Data processing: vehicles – navigation – and relative location – Vehicle control – guidance – operation – or indication – With indicator or control of power plant
Reexamination Certificate
1999-05-17
2001-08-07
Yuen, Henry C. (Department: 3747)
Data processing: vehicles, navigation, and relative location
Vehicle control, guidance, operation, or indication
With indicator or control of power plant
C701S102000, C701S110000, C123S436000, C123S406240, C337S019000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06272425
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to internal combustion engines generally, and more particularly, to a method and apparatus for providing a determination of load on internal combustion engines to improve control over engine operational parameters.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In internal combustion engines it is desirable to schedule various operational parameters of the engine as a function both of the engine speed and the engine load. Determination of engine speed or revolutions per minute (RPM) is well established for internal combustion engines. Prior digital systems determining the timing of engine spark ignition as a function of engine speed (RPM) are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,392,753 and 4,924,831.
However, to date, there has been no economical method of determining the load on a small internal combustion engine. The conventional methods of determining engine torque involve measuring strain or angular displacement of a segment of the crankshaft, a mounting element or an element of the drive train. These methods are not cost effective for small engine applications. Therefore. small engines have used fuel injection event and/or ignition timing that is either fixed or based on the engine speed.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A method and apparatus are provided for synchronizing spark ignition and/or other events of an internal combustion engine as a function of the engine speed and the load on the engine. Desirably, the system and apparatus utilize existing engine sensors, preferably from a conventional magneto-type capacitor discharge ignition system, to provide the information needed to determine the load on the engine. It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a low cost ignition system wherein at least the ignition timing is scheduled as a function of both the engine speed and the load on the engine. To that end, an electronic circuit is provided for determining the load on an internal combustion engine, preferably using information that is already available to the ignition system from various sensors.
Objects, features and advantages of this invention include providing a system and apparatus for determining the load on an engine and synchronizing engine events as a function of engine load, which may utilize existing engine sensors, may not require additional sensors to be added to the engine, is adaptable to various engines having one or multiple cylinders, can be used with two-stroke or four-stroke engines, permits improved control of the engine ignition timing as a function of engine load as well as other engine parameters, reduces exhaust emissions, improves engine performance, can provide the engine load information to other systems to improve control of those systems, is of very low cost and economical manufacture and assembly and in service has a long useful life.
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Development of a Low-Cost Fuel Injection System for Use on Small Utility Engines, SAE 1999-01-3292/JSAE 9938047, pp. 360-367, Paul M. Gartner, Copyright 1999 Society of Automotive Engineers, Inc.
Reising Ethington, Barnes, Kisselle, Learman & McCulloch, P.C.
Vo Hieu T.
Walbro Corporation
Yuen Henry C.
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