Internal-combustion engines – Engine speed regulator – Having condition responsive means with engine being part of...
Reexamination Certificate
2000-05-25
2001-12-25
Argenbright, Tony M. (Department: 3747)
Internal-combustion engines
Engine speed regulator
Having condition responsive means with engine being part of...
C123S361000, C701S110000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06332450
ABSTRACT:
INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE
The disclosure of Japanese Patent Application No. 11-159396 filed on Jun. 7, 1999 including the specification, drawings and abstract is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a throttle control apparatus of an internal combustion engine which operates to control a throttle valve so that the throttle opening amount matches a target throttle opening amount that depends upon an accelerator operated amount (i.e., an amount of depression of an accelerator pedal), and also relates to a throttle control method.
2. Description of Related Art
A known throttle control apparatus, as disclosed in Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 9-42032, operates to appropriately control the throttle opening amount depending upon operating conditions of the engine as well as a driver's demand, by electronically controlling the throttle valve of the engine mounted in an automobile, or the like. In the throttle control apparatus, the output torque of the engine is controlled in response to a driver's demand in the following manner.
A target throttle opening amount is calculated based on an accelerator operated amount, i.e., an amount of depression of the accelerator pedal, and the opening amount of the throttle valve (throttle opening amount) is controlled to be substantially equal to the target throttle opening amount by means of an electric motor, or the like.
Under the above-described throttle opening amount control, the throttle opening amount increases or decreases with increases or decreases in the accelerator operated amount when the driver accelerates or decelerates the automobile, and therefore good driveability can be obtained without any problem. When the driver attempts to start more stable running of the vehicle in a steady-state operating mode upon completion of the acceleration or deceleration, however, the running conditions are not immediately stabilized, and the accelerator needs to be frequently operated in a repeated manner, with a result of deteriorated driveability.
Immediately after the accelerator operated amount undergoes a great change for acceleration or deceleration, for example, the throttle opening amount largely changes toward a target throttle opening amount that is set depending upon the accelerator operated amount, and the engine itself is also in the middle of transition from one operating state to another. It is therefore difficult to operate the accelerator pedal to such an accelerator pedal position that corresponds to a desired output torque so that the output torque is controlled to the desired level. Accordingly, the driver must frequently or repeatedly operate the accelerator pedal after the accelerating or decelerating operation, and thus sufficiently good driveability cannot be attained.
In the device disclosed in Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 9-42032, when variations in the accelerator operated amount (the amount of depression of the accelerator pedal by the driver) are reduced, the control gain of the throttle opening amount is reduced based on the assumption that the automobile has been brought into a steady-state running mode, to thereby realize stable steady-state running of the automobile. However, the variations in the accelerator operated amount are reduced only after the running conditions of the automobile are sufficiently stabilized. In other words, the accelerator operated amount is still varied by a large degree during the transition from an accelerating/decelerating mode to the steady-state running mode. Thus, the throttle opening amount control cannot be started until after the accelerator operated amount is stabilized, and therefore the driveability cannot be improved.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a throttle control apparatus of an internal combustion engine which eliminates the need for the driver to frequently operate the accelerator pedal before the vehicle attains a steady-state running mode, and to thereby improve the driveability of the vehicle.
To accomplish the above and/or other objects, a throttle control apparatus of an internal combustion engine according to a first aspect of the invention includes a control system that controls a throttle valve so that an output torque of the engine matches a steady-state required torque calculated for realizing a steady-state operating state, when an accelerator is operated so as to bring the engine into a steady-state operating mode.
When the operation performed on the engine is intended to bring the engine into a steady-state operating mode, the throttle opening amount is controlled so as to provide a steady-state required torque calculated for realizing a steady-state operating state, instead of being controlled depending upon the accelerator operated amount (i.e., the amount of depression of the accelerator pedal).
Thus, when the engine is operated so as to proceed to a steady-state operating mode, the throttle opening amount does not directly depend upon accelerator operations or manipulation, but is controlled so as to provide the steady-state required output torque. Even when the accelerator pedal is operated so as to bring the engine into a steady-state operating mode, the throttle opening amount no longer directly depends upon the accelerator operation if it is judged as being directed to the steady-state operating mode, and the throttle opening amount is controlled to the steady-state required torque. This prevents the throttle opening amount from rapidly changing in accordance with the accelerator operated amount.
Accordingly, the operating state of the engine immediately proceeds or switches over to a desired steady-state operating mode, and the driver does not need to repeatedly operate the accelerator since the accelerator operation is not used at that time to control the throttle opening amount. This leads to enhanced driveability.
The control system according to the first aspect of the invention may operate to control the throttle valve so that the output torque of the engine matches the steady-state required torque calculated for realizing a steady-state operating state as long as the engine continues to operate in a steady-state operating mode after the operation performed on the engine is judged as being intended to bring the engine into a steady-state running mode.
According to a second aspect of the invention, a throttle control apparatus of an internal combustion engine is provided which includes a throttle controller. The controller detects running conditions of a drive mechanism that is driven by the engine, and calculates a steady-state required torque based on the detected running conditions of the driven mechanism, the steady-state required torque being a torque that is required for bringing the driven mechanism into a steady-state running mode, and determines whether an operation performed on the engine causes the driven mechanism to proceed to the steady-state running mode, and controls a throttle valve so that an output torque of the engine matches the calculated steady-state required torque when it is determined that the operation performed on the engine causes the driven mechanism to proceed to the steady-state running mode.
As described above, when the controller determines that the operation performed on the engine causes the driven mechanism to proceed to the steady-state running mode, and controls a throttle valve so that the output torque of the engine matches the calculated steady-state required torque. If the operation performed on the engine (i.e., accelerator operation) is judged as being intended to bring the driven mechanism into the steady-state running mode, therefore, the throttle opening amount can be controlled such that the detected running conditions of the driven mechanism are made constant or stable.
Accordingly, if the driver performs an operation to proceed to steady-state running, the running conditions at that time are regarded as the steady-state run
Fujita Makoto
Kushi Naoto
Masuda Kei
Muto Harufumi
Argenbright Tony M.
Oliff & Berridg,e PLC
Toyota Jidosha & Kabushiki Kaisha
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