By Speed Variation Patents (Class 73/114.04)
  • Patent number: 11536215
    Abstract: A straddled vehicle engine unit including an internal combustion engine and a misfire detection device. The internal combustion engine has a crankshaft, and a crank angle signal output unit that periodically outputs a crank angle signal in accordance with rotation of the crankshaft. The internal combustion engine is configured to repeat at least two kinds of strokes on a cycle of every 720-degree rotation of the crankshaft. The misfire detection device includes a crankshaft rotation speed fluctuation physical quantity acquisition unit configured to acquire a physical quantity related to an amount of fluctuation in a rotation speed of the crankshaft in one kind of stroke, out of the at least two kinds of strokes, based on the crank angle signal from the crank angle signal output unit, and a misfire determination unit configured to perform a misfire determination in response to each acquisition of the crankshaft rotation speed fluctuation physical quantity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2022
    Assignees: YAMAHA HATSUDOKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA, DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Minoru Hotta, Yoshihiko Nonogaki, Kazuteru Iwamoto, Hisatoshi Kinoshita, Nobuyuki Kawashima
  • Patent number: 11459968
    Abstract: An engine misfire detection device is mounted on a hybrid electric vehicle that includes an internal combustion engine and a generator. The internal combustion engine has a plurality of cylinders and a crankshaft and is dedicated to power generation. The generator is connected to the crankshaft via a torsional damper. The engine misfire detection device includes a generator rotation angle sensor and a processor. The generator rotation angle sensor detects the rotation angle of the generator rotating shaft. The processor is configured to execute a misfire detection process. The misfire detection process includes a first misfire detection process of determining that the internal combustion engine has misfired when an amplitude correlation value that correlates with the magnitude of amplitude of rotation speed of the generator rotating shaft and is detected by the generator rotation angle sensor is greater than a determination threshold value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2022
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shintaro Hotta, Yuya Takahashi, Hiroki Iguma, Hideto Wakabayashi
  • Patent number: 11366041
    Abstract: An engine misfire detection device such that an engine misfire state can be accurately detected is obtained. The engine misfire detection device includes an engine rotational speed change amount detector that detects an engine rotational speed change amount, an engine rotational speed change amount threshold setter that sets a threshold with respect to the rotational speed change amount, and a misfire detector that compares the rotational speed change amount and the threshold, carries out a misfire determination on the engine when the rotational speed change amount exceeds the threshold, and carries out a misfire detection, wherein the misfire detector prohibits the misfire determination when a switching between a differentially locked state and an unlocked state is carried out.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2022
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Takashi Hozuki, Shuichi Wada, Takeshi Koda
  • Patent number: 11027616
    Abstract: A vehicle driving device including: a rotary electric machine that is a driving force source of a first wheel and a second wheel; a speed reduction device that reduces a speed of a rotation of the rotary electric machine; and a differential gear device that distributes to the first wheel and the second wheel, a driving force that is transmitted from the rotary electric machine via the speed reduction device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2021
    Assignee: AISIN AW CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Daiki Suyama, Hiroaki Sanji, Mitsuhiro Ichioka, Yuki Kawaguchi
  • Patent number: 10989627
    Abstract: To provide a controller for an internal combustion engine which can determine presence or absence of misfire with good accuracy, even when the rotational variation occurs due to factors other than misfire. A controller for an internal combustion engine calculates, as a reference detection period, the detection period detected within a reference angle interval including a top dead center; calculates a period deviation which is a deviation between the reference detection period and the each detection period; calculates a former period deviation integration value by integrating the period deviation in a former angle interval before the top dead center; calculates a later period deviation integration value by integrating the period deviation in a later angle interval after the top dead center; and determines presence or absence of misfire in the combustion stroke based on the former period deviation integration value and the later period deviation integration value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2021
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Tatsuo Fujimoto, Nobuyoshi Tomomatsu, Kenichiro Yonezawa, Kenichi Yamagata, Takuma Kusagaki
  • Patent number: 10794314
    Abstract: An unequal-interval combustion engine misfire-determination device determines whether a misfire has occurred in an unequal-interval combustion engine including a plurality of cylinders in which combustion occurs at unequal intervals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2020
    Assignees: DENSO CORPORATION, YAMAHA HATSUDOKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Minoru Hotta, Yoshihiko Nonogaki, Hisatoshi Kinoshita, Yo Aramaki, Kazuteru Iwamoto
  • Patent number: 10788397
    Abstract: A misfire determination device includes: a combustion fluctuation canceled value acquisition unit that acquires a first combustion fluctuation canceled value corresponding to a first angle position and a second combustion fluctuation canceled value corresponding to a second angle position; a combustion fluctuation manifested value calculation unit that calculates a first fluctuation manifested value by removing the first combustion fluctuation canceled value from a rotation speed at the first angle position, and calculates a second fluctuation manifested value by removing the second combustion fluctuation canceled value from a rotation speed at the second angle position; a first-order difference calculation unit that calculates a first-order difference between the first fluctuation manifested value and the second fluctuation manifested value; and a specific cylinder misfire determination unit that determines a misfire in a specific cylinder by using the first-order difference.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 29, 2020
    Assignees: DENSO CORPORATION, YAMAHA HATSUDOKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Minoru Hotta, Yoshihiko Nonogaki, Hisatoshi Kinoshita, Yo Aramaki, Kazuteru Iwamoto
  • Patent number: 10724461
    Abstract: To provide a controller and a control method for an internal combustion engine capable of detecting misfire with good accuracy by simple calculation, even when a vibration in a period of about several strokes occurs in the crankshaft. A controller and a control method for an internal combustion engine detects crank angle based on an output signal of the specific crank angle sensor 6, and calculates a crank angle speed, a crank angle acceleration, and a crank angle jerk which is a time change rate of the crank angle acceleration; calculates a fluctuation amount of the crank angle jerk in a determination period which is set corresponding to a one combustion stroke based on the crank angle jerk; and determines a presence/absence of misfire in the one combustion stroke based on the fluctuation amount of the crank angle jerk.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2020
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventor: Hideki Hagari
  • Patent number: 10663373
    Abstract: A misfire detecting device for an engine is provided, which includes a processor configured to execute a cylinder operation controlling module to switch an engine operation mode from an all-cylinder operation to a reduced-cylinder operation in which operation of one or some of cylinders are suspended, when an execution condition of the reduced-cylinder operation is satisfied, a misfire detecting module to detect a possibility of misfire occurrence based on an angular speed variation of the engine, and a centrifugal damping part configured to reduce vibration caused by the engine. When a possible misfire state is detected by the misfire detecting module during the reduced-cylinder operation, the cylinder operation controlling module executes an operating-cylinder increase control in which the number of operating cylinders is increased. When the possible misfire state is continuously detected after the operating-cylinder increase control, the misfire detecting module detects the engine misfire.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2020
    Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Shin Miura, Akio Saiki, Hiroshi Okubo, Kuninori Suzuki, Kenichi Ogasawara
  • Patent number: 10436132
    Abstract: An engine system includes: an engine including a plurality of cylinders; an EGR passage including EGR branch passages each configured to recirculate part of exhaust gas into an intake port of a corresponding one of the plurality of cylinders; an EGR valve configured to be capable of adjusting an EGR flow rate; and an ECU configured to control the EGR valve. When an engine rotation fluctuation amount in an EGR OFF state is less than a first determination value, and when the engine rotation fluctuation amount in an EGR ON state is greater than a second determination value, the ECU imposes an EGR restriction for restricting the EGR flow rate. When it is determined that the engine rotation fluctuation amount in the EGR ON state is greater than a third determination value less than the second determination value after the EGR restriction is imposed, the ECU continues the EGR restriction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2019
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Eiji Yamada, Keisuke Nagakura
  • Patent number: 10408151
    Abstract: A control device for a rotating element rotated by a four-stroke engine has a high degree of freedom in the choice of an apparatus to which the control device is applicable. The control device includes a rotation speed acquisition unit configured to obtain a rotation speed of the rotating element rotated by the four-stroke engine, and an undulation detection unit configured to, based on the rotation speed obtained by the rotation speed acquisition unit, detect a periodic undulation contained in a rotation fluctuation of the four-stroke engine, the periodic undulation having an angular period longer than a crank angle corresponding to four strokes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2019
    Assignees: DENSO CORPORATION, YAMAHA HATSUDOKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Minoru Hotta, Yoshihiko Nonogaki, Kazuteru Iwamoto, Makoto Wakimura, Naoki Nagata
  • Patent number: 10242511
    Abstract: A diagnostic tool configured to retrieve mode 6 cylinder misfire data from an engine controller using physical addressing of the engine controller. The mode 6 data is retrieved on a continuous and dynamic basis instead of a snapshot. The retrieved mode 6 data may be displayed on a GUI and may also contain other mode 6 data such as throttle position sensor, engine RPM and mass air flow.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2019
    Assignee: Bosch Automotive Service Solutions Inc.
    Inventors: Todd Hanson, Michael O'Brien, Dan Brase
  • Patent number: 10029692
    Abstract: A vehicle drive system includes an internal combustion engine, a clutch, an engine rotation speed detector, an output shaft rotation speed detector, and a processor. The internal combustion engine includes cylinders and a crankshaft. The clutch is connected to the crankshaft via a torsion element and includes an output shaft. The engine rotation speed detector detects a crankshaft rotation speed. The output shaft rotation speed detector detects an output shaft rotation speed. The processor is configured to calculate a torque generated in each of the cylinders based on the crankshaft rotation speed. The processor is configured to decrease transmission torque of the clutch so that a difference between the crankshaft rotation speed and the output shaft rotation speed to be a target value when misfiring occurs. The processor is configured to identify a misfiring cylinder among the cylinders based on the torque calculated while the transmission torque is decreased.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2018
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yasushi Nakoji, Takaaki Kuwabara, Takashi Hoshi
  • Patent number: 9857273
    Abstract: A misfire detecting apparatus is provided wherein a misfire is detected based on a rotational speed parameter indicative of a rotational speed of an internal combustion engine. An average change amount of the rotational speed parameter in a first predetermined period and an inertia speed changing component which is generated with rotation of the engine are calculated, and a first corrected rotational speed parameter is calculated by correcting the rotational speed parameter according to the average change amount and the inertia speed changing component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Tomoharu Hozumi, Masaaki Nagashima, Kiyonari Matsuda
  • Patent number: 9618423
    Abstract: A system for the misfire diagnosis includes an angular velocity sensor acquiring an angular velocity of an engine and an acceleration sensor acquiring an acceleration according to vertical vibration of a vehicle. A diagnosis unit is configured to compare the acceleration with an acceleration threshold to determine whether the vehicle is driven on a rough road and to diagnose whether misfire occurs. A threshold setting unit is configured to acquire misfire diagnosis results in a first test environment in which the vehicle is driven on the rough road without forcible misfire and in a second test environment in which the vehicle is driven on the rough road while the forcible misfire occurs. The threshold setting unit is further configured to calculate a misfire misdiagnosis rate and to update the acceleration threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2017
    Assignee: HYUNDAI MOTOR COMPANY
    Inventor: Kyeong Il Choi
  • Patent number: 9562470
    Abstract: Methods and systems are described for detecting valve actuation faults in internal combustion engines operating in a skip fire operational mode. In one aspect, a torque model is used to estimate an expected net torque during a selected operating window. The torque model considers an expected torque contribution from each of the cylinders and accounts for the effects of specific skip fire firing decisions that affect the expected torque contribution from each cylinder. A parameter indicative of the actual engine torque is also measured. Valve actuation faults can then be identified based at least in part on a comparison of the measured parameter to an expected parameter value that is based at least in part on the expected net torque. With the described approaches, the occurrence of the valve actuation fault can be made within one engine cycle of the initial occurrence of the fault.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2017
    Assignee: Tula Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Matthew A. Younkins, Shikui Kevin Chen, Li-Chun Chien, Masaki Nagashima, John W. Parsels, Geoff Routledge
  • Patent number: 9447745
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for an engine including a crankcase. A condition of the engine may be diagnosed based on frequency content of crankcase pressure. Different types of degradation may be distinguished based on a frequency content of multiple frequencies of the crankcase pressure. Thus, a degraded engine component may be identified in a manner that reduces service induced delay.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2016
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Bret Dwayne Worden, Matthew Malone, Milan Karunaratne, Paul Lloyd Flynn
  • Patent number: 9432370
    Abstract: A method for transmitting a sequence of data blocks to be transmitted includes: one first piece of authentication data and one second piece of authentication data different from the first are formed relative to a selected data block; the selected data block, the first piece of authentication data and the second piece of authentication data are transmitted to a receiver; and the receiver checks (i) a validity of the received data block with the aid of the received first piece of authentication data and (ii) a validity of the received first piece of authentication data with the aid of the received second piece of authentication data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2016
    Assignee: ROBERT BOSCH GMBH
    Inventors: Matthew Lewis, Benjamin Glas
  • Patent number: 9242646
    Abstract: A system and method for controlling a fraction motor in a hybrid vehicle includes varying a traction motor torque in response to an engine cylinder misfire. The traction motor torque is varied to compensate for an engine torque shortfall due to the engine cylinder misfire, reducing a torque imbalance caused by the misfire.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2016
    Assignee: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Wei Liang, Xiaoyong Wang, Rajit Johri, Mark Steven Yamazaki, Ryan Abraham McGee, Ming Lang Kuang
  • Patent number: 9206750
    Abstract: When an idle speed control is implemented, an engine speed is computed based on an output signal of a crank angle sensor at a specified processing angle interval, and a time interval corresponding to the specified processing angle interval is computed. Then, the engine speed is filtered at a specified processing time interval, and a feedback amount (throttle opening correction amount) is computed based on a deviation of an engine speed filtered by a filter portion from a target engine speed. A time constant of a filtering processing is established according to the processing angle interval. Therefore, a filtering processing and a feedback control processing are performed in synchronization with each other, and an instability of an output of the feedback control (feedback amount) can be reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2015
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takashi Kagoshima, Tokutada Takahashi
  • Patent number: 9038445
    Abstract: According to a method and an apparatus of the present invention for diagnosing a fault of an engine, a cranking rotation state is created by rotating a crank shaft while explosions in each cylinder are stopped; a variation of angular velocity of the crank shaft is detected for each cylinder in the cranking rotation state; a cylinder the compression pressure of which is insufficient is detected based on the variation; and if a cylinder indicated as a misfiring cylinder by a fault code is the same as the cylinder detected as being insufficient in compression pressure in the cranking rotation state, the cylinder is specified.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2015
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Ito, Takayuki Abe, Tetsuya Ohno, Mahito Shikama
  • Patent number: 8813544
    Abstract: A misfire detecting portion executes a misfire detection control that involves evaluating the presence or absence of a misfire in an engine on the basis of an angular speed computed by an angular speed computing portion, and outputting an alert signal to provide notification about a misfire when a misfire is present. A learning portion conducts learning of an operational parameter on the basis of a detection value of a sensor when an engine rotation speed is within a predetermined first range that is larger than a predetermined idling rotation speed. A learning completion evaluating portion evaluates whether learning by the learning portion is completed. A misfire detecting portion conducts misfire detection control under the condition that the learning is completed. The misfire detecting portion does not conduct misfire detection control when the learning is not completed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2014
    Assignee: Yamaha Hatsudoki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Tomokatsu Terada
  • Patent number: 8718865
    Abstract: An abnormality diagnosis apparatus for an internal combustion engine in which a phase of a first valve provided to a first cylinder is modified within a range extending from a first phase to a second phase and a phase of a second valve provided to a second cylinder is modified within the range includes: a rotation variation amount detection unit that detects a rotation variation amount of an output shaft of the internal combustion engine; and a diagnosis unit that adjusts the phase of the first valve and the phase of the second valve to the first phase, and diagnoses the presence of an abnormality on the basis of the detected rotation variation amount of the output shaft of the internal combustion engine in a state where the phase of the first valve and the phase of the second valve are at the first phase.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2014
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Keisuke Nagakura
  • Patent number: 8700247
    Abstract: A hybrid powertrain includes an engine, an electric machine, and a transmission. A method to control the powertrain includes monitoring operation of the powertrain, determining whether conditions necessary for growl to occur excluding motor torque and engine torque are present, and if the conditions are present controlling the powertrain based upon avoiding a powertrain operating region wherein the growl is enabled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 15, 2014
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Jeremy Wise, Chihang Lin, Anthony H. Heap
  • Patent number: 8667937
    Abstract: A first target wheel has an opening and rotates about an axis of rotation to move the opening along a generally circular path. A second target wheel adjacent the first target wheel has a second projection projecting into the opening of the first target wheel with the second projection being movable along the generally circular path. A single sensor is positioned adjacent the generally circular path and senses movement of the opening and the second projection past the sensor. An electronic controller may be used to process signals from the sensor to determine the relative angular difference between the first target wheel and the second target wheel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 11, 2014
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventor: Christopher Gallmeyer
  • Patent number: 8612087
    Abstract: A method is provided for the detection of a component malfunction along the life of an Internal Combustion Engine. The engine, having at least a cylinder and being controlled by an Electronic Control Unit (ECU), the method includes, but is not limited to defining a pre-determined component malfunction classifier at the start of engine life and setting the classifier as active classifier, defining a validity condition for said active classifier, acquiring in real time a set of relevant signals relating to the operation of the component, feeding the signals to said active classifier in order to determine the occurrence or not of a malfunction of the component, and in case the validity condition of said actual classifier is not satisfied, defining a new classifier using the most recent relevant signals recorded by the ECU, and substituting the actual classifier with the new classifier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2013
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventor: Marco Girotto
  • Patent number: 8601862
    Abstract: A system according to the principles of the present disclosure includes a threshold determination module and a misfire detection module. The threshold determination module determines at least one of an acceleration threshold and a jerk threshold based on a misfire type. The misfire detection module detects a misfire in a cylinder of an engine when: (i) crankshaft acceleration is less than the acceleration threshold; and/or (ii) crankshaft jerk is less than the jerk threshold. Crankshaft jerk is a derivative of crankshaft acceleration with respect to time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2013
    Inventors: John V. Bowman, David S. Mathews
  • Publication number: 20130312503
    Abstract: A misfire detecting portion executes a misfire detection control that involves evaluating the presence or absence of a misfire in an engine on the basis of an angular speed computed by an angular speed computing portion, and outputting an alert signal to provide notification about a misfire when a misfire is present. A learning portion conducts learning of an operational parameter on the basis of a detection value of a sensor when an engine rotation speed is within a predetermined first range that is larger than a predetermined idling rotation speed. A learning completion evaluating portion evaluates whether learning by the learning portion is completed. A misfire detecting portion conducts misfire detection control under the condition that the learning is completed. The misfire detecting portion does not conduct misfire detection control when the learning is not completed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 17, 2013
    Publication date: November 28, 2013
    Applicant: YAMAHA HATSUDOKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Tomokatsu TERADA
  • Publication number: 20130096805
    Abstract: A combustion diagnosis device for a diesel engine having a plurality of cylinders, including an engine speed sensor for detecting a rotational speed of each cylinder, an injection correction amount calculation unit for calculating an amount of correction for fuel injection of each cylinder in accordance with the engine speed sensor, a rotational fluctuation calculation unit for calculating a rotational fluctuation of each cylinder in accordance with the engine speed sensor, and a combustion state determination unit for determining a combustion state of a determination-target cylinder in accordance with the rotational fluctuation when the correction amount calculated by the injection correction amount calculation unit reaches an upper limit threshold value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 10, 2011
    Publication date: April 18, 2013
    Applicant: ISUZU MOTORS LIMITED
    Inventors: Makoto Hoshi, Akira Hanari, Keiichirou Misumi
  • Patent number: 8281650
    Abstract: When a rotation fluctuation amount of an engine exceeds a predetermined threshold, it is determined that there is a possibility that a misfire has occurred. Then, when a rotation fluctuation pattern of the engine coincides with a first rotation fluctuation pattern, it is determined that a misfire has occurred; whereas, when the rotation fluctuation pattern does not coincide with the first rotation fluctuation pattern, it is determined whether the rotation fluctuation pattern coincides with a specific rotation fluctuation pattern in consideration of a lock-up state of a lock-up clutch or whether an engine rotational speed is lower than a threshold. When the determination is affirmative, occurrence of a misfire is determined on the basis of whether the rotation fluctuation pattern of the engine coincides with a second misfire determination pattern that is defined to be smaller in variation of a rotation fluctuation amount than the first rotation fluctuation pattern.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2012
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kiyotaka Kushihama, Yohei Moriyama
  • Patent number: 8256278
    Abstract: A method of detecting a misfire of an engine includes determining a range of sub-harmonic frequencies of one of a crankshaft sensor signal and an engine speed signal. The range of sub-harmonic frequencies is determined based on a fundamental frequency. The sub-harmonic frequencies are less than the fundamental frequency. Frequency content magnitudes are generated based on the range of the sub-harmonic frequencies and a Discrete Fourier Transform of at least one of the crankshaft sensor signal and an engine speed signal. An energy from velocity non-uniformity (EVN) signal is generated based on the frequency content magnitudes and the range of the sub-harmonic frequencies. The misfire is detected based on the EVN signal and a misfire threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2012
    Inventors: Byungho Lee, Hoon Lee, Jeffrey A. Morgan
  • Patent number: 8176896
    Abstract: A control module for a vehicle includes a time recording module that stores timestamps that correspond to each of N teeth of a target wheel of the vehicle in memory. N is an integer. A position module generates M angular positions based on the timestamps. M is an integer greater than one. Each of the M angular positions corresponds to a space between adjacent ones of the N teeth. A position estimator determines position of the target wheel based on the M positions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2012
    Inventors: Julian R. Verdejo, Nicholas John Kalweit, David S. Mathews, Michael R. Grimes
  • Patent number: 8166951
    Abstract: An engine includes an angular velocity detecting means 10 for detecting a rotation angular velocity of a crankshaft 11 of the engine, a torque generated by the engine detecting means for detecting a variability of the angular velocity amplitude obtained by the angular velocity detecting means 10 as the variability of the torque generated by the engine. The engine compensates a fuel injection quantity by comparing the angular velocity amplitude detected by the angular velocity detecting means with the adequate angular velocity amplitude.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2012
    Assignee: Yanmar Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takeshi Takahashi, Tooru Yoshizuka, Yukihiro Shinohara, Keiji Ooshima, Toshiro Itatsu
  • Patent number: 8121775
    Abstract: A misfire detecting device is provided for a water jet propulsion watercraft in which a propulsion unit operates through an operation of an engine to propel the water jet propulsion watercraft. The misfire detecting device includes injectors arranged to inject fuel into the engine under a fuel injection amount adjusting control implemented by an electric control device, ignition plugs arranged to ignite the fuel injected into the engine from the injectors to operate the engine, an oxygen sensor arranged to detect that a misfire occurs in the engine, a warning lamp and buzzer arranged to inform that the misfire occurs, etc. The misfire detecting device prevents the warning lamp and the buzzer from informing the warning if the misfire is caused through the control by the electric control device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2012
    Assignee: Yamaha Hatsudoki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kenichi Fujino, Shigeyuki Ozawa
  • Patent number: 8091410
    Abstract: A misfire detection system monitors engine speed fluctuations in the engine rotation frequency domain and identifies misfire when a phase angle locks onto a stable value rather than fluctuating randomly. After misfire detection, the system also performs cylinder or cylinder pair identification using predefined phase angle regions, where the identification process incorporate knowledge of what phase angle region a locked phase angle falls within.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2012
    Assignee: Delphi Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Gerard W. Malaczynski
  • Patent number: 8060275
    Abstract: An on-board diagnostic system of a vehicle comprises disabling diagnostic operation, such as a misfire monitor, based on road roughness. In one example, the disabling of the diagnostic operation is based on brake actuation and degradation of an anti-lock braking system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2011
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Jahan Asgari, Timothy Feldkamp, Craig Stephens, Moses Fridman, Davor Hrovat, Arthur Varady, Mitch McConnell
  • Publication number: 20110265560
    Abstract: A method of detecting a misfire of an engine includes determining a range of sub-harmonic frequencies of one of a crankshaft sensor signal and an engine speed signal. The range of sub-harmonic frequencies is determined based on a fundamental frequency. The sub-harmonic frequencies are less than the fundamental frequency. Frequency content magnitudes are generated based on the range of the sub-harmonic frequencies and a Discrete Fourier Transform of at least one of the crankshaft sensor signal and an engine speed signal. An energy from velocity non-uniformity (EVN) signal is generated based on the frequency content magnitudes and the range of the sub-harmonic frequencies. The misfire is detected based on the EVN signal and a misfire threshold.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 29, 2010
    Publication date: November 3, 2011
    Applicant: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS, INC.
    Inventors: Byungho Lee, Hoon Lee, Jeffrey A. Morgan
  • Patent number: 8041502
    Abstract: The engine misfire detection process according to one aspect of the invention first makes tentative detection on the occurrence or the non-occurrence of an engine misfire in execution of both vibration control and rotation speed control. In response to the tentative detection of an engine misfire, the engine misfire detection process subsequently makes final detection on the occurrence or the non-occurrence of an engine misfire. In the event of no final detection of an engine misfire, the engine misfire detection process makes tentative detection and final detection on the occurrence or the non-occurrence of an engine misfire in prohibition of the vibration control. In the event of still no final detection of an engine misfire, the engine misfire detection process makes tentative detection and final detection on the occurrence or the non-occurrence of an engine misfire in further prohibition of the rotation speed control.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2011
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hikokazu Akimoto
  • Patent number: 8028568
    Abstract: A method for determining the angular speed of a drive shaft of an internal combustion engine at each tooth event of a phonic wheel presenting a number N of teeth includes detecting the angular amplitude for each tooth; detecting the time of each tooth; and determining the raw angular speed of each tooth according to the corresponding angular amplitude and time. For each tooth a compensation value is determined which represents the difference between the actual angular amplitude of the tooth and the theoretic angular amplitude of the tooth; and determining the angular speed of each tooth by correcting the raw angular speed based on the corresponding compensation value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2011
    Assignee: Magneti Marelli Powertrain S.p.A.
    Inventors: Gabriele Serra, Savino L Lupo
  • Patent number: 8001832
    Abstract: A damper post-stage rotation speed in a post-stage of a damper calculated from motor rotation speeds and an engine rotation speed are used to calculate a resonance influence component, and the resonance influence component is subtracted from the engine rotation speed to calculate a determination rotation speed. Then, the determination rotation speed is used to determine a misfire of an engine. This allows determination of the misfire of the engine with higher accuracy even if resonance caused by torsion of the damper occurs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2011
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Takashi Suzuki
  • Patent number: 7958778
    Abstract: A misfiring cylinder identifying apparatus for a multiple cylinder internal combustion engine is provided with a determining portion that determines whether a plurality of cylinders is misfiring, and an identifying portion that identifies two cylinders among the plurality of cylinders in the order of the revolution speed fluctuation from largest as the misfiring cylinders when it is determined that the plurality of cylinders is misfiring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2011
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Akihiro Katayama
  • Patent number: 7937992
    Abstract: The engine misfire detection process of the invention sets a first threshold value and second threshold values to be referred to for detection of an engine misfire and detects an engine misfire based on the settings of the first threshold value and the second threshold values and 360-degree differences. The engine misfire detection process of the invention detects the occurrence of an engine misfire at each gear position of the transmission by taking into account the varying effects of the operating conditions of a motor the transmission, and a planetary gear mechanism on the crankshaft of the engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2011
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hikokazu Akimoto, Takahiro Nishigaki
  • Patent number: 7874203
    Abstract: In a misfire detection apparatus and method that detects a misfire in an internal combustion engine with cylinders provided in a vehicle, it is determined that a misfire occurs in the engine, if a first condition and a second condition are satisfied; the first condition is a condition that a rotational speed of an output shaft of the engine decreases by an amount equal to or larger than a first change amount during a time period from a compression top dead center in a first cylinder to the compression top dead center in a second cylinder; and the second condition is a condition that the rotational speed of the output shaft increases by an amount equal to or larger than a second change amount during a time period from the compression top dead center in the second cylinder to the compression top dead center in a third cylinder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2011
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Takashi Suzuki
  • Patent number: 7849733
    Abstract: When an operating state constituted of a rotation speed Ne and torque Te of an engine belongs in a resonance region in a post-stage including a damper connected to a crankshaft of the engine, a subtraction sine wave for removing an influence by resonance is calculated, and misfire is judged depending on whether or not a variation amount ?F of a rotation speed F after processing, obtained by subtracting the calculated subtraction sine wave from a variation in 30-degree rotation speed N30 which is a rotation speed every time the crankshaft rotates by 30 degrees, is less than a threshold value Fref. Thereby, even when the operating state belongs in the resonance region, misfire can be judged more reliably and more accurately.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2010
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Takashi Suzuki
  • Patent number: 7831376
    Abstract: An internal combustion engine has a plurality of cylinders and an exhaust tract into which a mixture which is situated in the respective cylinder is introduced in the respective discharge strokes. A combustion misfire rate is determined as a function of at least one operating variable of the internal combustion engine. A temperature in the exhaust tract is determined as a function of the combustion misfire rate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2010
    Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbH
    Inventors: Erhard Binder, Christian Schweigert
  • Publication number: 20100218598
    Abstract: When an operating state constituted of a rotation speed Ne and torque Te of an engine belongs in a resonance region in a post-stage including a damper connected to a crankshaft of the engine, a subtraction sine wave for removing an influence by resonance is calculated, and misfire is judged depending on whether or not a variation amount ?F of a rotation speed F after processing, obtained by subtracting the calculated subtraction sine wave from a variation in 30-degree rotation speed N30 which is a rotation speed every time the crankshaft rotates by 30 degrees, is less than a threshold value Fref. Thereby, even when the operating state belongs in the resonance region, misfire can be judged more reliably and more accurately.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 14, 2006
    Publication date: September 2, 2010
    Applicant: Toytota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Takashi Suzuki
  • Patent number: 7765857
    Abstract: An influence component N30m of every 30 degrees in a 30 degree rotation speed N30 base as time required for 30 degree rotation of a crankshaft is calculated by using a frequency characteristic of an influence given to a rotation fluctuation of a crankshaft by output torque output from a motor, which is calculated by using a mechanical model and an amplitude P and a phase q at a time of vibration control by the motor, a determination duration T30j is calculated by subtracting an influence component T30m as an inverse number of this from 30 degree duration T30, and misfire of an engine is determined by comparing the calculated determination duration T30j with a threshold value Tref. Thereby, misfire of the engine outputting power to a post-stage via a damper can be determined more reliably and accurately.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2010
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Takashi Suzuki
  • Patent number: 7712356
    Abstract: An internal-combustion-engine misfire determination system includes: detection sections that detects the rotational speeds of the output shaft and the downstream shaft; a rigidity estimation section that performs a rigidity estimation process in which frequency components caused by a resonance due to torsion of the torsion element are extracted from the rotational speeds, and the rigidity of the torsion element is estimated based on a value obtained by comparing amplitudes of both of the extracted frequency components and on the detected output shaft rotational speed; a resonance influence component calculation section that calculates a resonance influence component caused by an influence of the resonance on the output shaft rotational speed; and a misfire determination section that determines the occurrence of the misfire in the internal combustion engine based on a rotational speed for determination that is obtained by subtracting the calculated resonance influence component from the output shaft rotational
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2010
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Takashi Suzuki
  • Patent number: 7707874
    Abstract: A misfire determination device for a multi-cylinder internal combustion engine, of which an output shaft is connected, through a torsion element, to a downstream shaft downstream of the torsion element, includes: an first portion for detecting an output shaft rotational speed that is the rotational speed of the output shaft; a second portion for detecting a downstream shaft rotational speed that is the rotational speed of the downstream shaft; a third portion that calculates a component caused by an influence of resonance due to torsion of the torsion element on the output shaft rotational speed, based on the acquired output shaft rotational speed and the acquired downstream shaft rotational speed; and a fourth portion for determining the occurrence of the misfire in the internal combustion engine based on a rotational speed that is obtained by subtracting the calculated component from the detected output shaft rotational speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 4, 2010
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Takashi Suzuki
  • Publication number: 20100071448
    Abstract: At a Lo gear position of a transmission, the engine misfire detection process of the invention sets a first threshold value A1 and second threshold values to be referred to for detection of an engine misfire (steps S220 and S280) and detects an engine misfire based on the settings of the first threshold value A1 and the second threshold values and 360-degree differences ?360 computed from 30-degree rotation times T30 given as a time required for rotation of a crankshaft by every 30 degrees (steps S230 and S290). At a Hi gear position of the transmission, the engine misfire detection process of the invention sets a first threshold value A2, which is to be smaller than the first threshold value A1, and second threshold values (step S330 and S390) and detects an engine misfire based on the settings of the first threshold value A2 and the second threshold values and the 360-degree differences ?360 (step S340 and S400).
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 24, 2006
    Publication date: March 25, 2010
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hikokazu Akimoto, Takahiro Nishigaki