Abstract: A band pass filter processing extracts the vibration component (frequency component) of the 1st to the 4th order frequency band from the output of the knock sensor. A primary frequency band is established as the frequency band containing the fundamental frequency (primary resonance frequency) which is the lowest frequency of the knocking vibration frequencies. The 2nd to the 4th order frequency band is established as the frequency band containing the 2nd to the 4th order resonance frequency. Based on the vibration strength of the primary frequency component, the comparison result between the composite vibration waveform which compounded the 1st to the 4th order frequency component and the ideal knock waveform, and the vibration strength of the summation of the 1st to the 4th order frequency component, the noise and knocking are distinguished from each other with sufficient accuracy.

Abstract: In determining a knock of an engine, a vibration intensity is calculated by logarithm-transforming a peak value or an integral value of an output signal of a knock sensor. Further, a central value VMED of a vibration intensity distribution is calculated, and also a standard deviation ? in a region where the vibration intensity is smaller than this central value VMED is calculated. A vibration intensity reference value VIB is calculated as VMED?u×?, thereby setting the vibration intensity reference value VIB to be close to a minimum of the vibration intensity distribution. Further, a knock reference value KCK is set by adding a predetermined value K to the vibration intensity reference value VIB. The vibration intensity detected by the knock sensor is compared with the knock reference value KCK to determine presence/absence of a knocking.

Abstract: The signal levels of vibration waveform signals outputted by knock sensors are extracted at a filter processing section for each of a plurality of frequency bands. The mean value of the signal levels in the frequency bands at a point in time when variation of the signal levels in the frequency bands is minimum computed, and the mean value is detected as a background level. A knock characteristic parameter, which represents the characteristics of knock, is computed based on the extracted signal levels in the frequency bands. The knock characteristic parameter is compared with the background level to obtain a knock intensity. If the knock intensity is equal to or greater than a knock determination value, it is determined that knock that exceeds a permissible level is occurring. If the knock intensity is less than the knock determination value, it is determined that knock that exceeds the permissible level is not occurring.

Abstract: An engine ECU executes a program including the steps of: determining that the condition that there is a possibility of occurrence of knocking is satisfied, based on the result of comparison between a vibration waveform of an engine and a knock waveform model; calculating a 40CA integrated value by integrating magnitudes of vibration occurring in the engine for a range of crank angle of 40°; calculating a knock magnitude N by dividing the 40CA integrated value by a BGL; determining that knocking has occurred when the knock magnitude N is larger than a determination value V(KX); and determining that knocking has not occurred when the knock magnitude N is smaller than the determination value V(KX).

Abstract: An engine ECU executes a program including the steps of: calculating a magnitude value LOG(V) by logarithmically converting a magnitude V of vibration occurring in an engine, calculating a median V(50) and a standard deviation ? of magnitude values LOG(V); and setting, to the product of the standard deviation ? and a factor A, a first upper limit of a determination value V(KX) that is to be compared with a knock magnitude N for determining whether or not knocking has occurred, and setting a first lower limit of the determination value V(KX) to the product of the standard deviation ? and a factor B.

Abstract: An engine ECU executes a program including a step of calculating a correlation coefficient K representing a degree of agreement between a vibration waveform and a knock waveform model, a step of calculating a knock magnitude N by dividing a peak value P of magnitude in the vibration waveform by BGL, a step of determining whether knocking has occurred based on a combination of the correlation coefficient K and the knock magnitude N, in such a manner as to determine that knocking has not occurred in at least one of the case where the correlation coefficient K is smaller than a threshold value K(1) and the case where the knock magnitude N is smaller than a threshold value N(1), and a step of retarding ignition timing by a retarding amount corresponding to the combination of the correlation coefficient K and the knock magnitude N, if knocking has occurred.

Abstract: An engine ECU executes a program including the steps of: comparing a vibration waveform of an engine and a knock waveform model stored in advance to calculate a correlation coefficient K; prohibiting correction when a correction prohibiting condition of a determination value V(KX) is satisfied, the determination value V(KX) compared with a knock magnitude N calculated from the correlation coefficient K so as to control the ignition timing; and correcting the determination value V(KX) based on a magnitude value LOG(V) calculated from a magnitude V of vibration in an ignition cycle in which the correlation coefficient K greater than a threshold value K(1) is calculated when the correction prohibiting condition of determination value V(KX) is not satisfied. The correlation coefficient K is calculated as a smaller value when the vibration waveform includes a waveform of vibration of a noise component as compared with that when the vibration waveform does not include it.

Abstract: An engine ECU executes a program including the steps of: calculating a magnitude value LOG(V) from a magnitude V detected using a knock sensor; calculating a median value V(50) and a standard deviation a of calculated magnitude values LOG(V); calculating a knock determination level V(KD) that is a value obtained by adding the product of standard deviation a and a coefficient U(3) to median value V(50); and when knock determination level V(KD) is greater than the product of determination value V(KX) and a coefficient K, decreasing determination value V(KX). When a knock magnitude N calculated using magnitude V is greater than determination value V(KX), ignition timing is retarded.

Abstract: An engine ECU executes a program including a step of, when it has temporarily been determined that knocking had occurred because of the presence of an integrated value greater than a product of the reference magnitude and coefficient Y among the integrated values of vibration in fourth frequency band D that includes first to third frequency bands A to C, calculating knock magnitude N using the integrated values in the synthesized waveform of first to third frequency bands A to C and correlation coefficient K calculated from a vibration waveform of fourth frequency band D. Based on a comparison between knock magnitude N and determination value V(KX), whether or not knocking has occurred is determined. If there is no integrated value greater than a product of the reference magnitude and coefficient Y, it is determined that knocking has not occurred.

Abstract: An engine ECU executes a program including a step of, when an absolute value of a difference between median value V(50) of magnitude values LOG(V), which is obtained by logarithmically converting a magnitude V detected based on a signal sent from a knock sensor, and a determination value V(KX) used for determining presence or absence of knocking is greater than the product of a standard deviation ? and a coefficient U(3) in a frequency distribution of magnitude values LOG(V) for N cycle(s), setting a value obtained by adding the product of the standard deviation ? and the coefficient U(3) to the median value V(50) of magnitude values LOG(V) as the determination value V(KX).

Abstract: An engine ECU executes a program including the steps of: detecting a waveform of vibration of an engine at a predetermined knock detection gate; determining whether a detected vibration's waveform and a knock waveform model stored in memory match within a predetermined range; if the model and the detected vibration's waveform match within the predetermined range, determining that the engine knocks; and if the model and the detected vibration's waveform do not match within the predetermined range, then determining that the engine does not knock.

Abstract: An engine ECU executes a program including a step of, when an absolute value of a difference between a determination value V(KX) used for determining presence or absence of knocking and a maximum value V(MAX) of magnitude value LOG(V), which is obtained by logarithmically converting a magnitude V detected based on a signal sent from a knock sensor, is greater than the product of a standard deviation ? and a coefficient U(3) in a frequency distribution of magnitude values LOG(V) for N cycle(s), setting a value obtained by adding the product of the standard deviation ? and the coefficient U(3) to the maximum value V(MAX) of the magnitude value LOG(V) as the determination value V(KX).

Abstract: An engine ECU executes a program including a step of calculating coefficient of correlation K that is a value related to a deviation between a vibration waveform and a knock waveform model by comparing the engine's vibration waveform with the knock waveform model stored in advance at a plurality of timings, a step of calculating a knock intensity N as based on a largest coefficient of correlation K among the calculated coefficient of correlation Ks, a step of determining that the engine knocks if knock intensity N is larger than a predetermined reference value (YES at S108), and a step of determining that the engine does not knock if knock intensity N is not larger than a predetermined reference value (NO at S108).

Abstract: A knock determining apparatus includes a sensor which outputs a waveform signal corresponding to a knock state, and at least one of a first to a third knock determiner which determines a knock state based on a vibration intensity distribution of the waveform signal. A knock detector compares the vibration intensity of the waveform signal with a threshold, and detects a knock when the vibration intensity exceeds the threshold. This threshold is corrected based on a knock determining result by the first to the third knock determiner.

Abstract: An engine ECU executes a program including the steps of: calculating a correlation coefficient K based on the result of comparing a vibration waveform of an engine and a knock waveform model stored previously; calculating a magnitude value LOG(V) from the magnitude V detected based on a signal transmitted from a knock sensor; creating frequency distribution of magnitude values LOG(V) by using magnitude values LOG(V) in an ignition cycle in which the correlation coefficient K larger than a threshold K(1) is calculated; and counting knock proportion KC by using the created frequency distribution. If the vibration waveform includes a waveform of vibration of noise components, the correlation coefficient K is calculated to be smaller comparing with a case of not including it.

Abstract: An engine ECU executes a program including a step of calculating intensity values LOG(V) based on signals transmitted from a knock sensor; a step of deciding a maximum value V(MAX) in frequency distribution of intensity values LOG(V) for N cycles (N is a natural number); a step of calculating a knock determination level V(KD) based on the frequency distribution; a step of, when the knock determination level V(KD) is smaller than the maximum value V(MAX), removing V(MAX) from the frequency distribution; and a step of counting the total frequency of removed maximum values V(MAX) as knock occupancy KC. Maximum values V(MAX) are removed until the knock determination level V(KD) and the maximum value V(MAX) coincide, and the knock determination level V(KD) is recalculated.

Abstract: An engine ECU executes a program including a step of calculating a knock intensity N as based on comparing a waveform detected as a waveform of a vibration attributed to knocking with a knock waveform model stored in a memory as a waveform of a vibration attributed to knocking for crank angles except for crank angles where a magnitude of a vibration not attributed to knocking is greater than a predetermined magnitude, a step of determining that the engine knocks if knock intensity N is larger than a predetermined reference value, and a step of determining that the engine does not knock if knock intensity N is not larger than a predetermined reference value.

Abstract: In determining a knock of an engine, a vibration intensity is calculated by logarithm-transforming a peak value or an integral value of an output signal of a knock sensor. Further, a central value VMED of a vibration intensity distribution is calculated, and also a standard deviation ? in a region where the vibration intensity is smaller than this central value VMED is calculated. A vibration intensity reference value VIB is calculated as VMED?u×?, thereby setting the vibration intensity reference value VIB to be close to a minimum of the vibration intensity distribution. Further, a knock reference value KCK is set by adding a predetermined value K to the vibration intensity reference value VIB. The vibration intensity detected by the knock sensor is compared with the knock reference value KCK to determine presence/absence of a knocking.

Abstract: For each predetermined crank angular interval, an output of a knock sensor is separated into a plurality of frequency components through a plurality of band-pass filters, and peak values of each frequency component are extracted. Then, a mean and a variance of the peak values are computed for each frequency component. A maximum one of the computed means is selected, and the corresponding frequency component, which is associated with the maximum mean, is selected. It is then determined whether the noise is present based on a ratio between the variance of the selected frequency component and the corresponding mean. If the noise is detected in any of the frequency components, execution of knock determination may be prohibited, or ignition timing feedback control according to a result of the knock determination may be prohibited, or ignition timing may be corrected by retarding the ignition timing.

Abstract: A knock determining apparatus includes a sensor which outputs a waveform signal corresponding to a knock state, and at least one of a first to a third knock determiner which determines a knock state based on a vibration intensity distribution of the waveform signal. A knock detector compares the vibration intensity of the waveform signal with a threshold, and detects a knock when the vibration intensity exceeds the threshold. This threshold is corrected based on a knock determining result by the first to the third knock determiner.