: Power brakes are typically vacuum assisted, with the vacuum provided from the intake manifold. If the engine is commanded to operate for a long period at a condition with low intake manifold vacuum, the vacuum within the brake booster may drop to a level which is marginal or insufficient for a present or subsequent braking operation. To ensure sufficient vacuum in the intake manifold to provide to the brake booster, the engine may be commanded to operate at a condition to increase intake manifold vacuum by one of: adjusting cam timing, increasing engine speed, and increasing EGR. In the case of a stop-start vehicle, the engine speed is increased from zero to a condition that provides the desired vacuum.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 8, 2010
    Publication date: May 10, 2012
    Applicant: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Douglas Raymond Martin, Dale Scott Crombez, Moses Alexander Fridman
  • Patent number: 8171901
    Abstract: In an engine which comprises a first intake valve and a second intake valve for each cylinder, configured to be driven by a first intake cam and a second intake cam, respectively, and a cam phase change mechanism configured to vary the phase of the second intake cam, the cam phase change mechanism is controlled so that the opening timing of the second intake valve is advanced ahead of that of the first intake valve in a start mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2012
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Jidosha Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Shinichi Murata
  • Patent number: 8161926
    Abstract: If it is necessary to rapidly change a phase of an intake camshaft and an intake VVT mechanism relatively slow in responsiveness as it is associated with an “A” bank of a V-type, 8-cylinder engine is in operation for at least a predetermined period of time, an ECU executes a program including the step of controlling intake VVT mechanisms to operate those associated with both the “A” bank and a “B” bank.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2012
    Assignees: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha, Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Zenichiro Mashiki, Yasumichi Inoue, Yoshihito Moriya, Haruyuki Urushihata
  • Patent number: 8161938
    Abstract: In a method for operating an internal combustion engine (10) having a plurality of combustion chambers (12), wherein the combustion chambers (12) make moment contributions during operation of the internal combustion engine (10) to the resulting engine moment of the internal combustion engine (10) and each combustion chamber (12) is assigned at least one inlet valve (14) which is actuated on the basis of a predefined valve lift cam which can be selected from a plurality of valve lift cams, the moment contribution of each combustion chamber (12) is selected, in the case of a valve lift switchover from a first valve lift cam to a second valve lift cam, for a following ignition cycle in such a way that a deviation of a sliding mean value of the moment contributions of all the combustion chambers (12) over a plurality of consecutive ignition cycles from a predefined moment setpoint value is minimized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2012
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventor: Helge Frauenkron
  • Patent number: 8113173
    Abstract: A control system for an engine having a cylinder is disclosed having an engine valve movable to regulate a fluid flow of the cylinder and an actuator associated with the engine valve. The control system also has a controller in communication with the actuator. The controller is configured to receive a signal indicative of engine speed and compare the engine speed signal with a desired engine speed. The controller is also configured to selectively regulate the actuator to adjust a timing of the engine valve to control an amount of air/fuel mixture delivered to the cylinder based on the comparison.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2012
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Martin L. Willi, Scott B. Fiveland, David T. Montgomery, Weidong Gong
  • Patent number: 8096271
    Abstract: A control module and system includes a camshaft position module that determines a camshaft position change of a crankshaft. The control module also includes a cam phaser velocity module determines a cam phaser velocity based on the camshaft position change. A cam phaser velocity module determines a compensation factor based on the cam phaser velocity. A cam position compensation module generates a corrected cam position signal based on the compensation factor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2012
    Inventors: Yiran Hu, Kenneth P. Dudek, Shawn W. Midlam-Mohler, Yann G. Guezennec, Stephen Yurkovich, Layne K. Wiggins
  • Patent number: 8096281
    Abstract: A supercharged diesel engine is equipped with an electronically controlled hydraulic system for variable actuation of the intake valves of the engine. The cam that controls each intake valve has an additional lobe for causing an additional opening of the intake valve, during the exhaust stroke, so as to provide an exhaust-gas recirculation directly inside the engine. Said additional lobe is shaped in such a way as to give rise to a profile of the additional lift of the valve as the crank angle varies with a boot conformation, including an initial stretch with a gentler slope extending from a point of zero lift corresponding to the expansion stroke in the engine cylinder. The engine is moreover equipped with a duct for exhaust-gas recirculation of the long-route type, which picks up the gases from a point of the exhaust duct set downstream of the catalytic converter and of the particulate trap.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2012
    Assignee: C.R.F. Società Consortile per Azioni
    Inventors: Gianluca Canino, Luca Gentile, Davide Peci, Francesco Vattaneo
  • Patent number: 8086391
    Abstract: Turbo lag is a known impediment of a turbocharged, small displacement engine providing the feel of a large displacement engine. A method of spinning up the exhaust turbine during an interval between the time that the operator moves his/her foot from the brake pedal to the accelerator pedal to initiate a launch. A non-exhaustive list of actions that can be taken to increase exhaust enthalpy provided to the turbine include: opening the throttle, retarding the spark, and closing the wastegate. Additionally, a brake can be applied at one of the vehicle wheels to keep the engine from launching forward during this interval.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2011
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies LLC
    Inventor: Sayid Miah
  • Patent number: 8069829
    Abstract: A method for operating a vehicle, the vehicle including an internal combustion engine coupled in the vehicle, the engine having at least one cylinder with an intake and an exhaust valve, where the opening and closing timing of the intake valve is adjustably retardable and the opening and closing timing of the exhaust valve is adjustably retardable via camshaft adjustments, during engine operation, an energy conversion device coupled in the vehicle capable of selectively supplying and absorbing torque during vehicle operation, and a transmission, the method comprising: adjustably retarding intake valve opening timing and intake valve closing timing from piston top dead center; and adjusting operation of the transmission and the energy conversion device to maintain engine speed sufficient to enable adjustment of said intake and exhaust valve timing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2011
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: Thomas G. Leone
  • Patent number: 8065988
    Abstract: An average pressure P12 in an exhaust port at an overlap period T12 during which a period T1 during which an exhaust valve of a first cylinder unit is in an EGR opening state overlaps with a period T2 during which an intake valve of the first cylinder unit is in an opening state is set to be lower than an average pressure P12? in the exhaust port within the EGR opening period T1 and after a lapse of the overlap period T12, or an overlapped opening time area S2 at the overlap period T12 is set to be not more than one-fourth of an opening time area S1 at the EGR opening period T1.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2011
    Inventor: Koichi Hatamura
  • Patent number: 8061136
    Abstract: An internal combustion engine (30) with a supercharger device (50, 52) for increasing the charging pressure in an air inlet system (33) has a number of cylinders (32). Each cylinder (32) has at least one exhaust valve (36) which is connected to the exhaust system (40) and at least one inlet valve (34), which is connected to the air inlet system (33). Scavenging is carried out with a valve overlap between the inlet valve (34) and the exhaust valve (36). For controlling the operation of the internal combustion engine the system monitors whether the scavenging was successful.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2011
    Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbH
    Inventors: Matthias Delp, Gerhard Eser
  • Patent number: 8042504
    Abstract: An internal combustion engine having two cylinder banks and adjustable camshaft timing is disclosed in which the camshafts in one cylinder bank are adjusted so that there is no net flow from the cylinders to effectively disable the cylinder bank. In particular, exhaust valve timing is advanced so that the maximum valve lift occurs approximately at bottom center between expansion and exhaust strokes and intake valve timing is advanced so that maximum valve lift occurs approximately at bottom center between intake and compression strokes. Also disclosed is an engine in which an intake and an exhaust camshaft on a single bank are coaxial with valve timings adjusted by rotating the inner of the two camshafts with respect to the outer of the two camshafts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2011
    Assignee: Ford Global Tecnologies, LLC
    Inventor: Alvin Henry Berger