Engine control device

• US 10,221,778 B2
• Filed: 10/28/2016
• Issued: 03/05/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
• Original Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
• Inventors: Ohisa, Chikako, Sunahara, Osamu, Umetsu, Daisuke, Kawamura, Takahiro, Takahara, Yasunori, Ogawa, Daisaku, Ito, Takeatsu
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Hung Q
• Assistant Examiner(s): Taylor, Jr., Anthony Donald
• Application Number:
  US15/338,106
• Publication Number:
  US 20170145940A1
• Time in Patent Office: 858 Days
• Field of Search: 701110
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/16 Control of distance between vehicles, e.g. keeping a distance to preceding vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 11/105 characterised by the function converting demand to actuation, e.g. a map indicating relations between an accelerator pedal position and throttle valve opening or target engine torque
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2200/501 Vehicle speed
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2200/60 said parameters being related to the driver demands or status
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2200/602 Pedal position
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2250/18 Control of the engine output torque
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2250/26 by applying a torque limit
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 37/02 one of the functions being ignition
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/021 Introducing corrections for particular conditions exterior to the engine conjoint control of vehicle sub-units for propelling the vehicle B60W30/18

Abstract

An engine control device for controlling an engine based on a vehicle operating state is provided, that includes a basic target torque determinator for setting a vehicle target acceleration based on an accelerator pedal operation and determining a basic target engine torque based on the vehicle target acceleration, a torque reduction demand determinator for determining whether an engine torque reduction is demanded based on the vehicle operating state other than the accelerator pedal operation, a torque reduction amount determinator for determining an engine torque reduction amount according to the operating state when the torque reduction is demanded, a final target torque determinator for determining as a final target torque an engine torque calculated by subtracting the torque reduction amount from the basic target torque when the torque reduction is demanded, and an engine controller for controlling the engine so as to output the final target torque.

Claims

1. An engine control device for controlling an engine based on a plurality of operating states of a vehicle, the engine control device comprising:

a processor configured to execute software programs stored in a non-volatile memory of the engine control device, said software programs including;

a basic target engine torque determinator for setting a target acceleration of the vehicle based on a first operating state of the vehicle, said first operating state of the vehicle being defined by an accelerator pedal operation, and determining a basic target engine torque based on the target acceleration of the vehicle;

an actual engine torque reduction demand determinator for determining an existence of a demand to reduce an actual engine torque based on a second operating state of the vehicle, said second operating state of the vehicle being defined by a steering wheel operation;

an actual engine torque reduction amount determinator for determining an actual engine torque reduction amount when the demand to reduce the actual engine torque is determined to exist, the determined actual engine torque reduction amount being based at least in part on a calculated steering speed;

a final target engine torque determinator for determining a final target engine torque, wherein the determined final target engine torque is obtained by subtracting the determined actual engine torque reduction amount from the determined basic target engine torque; and

an engine controller for adjusting at least one of a throttle valve position, a fuel injection amount and a fuel injection timing of a fuel injector, an ignition timing of an ignition plug, and open-close timings of an intake valve and an exhaust valve such that the actual engine torque is reduced so as to output the determined final target engine torque.

2. The engine control device of claim 1, further comprising a following travel control device for controlling a traveling speed of the vehicle by performing a following travel control, the following travel control including detecting a distance between the vehicle and a preceding vehicle via a radar, and setting the target acceleration of the of the vehicle such that the distance between the vehicle and the preceding vehicle is kept constant,

wherein when the demand to reduce the actual engine torque is determined to exist, even during the performing of the following travel control, the final target engine torque determinator still determines the final target engine torque by subtracting the determined actual engine torque reduction amount from the determined basic target engine torque.

3. An engine control device for controlling an engine based on a plurality of operating states of a vehicle, the engine control device comprising:

a processor configured to execute software programs stored in a non-volatile memory of the engine control device, said software programs including;

a basic target engine torque determinator for setting a target acceleration of the vehicle based on a first operating state of the vehicle, said first operating state of the vehicle being defined by an accelerator pedal operation, and determining a basic target engine torque based on the target acceleration of the vehicle;

a change rate acquirer for acquiring a rate of change of a steering speed of the vehicle based on a second operating state of the vehicle, said second operating state of the vehicle being defined by a steering wheel operation;

a target additional deceleration setter for increasing a target additional deceleration, the target additional deceleration being defined by a deceleration amount that is added to the vehicle according to the acquired rate of change of the steering speed of the vehicle, and wherein a rate of the increase of the target additional deceleration lessens as the rate of change of the steering speed of the vehicle increases;

an actual engine torque reduction amount determinator for determining an actual engine torque reduction amount according to the target additional deceleration when an actual engine torque reduction demand is determined to exist;

a final target engine torque determinator for determining a final target engine torque, wherein the determined final target engine torque is obtained by subtracting the determined actual engine torque reduction amount from the determined basic target engine torque; and

an engine controller for adjusting at least one of a throttle valve position, a fuel injection amount and a fuel injection timing of a fuel injector, an ignition timing of an ignition plug, and open-close timings of an intake valve and an exhaust valve such that the actual engine torque is reduced so as to output the determined final target engine torque.