With Modifying Or Updating Memory (i.e., Learning) Patents (Class 123/674)
  • Publication number: 20120006307
    Abstract: An air-fuel ratio control apparatus includes a catalytic converter disposed at a position downstream of an exhaust gas aggregated portion; a downstream air-fuel ratio sensor disposed in an exhaust passage at a position downstream of the catalytic converter; first feedback amount updating means for updating a first feedback amount to have an output value of the downstream air-fuel ratio sensor coincide with a target downstream-side air-fuel ratio based on the output value of the downstream air-fuel ratio sensor; and a learning means for updating a leaning value of the first feedback amount in such a manner that the leaning value brings in a steady-state component of the first feedback amount based on the first feedback amount.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 30, 2009
    Publication date: January 12, 2012
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Takayuki Demura
  • Patent number: 8060293
    Abstract: Systems and methods for controlling an internal combustion engine include adjusting fuel delivered to a cylinder during a transient event by an amount indexed by number of combustion events after detecting the transient event. A base fueling parameter may be adjusted by an adaptive correction value indexed by combustion events after the transient event is detected, with the adaptive value determined using air/fuel ratio difference of previous combustion events during similar transient operating conditions associated with the same combustion event index number. Ionization sensor signal characteristics may be used to determine actual air/fuel ratios used to determine the air/fuel ratio difference and corresponding adaptive correction values. The adaptive values may be modified in response to a vehicle refueling event based on an amount of added fuel relative to existing fuel in the vehicle fuel tank.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2011
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies LLC
    Inventors: Daniel Lawrence Meyer, Christopher Paul Glugla, Mrdjan J. Jankovic, Davorin D. Hrovat
  • Patent number: 8055438
    Abstract: An air-fuel ratio sensor early activation feedback system and method includes an air-fuel ratio sensor for measuring an air-fuel ratio in an exhaust gas generated by an internal combustion engine and a heater for heating the air-fuel ratio sensor. A controller activates the heater prior to startup of the engine based on prior startup times for the engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2011
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Michael Neisen
  • Patent number: 8050852
    Abstract: An abnormality detection device for an internal combustion engine capable of performing abnormality detection with accuracy, and an air/fuel ratio control apparatus for an internal combustion engine capable of performing air/fuel ratio control with accuracy. An estimated value of the amount of intake air at a valve closing time at which an intake value is closed, is computed. The in-cylinder air/fuel ratio in a cylinder is computed by using the estimated value. The obtained in-cylinder air/fuel ratio is used as an input air/fuel ratio to identify a parameter in a primary delay element. Determination as to the existence/nonexistence of an abnormality in a pre-catalyst sensor (A/F sensor) is made on the basis of the obtained parameter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2011
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Naoto Kato
  • Patent number: 8027779
    Abstract: When the lambda controller is active (LAM ACT), in the cold operating state (STATE COLD) and in the presence of a predefined first condition, a present cold adaptation value (AD COLD AV) is determined and the present cold adaptation value (AD COLD AV) is assigned a valid cold adaptation value (AD COLD VLD). When the lambda controller is active (LAM ACT), in the warm operating state (STATE WARM) and in the presence of a predefined second condition, a present warm adaptation value (AD WARM AV) is determined and assigned a valid warm adaptation value (AD WARM VLD). In addition, the valid cold adaptation value (AD COLD VLD) is adapted in the presence of a predefined third condition as a function of a difference (AD WARM DELTA) between the valid warm adaptation value (AD WARM VLD) and the present warm adaptation value (AD WARM AV).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2011
    Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbH
    Inventors: Gerald Rieder, Paul Rodatz
  • Patent number: 8015967
    Abstract: An air-fuel ratio control apparatus is applied to an internal combustion engine including a variable lift mechanism which changes a lift amount of an intake valve. An oxygen sensor, which outputs a signal indicating an oxygen concentration in exhaust gas, is provided downstream of an exhaust gas purification catalyst in an exhaust passage of the internal combustion engine. Air-fuel ratio control is performed to correct the fuel injection amount command value using the correction amount that is set based on the value output from the oxygen sensor. The relationship among the deviation of the correction amount from its reference value, the learned small lift value, the learned medium lift value, and the lift amount is learned. The learned deviation value is calculated based on the lift amount, using the learned relationship. Then, the fuel injection amount command value is corrected by the correction amount including the calculated learned deviation value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2011
    Assignees: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha, Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroshi Morita, Kazuto Ikeda
  • Patent number: 8010278
    Abstract: An engine is operated with air-fuel ratio F/B control interrupted, by regarding an alcohol concentration value ALC1 inputted from outside as a tentative concentration value, and by detecting the rotation-speed fluctuation amount of an engine, the appropriateness of the tentative concentration value is determined. In the case where it is determined that the tentative concentration value is appropriate, an estimated alcohol concentration value ALC2 stored in a storage means is replaced by the tentatively changed alcohol concentration value ALC1.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2011
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Shinji Kunisada, Yasushi Takemoto
  • Publication number: 20110208409
    Abstract: While the materials compatibility challenges have largely been met in “flex-fuel” vehicles, the engine and aftertreatment operation has not been optimized as function of fuel type (i.e. ethanol, biodiesel, etc.). The full-scale introduction of alternative fuels is most likely going to occur as blends with conventional fuels. This is seen to some extend with the limited introduction of E85 (85% ethanol, 15% gasoline) and B20 (20% biodiesel, 80% conventional diesel.). This further exacerbates the challenge of accommodating variable fuel properties, as there will be differences in combustion properties due to both the type of alternative fuel (i.e. pure biodiesel vs. pure diesel) and blend ratio (i.e. B20 vs. B80). Real-time estimation of the fuel blend is key to the optimized use of two-component fuels (e.g. diesel-biodiesel, gasoline-ethanol, etc.). The approach outlined here uses knowledge of the exhaust composition, fuel and air delivery rates to the engine to estimate the fuel blend.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 3, 2009
    Publication date: August 25, 2011
    Inventors: David Benjamin Snyder, Gregory Matthew Shaver
  • Patent number: 7991539
    Abstract: An electronic control unit 50 determines whether the ambient air in the vicinity of an oxygen concentration sensor 55 in an exhaust passage 30 has become equal to the atmospheric state as a fuel cut-off operation is executed. If the ambient air in the vicinity of the oxygen concentration sensor 55 is equal to the atmospheric state, the electronic control unit 50 executes a learning process, in which a detection value C of the oxygen concentration sensor 55 is stored as a learned value Cstd in a memory 56. The electronic control unit 50 continues the learning process until a predetermined time period set based on an exhaust gas transport delay elapses from when the fuel cut-off operation is terminated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2011
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hiroshi Enomoto, Atsushi Morikawa
  • Patent number: 7962275
    Abstract: A control device for an internal combustion engine includes a fuel injection device that injects a fuel in accordance with a required injection amount that is required for combustion in a combustion chamber that is performed to produce an output of the internal combustion engine, and a fuel property specific determination device that specifically determines a fuel property of the fuel injected. The control device further includes a control device that performs an output correction process of controlling at least a portion of the internal combustion engine so as to correct the produced output based on a difference in the specifically determined fuel property. According to the control device and a control method thereof, driveability is secured even in the case where a blended fuel is used during a high load region of the internal combustion engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2011
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Hokuto, Shigeki Miyashita
  • Patent number: 7941264
    Abstract: When it is detected in a fuel supply device for a flexible-fuel internal combustion engine that a refueling operation has been performed for a fuel tank, a return suppression process in which fuel in a delivery pipe is prohibited from returning to the fuel tank through a high-pressure return passage is executed until a concentration learning process is started. After the concentration learning process is started, a compulsory return process in which fuel in the delivery pipe is compulsorily returned to the fuel tank through the high-pressure return passage is executed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2011
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kazuchika Tashima, Masahiko Teraoka, Tomohiro Fujita
  • Patent number: 7925420
    Abstract: Methods and devices for determining and putting in fuel into an internal combustion engine on the basis of an air-fuel ratio in proximity to the stechiometric value, based on the use of the ion current released by a device, positioned on each cylinder of said engine. This ion current is acquired by a Control Unit equipped by means, preferably electronic ones, which implement the invention, repeated continually for each engine cycle and for each cylinder, characterized in that the method develops over various phases.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2011
    Assignee: Eldor Corporation, S.p.A.
    Inventors: Pasquale Forte, Stefano Bordegnoni, Andrea Gelmetti
  • Patent number: 7921832
    Abstract: A control system for a plant can include a feedback control input which can be calculated so that a controlled output of said plant coincides with a target value. A hold control input can be calculated according to an operating condition of said plant. A control input to said plant is set to the feedback control input when a control deviation between the controlled output and a target value is greater than a predetermined threshold value, and the control input is set to the hold control input when the control deviation is equal to or less than the predetermined threshold value. The feedback control input is made to gradually approach to or coincide with the hold control input when the control input is set to the hold control input.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2011
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Hirohito Ide
  • Patent number: 7912622
    Abstract: A fuel injection amount learning and controlling method capable of learning the amount of fuel injection independent of whether accessories are operated or not and without being affected by environmental conditions such as coolant temperature. The fuel injection amount learning and controlling method obtains, using an idle injection amount standard value as the standard, a fuel injection amount learning value so that the speed of an internal combustion engine (1) is a target idle speed. The method has a learning correction function that obtains in advance a relationship between load by accessories (3, 4) driven by the engine (1) and a fuel injection incremental amount that is due to the load imposed by the accessories (3, 4) and is relative to a no-load condition as the standard.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2011
    Assignee: Isuzu Motors Limited
    Inventor: Kazumi Yamaguchi
  • Patent number: 7912623
    Abstract: An engine control system for managing a schedule of execution of engine control tasks is provided. The system works to schedule execution of the engine control tasks upon receipt of requests to initiate the engine control tasks. The system determines a sequence of execution of the engine control tasks and allocates execution times for which the engine control tasks are to be executed so as to provide chances of execution of the engine control task as evenly as possible. The system may determine required time-sharing ratios of the engine control tasks based on statuses of execution of the engine control tasks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2011
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Kouichi Sugiyama, Koji Ishizuka
  • Patent number: 7899605
    Abstract: During lean combustion, an ECU as a control device for a diesel engine calculates a ratio between a target A/F value and a detected A/F value detected by a A/F sensor, wherein the target A/F value is a ratio between a target air volume and a target injection amount in order to obtain a request torque. The ECU calculates the air volume after compensation during rich combustion by multiplying the target air volume with the compensation gain value. The ECU instructs an air intake throttle valve and an EGR valve to regulate those opening degrees according to the calculation result in order to decrease a torque difference between the lean combustion and the rich combustion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2011
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventor: Kazuo Kojima
  • Patent number: 7865295
    Abstract: A fuel injection controller includes a correcting section that performs a concentration learning procedure in which a concentration of the alcohol of the fuel in a fuel tank is learned as a learned concentration value based on a detection value of the oxygen concentration sensor, and also corrects a fuel injection amount of an injector connected to a delivery pipe in correspondence with the learned concentration value in such a manner that an air-fuel ratio corresponding to a stoichiometric air-fuel ratio is obtained. A refueling detecting section detects that refueling has been carried out to the fuel tank, and a restricting section performs a restricting procedure in which returning of the fuel from the delivery pipe to the fuel tank through a return passage is restricted on condition that the refueling detecting section has detected that the refueling has been performed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2011
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Kazuchika Tashima
  • Patent number: 7865294
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for regulating the lambda value of an internal combustion engine with a catalytic converter for subsequently treating the exhaust gases of the internal combustion engine, with a binary lambda probe, which is mounted upstream from the catalytic converter and which senses the composition of the exhaust gases. According to the invention, the lambda set value is superimposed with a lean/rich amplitude. This lean/rich amplitude has an integral component and a discontinuous component leading back to the lambda set value. When a change that differs from the change in the exhaust gas composition caused by the lean/rich amplitude is detected, the coefficient of the integral component is modified and/or a discontinuous component is added to the integral component or subtracted therefrom.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2011
    Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbH
    Inventors: Bejoy Mathews, Gerd Rösel, Hong Zhang
  • Patent number: 7856307
    Abstract: A fuel injection control device for a multi-fuel engine includes a corrector and a reviewer. An alcohol concentration learning unit is provided to learn an alcohol concentration in an injected fuel based on an oxygen concentration detected in an exhaust gas. A fuel injection amount controller is provided to control a fuel injection amount based on a learning value corresponding to the oxygen concentration. The corrector is configured to reduce the fuel injection amount corresponding to the learning value for a predetermined time period when the learning value is higher than a threshold value when an engine is started. The reviewer is configured to review the learning value to provide a revised learning value based on the oxygen concentration while the corrector reduces the fuel injection amount. The fuel injection amount is controlled based on the revised learning value after the corrector reduces the fuel injection amount.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 21, 2010
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Atsushi Ito, Yoichi Takahashi, Hideya Horie
  • Patent number: 7845343
    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: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2010
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventor: Minoru Imai
  • Patent number: 7844388
    Abstract: A method of regulating the actual lambda value for an internal-combustion engine of a motor vehicle in a closed control loop is provided. A lambda setpoint is transferred to a controller for influencing an injection calculation for the internal-combustion engine, and an actual lambda value, which occurs at the output of a controlled system as a function of the injection calculation, is returned to the controller. At least one system parameter of the controlled system is determined, and the determined system parameter is transferred to a Smith predictor added to the controller for compensating the influence of the system dead time on the control loop characteristics.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2010
    Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Franz Perschl, Edith Heidi Dumele, Martin Buss
  • Patent number: 7831378
    Abstract: A system and method are provided for estimating NOx produced by an internal combustion engine. The flow rate of fuel supplied to the engine and a plurality of engine operating parameters are monitored. NOx produced by the engine is estimated based on a product of the flow rate of fuel and a function of the plurality of engine operating parameters. The NOx estimate is stored in memory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2010
    Assignee: Cummins Inc.
    Inventor: J. Stephen Wills
  • Patent number: 7801666
    Abstract: In a multi-cylinder engine, to compute the air-fuel ratio of each cylinder by an air-fuel ratio sensor disposed in an exhaust pipe, a cylinder is determined by a crank angle detected by a crank angle sensor. A deviation in the air-fuel ratio of each cylinder is detected on the basis of the output signal of the air-fuel ratio sensor disposed in the exhaust pipe and the forcibly changed quantity of the air-fuel ratio.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2010
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Tetsuji Mitsuda, Yasuo Sagisaka, Yasuo Hirata, Eijirou Yamada
  • Publication number: 20100224175
    Abstract: The device including: a fuel correction value calculating unit for calculating a correction value for a fuel injection quantity so that an actual air-fuel ratio becomes equal to a target air-fuel ratio; a fuel switching detecting unit for detecting that fuel switching has occurred; a fuel property estimating unit for setting a period, in which there is a possibility that a fuel property changes, as a property change period when the fuel switching is detected to calculate a fuel property correction value corresponding to another correction value for the fuel injection quantity based on the correction value within the property change period; and a property change judging unit for judging whether or not a change in the correction value is due to the change in the fuel property in a case where the correction value becomes out of a predetermined range even though the property change period is not set.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 18, 2010
    Publication date: September 9, 2010
    Applicant: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventor: Yasuyoshi HORI
  • Patent number: 7792630
    Abstract: A control system for an internal combustion engine, which is capable of properly setting fuel injection timing according to the actual degree of delay of the amount of fresh air to be supplied to cylinders of the engine, thereby making it possible to positively suppress torque variation, when the control system has switched an air-fuel ratio mode between a lean mode and a rich mode. The control system controls the air-fuel ratio of a mixture by switching the air-fuel ratio mode. In the lean mode, the control system sets a target fresh air amount for the lean mode, and in the rich mode, it sets a target fresh air amount for the rich mode. Upon switching the air-fuel ratio mode, the control system corrects the fuel injection timing according to the difference between the target fresh air amount for the lean mode or the rich mode and the detected fresh air amount.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2010
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Junichi Hatano, Katsuji Wada, Takashi Konomoto
  • Patent number: 7783409
    Abstract: A model-based estimation of mass airflow is provided which provides an accurate estimation of mass airflow without introducing undesirable time delays characteristic of filtered mass airflow signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2010
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations, Inc.
    Inventors: Jun-Mo Kang, Chen-Fang Chang, Jyh-Shin Chen, Tang-Wei Kuo
  • Publication number: 20100192929
    Abstract: An abnormality diagnosis apparatus for diagnosing abnormality of a secondary air supply assembly includes an abnormality diagnosing unit, an air-fuel ratio learning/correcting unit, a learning degree computing unit, and a prohibition unit. The abnormality diagnosing unit diagnoses abnormality of the secondary air supply assembly based on an output of the air-fuel ratio detecting unit. The air-fuel ratio learning/correcting unit learns variation of an air-fuel ratio control system of the engine and corrects variation of an air-fuel ratio based on a result of learning the variation of the air-fuel ratio control system. The learning degree computing unit computes a learning degree, by which the air-fuel ratio learning/correcting unit learns the variation of the air-fuel ratio control system. The prohibition unit prohibits the abnormality diagnosis or makes a diagnostic result invalid when the learning degree is equal to or less than a predetermined value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 2, 2010
    Publication date: August 5, 2010
    Applicant: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Yuji Ishiwatari
  • Patent number: 7765995
    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: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2010
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Kenichiro Nakata, Koji Ishizuka
  • Publication number: 20100191443
    Abstract: A method for the determination of a fuel mass of a pre-injection injected into at least one combustion chamber of an internal combustion engine by means of at least one injection under high pressure is characterized in that a corrective variable is determined for the pre-injection by means of a comparison between a measure for the actual amount of injected fuel of at least one test post-injection carried out for a predetermined target amount of a desired pre-injection due to a measure, and the measure for the target amount.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 10, 2008
    Publication date: July 29, 2010
    Applicant: ROBERT BOSCH GMBH
    Inventors: Thomas Breitbach, Rainer Peck
  • 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
  • Publication number: 20100180874
    Abstract: An air-fuel ratio control apparatus includes a learning unit learning amounts of divergence of a correction amount from a reference value thereof respectively as to a plurality of set lift amount regions as divergence amount learning values, a correction unit calculating a divergence amount correction value and correcting a fuel injection amount command value, and a reflection unit reflecting a learning result of the divergence amount learning value of a specific one of the plurality of the set lift amount regions on the divergence amount learning value of another one of the lift amount regions when there is a history indicating that the divergence amount learning value of the specific one of the lift amount regions has been learned and there is no history indicating that the divergence amount learning value of that another one of the lift amount regions has been learned.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 13, 2008
    Publication date: July 22, 2010
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kazuhiro Iwahashi, Hiroshi Morita
  • Publication number: 20100163008
    Abstract: An abnormality detection device for an internal combustion engine capable of performing abnormality detection with accuracy, and an air/fuel ratio control apparatus for an internal combustion engine capable of performing air/fuel ratio control with accuracy. An estimated value of the amount of intake air at a valve closing time at which an intake value is closed, is computed. The in-cylinder air/fuel ratio in a cylinder is computed by using the estimated value. The obtained in-cylinder air/fuel ratio is used as an input air/fuel ratio to identify a parameter in a primary delay element. Determination as to the existence/nonexistence of an abnormality in a pre-catalyst sensor (A/F sensor) is made on the basis of the obtained parameter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 10, 2008
    Publication date: July 1, 2010
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Naoto Kato
  • Patent number: 7742870
    Abstract: A dead time in the case where an output of an air-fuel ratio sensor changes in a lean direction and a dead time in the case where the output changes in a rich direction are sensed respectively. The number of elements constituting data of past feedback correction amounts used for calculating a present feedback correction amount is changed in accordance with the larger one of the dead times. A lean direction response time and a rich direction response time are sensed respectively. A control gain is corrected in accordance with the lean direction response time when the output of the air-fuel ratio sensor changes in the lean direction. The control gain is corrected in accordance with the rich direction response time when the output changes in the rich direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2010
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventor: Hisayo Yoshikawa
  • Patent number: 7725248
    Abstract: The procedure is used for the operation of an internal combustion engine (1) with several cylinders (2, 3, 4, 5) into each of which fuel is injected. For a current operating point (15), the current correction factor (KM) for the injection into one of the cylinders (2, 3, 4, 5) is determined. Using the current correction factor (KM) at least some of the grid correction factors (KGA) which are stored in a correction factor characteristic map (13) for discrete operating points (16) of the internal combustion engine (1) are adapted. Here, a distance between the current operating point (15) and the discrete operating point of the grid correction factor (KGA) currently to be adapted is taken into account during the adaptation of the grid correction factors (KGA). Using updated grid correction factors (KGN) which are stored following adaptation in the correction factor characteristic map (13), an updated correction factor (KMN) is determined for the current operating point (15) and used for the injection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2010
    Assignee: Conti Temic microelectronic GmbH
    Inventors: Reinhold Hagel, Mehmet Tuna
  • Publication number: 20100108046
    Abstract: An air-fuel ratio control device includes an air-fuel ratio sensor provided upstream from a three-way catalyst, and an oxygen sensor provided downstream from the three-way catalyst. The air-fuel ratio control device controls the fuel supply amount based on the output from the air-fuel ratio sensor, and compensates for errors in the air-fuel ratio sensor by correcting the fuel supply amount based on the output from the oxygen sensor. The fuel supply correction amount is calculated based on an integral term that integrates the deviation between the output from the downstream air-fuel ratio sensor and the target air-fuel ratio. When a fuel supply adjustment control is executed, the value of the integral term in the sub-feedback control is not updated for a predetermined period after the fuel supply adjustment control ends. The actual air-fuel ratio is thus brought to the target air-fuel ratio in an appropriate manner.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 11, 2008
    Publication date: May 6, 2010
    Applicant: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Norihisa Nakagawa, Takahiko Fujiwara, Taiga Hagimoto, Junichi Kako, Naoto Kato, Shuntaro Okazaki
  • Publication number: 20100108045
    Abstract: An electronic control unit 50 determines whether the ambient air in the vicinity of an oxygen concentration sensor 55 in an exhaust passage 30 has become equal to the atmospheric state as a fuel cut-off operation is executed. If the ambient air in the vicinity of the oxygen concentration sensor 55 is equal to the atmospheric state, the electronic control unit 50 executes a learning process, in which a detection value C of the oxygen concentration sensor 55 is stored as a learned value Cstd in a memory 56. The electronic control unit 50 continues the learning process until a predetermined time period set based on an exhaust gas transport delay elapses from when the fuel cut-off operation is terminated.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 21, 2008
    Publication date: May 6, 2010
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hiroshi Enomoto, Atsushi Morikawa
  • Publication number: 20100101548
    Abstract: A fuel injection control device for a multi-fuel engine includes a corrector and a reviewer. An alcohol concentration learning unit is provided to learn an alcohol concentration in an injected fuel based on an oxygen concentration detected in an exhaust gas. A fuel injection amount controller is provided to control a fuel injection amount based on a learning value corresponding to the oxygen concentration. The corrector is configured to reduce the fuel injection amount corresponding to the learning value for a predetermined time period when the learning value is higher than a threshold value when an engine is started. The reviewer is configured to review the learning value to provide a revised learning value based on the oxygen concentration while the corrector reduces the fuel injection amount. The fuel injection amount is controlled based on the revised learning value after the corrector reduces the fuel injection amount.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 18, 2009
    Publication date: April 29, 2010
    Applicant: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Atsushi Ito, Yoichi Takahashi, Hideya Horie
  • Patent number: 7680586
    Abstract: A method and system are disclosed for compensating a mass air flow signal produced by a mass air flow sensor in fluid communication with an air intake passageway of an internal combustion engine. A mass air flow signal produced by the mass air flow sensor is monitored and an expected oxygen concentration of exhaust gas produced by the engine is determined. A compensation parameter is determined as a function of the expected oxygen concentration and a measured value of the oxygen concentration of the exhaust gas. A compensated mass air flow value is determined as a function of the mass air flow signal and the compensation parameter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2010
    Assignee: Cummins Inc.
    Inventors: Michael J. Ruth, Stewart D. Sullivan
  • Patent number: 7673621
    Abstract: A system for estimating fuel concentration comprises an ethanol estimating module that generates an ethanol estimate based on baseline closed loop corrections (CLC). A fuel system module controls fuel to an engine and generates a fuel system error. The ethanol estimating module selectively adjusts the baseline CLC and the ethanol estimate based on the fuel system error. A method for estimating fuel concentration comprises generating an ethanol estimate based on baseline closed loop corrections (CLC); controlling fuel to an engine and generating a fuel system error; and selectively adjusting said baseline CLC and said ethanol estimate based on said fuel system error.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2010
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations, Inc.
    Inventors: Mark D. Carr, Louis A. Avallone, Ian J. MacEwen, Wajdi B. Hamama, Julian R. Verdejo
  • Publication number: 20100050602
    Abstract: Two different flows for air-fuel mixture are formed by two different variational amounts for changing the air-fuel ratio of the mixture. Response delay times for different exhaust gas flows are measured as time periods from a first time point at which the air-fuel ratio of the mixture is changed to a second time point at which an output of an oxygen sensor is changed. The oxygen sensor is provided in an exhaust pipe of an engine at a downstream side of an exhaust gas purifying catalyst. A difference between the two response delay times is compared with a predetermined threshold value to carry out the diagnosis for the catalyst deterioration.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 2, 2009
    Publication date: March 4, 2010
    Applicant: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Takeshi Fujimoto
  • Patent number: 7664592
    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: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2010
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Masahiro Asano, Eiji Takemoto, Yuuki Tarusawa
  • Publication number: 20100024790
    Abstract: An air-fuel ratio control system of a multi-cylinder internal combustion engine provided with a throttle valve and opening characteristic control means, which system performs feedback control of an air-fuel ratio based on an output of a sensor detecting an air-fuel ratio of exhaust gas and is capable of performing more accurate air-fuel ratio control, is provided. In the feedback control, the relationship of the output of the sensor and a feedback value is corrected based on a feedback learning correction value learned and determined based on the output of the sensor during the feedback control, and, when newly learning the feedback learning correction value, the intake air amount is controlled by only the throttle valve.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 13, 2007
    Publication date: February 4, 2010
    Inventors: Takahiko Fujiwara, Norihisa Nakagawa, Taiga Hagimoto, Junichi Kako, Naoto Kato, Shuntaro Okazaki, Koji Ide
  • Patent number: 7654252
    Abstract: An air-fuel ratio control system includes: a catalyst; an A/F sensor provided upstream of the catalyst; an oxygen concentration sensor provided downstream of the catalyst; an output value estimation portion that estimates the output value of the oxygen concentration sensor using a model related to the catalyst and the oxygen concentration sensor; an integral value calculation portion that calculates an integral value of deviation being updated by integrating the difference between the actual oxygen concentration output value and the estimated output value; a correction value calculation portion that calculates a feedback correction value for the output value of the A/F sensor and a target air-fuel ratio at least based on the integral value of deviation; and an air-fuel ratio control portion that zeros a first deviation that is obtained by correcting the difference between the detected air-fuel ratio and the target air-fuel ratio, using the feedback correction value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2010
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Naoto Kato, Shuntaro Okazaki
  • Patent number: 7657361
    Abstract: An electronic control unit 30 of a diesel engine 10 stores a relationship between a required fuel injection amount and a corresponding injection command signal. The unit 30 generates the injection command signal corresponding to the required fuel injection amount based on the stored relationship, and drives injectors 20 based on the injection command signal to inject fuel. The unit 30 includes a shifting section, which forcibly changes the engine rotational speed by temporarily shifting the fuel injection mode between a first injection mode and a second injection mode. The first injection mode is a mode in which an after injection is executed after a main injection. The after injection has less fuel injection amount than the main injection. The second injection mode is a mode in which the after injection is not executed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2010
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Mikio Inoue, Yasuyuki Terada
  • Patent number: 7653475
    Abstract: A fuel injection correction coefficient for a first fuel injection valve and a second fuel injection valve with respect to a second fuel injection proportion in a second combustion is learned (step 107) in each of learning regions based on the fuel supply amount supplied into a cylinder, by carrying out a first combustion whose fuel injection proportion is set to the second fuel injection proportion, in the operation region of the second combustion (step 106).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2010
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hiroyuki Hokuto
  • Publication number: 20090314267
    Abstract: A control apparatus for an internal combustion engine that can prevent, for instance, an exhaust purification catalyst from being damaged when the employed fuel is changed to a fuel having different properties during an operation. If fuel learning is incomplete while a refueling record exists, the throttle opening of an internal combustion engine operable on a fuel that is obtained by mixing alcohol and gasoline at an arbitrary ratio is limited. Limiting the throttle opening makes it possible to avoid an entry into an operation region where fuel increase is performed. This prevents air-fuel ratio feedback control from being stopped when a fuel change occurs. Consequently, the use of an improper air-fuel ratio that may damage the catalyst can be definitely avoided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 28, 2007
    Publication date: December 24, 2009
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takashi Kawai, Yukihiro Sonoda
  • Publication number: 20090301451
    Abstract: A control apparatus is provided for a vehicle including an internal combustion engine and a continuously variable transmission capable of controlling an output speed of the engine. A controller of the control apparatus determines a first operating point at which a total fuel consumption amount is minimized as an optimal operating point, such that the total fuel consumption amount is obtained by adding an amount of a fuel consumed by an exhaust purifying device disposed in an exhaust system to an amount of a fuel consumed by the engine for generating a required output. The controller then controls an engine load and also controls a speed ratio of the transmission so that the engine operates at the optimal operating point.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 13, 2009
    Publication date: December 10, 2009
    Applicant: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yasushi Ito
  • Patent number: 7628146
    Abstract: A device for correcting the injection behavior of at least one injector includes an apparatus for storing information relating to the at least one injector and means for controlling the at least one injector. The device takes the stored information into account in the correction, the information having been ascertained by comparing setpoint values with actual values individually at a plurality of test points of the at least one injector, the information being activation times for an activation time correction map of the at least one injector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2009
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Ernst Kloppenburg, Frieder Necker, Le-Thanh-Son Tran
  • Patent number: 7614391
    Abstract: A correction apparatus for correcting an output of an oxygen sensor installed in an exhaust pipe of an internal combustion engine to measure the concentration of oxygen contained in exhaust gas. The apparatus works to execute a fuel cut operation to bring the pressure in the exhaust pipe to the atmospheric pressure and enters an under-atmosphere correction mode to sample an output of the oxygen sensor and determine a correction factor compensating for a deviation of the sampled output from a reference value representing an actual concentration of oxygen. The apparatus also works to calculate the pressure in the exhaust pipe after start of the fuel cut and determine whether the under-atmosphere correction mode is to be entered or not based on the pressure of exhaust gas, thereby ensuring the accuracy in correcting the output of the oxygen sensor regardless of a variation in the pressure of exhaust gas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2009
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Tomoo Kawase, Eiichi Kurokawa, Katsuhiko Nakabayashi, Takahito Masuko, Koji Sugiura
  • Patent number: RE42631
    Abstract: In a hybrid vehicle driven by a dual injection internal combustion engine including an injector for in-cylinder injection and an injector for in-intake air path injection, and assistive dynamic, to control learning of the internal combustion engine's air fuel ratio learning value to learn the engine's air fuel ratio the engine is steadily operated and only any one of the injectors is allowed to inject fuel, while learning of the air fuel ratio is controlled, and after controlling the learning has completed the other injector is alone allowed to inject the fuel, while learning of air fuel ratio is controlled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2011
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yusuke Nakayama, Yukihiro Sonoda, Koji Morita