Cylinder deactivation pattern matching

• US 10,227,939 B2
• Filed: 03/13/2013
• Issued: 03/12/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/24/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Rayl, Allen B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gimie, Mahmoud
• Assistant Examiner(s): Campbell, Josh
• Application Number:
  US13/798,351
• Publication Number:
  US 20140053802A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,190 Days
• Field of Search: 123350, 123481
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 13/06 Cutting-out cylinders
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 17/023 the inactive cylinders acting as compressor other than for pumping air into the exhaust system
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/0062 Estimating, calculating or determining the internal EGR rate, amount or flow
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/0087 Selective cylinder activation, i.e. partial cylinder operation deceleration cut-off F02D41/123
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/0225 in relation with the gear ratio or shift lever position
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/123 the fuel injection being cut-off
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/18 by measuring intake air flow

Abstract

A cylinder control module: selects one of N predetermined cylinder activation/deactivation patterns as a desired cylinder activation/deactivation pattern for cylinders of an engine, wherein N is an integer greater than two; and activates and deactivates opening of intake and exhaust valves of first and second ones of the cylinders that are to be activated based on the desired cylinder activation/deactivation pattern, respectively. A fuel control module provides fuel to the first ones of the cylinders and disables fueling to the second ones of the cylinders. The cylinder control module further: determines M possible ones of the N cylinder activation/deactivation patterns, wherein M is an integer greater than or equal to one; selectively compares the M possible cylinder activation/deactivation patterns with the desired cylinder activation/deactivation pattern; and selectively updates the desired cylinder activation/deactivation pattern to one of the M possible cylinder activation/deactivation patterns.

Claims

1. A cylinder control system of a vehicle, comprising:

a cylinder control module that;

selects one of N predetermined cylinder activation/deactivation patterns as a desired cylinder activation/deactivation pattern for cylinders of an engine, wherein N is an integer greater than two, each of the N predetermined cylinder activation/deactivation patterns including P indicators for the next P cylinder events, each of the P indicators indicating whether to activate or deactivate a corresponding cylinder, and P is an integer greater than a total number of cylinders of the engine;

activates opening of intake and exhaust valves of first ones of the cylinders that are to be activated based on the desired cylinder activation/deactivation pattern; and

deactivates opening of intake and exhaust valves of second ones of the cylinders that are to be deactivated based on the desired cylinder activation/deactivation pattern; and

a fuel control module that provides fuel to the first ones of the cylinders and that disables fueling to the second ones of the cylinders,

wherein the cylinder control module further;

determines M possible ones of the N cylinder activation/deactivation patterns, wherein M is an integer greater than or equal to one;

selectively compares portions of the M possible cylinder activation/deactivation patterns, respectively, with a portion of the desired cylinder activation/deactivation pattern; and

selectively updates the desired cylinder activation/deactivation pattern to one of the M possible cylinder activation/deactivation patterns based on the comparisons.

2. The cylinder control system of claim 1 wherein the cylinder control module includes a pattern database that stores the N predetermined cylinder activation/deactivation patterns.

3. The cylinder control system of claim 1 wherein the portion of the desired cylinder activation/deactivation pattern corresponds to the last Q indicators for the last Q events of the desired cylinder activation/deactivation pattern, and

wherein the portions of each of the M possible cylinder activation/deactivation patterns correspond to the first Q indicators of the first Q events of the M possible cylinder activation/deactivation patterns, wherein Q is an integer greater than one and less than or equal to P.

4. The cylinder control system of claim 1 wherein the cylinder control module determines the M possible cylinder activation/deactivation patterns based on engine speed.

5. The cylinder control system of claim 1 wherein the cylinder control module determines the M possible cylinder activation/deactivation patterns based on a requested torque output of the engine.

6. The cylinder control system of claim 1 wherein the cylinder control module determines the M possible cylinder activation/deactivation patterns based on a gear ratio of a transmission.

7. The cylinder control system of claim 1 wherein the cylinder control module determines the M possible cylinder activation/deactivation patterns based on an amount of air per cylinder.

8. The cylinder control system of claim 1 wherein the cylinder control module determines the M possible cylinder activation/deactivation patterns based on an amount of residual exhaust per cylinder.

9. The cylinder control system of claim 1 wherein the cylinder control module determines the M possible cylinder activation/deactivation patterns based on engine speed, a requested torque output of the engine, a gear ratio of a transmission, an amount of air per cylinder, and an amount of residual exhaust per cylinder.

10. A cylinder control method for a vehicle, the method comprising:

selecting one of N predetermined cylinder activation/deactivation patterns as a desired cylinder activation/deactivation pattern for cylinders of an engine, wherein N is an integer greater than two, each of the N predetermined cylinder activation/deactivation patterns including P indicators for the next P cylinder events, each of the P indicators indicating whether to activate or deactivate a corresponding one cylinder, and P is an integer greater than a total number of cylinders of the engine;

activating opening of intake and exhaust valves of first ones of the cylinders that are to be activated based on the desired cylinder activation/deactivation pattern;

deactivating opening of intake and exhaust valves of second ones of the cylinders that are to be deactivated based on the desired cylinder activation/deactivation pattern;

providing fuel to the first ones of the cylinders;

disabling fueling to the second ones of the cylinders;

determining M possible ones of the N cylinder activation/deactivation patterns, wherein M is an integer greater than or equal to one;

comparing portions of the M possible cylinder activation/deactivation patterns, respectively, with a portion of the desired cylinder activation/deactivation pattern; and

selectively updating the desired cylinder activation/deactivation pattern to one of the M possible cylinder activation/deactivation patterns based on the comparisons.

11. The cylinder control method of claim 10 further comprising retrieving the N predetermined cylinder activation/deactivation patterns from a pattern database.

12. The cylinder control method of claim 10 wherein the portion of the desired cylinder activation/deactivation pattern corresponds to the last Q indicators for the last Q events of the desired cylinder activation/deactivation pattern, and

wherein the portions of each of the M possible cylinder activation/deactivation patterns correspond to the first Q indicators of the first Q events of the M possible cylinder activation/deactivation patterns, wherein Q is an integer greater than one and less than or equal to P.

13. The cylinder control method of claim 10 further comprising determining the M possible cylinder activation/deactivation patterns based on engine speed.

14. The cylinder control method of claim 10 further comprising determining the M possible cylinder activation/deactivation patterns based on a requested torque output of the engine.

15. The cylinder control method of claim 10 further comprising determining the M possible cylinder activation/deactivation patterns based on a gear ratio of a transmission.

16. The cylinder control method of claim 10 further comprising determining the M possible cylinder activation/deactivation patterns based on an amount of air per cylinder.

17. The cylinder control method of claim 10 further comprising determining the M possible cylinder activation/deactivation patterns based on an amount of residual exhaust per cylinder.

18. The cylinder control method of claim 10 further comprising determining the M possible cylinder activation/deactivation patterns based on engine speed, a requested torque output of the engine, a gear ratio of a transmission, an amount of air per cylinder, and an amount of residual exhaust per cylinder.