Controlling Timing Patents (Class 701/105)
  • Patent number: 8818685
    Abstract: A rotation detecting device and a rotation detecting method determines normal rotation/reverse rotation of a rotating shaft based on a rotation signal different between the normal rotation and the reverse rotation of the rotating shaft. The rotation signal is set to have a pulse width different between the normal rotation and the reverse rotation of a crankshaft that is an output shaft of an internal combustion engine. By determining whether or not the pulse width is greater than a threshold value, the normal rotation or the reverse rotation of the crankshaft is detected. Whether or not the crankshaft is rotating normally is determined based on engine rotating speed, a cylinder in which a piston is in a predetermined position, an engine load, a starter switch, intake pressure, battery voltage, and the like. When the condition for the normal rotation is satisfied, the threshold of the pulse width is set based on a pulse width of a rotation signal measured at this time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2014
    Assignee: Hitachi Automotive Systems, Ltd.
    Inventor: Hirokazu Shimizu
  • Patent number: 8812217
    Abstract: An ECU of a fuel injection controller acquires information on a load of an internal combustion engine including a fuel injection valve. Based on the load information, a switch is made between low-load-condition control, in which a main injection is performed at a timing that avoids a spray injected by a pilot injection that drifts due to a swirl effect, and high-load condition control, in which the main injection is performed at a timing that interferes with (at least partially overlaps) a spray injected by the pilot injection that drifts due to a swirl effect. In the low-load-condition control, the spray injected by a pilot injection is diffused before the occurrence of ignition to reduce smoke. In the high-load condition control, the spray injected by the main injection is caused to interfere with the spray injected by the pilot injection that contains OH radicals, to reduce smoke.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2014
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Takeshi Hashizume
  • Patent number: 8812214
    Abstract: An internal combustion engine control device the present invention provides is a control device that can realize both of request torque and a request A/F for each of cylinder groups with high precision, even when the request A/F differs at each of the cylinder groups. The present control device sets a reference A/F within a range from the leanest A/F to the richest A/F out of the request A/Fs to the respective cylinder groups. The present control device calculates a target air quantity for realizing the request torque under the reference A/F, based on data that defines a relation between engine output torque and an air quantity in relation to an A/F. The present control device controls a throttle opening in accordance with the target air quantity, and controls fuel injection amounts of the respective cylinders in accordance with the request A/F s to the respective cylinder groups.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2014
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shuntaro Okazaki, Satoshi Yoshizaki, Kaoru Shokatsu, Masashi Shibayama, Hajime Kawakami
  • Patent number: 8812216
    Abstract: In a method and the corresponding apparatus for operating an internal combustion engine with a plurality of cylinders (Z1 to Z4) which are assigned in each case one injection valve (18) for metering in fuel, a control apparatus (25) is provided with in each case one output stage (25a) for actuating the injection valves (18) of the plurality of cylinders. Here, first of all work injection operations (P0 to P4) are determined for a cylinder (CYL_i) with the duration and positioning in relation to the crankshaft rotary angle. Following this, late injection operations (P5), which are required in certain operating modes, for the preceding cylinder (CYL_i?1) in the ignition sequence are arranged in a setpoint crankshaft angular range (SB) in such a way that no temporal overlaps occur between individual work and late injection operations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2014
    Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbH
    Inventors: Martin Brandt, Joachim Engelmann, Jürgen Fritsch, Manfred Gaul, Hui Li, Gonzalo Medina-Sanchez
  • Patent number: 8800535
    Abstract: In an actuation method for a piezoactuator in an injector, an injection is triggered by controlling the piezoactuator to open and close the injection valve. An injection charge and discharge pulse each cause a change in length of the piezoactuator, which excites an oscillation system. After an idle time interval without injection, the steps for triggering an injection are repeated. At times t1 and t2 during the idle time interval tL, a damping charge current pulse and a damping discharge current pulse are applied, wherein the change in length which is generated by the damping charge and discharge current pulses are too small to activate the injection valve and to trigger an injection. The times t1 and t2 are selected such that excitation of the oscillation system by the pulses takes place in anti-phase with respect to the oscillation which is excited by the injection charge and discharge current pulse.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2014
    Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbH
    Inventor: Robert Kuchler
  • Publication number: 20140222315
    Abstract: A system according to the principles of the present disclosure includes a stochastic pre-ignition module and a fuel control module. The stochastic pre-ignition module determines whether operating conditions of an engine satisfy predetermined criteria associated with stochastic pre-ignition. The fuel control module enriches an air/fuel ratio of the engine when the engine operating conditions satisfy the predetermined criteria.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 6, 2013
    Publication date: August 7, 2014
    Applicant: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Dean R. Kwapis, Rafat F. Hattar, Kevin M. Luchansky, J. Michael Gwidt
  • Patent number: 8798891
    Abstract: A method is provided for controlling a hybrid electric vehicle that includes an internal combustion engine having a cylinder provided with an intake valve, an exhaust valve, and a piston configured to rotate the engine's crankshaft. The method includes determining whether deceleration of the vehicle is desired and also includes ceasing supply of fuel to the cylinder when such condition is satisfied. The method additionally includes selecting a fuel-off actuation arrangement for the intake valve via a mechanism configured to provide variable valve timing and lift, such that a magnitude of compression pulses in the cylinder during deceleration is limited. A system for controlling the hybrid vehicle and a vehicle employing such a system are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2014
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Craig D. Marriott, Ben W. Moscherosch
  • Publication number: 20140214307
    Abstract: An apparatus and method are provided for calibrating injection of fuel into at least one combustion chamber of an internal combustion engine. The internal combustion engine comprises at least one fuel injector and a fuel rail. The fuel rail is pressurized to a fuel rail pressure. The method comprises steps of (a) calculating an indicated torque for the internal combustion engine operating at a target fuelling from inputs comprising a fuelling command; (b) calculating a friction torque for the internal combustion engine from inputs comprising the target engine speed; (c) calculating a torque error from a difference between the indicated torque and the friction torque; and (d) determining a pulse-width correction factor for a first baseline pulse-width applied to actuate the at least one fuel injector whereby the torque error is below a predetermined threshold when the internal combustion engine is operating at the target fuelling.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 29, 2014
    Publication date: July 31, 2014
    Inventors: Jeffrey J. Thompson, Olivier P.M. Lebastard
  • Patent number: 8793058
    Abstract: A control device for an internal combustion engine provided by the present invention is a control device which can satisfy both a requirement relating to exhaust gas performance of the internal combustion engine and a requirement relating to operation performance by properly regulating a change speed of a required air-fuel ratio, in the internal combustion engine which uses torque and an air-fuel ratio as control variables. The control device receives the requirement relating to the exhaust gas performance of the internal combustion engine, and calculates an air-fuel ratio which satisfies the requirement as a required air-fuel ratio. When a predetermined reduction condition is not satisfied, an original required air-fuel ratio is directly determined as a final required air-fuel ratio.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2014
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shuntaro Okazaki, Satoshi Yoshizaki, Masashi Shibayama, Kaoru Shokatsu, Hajime Kawakami
  • Patent number: 8781713
    Abstract: A system for controlling an engine in a vehicle according to the principles of the present disclosure includes a fuel control module and a valve control module. The fuel control module controls fuel delivery to a cylinder of the engine. The valve control module closes an exhaust valve of the cylinder when fuel delivery to the cylinder is disabled during operation of the vehicle and exhaust gas has been exhausted from the cylinder after fuel delivery to the cylinder is disabled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2014
    Inventors: Daniel G. Brennan, Steven Joseph Swantick
  • Patent number: 8776743
    Abstract: In a variably operated valve apparatus of an internal combustion engine and a start control apparatus of the same engine, the internal combustion engine being equipped with a crank position control mechanism by means of which a stop position of a piston is controllable at a time of an engine stop and the variably operated valve apparatus being capable of variably controlling at least a closure timing of an intake valve, the closure timing of the intake valve is placed at a first position which is more advance angle side than the stop position of the piston of one of engine cylinders in a compression stroke and which is stop controlled by means of the crank position control mechanism and one of the remaining cylinders which is in a suction stroke has its the intake valve open, at the time of the engine stop.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2014
    Assignee: Hitachi Automotive Systems, Ltd.
    Inventor: Makoto Nakamura
  • Patent number: 8775055
    Abstract: Methods are provided for controlling an engine in response to a pre-ignition event. A pre-ignition threshold and a pre-ignition mitigating action are adjusted based on a rate of change of cylinder aircharge. As a result, pre-ignition events occurring during transient engine operating conditions are detected and addressed different from pre-ignition events occurring during steady-state engine operating conditions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2014
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Chris Paul Glugla, Michael Mancini
  • Patent number: 8775057
    Abstract: Provided is a control device for an in-cylinder injection engine which reduces an amount of fuel attaching and remaining on a piston crown surface so as to bring the first injection as advanced as possible and suppress an increase in the number of exhaust particles of PM, when fuel injection is performed a plurality of times in one cycle in the in-cylinder injection engine. At least the first fuel injection of the respective injections dividedly performed the plurality of times is performed in an intake stroke. At least the first injection start timing of the respective injections dividedly performed the plurality of times is set in accordance with an EGR amount. The first injection start timing is more advanced when the EGR amount is large than when the EGR amount is small.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2014
    Assignee: Hitachi Automotive Systems, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshinobu Arihara, Tetsuo Matsumura
  • Publication number: 20140172277
    Abstract: A diagnostic method for a reciprocating internal combustion engine is disclosed. The diagnostic method includes determining a cylinder pressure relationship between a periodic or continuous pressure of a combustion chamber of the engine and a crankshaft angle of the engine for a combustion cycle including a fuel injection. The method further includes determining a heat release rate relationship between the heat release rate in the combustion chamber and the crankshaft angle as a function of the pressure relationship. The method includes estimating an end of fuel injection crankshaft angle for the combustion cycle as a function of the first derivative of the heat release rate relationship.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 18, 2012
    Publication date: June 19, 2014
    Applicant: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventor: Gregory M. Klett
  • Patent number: 8752529
    Abstract: A spark ignition internal combustion engine is equipped with a fuel pressure sensor for detecting a viscosity of fuel supplied to a fuel injector based on a variation in a fuel pressure. In a case of stratified combustion by a spray guided injection, an ECU advances a fuel injection start timing of the fuel injector 4 according to the detected viscosity of the fuel. Thus, even if the viscosity of the fuel is significantly high, the fuel-rich area is well formed at a vicinity of the discharge electrode so that a preferable combustion condition can be maintained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 17, 2014
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Masatoshi Basaki, Tomohiro Hayashi, Takeshi Mizobuchi
  • Patent number: 8755989
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for improving fuel usage while addressing knock by adjusting the use of spark retard and direct injection of a fluid based on engine operating conditions and the composition of the injected fluid. One or more engine parameters, such as EGR, VCT, boost, throttle position, are coordinated with the direct injection to reduce torque and EGR transients.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 17, 2014
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Gopichandra Surnilla, Joseph Norman Ulrey, Thomas G. Leone
  • Publication number: 20140156174
    Abstract: A dual-injector engine for a dual-injector engine that includes at least two injectors disposed on at least two respective intake ports that communicate with a single combustion chamber. The at least two injectors are independently, asymmetrically and cooperatively operated to distribute the amounts of fuel injected from the injectors. Eventually, the fuel vaporability of a fuel and air mixture may be maximized. Thus, the combustion performance of the engine may be increased.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 31, 2013
    Publication date: June 5, 2014
    Applicant: Hyundai Motor Company
    Inventors: Hyung Ju Lee, Ho Kyun Chun
  • Patent number: 8744728
    Abstract: Over a diesel engine's lifetime, engine efficiency may be reduced and some of this may be attributable to sulfur deposit accumulation in the engine. A method for controlling operation of a diesel engine operating on a fuel is provided. The method may include adjusting an injection of fuel to the engine in response to a sulfur content of the fuel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2014
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Keli Alark, Richard Kellogg Morton
  • Patent number: 8738272
    Abstract: Provided is a control apparatus for an internal combustion engine that can suppress deterioration of a catalyst that is ascribable to a control delay of a variable valve operating apparatus when transitioning to a valve stopped state accompanying a fuel-cut operation, or when transitioning from the valve stopped state to a combustion limit operating state. An intake variable valve operating apparatus capable of changing the operating state of an intake valve to a valve stopped state by continuously changing a lift amount and working angle of the intake valve is included.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2014
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Shuichi Ezaki
  • Patent number: 8738237
    Abstract: A control system is provided for starting electrically powered implements on a vehicle such as a grass mowing machine with electrically powered cutting reels. The electric motors are started at intervals, rather than simultaneously. The intervals between starting each electric motor may be based on pre-defined criteria such as a fixed time constant, voltage, current or speed input from a motor controller for each implement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2014
    Assignee: Deere & Company
    Inventor: Robert A. Henson
  • Patent number: 8727064
    Abstract: A hybrid internal combustion engine and air motor system is provided and includes at least one chamber having a drivable member and at least one intake valve and at least one exhaust valve, and a reservoir connected to the chamber through at least one of the intake valve and the exhaust valve. The system further comprises a computer configured to calculate air compressor efficiency during an air compressor mode of operation and select an intake and exhaust valve opening and closing timing sequence for maximizing air compressor efficiency and/or a computer configured to calculate air motor efficiency during an air motor mode of operation and select an intake and exhaust valve opening and closing timing sequence for maximizing air motor efficiency. A method for selecting an intake and exhaust valve opening and closing timing sequence for maximizing air compressor efficiency and/or for selecting an intake and exhaust valve opening and closing timing sequence for maximizing air motor efficiency is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2014
    Assignee: Mack Trucks, Inc.
    Inventor: Chun Tai
  • Patent number: 8725390
    Abstract: Systems and methods for optimizing fuel injection in an internal combustion engine adjust start of fuel injection by calculating whether one of advancing or retarding start of fuel injection will provide a shortest path from a source angle to a destination angle. Based on the source angle and a given injection pulse width and angle increment, it is determined whether fuel injection will overlap with a specified engine event if start of fuel injection is moved in a direction of the shortest path. A control circuit increments start fuel injection in the direction of the shortest path if it is determined that fuel injection will not overlap with the specified engine event, or increments start fuel injection in a direction opposite that of the shortest path if it is determined that fuel injection will overlap with the specified engine event.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2014
    Assignee: Brunswick Corporation
    Inventors: Matthew W. Snyder, Thomas S. Kirchhoff, David G. Camp
  • Patent number: 8714123
    Abstract: Systems and methods for modifying oil pressure for a variable cam timing system are provided. In one example approach, a method comprises, in response to an operating condition, adjusting a valve coupled to a hydraulic variable camshaft timing actuator to initiate camshaft phasing and adjusting an oil pressure supplied to the valve based on a camshaft phaser position. If a camshaft phaser locking pin is in a home position, the method may further comprise reducing the oil pressure supplied to the valve for a predetermined time interval to a threshold amount to unlock the locking pin but not move the camshaft phaser and then increasing the oil pressure supplied to the valve to move the camshaft phaser.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2014
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: John Eric Rollinger, Mohammad Farid, David Karl Bidner
  • Patent number: 8718903
    Abstract: In a direct injection spark ignition internal combustion engine that includes a fuel injection valve, and closes an intake valve after gas in the combustion chamber begins to flow back into an intake passageway after the compression stroke begins. The required fuel injection amount is injected a first fuel injection and a second fuel injection in a single combustion cycle, and the first fuel injection is performed while the intake valve is open during the compression stroke, and the second fuel injection is performed after the intake valve closes. The timing of the first fuel injection is set such that the injected fuel is deflected upwards in the top of the combustion chamber by the gas flowing toward the intake valve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2014
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Sachio Mori
  • Patent number: 8707936
    Abstract: To provide a control system for an internal combustion engine, which is capable of providing a stable intake air amount through reduction of pumping loss and blow-back of combustion gases by appropriately controlling the valve-opening timing of the intake valves, and thereby being capable of securing excellent drivability. In the control system 1, the valve-closing timing of the exhaust valve 9 is changed by an exhaust-side variable valve-operating mechanism 60, whereby the internal EGR amount is controlled, and the valve-opening timing of an intake valve 8 of an internal combustion engine 3 is changed by an intake-side variable valve-operating mechanism 40.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2014
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Toru Kitamura, Toshinari Shinohara, Chiho Itoga, Ken Ogawa
  • Patent number: 8706383
    Abstract: A control system includes an engine control module that generates fuel injector command signals for fuel injectors of an engine and engine parameter signals that indicate operating characteristics of the engine. A fuel injector control module communicates with the engine control module via a network. The engine control module transmits the engine parameter signals to the fuel injector control module via the network. The fuel injector control module generates compensated fuel injector signals based on the fuel injector command signals and the engine parameter signals. The engine control module may generate fuel injector command signals for a gaseous fuel mode based on signals received from the fuel injector control module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2014
    Inventors: Marc Sauve, Louis A. Avallone, Karl H. Kozole
  • Patent number: 8706382
    Abstract: The disclosure provides a control device of a spark-ignition gasoline engine. When an operating state of an engine body is within a low engine speed range, a controller controls a fuel pressure variable mechanism so that a fuel pressure is higher within a high engine load range compared to a low engine load range, the controller operates, within the high engine load range, a fuel injection valve to perform a fuel injection at least at a timing that is more retarded than an injection timing of a fuel within the low engine load range and is within a retard period from a late stage of a compression stroke to an early stage of an expansion stroke, and the controller operates, within the high engine load range, an ignition plug to ignite at a timing within the retard period and further after the fuel injection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2014
    Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Shuji Oba, Kouhei Iwai, Kazuhiro Nagatsu, Masahisa Yamakawa, Noriyuki Ota, Naoya Watanabe, Hiroyuki Kurita, Tatsuya Fujikawa, Kenji Uchida, Daisuke Asaji, Takaaki Nagano
  • Patent number: 8688351
    Abstract: The timing of a controlled event is advanced or retarded in an IC engine by emulating the engine speed and position signal pattern prior to transmission of that signal pattern to an output such as a fuel injector. In a multi-controller engine in which a second controller is controlled at least in part by signals delivered by first controller, the signal preferably is emulated in the first controller prior to transmission to the second engine controller in order to allow the shifting of a timing of a controlled event without direct data transfer from the second controller to the first controller. The technique is particularly well-suited for controlling diesel fuel injection in a dual fuel or other multi-fuel engine. In this case, the first controller must be a dual fuel controller and the second controller may be a diesel controller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2014
    Assignee: Clean Air Power, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert Oalen, Hoi Ching Wong
  • Patent number: 8682568
    Abstract: A diesel engine is provided, which includes an engine body to be supplied with fuel containing diesel fuel as its main component, a geometric compression ratio being set to 15:1 or below, a fuel injection valve arranged in the engine body so as to be oriented toward a cylinder of the engine body and for directly injecting the fuel into the cylinder, and a control module for controlling a mode of injecting the fuel into the cylinder through the fuel injection valve. The control module performs a main injection where the fuel is injected to cause a main combustion mainly including a diffusion combustion and performs a plurality of pre-stage injections where the fuel is injected prior to the main injection to cause a pre-stage combustion prior to the main combustion. The control module controls the injection mode of the injections to adjust a heat release rate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2014
    Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Daisuke Shimo, Kim Sangkyu, Kyotaro Nishimoto, Shinichi Morinaga, Keiji Maruyama, Hiroshi Minamoto, Masayuki Tetsuno, Masahiro Nagoshi
  • Publication number: 20140081557
    Abstract: The invention relates to an automotive control device and a period measurement method for measuring a period of a pulse signal input from outside. The automotive control device processes the pulse signal input from outside using an analog filter in parallel with a digital filter. When a difference between a measured value of a period of an output signal of analog filter and a measured value of a period of an output signal of digital filter is less than a threshold value, the automotive control device selects the measured value of the period of the output signal of analog filter as the period of the pulse signal. Meanwhile, when the difference between the measured values is greater than the threshold value, the automotive control device selects the measured value of the period of the output signal of digital filter as the period of the pulse signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 10, 2013
    Publication date: March 20, 2014
    Applicant: HITACHI AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS, LTD.
    Inventors: Satoshi YAMAZAKI, Naoto Hasegawa
  • Patent number: 8676475
    Abstract: A method is provided for regenerating a diesel particulate filter within a diesel engine system that includes, but is not limited to at least a combustion chamber defined by a reciprocating piston inside a cylinder, at least an exhaust valve for cyclically open the combustion chamber towards an exhaust line, and the diesel particulate filter located in the exhaust line, wherein the method comprises injecting an amount of fuel into the combustion chamber by means of least two consecutive after-injection pulses (AIP1-AIP3), each of which starts (SOI) after the piston has passed the top dead center (TDC), and sufficiently near to the latter for the fuel to burn at least partially inside the combustion chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2014
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Stefano Cassani, Davide Mercuri, Simone Barbero, Pierluigi Rellecati
  • Publication number: 20140074381
    Abstract: A system according to the principles of the present disclosure includes a temperature estimation module and a fuel control module. The temperature estimation module estimates a piston temperature associated with a cylinder based on engine operating conditions. The fuel control module controls at least one of injection timing associated with the cylinder, injection pressure associated with a cylinder, injection location associated with a cylinder, and a number of injections per engine cycle associated with the cylinder based on the piston temperature.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 13, 2012
    Publication date: March 13, 2014
    Applicant: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: David P. Sczomak, Jonathan T. Shibata, Joshua D. Cowgill
  • Patent number: 8670919
    Abstract: A method for diagnosing a condition of a system for supplying fuel to a fuel injected controlled-ignition internal combustion engine, of a type including an electric control device that makes use of an oxygen probe for closed-loop regulation of a value of an air/fuel ratio admitted to the combustion chambers of the engine, and according to which a signal delivered by the oxygen probe is analyzed, the method a) deducing from the signal a change in injection time correction factor ALPHACL_MEAN making it possible to regulate richness of exhaust gases leaving the engine; b) comparing ALPHACL_MEAN against predetermined minimum and maximum threshold values THRESHOLD_MIN and THRESHOLD_MAX; c) diagnosing a defective condition when ALPHACL_MEAN is outside of a window included between THRESHOLD_MIN and THRESHOLD_MAX.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 11, 2014
    Assignee: Renault S.A.S.
    Inventors: Nicolas Protin, Michel Leporcq
  • Patent number: 8670918
    Abstract: This disclosure provides a method of controlling a diesel engine, which includes executing a premix combustion pattern fuel injection containing one or more injections at a first timing, while introducing an amount of EGR gas according to an operating condition of the engine into a cylinder, when an engine load is low, to operate in a premix combustion mode, executing a diffusion combustion pattern fuel injection containing one or more injections at a second timing that is later than the first timing, when the engine load is high, to operate in a diffusion combustion mode, and executing a diffusion combustion pattern fuel injection at a third timing that is later than the second timing, while introducing the amount of EGR gas according to the operating condition of the engine into the cylinder, when shifting from the diffusion combustion mode to the premix combustion mode with a decrease in engine load.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 11, 2014
    Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Shinichi Morinaga, Daisuke Shimo, Hiroshi Hayashibara, Kenji Tanimura
  • Publication number: 20140058648
    Abstract: In an FFV (flexible fuel vehicle) on which an internal-combustion engine using alcohol blended fuel in mounted, the remaining amount of fuel vapor presumed to remain in a canister in accordance with a usual purge processing is presumed based on an alcohol concentration in the alcohol blended fuel. According to this remaining amount, the size of the tank side channel which is a channel in a canister near the connection section with a connection pathway (tank line) with a fuel tank is adjusted by a canister throttle control means, and/or, the timing of opening and closing of an intake valve is changed by a variable valve timing mechanism. Thereby, the desorption rate (the amount of desorption) of fuel vapor from adsorption material in a canister is adjusted, and the concentration of the fuel included in purge gas is adjusted.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 10, 2011
    Publication date: February 27, 2014
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takahiro Tsukagoshi, Kouji Morita, Kazuhisa Matsuda
  • Publication number: 20140058647
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for operating an engine in a hybrid vehicle in response to fuel and water dilution of engine lubricating oil. An engine oil dilution counter may be adjusted based on a number of engine hot starts and duration of engine operation above a threshold temperature. In addition, the counter may be adjusted if the engine is started to deplete stale fuel in the fuel tank.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 9, 2012
    Publication date: February 27, 2014
    Applicant: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Ted Haladyna, Douglas Raymond Martin, Paul Stephen Bryan
  • Patent number: 8655572
    Abstract: The disclosure provides a control device of a spark-ignition gasoline engine. When an operating state of an engine body is within a low engine speed range, a controller operates a fuel pressure variable mechanism so that a fuel pressure is higher within a high engine load range compared to a low engine load range, the controller operates, within the high engine load range, a fuel injection mechanism to perform at least a fuel injection into the cylinder by a cylinder internal injection valve at a timing during a retard period from a late stage of a compression stroke to an early stage of an expansion stroke, and the controller operates, within the high engine load range, an ignition plug to ignite at a timing during the retard period and after the fuel injection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2014
    Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Kouhei Iwai, Masahisa Yamakawa, Noriyuki Ota, Kazuhiro Nagatsu, Takashi Youso, Kazutoyo Watanabe, Hiroyuki Kurita, Naoya Watanabe, Takaaki Nagano, Shuji Oba
  • Publication number: 20140046574
    Abstract: An engine control unit with distributed processing includes a main ECU and remote modules with sensor inputs and ignition and injector outputs. A bidirectional asynchronous CAN data bus and a square wave timing signal operatively connect the components. Synchronous ignition and ignition data and asynchronous sensor and control data are concurrently transmitted between components using CAN messaging. Synchronicity is accomplished using the timing signal. The rising edge of each pulse triggers dwell and injection start times, and the falling edge triggers ignition. Injection and dwell time values, the cylinders to dwell and fire, and the injectors to energize, are transmitted using CAN messaging. The remote modules process the control messages and timing signal and generate the appropriate ignition, injector, and pulse width modulation control signals. Alternatively, time stamp capabilities of the CAN bus topology are used for synchronization.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 8, 2012
    Publication date: February 13, 2014
    Inventors: DARWIN SPENCER EISENBARTH, Michael Wittkopf, Jeffrey David Greene, Eitan Lavi
  • Patent number: 8645043
    Abstract: A control system for an engine includes a transient operation detection module, an injection determination module, and an injection control module. The transient operation detection module detects whether the engine is operating in a transient state. The injection determination module, based on an elapsed time since a fuel request and at least one of a plurality of engine operating parameters, at least one of (i) increases a number of fuel injections per combustion cycle to N, and (ii) adjusts periods for each of the fuel injections, wherein N is an integer greater than or equal to two. The injection control module controls fuel injection during the transient state based on at least one of (i) N fuel injections per combustion cycle and (ii) the adjusted periods.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2014
    Inventors: Jonathan T. Shibata, Joshua D. Cowgill, John Ogalla Waldman, Halim G. Santoso, J. Michael Ellenberger
  • Publication number: 20140032084
    Abstract: An internal combustion engine system is configured to operate using a first fuel of a first reactivity and a second fuel of a second reactivity. The engine system measures an operating parameter of the internal combustion system. The engine system further introduces to a combustion chamber of the engine system and combusts therein the first fuel and the second fuel during high temperature/speed (HTS) conditions. The engine system also introduces to the combustion chamber and combusts primarily only one of the first fuel or second fuel during a low temperature/speed (LTS) condition.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 27, 2012
    Publication date: January 30, 2014
    Applicant: CATERPILLAR INC.
    Inventors: Christopher R. Gehrke, George Donaldson
  • Publication number: 20140032083
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for adjusting cylinder valve timings to enable a group of cylinders to operate and combust while another group of cylinders on a second are selectively deactivated. Valve timing may be adjusted to allow flow of air through the inactive cylinders to be reduced, lowering catalyst regeneration requirements upon reactivation. The valve timing may alternatively be adjusted to enable exhaust gas to be recirculated to the active cylinders via the inactive cylinders, providing cooled EGR benefits.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 24, 2012
    Publication date: January 30, 2014
    Applicant: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: James Michael Kerns, Stephen B. Smith, Adam Nathan Banker, Michael James Uhrich
  • Publication number: 20140025279
    Abstract: A vehicle includes an engine in which an intake valve is provided in each of a plurality of cylinders and an ECU for controlling the engine. An intake valve provided for at least any one of the plurality of cylinders opens when an output shaft of the engine stops. The ECU changes an intake valve which opens when the output shaft of the engine stops, while the vehicle is running.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 13, 2011
    Publication date: January 23, 2014
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shigeo Okubo, Yasushi Ando, Daichi Yagi
  • Publication number: 20140025278
    Abstract: A stochastic pre-ignition (SPI) mitigation system includes a detection module, an engine load module, and an evaluation module. The detection module generates a pre-ignition determination signal indicating detection of a SPI event in a cylinder of an engine. The engine load module determines load on the engine and generates an engine load signal based on the load. The evaluation module determines whether to operate in a single-pulse mode or a multi-pulse mode and generating a mode signal to operate in a selected one of the single-pulse mode and the multi-pulse mode based on the pre-ignition determination signal and the engine load signal. The single pulse mode includes injecting a single pulse of fuel into the cylinder during a first per combustion cycle of the cylinder. The multi-pulse mode includes injecting multiple pulses of fuel into the cylinder during a second combustion cycle of the cylinder.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 19, 2012
    Publication date: January 23, 2014
    Applicant: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: J. Michael Gwidt, Karen Margaret-Bell Gwidt
  • Patent number: 8620563
    Abstract: A fuel supply apparatus for an internal combustion engine having a plurality of cylinders, which supplies fuel through fuel injection valves provided corresponding to the plurality of cylinders. An amount of fuel supplied to the engine is controlled by changing a fuel injection period of said fuel injection valve, and performing a fuel injection with a plurality of injection modes including a reference injection mode. A fuel injection amount parameter for controlling a valve opening period of the fuel injection valve in the reference injection mode, is calculated according to an operating condition of said engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2013
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kanta Tsuji, Yosuke Shima, Hideyuki Ichakawa
  • Publication number: 20130338906
    Abstract: A control apparatus for an internal combustion engine includes a cylinder internal pressure sensor, a fuel injection parameter calculator, a driving device, and a sensor output signal processing device. The sensor output signal processing device is configured to set a noise reduction period in accordance with an opening time and an opening start time of a fuel injection valve and is configured to reduce, during the noise reduction period, noise that is included in a cylinder internal pressure sensor output signal and that is caused by opening of the fuel injection valve.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 13, 2013
    Publication date: December 19, 2013
    Inventors: Shusuke AKAZAKI, Yuji YAMAMOTO, Satoshi FURUHASHI
  • Publication number: 20130332053
    Abstract: An engine control method for a vehicle includes: determining a crankshaft angle where a predetermined percentage of fuel injected into a cylinder was combusted during homogenous charge compression ignition (HCCI) operation of an engine; determining a valve closing timing adjustment for one of an intake valve and an exhaust valve of based on the crankshaft angle; generating a valve closing timing for the one of the intake valve and the exhaust valve of the cylinder based on the valve closing timing adjustment; and closing the one of the intake valve and the exhaust valve of the cylinder based on the valve closing timing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 6, 2012
    Publication date: December 12, 2013
    Applicant: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventor: Joel Cowgill
  • Publication number: 20130332052
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to a method for operating an internal combustion engine having a plurality of cylinders, the method comprising, during one working cycle, distributing fuel for each cylinder of the plurality of cylinders among a plurality of injection processes according to settable split factors which respectively define a setpoint fuel mass and/or injection duration and time setting of each respective injection process for the plurality of individual injection processes, wherein random variation is carried out for at least one injection process.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 23, 2013
    Publication date: December 12, 2013
    Applicant: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Georg Louven, Jens Wojahn, Klemens Grieser, Marco Marceno, Helmut Hans Ruhland, Thomas Lorenz, Moritz Klaus Springer
  • Patent number: 8596242
    Abstract: A fuel injection control apparatus of an internal combustion engine of the present invention performs control for a common rail diesel engine so that at a timing when a piston reaches compression top dead center, the rate of heat production due to the combustion of fuel injected in pre-injection is substantially maximal, and furthermore so that the combustion of fuel injected in main injection is started in the vicinity of this timing. As a result, the combustion of fuel injected in main injection is started by fully utilizing the heat production amount due to the pre-injection. Also, this avoids the production of reverse torque, as well as ensures maximizing the amount of torque produced by the combustion of fuel injected in main injection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2013
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Mitsuhiro Nada
  • Publication number: 20130317725
    Abstract: An engine control system for a vehicle includes an air control module and a valve control module. The air control module determines a desired mass of air per cylinder (APC) based on a torque request and selectively increases the desired APC in response to a command to deactivate N cylinders of an engine. The valve control module disables intake and exhaust valves of the N cylinders of the engine in response to the command, determines intake and exhaust valve timing based on the desired APC, and controls camless intake and exhaust valve actuators of M other cylinders based on the intake and exhaust valve timing, respectively. The engine includes Q cylinders, M and N are integers greater than zero, and M plus N equals Q.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 22, 2012
    Publication date: November 28, 2013
    Applicant: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventor: Daniel G. Brennan
  • Patent number: 8573166
    Abstract: An internal combustion engine which is provided with a variable compression ratio mechanism which can change a mechanical compression ratio and a variable valve timing mechanism which can control a closing timing of an intake valve. No-entry regions (X1, X2) are set for a combination of the mechanical compression ratio, the closing timing of the intake valve, and the intake air amount. Furthermore, a no-entry layer is set so as to surround the no-entry region (X2). When the demanded intake air amount is made to decrease and the operating point moves toward the no-entry region (X2), the operating point is prohibited from entering the no-entry layer whereby the operating point is blocked from entering the no-entry region (X2).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2013
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yukihiro Nakasaka, Yoshihiro Sakayanagi, Hiroyuki Tanaka