Internal-combustion engines – Engine speed regulator – Having condition responsive means with engine being part of...
Reexamination Certificate
2000-05-22
2003-12-30
Dolinar, Andrew M. (Department: 3747)
Internal-combustion engines
Engine speed regulator
Having condition responsive means with engine being part of...
C123S396000, C123S690000, C123S479000, C701S114000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06668795
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION AND RELATED ART STATEMENT
The present invention relates to an engine controller for controlling an engine operation actuator (for example, a throttle, a fuel injector or the like) to generate an output torque and power in consideration of an actual engine condition (for example, an output torque, an output power (estimated from output torque and engine rotational speed), an intake air mass flow rate, an opening degree of throttle or the like).
JP-A-10-212989 discloses an engine controller in which an operation degree of an engine operation actuator is adjusted in accordance with an actual engine condition and a circumferential condition of the engine.
JP-A-10-238394 discloses how to detect a trouble of throttle.
OBJECT AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus (for example, engine) controller with a feed-back control system, in which controller an output of the apparatus is safely controllable when a trouble of an element used for the controller occurs.
In an engine controller for controlling an engine condition adjusting device in an engine in consideration of an actual engine condition measured by an engine condition measuring sensor, comprising, an interface device for generating an input signal corresponding to a desired engine condition, and an instruction signal generator for determining an instruction signal to be input to the engine condition adjusting device for controlling an operation degree of the engine condition adjusting device on the basis of a comparison between the input signal and an actual engine condition signal corresponding to the actual engine condition so that a difference between the desired engine condition and the measured actual engine condition is decreased,
since the instruction signal for controlling the engine condition adjusting device is determined on the basis of the comparison between the input signal and the actual engine condition signal when normalities of the interface device, the engine condition changing device and the engine condition measuring sensor are detected, and is determined on the basis of the input signal while preventing the instruction signal from being determined on the basis of the comparison between the input signal and the actual engine condition signal when an abnormality of at least one of the interface device, the engine condition changing device and the engine condition measuring sensor is detected, a degree of an excessive or uncontrollable engine operation or output caused by the troubled at least one of the interface device, the engine condition changing device and the engine condition measuring sensor is kept small, or an undesirable or uncontrollable engine operation or output is prevented from being enlarged by a multiplicative trouble effect among the interface device, the engine condition changing device and the engine condition measuring sensor by returning to a simple control based on the input signal without the comparison between the input signal and the actual engine condition signal.
The interface device may generate the input signal corresponding to a desired engine output power ordered from an accelerator outside of the engine controller. The instruction signal for controlling the engine condition adjusting device may be determined on the basis of the comparison between the input signal generated by the interface device and the actual engine condition signal when the normalities of the interface device, the engine condition changing device and the engine condition measuring sensor are detected, and is determined on the basis of the input signal corresponding to the desired engine output power ordered from the accelerator while preventing the instruction signal from being determined on the basis of the comparison between the input signal generated by the interface device and the actual engine condition signal when the abnormality of the at least one of the interface device, the engine condition changing device and the engine condition measuring sensor is detected.
The interface device may generate the input signal corresponding to a desired engine output power, a desired engine output torque, a desired injection rate of a fuel to be injected into the engine or a desired mass flow rate of an intake air to be taken into the engine, as the desired engine condition. The input signal corresponding to the desired mass flow rate of the intake air to be taken into the engine may be modified in accordance with a desired air-fuel ratio.
The instruction signal generator may determine the instruction signal for controlling an opening degree of an electrically controlled throttle as the engine condition adjusting device. The instruction signal may be modified in accordance with a desired air-fuel ratio. The instruction signal generator determines the instruction signal for controlling an injection rate of a fuel to be injected into the engine.
The actual engine condition signal may correspond to an actual mass flow rate of an intake air to be taken into the engine, an actual engine output torque or an actual engine output power (which may be estimated from output torque and engine rotational speed). The actual fuel injection rate may be estimated from the actual engine output torque or the actual engine output power per engine rotation. The actual mass flow rate of the intake air to be taken into the engine corresponds to the actual engine output power when the air-fuel ratio is kept at a certain degree, so that the actual engine output power is estimated from the actual mass flow rate of the intake air. The desired injection rate of the fuel to be injected into the engine corresponds to the desired engine output power or torque. The desired injection rate of the fuel per engine combustion cycle or engine output rotational speed corresponds to the desired engine output power per engine combustion cycle or engine output rotational speed, or the desired engine output torque.
The instruction signal for controlling the engine condition adjusting device may be determined on the basis of the comparison between the input signal corresponding to the desired engine output torque and the actual engine condition signal corresponding to the actual engine output torque when a normality of a torque sensor of the engine condition measuring sensor is detected, and be determined on the basis of the input signal corresponding to the desired engine output power (ordered by, for example, an accelerator outside of the controller) while preventing the instruction signal from being determined on the basis of the comparison between the input signal corresponding to the desired engine output torque and the actual engine condition signal corresponding to the actual engine output torque when the abnormality of the engine condition measuring sensor for measuring the actual engine output torque is detected.
The interface device may generate the input signal corresponding to the desired engine output power or torque on the basis of an engine output rotational speed and an instructed engine output power instructed from an accelerator outside of the engine controller.
When at least of the engine condition changing device and the engine condition measuring sensor includes a communication path through which an information is transmitted with respect to the engine controller, the abnormality of the at least one of the engine condition changing device and the engine condition measuring sensor may be the abnormality of the communication path. When a throttle of the engine condition changing device for controlling the mass flow rate of the intake air to be taken into the engine includes at least one sensor for generating an output signal corresponding to an opening degree of the throttle, the abnormality of the engine condition changing device may be an abnormality of the sensor. When the interface device generates the input signal in accordance with an output signal of at least one sensor outside of the engine controller for measuring an operated degree of an accelerator
Crowell & Moring LLP
Dolinar Andrew M.
Hitachi , Ltd.
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