Having Microprocessor Patents (Class 123/480)
  • Patent number: 7769528
    Abstract: A fuel injection controller for an engine that injects fuel to an inlet passage in an upstream side of an inlet valve from a fuel injection unit, includes: a first calculator, configured to calculate a basic fuel injection quantity from the fuel injection unit based on an operating condition of the engine; a second calculator, configured to calculate a first direct transport rate of fuel directly transported into a cylinder of the fuel injected from the fuel injection unit when the inlet valve is closed; a third calculator, configured to calculate a second direct transport rate of fuel directly transported into a cylinder of the fuel injected from the fuel injection unit when the inlet valve is opened; and a corrector, configured to correct the basic fuel injection quantity based on the first direct transport rate and the second direct transport rate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2010
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Jidosha Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Koji Kawakita, Katsunori Ueda, Toshiyuki Miyata, Hiroki Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 7761220
    Abstract: The invention precisely achieves an air fuel ratio control precision in each of operating regions of an engine, particularly a demand air fuel ratio at a time of an engine transition. In a fuel control system correcting a basic fuel amount in such a manner as to estimate a fuel adhered to an air intake pipe of an engine and an evaporated fuel from the adhered fuel so as to achieve a demanded air fuel ratio, a temperature of a fuel adhered portion is estimated on the basis of an amount relation between the fuel to be adhered and the already adhered fuel, or a heat quantity balance. A fuel adhesion amount and a fuel evaporation amount are determined on the basis of the estimated temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2010
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Seiji Asano, Mitsuru Nagase, Hiroshi Sekine
  • Patent number: 7761222
    Abstract: A method of operating a fuel injected multi-cylinder internal combustion engine includes establishing a flow shift compensation term by comparing a pre-flow shift value with a post-flow shift value. The pre-flow shift value is indicative of a pre-flow shift fueling signal duration linked with an engine test speed, and the post-flow shift value is indicative of a post-flow shift fueling signal duration linked with the engine test speed. The method further includes controlling an engine speed via outputting fueling signals from a digital engine speed governor to a plurality of fuel injectors of the internal combustion engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2010
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc
    Inventor: Victoriano Ruiz
  • Patent number: 7747377
    Abstract: A fuel injection control device (ECU) for controlling injection supply of fuel to a target engine has a program for sequentially sensing fuel pressure fluctuating with injection of a predetermined injector a program for detecting an injection centroid of a diagram as a profile of a transition of an injection rate of the injector at a present time based on a transition of the sequentially sensed fuel pressure, and a program for varying an injection command (injection timing) of the injector based on the detected injection centroid and an injection centroid of a predetermined basic diagram such that a relative positional relationship between the injection centroids of the diagram as the actual profile of the injection rate transition and the basic diagram becomes a relationship, in which timings of the injection centroids are close to each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2010
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Kenichiro Nakata, Koji Ishizuka
  • Patent number: 7739025
    Abstract: An estimation apparatus includes: a learning prohibition unit, configured to prohibit a learning unit from executing a learning control and retain a learning value, which is set just before prohibiting, as a fixed learning value which is a fixed value, when the fuel component amount estimation condition is satisfied; an air-fuel ratio correction amount computation unit, configured to compute a correction amount of the air-fuel ratio based on the feedback correction value and the fixed learning value, when the fuel component amount estimation condition is satisfied; an injection correction value change rate computation unit, configured to compute a change rate of the correction amount; an alcohol component correction value computation unit, configured to compute an alcohol component correction value based on the change rate; and an alcohol component amount estimation unit, configured to estimate an alcohol component amount in fuel based on the alcohol component correction value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2010
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Jidosha Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Koji Kawakita, Katsunori Ueda, Toshiyuki Miyata, Hiroki Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 7729845
    Abstract: A fuel injection control device that prevents a misfire is provided. The fuel injection control device comprises: target injection amount determination means 3 for determining a target injection amount of each fuel injection, so that the amount of fuel to be supplied to a cylinder in one combustion cycle is supplied in a plurality of fuel injections; and fuel injection correction amount determination means 4 for determining a fuel correction amount of one combustion cycle, wherein the fuel injection correction amount determination means 4 distributes the correction amount among each fuel injection in accordance with the ratio of a target injection amount of each fuel injection in the cylinder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2010
    Assignee: Isuzu Motors Limited
    Inventors: Takuro Iwashita, Takashi Haseyama, Yoshinobu Watanabe, Naofumi Ochi, Kenji Hagio, Tatsuo Mashiko
  • Patent number: 7720593
    Abstract: A system and method for controlling operation of a multiple cylinder direct injection internal combustion engine include injecting fuel directly into the combustion chamber during the exhaust stroke at high engine speeds and loads to reduce the effect of intake airflow on the injection spray and improve fuel-air mixture homogeneity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2010
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Jianwen James Yi, Steven Todd Wooldridge, George Carver Davis
  • Patent number: 7717098
    Abstract: An engine controller performs low opening degree control during a first intake stroke period since an engine start is commenced until first intake strokes of respective cylinders end. Thus, an opening degree of an intake throttle valve is controlled to a fully closed position or proximity of the fully closed position such that intake pressure downstream of the intake throttle valve becomes equal to or lower than critical pressure with respect to intake pressure upstream of the intake throttle valve during an intake stroke of each cylinder. The controller calculates a leak air quantity at the time when the intake throttle valve is fully closed based on an intake air quantity sensed during the low opening degree control. The controller corrects a feedback gain of idle speed control in accordance with the leak air quantity of the intake throttle valve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2010
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Tomoaki Nakano, Hideki Suzuki
  • Patent number: 7715974
    Abstract: A method for controlling the air-fuel ratio of an internal combustion engine operating with alternating intake valves is presented. According to the method, engine air-fuel ratio can be adjusted by changing valve timings or fuel during a cylinder cycle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2010
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Alexander O'Connor Gibson, Ilya Vladimir Kolmanovsky, John Ottavio Michelini, Gang Song
  • Publication number: 20100083936
    Abstract: A control module for a vehicle includes a time recording module that stores timestamps that correspond to each of N teeth of a target wheel of the vehicle in memory. N is an integer. A position module generates M angular positions based on the timestamps. M is an integer greater than one. Each of the M angular positions corresponds to a space between adjacent ones of the N teeth. A position estimator determines position of the target wheel based on the M positions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 22, 2009
    Publication date: April 8, 2010
    Applicant: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS, INC.
    Inventors: Julian R. Verdejo, Nicholas John Kalweit, David S. Mathews, Michael R. Grimes
  • Patent number: 7677223
    Abstract: The air-fuel-ratio control apparatus for an internal combustion engine obtains a composite air-fuel ratio abyfs from a downstream-side correction value Vafsfb(k) based upon an output value Voxs from a downstream air-fuel-ratio sensor 67 and an output value Vabyfs from an upstream air-fuel-ratio sensor 66, and obtains an upstream-side feedback correction value DFi on the basis of the composite air-fuel ratio abyfs. A fuel injection quantity Fi is determined to a value obtained by adding the upstream-side correction value DFi to a control-use base fuel injection quantity Fbasec (=base fuel injection quantity Fbase·coefficient Ksub).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2010
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shuntaro Okazaki, Naoto Kato
  • Patent number: 7657363
    Abstract: The present invention provides an injector-ignition fuel injection system for an internal combustion engine, comprising an ECU controlling a heated catalyzed fuel injector for heating and catalyzing a next fuel charge, wherein the ECU uses a one firing cycle look-ahead algorithm for controlling fuel injection. The ECU may further incorporate a look-up table, auto-tuning functions and heuristics to compensate for the rapid rotational de-acceleration that occurs near top dead center in lightweight small ultra-high compression engines as may be used with this invention. The ECU may further ramp heat input to the injector in response to engine acceleration requests and, under such circumstances, may extend its look-ahead for up to four firing cycles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2010
    Assignee: Transonic Combustion, Inc.
    Inventor: Michael C. Cheiky
  • Patent number: 7647919
    Abstract: A direct fuel injection control for an internal combustion engine includes first and second controllers. The first controller has a microprocessor and generates injection timing and duration signals on injector select lines. The second controller is a state machine including injector controls that receive the injection timing and duration signals and control injector current according to sets of injector current profile defining parameters received from the first controller on a serial bus and stored in register sets in the second controller. The second controller includes switching apparatus that can quickly change the connection of each injector control between different register sets to select different injector current profiles in successive injection pulses. Several alternative ways of providing register select signals are disclosed, and these may be incorporated in the same second controller for selection by the first controller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 19, 2010
    Assignee: Delphi Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: David D. Moller, Gordon D. Cheever, Jr.
  • Patent number: 7637253
    Abstract: In an arrangement and a method for controlling an internal combustion engine including a control unit, an injector for injecting fuel into the combustion chambers of the engine, connecting lines interconnecting the engine control unit and the injector for transmitting signals therebetween and an intelligent electronic component provided with the injector for an integral structure, the electronic component comprises an electronic storage unit for storing data, a computing unit, a measuring unit for determining momentary actual injector values and an energy storage device for storing electric energy which is supplied to the electronic components and to the injector unit during engine operation via the connecting lines either constantly or only during the fuel injection procedure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2009
    Assignee: MTU Friedrichshafen GmbH
    Inventors: Jörg Remele, Uwe Rödl, Andreas Schneider, Albrecht Debelak
  • Patent number: 7630823
    Abstract: A controller, in electrical communication with the one or more of the injectors and a high-pressure fuel pump, generates a first signal responsive to which the valve in the injector opens or closes and a second signal responsive to which the high-pressure fuel pump increases or decreases the pressure level in the fuel accumulator. The system may also include one or more sensors for detecting a temperature of air in an air manifold, a pressure within the air manifold and a barometric pressure. The controller is programmed to estimate an in-cylinder gas density using data received from the sensors. The controller accesses a database having data representative of one or predetermined in-cylinder gas densities that are associated with one or more predetermined fuel injection parameters. The controller then generates one or more commands indicative of the fuel injection parameters that are associated with a predetermined in-cylinder gas density.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2009
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Shawn Michael Gallagher, Roy Primus, Bhaskar Tamma, Jennifer Topinka
  • Patent number: 7630827
    Abstract: Disclosed is a method for the characteristic map-based obtention of values for at least one control parameter of an installation, particularly an internal combustion engine. According to the inventive method, support points for the control parameter, which provide a value for the control parameter, are defined across a range of operational parameters within a characteristic map (4) in accordance with operational parameters of the installation, the range of operational parameters covered in said characteristic map is divided into a first and a second subdomain which comprises several of the support points, and the value for the control parameter is obtained by extrapolation when a boundary of the first subdomain is reached before the value for the control parameter is obtained by accessing support points of the second subdomain.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2003
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2009
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Rainer Hirn, Achim Przymusinski
  • Publication number: 20090287393
    Abstract: A direct fuel injection control for an internal combustion engine includes first and second controllers. The first controller has a microprocessor and generates injection timing and duration signals on injector select lines. The second controller is a state machine including injector controls that receive the injection timing and duration signals and control injector current according to sets of injector current profile defining parameters received from the first controller on a serial bus and stored in register sets in the second controller. The second controller includes switching apparatus that can quickly change the connection of each injector control between different register sets to select different injector current profiles in successive injection pulses. Several alternative ways of providing register select signals are disclosed, and these may be incorporated in the same second controller for selection by the first controller.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 14, 2008
    Publication date: November 19, 2009
    Inventors: David D. Moller, Gordon D. Cheever, JR.
  • Patent number: 7617039
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of operating an internal combustion engine. With reference to FIG. 1, fuel is supplied to charge air using an injector (116) which in each operation delivers a set amount of fuel. The amount of fuel supplied to the charge air in each engine cycle is controlled by how many times the injector (116) operates in each cycle. A desired fuel demand is calculated as a number of operations of the injector per cycle, calculated to at least one decimal place. The desired fuel demand is rounded to a near integer to provide an output fuel demand for the injector as a number of operations of the injector for the next operating cycle in varying operating conditions of the engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2009
    Assignee: Scion-Sprays Limited
    Inventors: Jeffrey Allen, Paul Bartholomew Ravenhill, Steven Barraclough, Benjamin David Smither, Timothy Guy Drake
  • Patent number: 7576473
    Abstract: A method of operating an injector having an injector valve needle and a piezoelectric actuator for controlling movement of the injector valve needle, the method comprising reducing the voltage across the actuator at a first rate (RT1) in order to initiate an initial injection, increasing the voltage across the actuator in order to terminate the injection, and once the initial injection has terminated and before a subsequent injection is initiated, reducing the voltage across the actuator at a second rate (RT2; RT3), which is lower than the first rate (RT1), so as to de-energise the actuator but without initiating an injection. The invention ensures the injector spends a significantly reduced period of its life with a high voltage across its actuator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2009
    Assignee: Delphi Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Jean-Francois M.R. Berlemont, Jean-Pierre Winandy
  • Patent number: 7565895
    Abstract: A method and system of controlling a swirl control valve includes determining whether a current condition is in Tip Out by detecting positions of VGT vanes and an EGR valve, fully opening the swirl control valve if the current condition is in Tip Out, and not opening the swirl control valve if the current condition is not in Tip Out.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2009
    Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company
    Inventor: Sung-Il Yoon
  • Patent number: 7556023
    Abstract: The present invention reduces exhaust emissions at startup, provides improved fuel pressure control performance in a low-load region, and detects high-pressure fuel system abnormalities. Disclosed is a high-pressure fuel system control device which includes a high-pressure pump for pressurizing fuel and discharging the pressurized fuel to a fuel rail, an injector for injecting the fuel stored in the fuel rail, and a fuel pressure sensor for measuring the pressure of the fuel stored in the fuel rail, and controls the high-pressure pump and the injector in accordance with an output generated from the fuel pressure sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2009
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoichi Ilhoshi, Yoshikuni Kurashima, Toshio Hori, Shin Yamauchi
  • Patent number: 7552717
    Abstract: A fuel injector for an internal combustion engine, the fuel injector comprising an injector body, a fuel supply passage defined in the injector body, the fuel supply passage containing fuel under high pressure in use of the injector, a pressure sensor for measuring the pressure of fuel in the passage in use, wherein the pressure sensor is situated within the injector body and is separated from fuel in the passage in use, and a method of fuel injection, comprising constructing an hydraulic behavior profile by fuel pressure measurement, using the hydraulic behavior profile to predict fuel pressure that will prevail in a fuel injector during an injection event, and supplying a control signal to the fuel injector to control the amount of fuel injected during the injection event in accordance with the predicted fuel pressure. By predicting the fuel pressure that will prevail during an injection event, the fuel delivered during the injection event can be accurately controlled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2009
    Assignee: Delphi Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Philip J. G. Dingle
  • Patent number: 7543569
    Abstract: In an arrangement for controlling an internal combustion engine comprising an electronic engine control unit, a fuel injector, electronic connecting lines extending between the electronic engine control unit and the injector and an intelligent electronic block forming with the injector a component unit, the intelligent electronic block comprises an electronic data storage device, a computing unit, an energy storage device for storing energy and supplying energy to the intelligent electronic block and also a measuring unit for detecting the movement of an injector needle as an indication of fuel injection begin and fuel injection end.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2009
    Assignee: MTU Friedrichshafen GmbH
    Inventors: J{hacek over (o)}rg Remele, Uwe Rödl, Andreas Schneider, Albrecht Debelak
  • Patent number: 7536995
    Abstract: In a method for limiting the power output of an internal combustion engine, an air mass flow deviation of an actual air mass flow (mL(IST)) from a reference air mass flow (ML(REF)) is determined and, depending on the air mass flow deviation, a power output reduction is determined by which the maximum power output limit of the internal combustion engine is to be reduced in order to prevent overheating of the internal combustion engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2009
    Assignee: MTU Friedrichshafen GmbH
    Inventors: Johannes Baldauf, Michael Walder, Ingo Wintruff
  • Publication number: 20090126691
    Abstract: The instant invention provides an apparatus and system for cooling the air charge of an internal combustion engine. More specifically, the instant invention provides an air-induction system suitable to provide cooled air charges to turbocharged, supercharged or naturally aspirated internal combustion engines to increase power output while reducing engine emissions. The system utilizes gaseous fuel stored as a liquid wherein the liquefied gaseous fuel is vaporized and warmed at least partially with heat removed from the intake air charge supplied to the engine from the turbocharger or supercharger. In a preferred embodiment, the compressed intake combustion air is first cooled in an aftercooler against an ambiently cooled coolant and is subsequently cooled further by the chiller of the instant invention which utilizes the change in phase, between liquid and gas, of the alternative fuel to cool the incoming air charge.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 13, 2008
    Publication date: May 21, 2009
    Inventor: Jeff Bach
  • Patent number: 7536251
    Abstract: In a hybrid vehicle of the invention, when a voltage level E of a low-voltage battery exceeds a preset alert reference value Eth1 (step S115), fueling control activates a negative pressure pump with a preset amount of power consumption for standard fuel vapor treatment (step S125). When the voltage level E of the low-voltage battery exceeds a low charge reference value Elow but is not higher than the preset alert reference value Eth1 (steps S115 and S120), the fueling control activates the negative pressure pump with a smaller amount of power consumption (step S130). When the voltage level E of the low-voltage battery is not higher than the low charge reference value Elow (step S120), the fueling control inactivates the negative pressure pump (step S135). Such control enables at least a voltage of the low charge reference value Elow to be reserved in the low-voltage battery even after regulation of internal pressure of a fuel tank.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2009
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kimio Saito, Nobuyuki Tanaka
  • Publication number: 20090101114
    Abstract: A system and method for controlling operation of a multiple cylinder internal combustion engine having fuel injectors and an ionization current sensor include a high-voltage power supply connectable to, and supplying substantially the same nominal boosted voltage relative to nominal battery voltage to, the fuel injectors and ionization sensor during at least a portion of the engine operation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 23, 2007
    Publication date: April 23, 2009
    Applicant: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Michael Damian Czekala, Ross Dykstra Pursifull
  • Patent number: 7520259
    Abstract: A power management system for a combustion engine is disclosed. The power management system has a fuel injector, a sensor, and a controller in communication with the sensor and the fuel injector. The fuel injector is operable to inject multiple shots of fuel into the combustion engine during a single injection event. The sensor is configured to sense a speed of the combustion engine and generate a signal indicative of the sensed speed. The controller is configured to limit the number of shots per injection event in response to the signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2009
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Travis E. Barnes, Stephen R. Lewis, W. John Love, Timothy J. Matzke, Kevin L. Dea
  • Publication number: 20090090332
    Abstract: In an internal combustion engine having both a port injector and a direct injector supplying fuel to a cylinder of the engine, a method is disclosed for avoiding deposit formation on and/or inside the tip of the direct injector. The tip temperature is estimated. When the tip temperature exceeds a threshold temperature at which deposits are formed, the amount of fuel delivered by the direct injector is increase.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 3, 2007
    Publication date: April 9, 2009
    Inventor: Diana D. Brehob
  • Publication number: 20090078236
    Abstract: A controller, in electrical communication with the one or more of the injectors and a high-pressure fuel pump, generates a first signal responsive to which the valve in the injector opens or closes and a second signal responsive to which the high-pressure fuel pump increases or decreases the pressure level in the fuel accumulator. The system may also include one or more sensors for detecting a temperature of air in an air manifold, a pressure within the air manifold and a barometric pressure. The controller is programmed to estimate an in-cylinder gas density using data received from the sensors. The controller accesses a database having data representative of one or predetermined in-cylinder gas densities that are associated with one or more predetermined fuel injection parameters. The controller then generates one or more commands indicative of the fuel injection parameters that are associated with a predetermined in-cylinder gas density.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 20, 2007
    Publication date: March 26, 2009
    Inventors: Shawn Michael Gallagher, Roy Primus, Bhaskar Tamma, Jennifer Topinka
  • Patent number: 7500465
    Abstract: A method for operating an internal combustion engine, in which fuel is injected into a combustion chamber of a cylinder of the internal combustion engine in at least two partial injections, and in which an actual torque supplied by the internal combustion engine is ascertained from operating variables of the internal combustion engine, this actual torque being compared to an admissible torque, and an error response being initiated if the actual torque is at a predefined ratio to the admissible torque. In the ascertainment of the actual torque, taking into consideration a torque efficiency of the respective partial injection is provided, whereby a more accurate monitoring of the actual torque is made possible.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2009
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Andreas Pfaeffle, Marco Gangi, Gerit Von Schwertfuehrer
  • Publication number: 20090056678
    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: Application
    Filed: August 7, 2008
    Publication date: March 5, 2009
    Applicant: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kenichiro Nakata, Koji Ishizuka
  • Publication number: 20090056677
    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: Application
    Filed: August 5, 2008
    Publication date: March 5, 2009
    Applicant: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kenichiro NAKATA, Koji Ishizuka
  • Publication number: 20090056676
    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, and configured to detect pressure of the fuel. The pressure sensor is located closer to the nozzle hole than the pressure-accumulation vessel. A storage unit stores individual difference information, which indicates an injection characteristic of the fuel injection valve, the injection characteristic being obtained by an examination. The individual difference information is related to a fluctuation pattern of a portion of the fluctuation in detected pressure waveform of the pressure sensor. The fluctuation is attributed to one fuel injection through the nozzle hole. The portion of the fluctuation is subsequent to an end of the fuel injection.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 11, 2008
    Publication date: March 5, 2009
    Applicant: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kenichiro NAKATA, Koji Ishizuka
  • Publication number: 20090038589
    Abstract: A fuel injector for an internal combustion engine, the fuel injector comprising an injector body, a fuel supply passage defined in the injector body, the fuel supply passage containing fuel under high pressure in use of the injector, a pressure sensor for measuring the pressure of fuel in the passage in use, wherein the pressure sensor is situated within the injector body and is separated from fuel in the passage in use, and a method of fuel injection, comprising constructing an hydraulic behaviour profile by fuel pressure measurement, using the hydraulic behaviour profile to predict fuel pressure that will prevail in a fuel injector during an injection event, and supplying a control signal to the fuel injector to control the amount of fuel injected during the injection event in accordance with the predicted fuel pressure. By predicting the fuel pressure that will prevail during an injection event, the fuel delivered during the injection event can be accurately controlled.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 7, 2007
    Publication date: February 12, 2009
    Inventor: Philip J. G. Dingle
  • Publication number: 20090025688
    Abstract: The fuel injection control apparatus includes a function of making a determination of whether learning conditions are satisfied to allow a fuel injection amount learning to be performed, a function of directing a commanded fuel injection amount in the fuel injection amount learning to a fuel injection valve if result of the determination is affirmative, a function of setting an upper limit value of an injection pressure in the fuel injection amount learning, a function of setting a target injection pressure in the fuel injection amount learning, a function of setting the injection pressure to the target injection pressure, a function of detecting an actual fuel injection amount, and a function of correcting an amount of fuel injected by the fuel injection valve on the basis of a difference between the commanded fuel injection amount and the actual fuel injection amount at the target injection pressure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 25, 2008
    Publication date: January 29, 2009
    Applicant: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masahiro Asano, Eiji Takemoto, Yuuki Tarusawa
  • Patent number: 7475676
    Abstract: In an arrangement for controlling an internal combustion engine comprising an electronic engine control unit, a cylinder with a combustion chamber, a fuel injector, an intelligent electronic block with an electronic data storage unit, a computing unit, a signal measuring unit and an electric energy storage device for supplying energy to the electronic block during operation of the internal combustion engine, and control lines for the transmission of fuel injection control signals from the electronic engine control unit to the injector, the control lines for the transmission of injector control signals serve as energy transmission for the energy storage device and, at the same time, as bi-directional data exchange lines.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 13, 2009
    Assignee: MTU Friedrichshafen GmbH
    Inventors: Jörg Remele, Uwe Rödl, Andreas Schneider, Albrecht Debelak
  • Patent number: 7469679
    Abstract: A method for detecting and controlling the position of a valve actuator is provided. The method includes applying a plurality of signals of different duration and/or magnitude to the valve actuator and measuring a signal from the valve actuator. This signal from the valve actuator is indicative of valve movement for each of the plurality of applied signals. The method further includes adjusting an injection signal to the valve actuator based at least from the measured signals from the valve actuator. This disclosure also applies this method to a solenoid actuator of a fuel injector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2008
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Daniel Reese Puckett, David John Schuh
  • Publication number: 20080308065
    Abstract: A fuel injection control device for performing injection control of an injector has a program for performing fuel injection of a predetermined injection quantity (a small quantity) with an injector based on establishment of a first permission condition during fuel cut of the engine and for acquiring a fuel injection quantity indicating a fuel injection characteristic of the injector and a program for performing fuel injection of a predetermined injection quantity (a small quantity) with the injector based on establishment of a second permission condition during idling of the engine and for acquiring a fuel injection quantity indicating the fuel injection characteristic of the injector. Thus, the fuel injection control device and an engine control system including the fuel injection control device can suitably sense the fuel injection characteristic of the injector.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 11, 2008
    Publication date: December 18, 2008
    Applicant: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Minoru Imai
  • Patent number: 7463967
    Abstract: An engine operating method and a direct injection gaseous fuelled system directly injects a gaseous fuel into a combustion chamber during a compression stroke, commands gaseous fuel injection pressure to a target value that is determined as a function of at least one pre-selected engine parameter, measures actual gaseous fuel injection pressure and adjusts fuel injection pulsewidth to correct for differences between the target value and the actual gaseous fuel injection pressure to thereby inject the desired mass quantity of gaseous fuel as determined from an engine map.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2008
    Assignee: Westport Power Inc.
    Inventors: Richard Ancimer, Greg Batenburg, Jeff Thompson
  • Patent number: 7421330
    Abstract: An an internal combustion engine has a plurality of cylinders for providing the necessary energy used for the work performed by the engine. Cylinder specific knock monitoring is used in order to distribute the load automatically among the cylinders of the engine. When an individual cylinder knocks continuously, the antiknock control system of the cylinder aims at reducing permanently the quantity of fuel supplied to the cylinder. The fall in the total output caused by the reduction of fuel supply is compensated by increasing the fuel supply to all cylinders. The new operating values of the engine provided by the adjustment are stored in the memory and used also as new reference values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2008
    Assignee: Wartsila Finland Oy
    Inventors: Ari Saikkonen, Kaj Portin
  • Publication number: 20080202475
    Abstract: A device for controlling at least one piezoactuator for an injection valve of an internal combustion engine, including a microcontroller that controls an output stage which generates the load current for charging and discharging the piezoactuator. The microcontroller controls the output stage through an integrated circuit. A discharge circuit interacts with the integrated circuit to reliably discharge the piezoactuator in case of a failure of the output stage and/or of a safety path of the microcontroller. The load current during the discharge is controlled by a control circuit having a controller which is part of the integrated circuit. The discharge circuit has emergency discharge elements that are activated in case of a failure of the controller or of the integrated circuit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 29, 2006
    Publication date: August 28, 2008
    Applicant: VDO AUTOMOTIVE AG
    Inventor: Martin Gotzenberger
  • Patent number: 7418335
    Abstract: A fuel system for an engine is disclosed. The fuel system has a source of pressurized fuel, a plurality of fuel injectors, and a common manifold configured to distribute pressurized fuel from the source to the plurality of fuel injectors. The fuel system also has a first sensor located upstream of the common manifold, and a second sensor associated with the engine. The first sensor is configured to generate a first signal indicative of a fuel temperature. The second sensor is configured to generate a second signal indicative of a speed of the engine. The fuel system further has a controller in communication with the first and second sensors. The controller is configured to estimate a fuel temperature at each of the plurality of fuel injectors based on the first signal, the second signal, and the position of the plurality of fuel injectors along the common manifold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2008
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Travis E. Barnes, Rammohan Sankar, Yongxiang Li, Jialing Chen
  • Patent number: 7412965
    Abstract: An exhaust control system for an internal combustion engine having a plurality of actuators wherein each actuator controls a predetermined engine parameter. A plurality of sensors are also associated with the engine and each sensor provides an output representative of an engine operating condition. The control system includes a PID controller associated with each actuator and in which each PID controller has an input, an output and a feedback between the input and the output. A distribution function circuit is operatively connected in series with the inputs of the PID controller. The distribution function circuit receives an error signal representative of the difference between a target value and an actual value of one or more engine operating conditions, previously determined control factor values and the feedback from each PID controller as input signals. The distribution function circuit varies the input to each PID controller as a function of the distribution function input signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2008
    Assignee: AM General LLC
    Inventors: Martin Laermann, Dean Tomazic, Marek Tatur, Taylor W. Holland, Jeffrey T. Dowell
  • Patent number: 7415348
    Abstract: A fuel injection system for a direct fuel injection engine includes an injection mode module. The injection mode module selects a fuel injection mode to be one of a single injection mode and a dual injection mode. A fuel injection command module transitions between the single and dual injection modes by varying the timing of fuel injection events relative to a crankshaft position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2008
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations, Inc.
    Inventors: Vijay Ramappan, Jesse M. Gwidt, Jonathan T. Shibata, Stuart R. Smith, Michael J. Lucido
  • Publication number: 20080184967
    Abstract: A method of operating an injector having an injector valve needle and a piezoelectric actuator for controlling movement of the injector valve needle, the method comprising reducing the voltage across the actuator at a first rate (RT1) in order to initiate an initial injection, increasing the voltage across the actuator in order to terminate the injection, and once the initial injection has terminated and before a subsequent injection is initiated, reducing the voltage across the actuator at a second rate (RT2; RT3), which is lower than the first rate (RT1), so as to de-energise the actuator but without initiating an injection. The invention ensures the injector spends a significantly reduced period of its life with a high voltage across its actuator.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 31, 2008
    Publication date: August 7, 2008
    Inventors: Jean-Francois M.R. Berlemont, Jean-Pierre Winandy
  • Patent number: 7406948
    Abstract: An engine ECU executes a program including: the step of outputting a fuel-cut instruction when conditions that an accelerator position PA is not higher than a threshold value and a rate of increase DNE of engine speed NE is not lower than a determination value DNE(0) are satisfied; the step of fully closing throttle opening; and the step of suspending ignition of air-fuel mixture by a spark plug.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2008
    Assignees: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha, Yamaha Hatsudoki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Seiji Hirowatari, Masanao Idogawa, Masahiko Teraoka, Fumitoshi Sugiyama, Dai Takida
  • Patent number: 7401604
    Abstract: An engine control device and method that prevents fuel injection quantity from becoming unstable due to a rapid change of a correction quantity even in a predetermined operation state such as acceleration time and thus stabilizes an air-fuel ratio. Under a predetermined operating state, even when feedback control of oxygen in exhaust gas is stopped, a correction quantity immediately before the predetermined operating state is held by a correction quantity storage part and the correction of the fuel injection time is performed based on the correction quantity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2008
    Assignee: Yamaha Hatsudoki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Harumi Furukawa, Yoshitsugu Kosugi
  • Patent number: 7395807
    Abstract: A fuel injection control system for a multi-cylinder internal combustion engine mounted in a vehicle is provided. The system works to schedule execution of a sequence of multiple injections of fuel into each of cylinders of the engine and determines whether events of any two of the injections scheduled to be executed in any two of the cylinders overlap in time with each other or not. If so, the system determines which of the two of the injections overlapping each other should be rescheduled based on operating condition of the vehicle and reschedules the execution of one of the two of the injections, as determined to be rescheduled, so as to eliminate overlap with any of the events of the injections. This avoids undesirable application of load on the system or the delay in activating fuel injectors which may arise from simultaneous activation of two of the injectors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2008
    Assignee: DENSO Corporation
    Inventor: Mitsura Watanabe
  • Patent number: 7392129
    Abstract: This disclosure teaches a method of controlling a direct injection internal combustion engine and predicting the behaviour of a direct injection internal combustion engine. An estimation of initial cylinder pressure, air flow and EGR flow (if applicable) is used to establish a system that provides engine behaviour by integrating an injection module, combustion module and engine control module to provide data indicative of engine behaviour such as brake torque and power, air flow, EGR flow, cylinder pressure, brake specific fuel consumption, start of combustion, heat release rate, turbo-charger speed and other variables. These values can then be used to adjust commanded variables such as start of injection, commanded pulse width, rail pressure to meet operator demand. Also the output data can be used as a tool to determine how a conceptualised engine design will behave.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2008
    Assignee: Westport Power Inc.
    Inventors: Philip G. Hill, Mark E. Dunn, Guowei Li, Dehong Zhang