Having Microprocessor Patents (Class 123/480)
  • Patent number: 9026340
    Abstract: An air-fuel ratio control system of an internal combustion engine comprises a fuel amount determiner for determining a fuel command value. The fuel amount determiner has a feedback control mode in which the fuel amount determiner determines a running state reference coefficient corresponding to a running state detected by a running state detector based on a first correspondence stored in the memory, determines a running state compensation coefficient corresponding to the running state detected by the running state detector based on a second correspondence stored in the memory, determines a feedback compensation coefficient used to cause an air-fuel ratio to reach a value closer to a theoretical air-fuel ratio based on an output of the air-fuel ratio sensor, and determines the fuel command value using a formula including the determined running state reference coefficient, the determined running state compensation coefficient, and the determined feedback compensation coefficient.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2015
    Assignee: Kawasaki Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shinichi Kuratani, Tsuyoshi Takeuchi, Kozo Suzuki, Takashi Abe, Yoshinobu Mori, Daisuke Yanase
  • Publication number: 20150101575
    Abstract: A method actuates a fuel injector having a coil drive with a solenoid and a magnet armature. The magnet armature can be moved along a longitudinal axis by a magnetic field generated by the solenoid. In the method, an amplification voltage is applied to the solenoid at a predefined point in time to move the magnet armature from a closed position into an open position. The amplification voltage is made available by a voltage-regulated direct voltage transformer from a supply voltage. The direct voltage transformer has a storage capacitor for supporting the voltage made available at the output of the direct voltage transformer. The storage capacitor is charged to a pilot control voltage by the amplification voltage before the given point in time, with the result that the voltage present at the solenoid is higher than the amplification voltage at the predefined point in time.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 14, 2014
    Publication date: April 16, 2015
    Inventors: JENS MAASE, VOLKER HERTES
  • Patent number: 9008948
    Abstract: A fuel injection control apparatus includes a low-side driver, arranged electrically downstream of an injector and operable to drive the injector with a changeover of an ON-OFF state thereof in response to a drive signal from a CPU; a high-side driver, arranged electrically upstream of the injector and downstream of a power source, and having an ON-OFF state thereof which may be changed in response to the drive signal from the CPU; a high-side return signal detection unit and a low-side return signal detection unit. Each of the low-side and high-side drivers includes a transistor arranged inside an ECU. The CPU diagnoses a function of a drive circuit based on the presence or non-presence of return signals received from the high-side return signal detection unit and the low-side return signal detection unit with respect to predetermined driving states of both the low-side and high-side drivers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2015
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kenichi Machida
  • Publication number: 20150090230
    Abstract: A method for determining the quantity of fuel flowing through a fuel injector. The fuel injector has an electric heating device for heating the fuel and a temperature-measuring device for measuring the temperature of the heated fuel. The method includes (a) applying a predetermined electrical heating power to the electric heating device, (b) measuring an increase in the temperature of the fuel as a consequence of the heating power, and (c) determining the quantity of fuel flowing through the fuel injector on the basis of the applied electrical heating power and the measured increase in the temperature. A method for equalizing the fuel feed at at least two cylinders of an internal combustion engine utilizes the method for determining the quantity of fuel flowing through a fuel injector. An engine controller and a computer program carry out the specified methods.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 19, 2014
    Publication date: April 2, 2015
    Inventors: STEPHAN BOLZ, MARTIN GOETZENBERGER
  • Patent number: 8996280
    Abstract: In a method for operating a fuel injector, a transition range of the characteristics curve of the injector is detected individually and adapted continuously, so that a monotonous characteristics curve is formed, with whose aid high metering precision of the injector is achieved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Klaus Joos, Ruben Schlueter, Jens Neuberg, Helerson Kemmer, Holger Rapp, Haris Hamedovic, Joerg Koenig, Anh-Tuan Hoang, Bernd Wichert, Achim Hirchenhein
  • Publication number: 20150027415
    Abstract: A method for controlling pressure in a high-pressure region of an internal combustion engine includes adjusting a fuel outflow from the high-pressure region into a low-pressure region by means of an injector, which has a control valve adjusted by a piezo actuator and a control chamber. The method includes charging the piezo actuator by a first signal such that the control valve is moved from a closed position to a partially open position and fuel flows out from the high-pressure region into the low-pressure region, discharging the piezo actuator by a second signal such that the control valve is moved into the closed position, and partially discharging the piezo actuator by a third signal after the first signal and before the second signal. The method provides pressure control in the high-pressure region via an injector with high reliability even at high rail pressure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 11, 2013
    Publication date: January 29, 2015
    Inventor: Janos Radeczky
  • Publication number: 20140366848
    Abstract: The internal combustion engine control system includes an injector 3 (116) to supply fuel to an internal combustion engine 11, means 110 for calculating power distribution time for the injector, a sensor 105 to detect a valve opening of the injector, and means 112 for calculating and storing valve opening delay time, which is a difference between a power distribution start time and a valve opening detection time. When a power distribution time determination section 114 determines that the power distribution time for the injector is not less than a predetermined value, the valve opening delay time is calculated and stored. When the power distribution time for the injector is less than the predetermined value, the power distribution time for the injector is controlled based on the valve opening delay time stored in storing means to perform control to increase the injector power distribution time.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 5, 2012
    Publication date: December 18, 2014
    Applicant: Hitachi Automotive Systems, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshihisa Fujii, Takao Fududa, Masahiro Toyohara
  • Patent number: 8909413
    Abstract: Embodiments provide systems and methods for using a feedback correction factor to determine whether a motor vehicle should be placed in a judging or non-judging mode regarding the on-board diagnostic system. If the feedback correction factor is within a predetermined range, the vehicle is placed in a judging mode. If the feedback correction factor is outside a predetermined range, the vehicle is placed in a non-judging mode. Methods and systems for using an engine oil temperature to determine whether a motor vehicle should be placed in a judging or non-judging mode regarding the on-board diagnostic system are disclosed. If an engine oil temperature, or predicted engine oil temperature, is below a predetermined temperature, the motor vehicle is placed in a non-judging mode. If an engine oil temperature, or predicted engine oil temperature, is above a predetermined temperature, the motor vehicle is placed in a judging mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2014
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Anthony P. Mortensen
  • Patent number: 8899210
    Abstract: A drive circuit for driving an electromagnetic fuel-injection valve, the drive circuit varying an application sequence of a drive voltage, which is supplied from a step-up power supply to a fuel-injection valve for conducting injection multiple times in a single stroke of an internal-combustion engine, between the first injection and the second and subsequent injections, and setting the application sequence such that the consumption of power from the step-up power supply in the first injection becomes smaller than the power consumption in one of the second and subsequent injections.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2014
    Assignee: Hitachi Automotive Systems, Ltd.
    Inventors: Motoyuki Abe, Tohru Ishikawa, Takuya Mayuzumi, Tetsuo Matsumura
  • Publication number: 20140336902
    Abstract: An electrical control unit includes a constant voltage supply unit which supplies a constant voltage to a fuel injector, a boosted voltage supply unit which supplies a boosted voltage to the fuel injector, a control unit which controls supply timings of the constant voltage supply unit and the boosted voltage supply unit, and an interrupter which interrupts electric current when a short-circuit occurs in the boosted voltage supply unit. When an interruption of the interrupter is not detected, the boosted voltage supply unit supplies boosted voltage to start a fuel injection and the constant voltage supply unit supplies constant voltage to continue the fuel injection. When an interruption of the interrupter is detected, the constant voltage supply unit and the boosted voltage supply unit advance an interrupted power supply start timing relative to a non-interrupted power supply start timing to prevent delay of a fuel injection start timing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 29, 2014
    Publication date: November 13, 2014
    Applicant: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiroki IGARASHI, Toru ITABASHI, Takahiko FURUTA
  • Patent number: 8886439
    Abstract: Disclosed is a method for the control and regulation of an internal combustion engine (1), comprising an independent common rail system on the A-side and an independent common rail system on the B-side. During normal operation, the rail pressure (pCR(A), pCR(B)) is controlled in each common rail system via a low pressure-side suction throttle (4A, 4B) as the first pressure-adjusting element in a rail pressure control loop and, at the same time, the rail pressure (pCR(A), pCR(B)) is subjected to a rail pressure disturbance variable via a high pressure-side pressure control valve (11A, 11B) as a second pressure-adjusting element, by means of which a pressure control valve volume flow is redirected via the high pressure-side pressure control valve (11A, 11B) from the rail (6A, 6B) into a fuel tank (2).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2014
    Assignee: MTU Friedrichshafen GmbH
    Inventor: Armin Dölker
  • Patent number: 8863728
    Abstract: A method for controlling a direct-injection internal combustion engine includes monitoring internal combustion engine operational parameters, determining a start of injection in response to the engine operational parameters, monitoring an intake air flow comprising a residual gas component, monitoring an exhaust gas flow, monitoring a fuel flow, determining a time constant corresponding to an intake air flow reaction time based upon the intake air flow, the exhaust gas flow, and the fuel flow, modifying the start of injection with the time constant, and operating the engine subject to the modified start of injection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2014
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Ibrahim Haskara, Yue-Yun Wang
  • Patent number: 8827175
    Abstract: In a method and a device for the calibration of internal combustion engines, in each fuel injector, at least one actuator element (1) may be activated by an electric signal interacts with at least one injection valve (3) having an injection rate for the supply of fuel to a combustion chamber (5) via injection holes, and in the case of a flow characteristic curve (12, 23, 35) of the fuel flowing through the injection holes deviating from a target characteristic curve (11, 22, 34) in a flow-time diagram, a signal characteristic curve (14a, 27, 42) of the electric signal applied to the actuator element (1) is altered in a voltage-time diagram relative to a target characteristic curve (13, 26, 41) by a controller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2014
    Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbH
    Inventors: Jürgen Fritsch, Johann Görzen
  • Patent number: 8783230
    Abstract: Disclosed is a fuel injection system that is used with an internal-combustion engine to reliably perform a requested fuel injection operation a requested number of times even when a boost voltage is lowered. The fuel injection system monitors the boost voltage immediately before the start of fuel injection, and varies a valve open time in accordance with the monitored boost voltage. Even when the boost voltage is lowered, the fuel injection system performs a fuel injection operation the requested number of times.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2014
    Assignee: Hitachi Automotive Systems, Ltd.
    Inventors: Atsushi Okonogi, Masahiro Toyohara, Takashi Okamoto, Motoyuki Abe, Takuya Mayuzumi
  • Publication number: 20140196691
    Abstract: A valve includes a spring having a spring force, an actuator having an actuator force that acts against the spring force, and a tappet that can be actuated by means of the actuator. The valve also includes a sealing element, which is or can be coupled to the tappet, and a sealing seat, such that the valve is closed when the sealing element lies against the sealing seat. A current having a specified curve, proceeding from an initial value of the current to a specified final value of the current, is applied during a specified time interval of the actuator after a closing phase of the valve for a normally open valve or after an opening phase for a normally closed valve. The initial value of the current is less than the final value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 3, 2012
    Publication date: July 17, 2014
    Inventors: Christoph Klesse, Thomas Kraft, Hans Riepl, Tobias Ritsch
  • Patent number: 8775058
    Abstract: A method for the injector-individual adaption of the injection time of motor vehicles is based on linking the IIC method and the MFMA method. Before starting to drive, the IIC method is carried out, and while driving MFMA measurements are carried out. The measurement points obtained are used as subsequent measurement points for the IIC function. Thus injector-individual characteristic fields can be determined, in which deviations due to manufacturing and also aging and wear of the components during the service life are considered.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2014
    Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbH
    Inventor: Christian Hauser
  • Patent number: 8775056
    Abstract: When an engine driving condition has been changed from an idling condition to a vehicle running condition, a controller measures an idling period. When the idling period is longer than a determination time period immediately after the vehicle is started, a penetrating-force-decrease control is performed. Therefore, even when a piston temperature is relatively low and particulate matters are easily generated, it can be restricted that fuel adheres to the piston top-surface by performing the penetrating-force-decrease control. Further, in the penetrating-force-decrease control, since the fuel is injected at optimum injection timing, it can be avoided that emission and fuel economy are deteriorated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2014
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroaki Fujii, Shingo Nakata
  • Publication number: 20140158092
    Abstract: A fuel injection control apparatus for fuel injection at optimum timing in correspondence with level of gas flow velocity in an intake port upon intake stroke injection. A fuel injection valve is controlled so as to set a large majority (more than half) of an injection period to inject fuel during an intake stroke in respective cylinders within a period where intake port gas pressure is increased. Upon intake stroke injection, the fuel is injected at optimum timing in correspondence with the direction and the level of gas flow velocity in the intake port. Accordingly, the status of air-fuel mixture in a combustion chamber is excellent. It is possible to improve fuel consumption and to reduce exhaust emission.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 6, 2013
    Publication date: June 12, 2014
    Applicant: Hitachi Automotive Systems, Ltd.
    Inventors: YOSHIHIRO SUKEGAWA, Masayuki Saruwatari, Kohsuke Kanda, Yoshitatsu Nakamura
  • Publication number: 20140150751
    Abstract: A system and component for generating a drive signal suitable to operate a fuel injector. The drive signal includes one or more injector pulses. Each injector pulse is characterized by a desired pulse profile. The system includes an injector driver and a controller. The injector driver is operable to apply a supply voltage to the fuel injector. The controller is configured to store a plurality of state definitions that determine an operation state of the injector driver when a selected definition of the plurality of state definitions is communicated to the injector driver. The controller is further configured to receive a sequence of state values that determine an order that the state definitions are communicated to the injector driver to generate piecewise an injector pulse exhibiting the pulse profile, and thereby generate the drive signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 3, 2012
    Publication date: June 5, 2014
    Applicant: DELPHI TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: GORDON D. CHEEVER, JR., DANIEL C. PENROD
  • Patent number: 8744728
    Abstract: Over a diesel engine's lifetime, engine efficiency may be reduced and some of this may be attributable to sulfur deposit accumulation in the engine. A method for controlling operation of a diesel engine operating on a fuel is provided. The method may include adjusting an injection of fuel to the engine in response to a sulfur content of the fuel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2014
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Keli Alark, Richard Kellogg Morton
  • Patent number: 8733323
    Abstract: A method for ascertaining an error in a fuel metering unit of an injection system for an internal combustion engine, wherein the gradients of a first signal representing a physical variable and of a second signal representing a physical variable are determined, and at a predefined magnitude and/or direction of the two gradients an error is recognized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2014
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Andreas Mueller, Andreas Sommerer, Bernd Becker
  • Patent number: 8738271
    Abstract: Example methods of modeling a nonlinear dynamical system such as a vehicle engine include providing a model using linear programming support vector regression (LP-SVR) having an asymmetric wavelet kernel, such as derived from a raised-cosine wavelet function. The model may be trained to determine parallel model parameters while in a series-parallel configuration, and operated in the parallel configuration allowing improved and more flexible model performance. An improved engine control unit may use an LP-SVR with an asymmetric wavelet kernel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2014
    Assignees: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc., The Regents of the University of Michigan
    Inventors: Zhao Lu, Jing Sun, Kenneth R. Butts
  • Patent number: 8726880
    Abstract: A system for an engine includes a motor driver module, a target phase angle module, and a correlation control module. The motor driver module controls an electric motor of a camshaft phaser based on a target angle defined by a crankshaft position and a camshaft position. The target phase angle module selectively sets the target angle to a first phase angle before a deceleration fuel cutoff (DFCO) event and selectively transitions the target angle to a predetermined phase angle during the DFCO event. The correlation control module selectively compares a value of the crankshaft position with a predetermined crankshaft position range during the DFCO event.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2014
    Inventors: Etsuko Muraji Stewart, Vijay Ramappan
  • Patent number: 8725390
    Abstract: Systems and methods for optimizing fuel injection in an internal combustion engine adjust start of fuel injection by calculating whether one of advancing or retarding start of fuel injection will provide a shortest path from a source angle to a destination angle. Based on the source angle and a given injection pulse width and angle increment, it is determined whether fuel injection will overlap with a specified engine event if start of fuel injection is moved in a direction of the shortest path. A control circuit increments start fuel injection in the direction of the shortest path if it is determined that fuel injection will not overlap with the specified engine event, or increments start fuel injection in a direction opposite that of the shortest path if it is determined that fuel injection will overlap with the specified engine event.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2014
    Assignee: Brunswick Corporation
    Inventors: Matthew W. Snyder, Thomas S. Kirchhoff, David G. Camp
  • Patent number: 8694228
    Abstract: A fuel injection control for an internal combustion engine includes a coil, a first switch, a capacitor, a second switch, and a control circuit. The coil is to boost a voltage of a power supply source. The first switch is connected at one end to an output side of the coil and at the other end to a ground. The capacitor is connected to an electromagnetic fuel injection valve to store energy which has been stored in the coil. The second switch is connected at one end between the coil and the first switch and at the other end to an input side of the capacitor. The control circuit is connected to the first switch and the second switch. The control circuit is configured to perform synchronous rectifying control for switching the first switch and the second switch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Natsuko Kitamura, Jun Ishii, Akitsugu Ikeda
  • Patent number: 8656890
    Abstract: A system and method for controlling an injection time of a fuel injector. The system includes a drive circuit configured to output a drive signal having a pulse width, wherein the injection time is influenced by the pulse width and a closing electrical decay of the fuel injector. A controller is configured to determine the closing electrical decay of the fuel injector and adapt the pulse width based on the closing electrical decay to control the injection time. The closing electrical decay includes a closing response. The controller determines the closing response based on an injector signal, such as a coil voltage of the fuel injector. By determining the closing response, the pulse width can be adjusted to compensate for fuel injector part-to-part variability, fuel injector wear, variations in fuel pressure received by the fuel injector, dirt in the fuel injector, and the like.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2014
    Assignee: Delphi Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Philippe S. Farah, Ronald J. Krefta, Brent J. Wahba, Eugene A. Kobos, Kevin R. Keegan
  • Publication number: 20140020661
    Abstract: A fuel injection controller includes a transistor downstream of a coil of a fuel injector, two transistors applying a source voltage to an upstream of the coil, a diode refluxing an electric current to the coil from a ground, and a Zener diode provided to promptly consume the counter electromotive force generated in the coil when one of the transistors is turned OFF and the transistor is turned OFF, after an injector-drive-period of the fuel injector is terminated. When a microcomputer measures an injector current “I” decreasing from a time of the termination of an injector-drive-period, a drive control circuit delays an OFF time of the transistor relative to a time of a termination of an injector-drive-period, whereby the injector current “I” decreases gradually.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 11, 2013
    Publication date: January 23, 2014
    Inventor: Toshio NISHIMURA
  • Patent number: 8620559
    Abstract: A system and a method for executing tasks for an internal combustion engine (14) has two control devices (1, 2), with the two control devices (1, 2) being provided in order to process the tasks independently of one another, with the first control device (1) having a first release signal and a first switchover signal, with the second control device having a second release signal and a second switchover signal, with, by exchanging the two release signals and the two switchover signals, it being defined that only one of the two control devices (1, 2) executes a defined task at the same time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2013
    Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbH
    Inventors: Martin Jehle, Wolfgang Moser, Peter Russe
  • Patent number: 8620560
    Abstract: The invention aims at providing an internal combustion engine control device 1 which can make suppression of a rise in the temperature of an engine control ECU 2, and fuel cut control of an engine compatible with each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2013
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yasuhito Imai, Ryuji Okamura
  • Publication number: 20130333671
    Abstract: Methods and systems for accurate and precise fuel supply control for continuous-flow of gaseous fuel to an internal combustion engine over a large dynamic power range, including a dual-stage valve that allows optimal control—a first stage in the form of a voice-coil driven electronic pressure regulator, and a second stage in the form of a voice-coil-driven choked-flow valve; monitoring the pressure of the fuel intermediate the two stages and making appropriate adjustments to the first stage via a pressure actuator loop; feeding the gaseous fuel mixture through a unitary block assembly into the second stage; monitoring the pressure of the air/fuel mixture and making appropriate adjustments to the second stage via a valve actuator control loop.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 14, 2013
    Publication date: December 19, 2013
    Applicant: Enovation Controls, LLC
    Inventors: Michael W. Walser, Randall W. Walser, Christopher M. Cole, Justin H. Sanders, Joseph Grogan, Kenneth Shouse, Kennon Guglielmo
  • Patent number: 8612118
    Abstract: A method for operating an engine, including, adjusting a target load, which lies below a full load; operating at least one cylinder in a first cylinder group with a first load, which is reduced with respect to the target load; operating at least one cylinder in a second cylinder group with a second load, which is increased with respect to the target load; selecting the first and second loads such that a resulting load is the target load; and selecting the first and second loads such that at least one environmental parameter value is improved, wherein the environmental parameters include at least one of a fuel consumption, a nitrogen oxide content in the exhaust gas, and a particle content in the exhaust gas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2013
    Assignee: Mahle International GmbH
    Inventor: Alfred Elsäβer
  • Publication number: 20130319377
    Abstract: The present invention utilizes a speed density method for determining the cylinder air mass using volumetric efficiency (VE) based on engine speed and manifold pressure. The VE data contain the cylinder filling efficiency for various engine speed and manifold pressure values. The manifold pressure is then measured by a manifold absolution pressure (MAP) sensor. Using the speed density has the advantage that it is much less affected by pulsation in the intake system of the vehicle, and does not require a linear air flow past a sensor in the engine intake system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 5, 2012
    Publication date: December 5, 2013
    Applicant: HONDATA, INC.
    Inventor: Derek Stevens
  • Patent number: 8561594
    Abstract: In an internal combustion engine controller, a clock trouble determination signal from a clock trouble determining circuit that diagnoses any clock input trouble is transmitted in parallel with an abnormality diagnosis signal outputted from an abnormality diagnosing circuit and causes it to be inputted to a trouble/abnormality signal output circuit, and the trouble/abnormality signal output circuit achieves logical summing to output one line of resultant trouble/abnormality output OR signals to a microprocessor (MP). The MP outputs to the trouble/abnormality signal output circuit a trouble/abnormality confirmation input signal, and makes definite any of an abnormal state, a clock trouble state and a normal state based on the result of switching control of the status level of the pertinent trouble/abnormality output OR signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2013
    Assignee: Hitachi Automotive Systems, Ltd.
    Inventors: Ryoichi Oura, Mitsuhiko Watanabe, Takuya Mayuzumi, Masahiro Toyohara
  • Patent number: 8539935
    Abstract: A fuel injection device includes a fuel injection valve for injecting fuel, which is distributed from a pressure-accumulation vessel. A pressure sensor is located in a fuel passage, which extends from the pressure-accumulation vessel to a nozzle hole. The pressure sensor is located closer to the nozzle hole than the pressure-accumulation vessel. A storage unit stores individual difference information obtained by an examination. The individual difference information indicates an injection characteristic of the fuel injection valve and indicates at least one of an injection response time delay between an injection start point and a time point, at which a fluctuation is caused by the start of fuel injection in detected pressure of the pressure sensor, and a parameter for calculating the injection response time delay.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2013
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Kenichiro Nakata, Koji Ishizuka
  • Publication number: 20130186373
    Abstract: A pressure intensifier (64) is controlled by a control valve (ICV 66) to intensify pressure with which fuel is injected from an outlet port (40) of an injection device (20) into an engine cylinder in comparison to that at which fuel is introduced. A controller operates both a needle control valve (NCV 54) and the ICY valve during an engine cycle to cause: intensified pressure to be applied to fuel in the injector while the fuel outlet port is closed; then the outlet port to open while intensified pressure continues to be applied as fuel is injected; then while the outlet port remains open and fuel injection continues, the intensified pressure attenuates; then after the intensified pressure has attenuated, the outlet port is re-closed to terminate injection; and then the outlet port is re-opened and the attenuated pressure re-intensified to inject fuel at re-intensified pressure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 15, 2010
    Publication date: July 25, 2013
    Applicant: International Engine Intellectual Property Company, LLC.
    Inventor: Dean Alan Oppermann
  • Patent number: 8494750
    Abstract: This disclosure relates to a method of configuring an engine control system for controlling the engine of a vehicle. The method involves displaying one or more graphical representations of functional elements to be performed by the engine control system and then modifying the one or more functional elements by making changes to the displayed graphical representations. This allows the engine control system to be readily reconfigured by a user. This disclosure also relates to an apparatus for configuring an engine control system and a new engine control system. A computer program product including a computer readable medium having a computer program recorded on it for configuring an engine control system is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2013
    Assignee: Adaptronic Electronics Pty Ltd
    Inventors: Andrew Richard Wyatt, Cory Urquhart
  • Patent number: 8489310
    Abstract: In an apparatus for controlling a general-purpose internal combustion engine having an electronic control unit (ECU) mounted on an electronic circuit board installed near a body of the engine and being connectable to a load such as an operating machine that consumes power generated by the engine, there are equipped with a first temperature sensor installed on the board at a position remote from the body and a second temperature sensor installed on the board at a position closer to the body than the first temperature sensor. A warm-up time period is determined based on an output of the first temperature sensor and a difference between outputs of the first and second temperature sensors, and an engine speed is controlled to a predetermined operating speed when the determined warm-up time period has elapsed (S18, S22), thereby improving the fuel efficiency and preventing engine stall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2013
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd
    Inventors: Hideaki Shimamura, Takao Tamechika, Atsuhisa Ishikawa
  • Patent number: 8478510
    Abstract: Over a diesel engine's lifetime, engine efficiency may be reduced and some of this may be attributable to sulfur deposit accumulation in the engine. A method for controlling operation of a diesel engine operating on a fuel is provided. The method may include adjusting an injection of fuel to the engine in response to a sulfur content of the fuel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2013
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Keli Alark, Richard Kellogg Morton
  • Patent number: 8478509
    Abstract: A voltage spike generated by the collapse of the magnetic field in a fuel injector coil is stored in a capacitor and sent to an engine control unit at a correct time regardless of when the magnetic field in the injector coil actually collapses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2013
    Inventors: William E. Kirkpatrick, Harley Leach
  • Publication number: 20130166179
    Abstract: An injection nozzle has a nozzle needle that suppresses metering of fluid in a closed position and otherwise allows the metering of fluid. Furthermore, the injection valve has a solid-state actuator that acts on the nozzle needle. A first operating phase is performed for a closing operation in a first operating mode, during which first operating phase the solid-state actuator is discharged to a predefined part charge. Furthermore, a second operating phase is performed, during which the solid-state actuator is operated as a sensor. An operating duration of the second operating phase is predefined such that the closed position of the nozzle needle is reached during the operating duration. A third operating phase is performed, during which the solid-state actuator is discharged further to a predefined reference state. In a second operating mode, the first and second operating phases are carried out and the third operating phase is omitted.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 7, 2011
    Publication date: June 27, 2013
    Inventors: Anselm Schwarte, Peter Matthias Russe
  • Publication number: 20130152902
    Abstract: A method for adapting the injection characteristic of a fuel injection valve of an internal combustion engine to production-related tolerances is described. In the method, an injection quantity correction value is determined from the deviation of the idle travel and the deviation of the injection quantity of the injection valve before the operating phase of the injector. This injection quantity correction value is used to determine the injection-specific deviation of the injection quantity during the operating phase at the start of the operating phase of the injector in conjunction with the current deviation of the idle travel which is determined in the system. The injector-specific deviation of the injection quantity which is determined is used to correct the injection characteristic. As a result, changes in the injection quantity of an injector can be detected and corrected particularly precisely on the basis of production tolerances.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 16, 2011
    Publication date: June 20, 2013
    Applicant: CONTINENTAL AUTOMOTIVE GMBH
    Inventors: Martin Brandt, Janos Radeczky
  • Patent number: 8459234
    Abstract: A fuel injection device includes a fuel injection valve for injecting fuel, which is distributed from a pressure-accumulation vessel. A pressure sensor is located in a fuel passage, which extends from the pressure-accumulation vessel to a nozzle hole of the fuel injection valve. The pressure sensor is located closer to the nozzle hole than the pressure-accumulation vessel and configured to detect pressure of fuel. The fuel injection device further includes a storage unit for storing individual difference information, which indicates an injection characteristic of the fuel injection valve. The injection characteristic is obtained by an examination. The individual difference information indicates a relationship between an injection state when the fuel injection valve performs fuel injection and a fluctuation in detected pressure of the pressure sensor. The fluctuation is attributed to the fuel injection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2013
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Kenichiro Nakata, Koji Ishizuka
  • Patent number: 8443601
    Abstract: A method for controlling the wastegate in a turbocharged internal combustion engine including the steps of: determining, during a design phase, a control law which provides an objective opening of a controlling actuator of the wastegate according to the supercharging pressure; determining an objective supercharging pressure; measuring an actual supercharging pressure; determining a first open loop contribution of an objective position of a controlling actuator of the wastegate by means of the control law and according to the objective supercharging pressure; determining a second closed loop contribution of the objective position of the controlling actuator of the wastegate; and calculating the objective position of the controlling actuator of the wastegate by adding the two contributions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2013
    Assignee: Magneti Marelli S.p.A.
    Inventors: Marco Panciroli, Francesco Alunni, Stefano Sgatti
  • Publication number: 20130096802
    Abstract: A method for adapting the adaptation values for the adaptation of fuel injection quantities of an internal combustion engine, to which fuel is supplyable via a mixed operation of two injection types, a first adaptation value for adapting a first injection quantity specification according to which the internal combustion engine is operated by a first injection type, and a second adaptation value for adapting a second injection quantity specification according to which the internal combustion engine is operated by a second injection type, the adaptation values being each adapted in defined, not overlapping adaptation ranges as a function of the operating state, at least one of the adaptation ranges including operating states in which fuel is supplied to the internal combustion engine via both injection types.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 15, 2011
    Publication date: April 18, 2013
    Inventors: Andreas Roth, Alexander Schenck Zu Schweinsberg, Kai Jakobs
  • Patent number: 8423268
    Abstract: A device (D) is dedicated to controlling the operation of an internal combustion engine (M) including at least two cylinders (Ci), each equipped with at least one inlet valve (SA) and at least one injector (IJ), and of the so-called indirect and sequential fuel injection type. This device (D) includes detection elements (MD) designed to detect an injection event phasing error relative to reference angular positions specific to the various cylinders (Ci), and control elements (MC) designed to rephase, if a phasing error of a cylinder (Ci) is detected, the command to open the injector (IJ) of this cylinder (Ci) after closure of the inlet valve (SA).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2013
    Assignee: Continental Automotive France
    Inventor: Alain Aubourg
  • Patent number: 8401762
    Abstract: An engine control apparatus which may be employed in automotive vehicles. The engine control apparatus is equipped with a controlled variable arithmetic expression which defines correlations between combustion parameters associated with combustion conditions of an engine and controlled variables actuators for an operation of the engine. This eliminates the need for finding relations of optimum values of the controlled variables to the combustion parameters through adaptability tests, which results in a decrease in burden of an adaptability test work and a map-making work on manufacturers. The engine control apparatus also works to learn or optimize the controlled variable arithmetic expression based on actual values of the combustion parameters, thereby avoiding undesirable changes in correlations, as defined by the controlled variable arithmetic expression, due to a change in environmental condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2013
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Masahiro Asano, Yoshimitsu Takashima, Koji Ishizuka, Satoru Sasaki, Kazuhiro Higuchi, Sumitaka Ikeda, Youhei Morimoto, Mitsuhiro Nishimura
  • Patent number: 8381704
    Abstract: A method for assigning addresses to injectors of an internal combustion machine, wherein, prior to the starting procedure, an electronic motor control device selects a first injector by activating the first injector by a first control line from the electronic motor control device. The electronic motor control device is arranged on a data bus to which the electronic motor control device and all injectors are connected. A first address value is placed on the motor control device and the first injector assumes the first address value as the address assigned to it.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2013
    Assignee: MTU Friedrichshafen GmbH
    Inventors: Albrecht Debelak, Andreas Schneider, Aron Toth
  • Publication number: 20130032126
    Abstract: The fuel supplied apparatus disclosed is capable of optimizing the timing of performing the fuel pressure change indication and the fuel injection timing to suppress the real fuel injection amount from being differentiated from the target fuel injection amount even at the time of the fuel pressure being changed, thereby making it possible to accomplish the improvement of the fuel consumption. The ECU judges whether or not the fuel pressure change request is generated (Step S11). The ECU judges that the fuel pressure change request is generated (“YES” in Step S11), and calculates the change retarding time t1 (Step S12) when the fuel pressure is at the low pressure side, and the ECU determines that the vehicle is in the warming-up state, or that the fuel is at the high temperature. The ECU sets the change timing to avoid the timing of injecting the fuel from overlapping the changing timing of the fuel pressure with reference to the injection timing of the fuel injection control (Step S13).
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 1, 2011
    Publication date: February 7, 2013
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Toru Suda, Koji Yoshida, Katsunori Kamiya
  • Patent number: 8365704
    Abstract: In a method or a device for forming an electric control signal for an injection impulse of a position-controlled fuel injector, particularly of a common-rail or pump-nozzle injection system, the course of the electric control signal can be selected freely in regard to the pulse edges (injection rate changes Q), the holding period (?t) and the injection rate (Q). This offers the advantage that the combustion process can be better optimized with respect to low emissions, low consumption and for meeting tightened legal regulations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2013
    Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbH
    Inventors: Jörg Beilharz, Uwe Lingener, Andreas Pfeifer, Richard Pirkl, Harald Schmidt, Klaus Wenzlawski, Hans-Jörg Wiehoff
  • Patent number: 8340887
    Abstract: A fuel injection control for an internal combustion engine is provided. Fuel is injected into a cylinder of the internal combustion engine. The fuel injection is divided into main injection and pilot injection in advance of the main injection. An actual compression ignition timing is detected based on a combustion state in the cylinder. A fuel injection timing of the main injection is controlled based on the actual compression ignition timing. An amount of heat release based on the pilot injection is computed. A fuel injection amount of the pilot injection is corrected based on the computed heat release amount.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2012
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Satoshi Yamaguchi, Junichi Hatano