Combustion Signal Compared To Reference Signal Varied By A Condition Of The Engine Patents (Class 73/35.03)
  • Patent number: 11655774
    Abstract: An injector failure diagnostic device 1 diagnoses injector failures for a multi-cylinder internal combustion engine 2 having injectors 21 to 24, each injector injects fuel to the corresponding cylinder. The injector failure diagnostic device 1 includes: an operating sound obtainment unit 12 configured to obtain current operating sound that is operating sound when all of the injectors operate, and obtain pseudo-failure operating sound sequentially for each of the injectors, the pseudo-failure sound being operating sound generated by stopping the fuel injection from one injector while maintaining the operation of the remaining injectors; and a faulty injector identification unit 13 configured to determine whether or not the pseudo-failure operating sound of each injector obtained by the operating sound obtainment unit 12 is similar to the current operating sound to identify a faulty injector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2023
    Assignee: HITACHI CONSTRUCTION MACHINERY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Tien Trien Le, Hisashi Yokoyama, Takahiro Sagara, Satoshi Inose
  • Patent number: 11255288
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for operating a variable displacement engine that includes a knock control system. Engine knock background noise levels determined during all cylinders operating mode may be determined via two filters that are constructed in parallel. Output of the two filters may be the basis for determining the presence or absence of engine knock.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2022
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Mohannad Hakeem, Arney Yogesh Karnik, James Kindree, Christopher Glugla, Robert Baskins
  • Patent number: 11073093
    Abstract: Methods and systems are disclosed for operating an engine that includes a knock control system that may determine contributions of individual noise sources to an engine background noise level. The contributions of the individual noise sources may be determined via adjusting timing of a knock window or timing of the individual noise sources.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 27, 2021
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Rani Kiwan, Mohannad Hakeem, Christopher Paul Glugla, James Matthew Kindree, Amey Karnik, Donald J. Lewis
  • Patent number: 10731596
    Abstract: A combustion control part of a control device for an internal combustion engine configured to calculate a first vibration level of an engine body at a first judgment frequency band of a second overtone of a specific frequency band based on vibration acceleration detected by a vibration sensor and, when the first vibration level is less than a predetermined first reference vibration level set in advance according to the engine operating state, to correct one or both of a target injection amount and target injection timing so that the first vibration level becomes the first reference vibration level or more.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2020
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Tsubasa Sugano
  • Patent number: 10732062
    Abstract: To provide a high-performance semiconductor sensor device and a method for manufacturing the semiconductor sensor device. This semiconductor sensor device has a sensor chip, and a first thin film formed on the sensor chip, said sensor chip being mechanically connected, via the first thin film, to a second thin film formed on a base formed of a polycrystalline material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2020
    Assignee: Hitachi Automotive Systems, Ltd.
    Inventors: Takeshi Konno, Hiroshi Kikuchi, Kentarou Miyajima, Munenori Degawa
  • Patent number: 10386268
    Abstract: A method for processing a voltage signal relating to the pressure prevailing in a combustion chamber of a cylinder of an internal combustion engine, the signal, referred to as an “input signal”, having, in alternation, “plateau” phases and main peak phases. The method includes a step (E1) of rectification of the input signal such that the gradient of the base signal is zero, a step (E2) in which the peaks of the rectified signal of which the amplitude is greater than a predetermined voltage value are clipped so as to obtain an at least partially clipped signal referred to as a “clipped signal”, a step (E3) of detection of a main peak when the amplitude of the input signal is greater than the amplitude of the clipped signal, and a step (E4_1, E4_2) of compensation of the input signal in the absence of such a detection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2019
    Assignees: CONTINENTAL AUTOMOTIVE FRANCE, CONTINENTAL AUTOMOTIVE GMBH
    Inventors: Guerric Panis, Christophe Duchemin
  • Patent number: 10113528
    Abstract: The pressure in the combustion chamber of an electronically controlled spark plug ignition engine may be estimated in real time mode without specific sensors by processing sensed ionization current data to calculate features of the current waveform proven to be correlated to the pressure inside the engine cylinders and correlating them on the basis of a look up table of time invariant correlation coefficients generated through a calibration campaign of tests on a test engine purposely equipped with sensors. A mathematical model of the electrical and physical spark plug ignition system and combustion chamber of the engine is refined during calibration by iteratively testing the interactive performance of correlation coefficients of related terms of a mathematical expression of the model and comparing the expressed pressure value with the real pressure value as measured by a sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2018
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics S.r.l.
    Inventors: Davide Giuseppe Patti, Mario Paparo
  • Patent number: 10001077
    Abstract: A method or system to determine peak firing pressure of a cylinder of an engine having a crank shaft. The method includes accessing a knock signal received from a knock sensor of the cylinder. The method includes determining a location of peak firing pressure based at least in part on the knock signal. The location of peak firing pressure is associated with combustion of the engine and corresponds to a time or a crank angle of the crankshaft. The method includes generating an indication of the location of peak firing pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2018
    Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventor: Jeffrey Jacob Bizub
  • Patent number: 9752949
    Abstract: A system includes a controller configured to receive noise signals acquired by at least two knock sensors of a plurality of knock sensors coupled to a reciprocating device. Each noise signal represents a noise signature of the reciprocating device detected at a respective knock sensor. The controller is also configured to determine a location of a coincident noise within the reciprocating device based at least on the received noise signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2017
    Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Jeffrey Jacob Bizub, Mark James Lemke
  • Patent number: 9695761
    Abstract: A method of distinguishing piston slap from engine knock in a reciprocating device includes obtaining a fundamental frequency of a cylinder, the cylinder having a thrust face and an anti-thrust face, receiving a first signal from a first knock sensor mounted on the cylinder, and identifying piston slap by evaluating whether a first plurality of amplitudes of the first signal at the fundamental frequency and one or more harmonic frequencies of the fundamental frequency exceed a piston slap threshold value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2017
    Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventor: Jeffrey Jacob Bizub
  • Patent number: 9314176
    Abstract: An apparatus and a method for processing signal are provided. The signal processing apparatus comprises an input interface and a processing unit. The input interface receives smoothing parameters and a to-be-separated signal. The processing unit establishes an upper extreme envelope and a lower extreme envelope of the to-be-separated signal, and calculates a mean envelope between the upper extreme envelope and the lower extreme envelope. The processing unit performs smoothing according to the smoothing parameters and the mean envelope to generate a smoothed mean envelope, and determines a trend component or a non-trend component according to the smoothed mean envelope.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2016
    Assignee: INDUSTRIAL TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH INSTITUTE
    Inventors: Sun-Hua Pao, Chieh-Neng Young, Tsung-Min Hsieh, Yio-Wha Shau
  • Patent number: 9135792
    Abstract: A system and method that generate a vibration motor driving signal includes; a first control unit that receives a first input signal and gain-adjusts the first input signal in response to a reference voltage to generate a first output signal, and a second control unit that receives the first output signal and gain-adjusts the first output signal in response to the reference voltage to generate a second output signal, wherein the second output signal is applied to a vibration motor as the vibration control signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2015
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yun-Cheol Han, Ji-Hyun Kim
  • Patent number: 8783226
    Abstract: A knocking control system for a gas engine of the present invention, being configured to calculate a knocking occurrence ratio (SEV) which is a ratio of a cycle number of cycles in which a predetermined knocking occurs for a period of the cycles of the predetermined cycle number, to the predetermined cycle number, decide a target value of an ignition timing of the ignition device based on a deviation (?SEV) between an occurrence ratio delay calculation value (SEVAVE) obtained by performing delay calculation of the knocking occurrence ratio and a predetermined occurrence ratio target value (SEVSET), and drive the ignition device so that the ignition timing reaches a command value (IGN) decided according to the target value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2014
    Assignee: Kawasaki Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tsukasa Imamura, Tomohiko Sugimoto, Tetsuo Tokuoka, Hiroyoshi Ishii
  • Patent number: 8646312
    Abstract: A method and a system is disclosed for determining RON and/or MON values from constant volume combustion chamber apparatuses capable of producing pressure versus time combustion profiles having a fast combustion region and a slow combustion region, where data from the two regions is used to compute RON and/or MON values for light distillate fluid samples using a series expansion equation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2014
    Assignee: Petroleum Analyzer Company, LP
    Inventors: G. Patrick Ritz, Didier Pigeon
  • Patent number: 8561592
    Abstract: A method and a control module that includes a filter coefficient determination module that generates filter coefficients based upon an engine operating conditions. The control module includes a filter module that filters the in-cylinder pressure signal with a filter having the filter coefficients to form a filtered pressure signal and an engine control module that controls the engine using the filtered pressure signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2013
    Inventors: Kenneth J. Buslepp, Douglas R. Verner
  • Patent number: 8490468
    Abstract: Provided is a failure diagnosis system which can diagnose whether or not a sensitivity adjustment part is in failure. The failure diagnosis system includes: a plurality of sensors; various sensors that detect operating conditions of a device; a plurality of sensitivity adjustment parts that adjust receiver sensitivities of sensor signals from the plurality of sensors based on the detected operating conditions; and a failure diagnosis part that diagnoses whether or not the plurality of sensitivity adjustment parts are in failure. The failure diagnosis part detects a failure condition of a sensitivity adjustment part when a difference between a comparison value calculated based on a maximum value of the adjusted sensor signals from the plurality of sensitivity adjustment parts at a given interval, and a maximum value of the adjusted sensor signal from the sensitivity adjustment part to be diagnosed at the given interval is larger than a given amount.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2013
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventor: Kimihiko Tanaya
  • Patent number: 8396649
    Abstract: A method comprises steps for reconstructing in-cylinder pressure data from a vibration signal collected from a vibration sensor mounted on an engine component where it can generate a signal with a high signal-to-noise ratio, and correcting the vibration signal for errors introduced by vibration signal charge decay and sensor sensitivity. The correction factors are determined as a function of estimated motoring pressure and the measured vibration signal itself with each of these being associated with the same engine cycle. Accordingly, the method corrects for charge decay and changes in sensor sensitivity responsive to different engine conditions to allow greater accuracy in the reconstructed in-cylinder pressure data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2013
    Assignee: Westport Power Inc.
    Inventor: Jian Huang
  • Patent number: 8099996
    Abstract: This invention relates to a method for knock detection in a combustion engine, in which combustion is controlled by a control unit (2), which comprises the steps of, a) obtaining at least one sensor signal (4, 4?) carrying information of knock intensity related within a combustion chamber of the combustion engine (1); (b) processing the sensor signal (4, 4?) to obtain a knock intensity related detection variable (z1), (c) using said detection variable (z1) in said control unit (2) arranged to avoid a knocking condition in said combustion engine (1), if the value (z1) of said detection variable indicates knock when compared with a threshold value (T) wherein using two different computations/processes for said processing (5, 6) of the at least one sensor signal (4, 4?) to obtain two separate sub-values (y1, y2), and thereafter combining said sub-values (y1, y2) to obtain said detection variable (z1).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2012
    Assignee: Hoerbiger Kompressortechnik Holding GmbH
    Inventors: Jan Nytomt, Anders Göras, Jakob Ängeby, Henric Andersson, Christian Sörqvist, Tomas Carlsson
  • Patent number: 8096166
    Abstract: An output signal of a knock sensor is converted by an A/D conversion part in a specified knock determination range. In a time-frequency analysis part, data of frequency, time, and vibration intensity are extracted at the same time from an output signal of the knock sensor and the time-varying patterns of vibration intensities in multiple frequency ranges are extracted. A knock determination part computes lengths (crank angle, or time period) from a starting point to a latest terminating point of the time-varying patterns of vibration intensity in at least two frequency ranges, which rise at a same time. The knock determination part executes a knock determination based on whether the lengths are greater than a knock determination threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2012
    Assignees: DENSO Corporation, Nippon Soken, Inc.
    Inventors: Satoshi Masuda, Hirohiko Yamada, Naoki Kokubo, Shuhei Oe
  • Patent number: 8056396
    Abstract: An output of a knock sensor is A/D converted in a specified knock determination range. In a time-frequency analysis part, data of frequency, time, and vibration intensity are extracted at the same time from the knock sensor output signal and the time-varying patterns of vibration intensities in multiple frequency ranges are extracted. An edge direction and an edge intensity are computed by an edge extraction processing. A correlation value expressing a correlation between time-varying patterns of vibration intensities in multiple frequency ranges and a reference model expressing the feature of knock is computed in a mutual correlation/knock determination part. The correlation value is compared with a determination threshold. When the correlation value is larger than the determination threshold, it is determined that knock is caused. When the correlation value is not larger than the determination threshold, it is determined that knock is not caused.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2011
    Assignees: Denso Corporation, Nippon Soken, Inc.
    Inventors: Satoshi Masuda, Hirohiko Yamada, Shuhei Oe, Naoki Kokubo
  • Patent number: 8051702
    Abstract: A system comprising an amplifier for amplifying signals of frequencies less than one kilohertz generated by a vibration sensor and using the amplified signal to amplitude modulate a carrier signal at a frequency in excess of one kilohertz and applying the amplitude modulated carrier signal to a sensor interface circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2011
    Assignee: Altronic, Inc.
    Inventors: Joseph M. Lepley, Richard D. Yohman, Thomas C. Wick
  • Patent number: 8020429
    Abstract: An engine ECU executes a program including calculating a correlation coefficient by dividing the sum of respective absolute values, which are each a difference between a magnitude in an engine vibration waveform and a magnitude in a knock waveform model for every crank angle, by an area corresponding to magnitudes equal to or larger than a positive reference value in the knock waveform model, and determining whether or not knocking has occurred based on the correlation coefficient.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2011
    Assignees: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha, Denso Corporation, Nippon Soken, Inc.
    Inventors: Rihito Kaneko, Kenji Kasashima, Masatomo Yoshihara, Kenji Senda, Norihito Hanai, Yasuhiro Yamasako, Yuuichi Takemura, Shuhei Oe
  • Patent number: 7945379
    Abstract: An engine ECU executes a program including the steps of: calculating a coefficient of correlation K in accordance with a result of comparing a waveform of a vibration of a frequency band including a resonance frequency of an engine with a knock waveform model previously created as a waveform of a vibration caused when the engine knocks; calculating a knock intensity N from an intensity of a vibration of a frequency band excluding the resonance frequency of the engine; if knock intensity N is larger than a reference value and coefficient of correlation K is larger than a threshold value, determining that the engine knocks; and if knock intensity N is smaller than the reference value and/or coefficient of correlation K is smaller than the threshold value, determining that the engine does not knock.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2011
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Rihito Kaneko, Kenji Kasashima, Masatomo Yoshihara, Kenji Senda, Norihito Hanai, Yuuichi Takemura, Shuhei Oe
  • Patent number: 7930093
    Abstract: For at least one disturbance variable of the cylinder pressure signal, which disturbance variable occurs only during specific limited time spans as the pressure profile of an operating cycle, a filter tuned to the type of disturbance variable is fixed and is assigned to the corresponding disturbance variable time window or windows (8, 9, 10) in the operating cycle. The cylinder pressure signal (2) is then filtered as a function of the crankshaft angle, in that, according to the crankshaft position, a time-tuned and type-tuned filter is applied to a current disturbance variable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2011
    Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbH
    Inventors: Erwin Bauer, Dietmar Ellmer, Jan Haag, Benjamin L'Hénoret
  • Patent number: 7845937
    Abstract: A specific electrode arrangement for a burner already exists with which the flame of the burner is influenced by using electrical fields, whereby these electrical fields pass through only areas of the flame in which a stabilizing and pollutant-reducing action occurs. According to at least one embodiment of the invention, the electrodes used to this end simultaneously serve both as probes for detecting flame properties as well as active field electrodes for influencing the flame properties. The probe signals can react to the voltage applied in an inertia-free manner to the electrodes without the involvement of mechanical elements. According to the associated device equipped with a burner and associated electrodes and with a power supply unit, the power supply unit furnishes a voltage that varies over time, and at least one measuring transducer exists that detects the current generated in the flame by the voltage between both electrodes and provides feedback to the power supply unit after amplification.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2010
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Thomas Hammer, Günter Lins, Jobst Verleger
  • Patent number: 7779673
    Abstract: An engine ECU executes a program including the steps of: calculating an absolute value ?S(I) of the deviation of the vibration waveform detected by a knock sensor and a knock waveform model from each other at each crank angle; when ?S(I) greater than threshold value ?S(0) is present and the number of ?S(I) greater than threshold value ?S(0) is equal to or smaller than Q(1), correcting the vibration waveform; calculating a correlation coefficient K which is a value related to the deviation of the corrected vibration waveform and the knock waveform model from each other; and when the number of ?S(I) greater than threshold value ?S(0) is greater than predetermined number Q(1), calculating the correlation coefficient K without correcting the vibration waveform. Based on the correlation coefficient K, whether knocking is present or absent is determined.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2010
    Assignees: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha, Denso Corporation, Nippon Soken, Inc.
    Inventors: Rihito Kaneko, Kenji Kasashima, Masatomo Yoshihara, Koji Aso, Kenji Senda, Yuichi Takemura, Shuhei Oe, Kiyoshi Iwade
  • Patent number: 7762127
    Abstract: The invention concerns a method for determining the composition of a fuel mixture from a first and at least a second fuel for operating a combustion engine, whereby the fuel mixtures of different compositions require various air/fuel ratios to achieve a stoichiometric combustion. Thereby it is provided that the air volume that has been delivered to the combustion engine, the fuel quantity that has been delivered and the oxygen content in the exhaust gas of the combustion engine are determined during one or several stationary operating phases of the combustion engine during one or several measuring phases, and in that the composition of the fuel mixture is determined from these values. The procedure allows an accurate and reliable determination of the composition of a fuel mixture for combustion engines that are operated in flex-fuel-mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 27, 2010
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Jens Schneider, Heinz Fuchs
  • Patent number: 7516647
    Abstract: A device and a method for assigning at least two knock sensors to at least two cylinders of an internal combustion engine are provided. An arrangement for comparison is provided, which implements the assignment of the knock sensors to the cylinders by comparing at least two characteristic acoustic signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2009
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Carsten Kluth, Werner Haeming, Wolfgang Fischer, Federico Buganza
  • Patent number: 7454953
    Abstract: An internal combustion engine control apparatus controls an air intake mass at an idle state after a start of an internal combustion engine based on a correction mass of the air intake mass calculated based on a desired value of the air intake mass and a measured value of the air intake mass. The air intake mass is controlled based on an idle speed control variable corresponding to the desired value of the air intake mass, and an idle speed control variable at when the correction mass is calculated. Each idle speed control variable includes a degree of a throttle opening or a degree of an idle speed control valve opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2008
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Nobuo Yagihashi, Yoshito Aibara
  • Publication number: 20080229806
    Abstract: A knock detection module for an engine comprises a statistics storage module and a processing module. The statistics storage module stores M times N vibration profiles corresponding to M zones of operation of the engine and N cylinders of the engine, wherein M and N are integers greater than one. The processing module determines in which one of the M zones the engine is operating and determines whether knock has occurred for one of the N cylinders by comparing measured vibration data with a selected one of the vibration profiles corresponding to the one of the M zones and the one of the N cylinders.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 11, 2007
    Publication date: September 25, 2008
    Inventors: Anthony E. Cubr, Craig M. Sawdon, Wajdi B. Hamama, Karl T. Kiebel, Robert J. Horner, Marilyn L. Kindermann, Jian Lin, Trenton W. Haines, Eric Ferch, Hamid M. Esfahan, James T. Kurnik, Weixin Yan
  • Patent number: 7346447
    Abstract: An engine knock control system for an engine having a turbocharger includes a first module that determines octane scalars indicative of an engine knock propensity for each cylinder of the engine system and a second module that determines a cylinder air mass limit based on the octane scalars. A third module limits a boost output of the turbocharger based on the cylinder air mass limit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2008
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations, Inc.
    Inventors: Douglas J. Babcock, Richard M. Backman, Emil Ritzen
  • Patent number: 7334568
    Abstract: In addition to a knock detection filter, a plurality of optimal knock frequency detection filters (digital filters: BPFs) are provided which filter the signals output from a knock sensor and has mutually different filtering frequency bands. A presently optimal frequency is selected based on the signals extracted by the optimal frequency detection filters, and set as the center frequency of the filtering frequency band of the knock detection filter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2008
    Assignees: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha, Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Daisuke Kobayashi, Satoshi Masuda
  • Patent number: 7324890
    Abstract: An ignition timing control apparatus can obtain high output torque without generating output torque loss, and avoid the deterioration of audibility due to successive knock occurrences. A cylinder specific ignition timing setting section includes a reference ignition timing control section, and a cylinder specific correction value setting section having correction values of the same number as that of engine cylinders. The reference ignition timing control section calculates reference ignition timing common to all the cylinders and uniformly controls the ignition timings of all the cylinders to a retard angle side to prevent the occurrence of successive knocks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2008
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Morio Fujiwara, Hitoshi Inoue, Akiyoshi Katayama
  • Patent number: 7280912
    Abstract: A method for controlling operation of an electronic control unit for use in an internal combustion engine, the electronic control unit being used to control different engine modes, the method including providing a function mode map having a plurality of data map points wherein the function mode map is divided into at least a first type region containing data map points representing mode map output values only of a first mode type and a second type region containing data map points representing mode map output values only of a second mode type; and providing at least one further data map having a plurality of further data map points, each of the further map points representing a further data map output value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2007
    Assignee: Delphi Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Jeffrey John Thompson, Abdolreza Fallahi
  • Patent number: 7191658
    Abstract: One end of a rod-like pressure-conveying member is disposed in a sensing unit, and the other end extends into and through an insertion hole of an engine. A combustion pressure, to which the other end of the rod-like member is exposed, is conveyed to the sensing unit through the pressure-conveying member for the detection of the combustion pressure. The pressure-conveying member resonates at a knocking frequency fn of the engine and the knocking frequency fn is detected based on the resonance of the pressure-conveying member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2007
    Assignee: DENSO Corporation
    Inventors: Teruo Oda, Inao Toyoda
  • Patent number: 7181379
    Abstract: A method and system for controlling both the pressure and temperature at the engine air intake, engine crankcase, and at the engine exhaust so that pressure and temperature conditions are equilibrated. Engines are tested both at simulated high altitudes (operating air at barometric pressures lower than the local barometric pressure at the test site) and low altitudes (operating air at barometric pressure higher than the local barometer at the test site) and at a variety of operating air temperatures. The method and system provide for the balancing of air pressure at the engine air intake and crankcase and engine exhaust. The effect of unbalanced air pressure is on engine emission test results is demonstrated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2007
    Assignee: Environmental Testing Corporation
    Inventor: Gerard Glinsky
  • Patent number: 7051711
    Abstract: Devices and methods for knock detection and knock control are described, in which, in addition to the customary component parts, the knock-detection circuit has a filter with switchable filter characteristic. The switchover of the filter characteristic, i.e. the shift, for example, of the mid-frequency of the filter, is carried out taking into consideration specifiable quantities or parameters, for instance, as a function of rotational speed. During the switchover of the filter characteristic, i.e. the shift of the mid-frequency, problems could occur in the knock detection; that is why measures are proposed which carry out the knock detection according to a special knock-detection algorithm during a switchover phase lasting a specifiable time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2006
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Juergen Sauler, Steffen Franke, Stefan Unland, Oskar Torno, Axel Heinstein, Carsten Kluth, Werner Haeming, Michael Baeuerle
  • Patent number: 7040285
    Abstract: A knocking control apparatus for an internal combustion engine, which is applied to an internal combustion engine including a variable valve mechanism that can vary a valve characteristic of at least one of an intake valve and an exhaust valve, and which changes an engine control amount based on a result of a knocking determination as to whether knocking occurs, includes a controller which performs the knocking determination as to whether knocking occurs based on an output signal from a knock sensor that detects a vibration occurring in the internal combustion engine, and which changes a mode of the knocking determination according to a change in a combustion state of an air-fuel mixture, the change being caused by a change in the valve characteristic.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2006
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Toshikazu Kato, Yuji Miyanoo
  • Patent number: 6988483
    Abstract: To provide a control apparatus for an internal combustion engine which can judge an abnormality regardless of one line type or two line type, and can also detect the classification of abnormality. The control apparatus includes: a knock sensor having a piezoelectric element for detecting vibrations that are generated in the internal combustion engine, and a resistor that is connected in parallel with the piezoelectric element; and an interface circuit that detects a knock in accordance with an output from the knock sensor and detects an abnormality of the knock sensor, and the interface circuit includes a bias unit that conducts biasing by pulling up and pulling down an output from the knock sensor, and detects the abnormality of the knock sensor with a direct current component of the bias unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2006
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hideki Hagari
  • Patent number: 6912460
    Abstract: The method for knock detection includes establishing that knock is occurring in the internal combustion engine when the amplified knock signal exceeds a predetermined reference level in a predetermined manner. The reference level is determined on the basis of individual cylinders and the increase in the reference level is limited when a new reference level leaves a predetermined reference level range or the gradient of the sound increase exceeds a predetermined threshold value. For determination of the reference level range and/or the threshold for the gradient average values of the signals originating from the sound of other cylinders are considered.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2001
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2005
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Juergen Sauler, Oskar Torno, Axel Heinstein, Carsten Kluth, Werner Haeming
  • Patent number: 6877482
    Abstract: The invention provides such a knock control apparatus or method for an internal combustion engine as is capable of suitably avoiding an erroneous determination on the occurrence of knocking and controlling knocking. This control apparatus comprises a knock determiner, a controller, and a setter. If an intensity of engine oscillation detected during a predetermined knock determination period is equal to or higher than a predetermined knock determination level, the knock determiner determines that knocking has occurred. The controller controls an ignition timing on the basis of a result of the determination. The setter sets an end timing of the knock determination period at an advanced timing on the basis of the ignition timing retardation amount in the retardation control.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2005
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Kenichi Kinose
  • Patent number: 6862517
    Abstract: Method for processing a sensor signal of a knocking sensor for an internal combustion engine, having the following steps: a time window is defined for the evaluation of the sensor signal as a function of the operating state and/or the operating behavior of the internal combustion engine, a plurality of sampled values of the sensor signal are sampled within the predefined time window with a predefined sampling frequency, and an output signal which represents the knocking behavior of the internal combustion engine is determined from the sampled values, the Fourier transform of the sampled values being calculated in order to determine the output signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2005
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Frederic Galtier
  • Patent number: 6750798
    Abstract: A signal-processing apparatus has a digital filter for processing input data from a knock-sensor. The digital filter is designed as an FIR filter characterized by filter coefficients that are equal to values of mince points 0 to 16 obtained based on a reference waveform. The reference waveform is created by concatenating half waves of a first sinusoidal waveform with half waves of a second sinusoidal waveform with peak values equal to half the peak value of the first sinusoidal waveform. The values of mince points 4, 8 and 12 are 0. Each value of mince points 1, 3, 13 and 15 is equal to corresponding value of mince points 5, 7, 9 and 11. The digital filter effectively reduces a filter-processing load.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2004
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventor: Takayoshi Honda
  • Patent number: 6727812
    Abstract: A method and a device for fault detection or diagnosis may be used on a multi-cylinder internal combustion engine with a knock sensor. For diagnostic purposes an instantaneous reference value formed from the sensor signal may be compared with predefinable upper or lower reference threshold levels. If the instantaneous reference value exceeds or falls below the thresholds to a predefinable extent, a malfunction is detected. The reference levels correspond, for example, to the background noise present in knock-free operation. The fault detection or diagnosis may be performed only for the cylinder which emits the loudest noise or from which the loudest noise is recorded.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2004
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Juergen Sauler, Oskar Torno, Axel Heinstein, Carsten Kluth, Werner Haeming
  • Publication number: 20030192364
    Abstract: A test apparatus and method for a solid propellant, comprising a combustion chamber for the solid propellant, an igniter for igniting propellant in the combustion chamber, and an exhaust housing having a primary exhaust channel extending from the combustion chamber to an exit nozzle. A supplemental exhaust channel is connected to the primary exhaust channel, and a valve controls the size of the supplemental exhaust channel to selectively vary the flow of propellant gases therethrough, thereby to selectively vary the combustion chamber pressure to enable the testing of the burning characteristics of the propellant over a wide pressure range independent of the burning surface area of the propellant. In a further embodiment, an auxiliary exhaust channel closed by a burst disk is connected to the primary exhaust channel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 12, 2002
    Publication date: October 16, 2003
    Inventors: Farid M. Khadduri, Guy Bruce Spear
  • Publication number: 20030182989
    Abstract: A failure detecting device is provided, which includes the transistor for driving the excitation coil of the relay connected to the battery, the power supply monitors for monitoring an output of the relay, the EEPROM for storing failure presence or absence information, and the microcomputer for writing the failure presence or absence information in the EEPROM at the time of power OFF, reading the failure presence or absence information from the EEPROM at the time of power ON, and judging a failure state based on a voltage value detected by the power supply monitor in the case in which a failure is present.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 19, 2002
    Publication date: October 2, 2003
    Applicant: MITSUBISHI DENKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Yousuke Fukuzawa
  • Patent number: 6591660
    Abstract: A method for knock detection in an internal combustion engine is disclosed, in which the output signal of at least one knock sensor, which is associated with the engine, is evaluated with the aid of an evaluation device. Knocking is detected when the prepared signal of the knock sensor exceeds a predeterminable reference level. The calculation of the input signal of the reference level tracking takes place as a function of whether the internal combustion engine is in a dynamic operating state or not, wherein in order to calculate the reference level in the event of dynamics, measurement values are also used which were determined when knocking was detected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2003
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Steffen Franke, Oskar Torno, Axel Heinstein, Carsten Kluth, Werner Haeming, Michael Baeuerle
  • Patent number: 6588252
    Abstract: In the diagnostic method for detecting erroneous operation of a knock sensor of an internal combustion engine an actual reference level is formed from knock sensor signals generated by the knock sensor; then two minimum knock detection thresholds consisting of rotation speed values are defined and compared with rotation speed to test whether or not rotation speed exceeds each minimum knock detection threshold; the reference level is then compared with at least one of an upper reference level threshold and a lower reference level threshold, but only with the upper reference level threshold when a lower minimum knock detection threshold is exceeded, and a diagnostic signal indicative of a knock sensor fault or error is generated when the reference level exceeds the upper reference level threshold or falls below the lower reference level threshold, if and only if engine rotation speed exceeds at least one of the minimum knock detection thresholds.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2003
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Juergen Sauler, Axel Heinstein, Carsten Kluth, Werner Haeming
  • Publication number: 20030101972
    Abstract: A fuel sensor system for a vehicle includes a fuel pump adapted to be disposed in a fuel tank to pump fuel from the fuel tank to an engine of the vehicle. The fuel sensor system also includes a fuel sensor adapted to be disposed in the fuel tank to measure a property index of the fuel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 30, 2001
    Publication date: June 5, 2003
    Inventors: David H. Burke, Michael J. Niemiec, Charles R. Harrington, David K. Lambert, Han-Sheng Lee, Su-Chee S. Wang
  • Patent number: 6456927
    Abstract: A spectral method, and corresponding system, for knock detection includes acquiring (603) spectral energy associated with vibration caused by a knocking condition from a running engine. Preferably, a sampled data system (105) acquires the spectral energy by converting an output from an accelerometer (101) into data samples (103) in a digital form. Then from the acquired spectral energy, a knock variable is derived from magnitudes of spectral components, representing a characteristic of a combustion chamber located within the running engine. In a preferred embodiment the knock variable is derived from magnitudes of spectral components related by ratios corresponding to Bessel function coefficients. The preferred embodiment includes a Digital Signal Processor (109) applying a Fast Fourier Transform method (503) to estimate a spectral content used to determine the knock variable. Then, a knock indication is provided (509) when the knock variable exceeds a magnitude of a predetermined threshold (507).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 1993
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2002
    Assignee: Motorola, Inc.
    Inventors: David Frankowski, Neil J. Adams, Steven L. Plee, Donald J. Remboski, Jr.