Controller for internal combustion engine

• US 20030010317A1
• Filed: 07/16/2002
• Published: 01/16/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 07/16/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Hasegawa, Jun, Iida, Hisashi, Okamoto, Yoshiyuki, Nakano, Tomoaki
• Granted Patent: US 6,662,782 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 123/406.47
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2041/001 for engines with variable valve actuation
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2200/1004 Estimation of the output torque
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2200/1015 Engines misfires
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/1441 Plural sensors
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/1456 with sensor output signal being linear or quasi-linear with the concentration of oxygen
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/1458 with determination means using an estimation
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/1475 Regulating the air fuel ratio at a value other than stoichiometry
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/1498 measuring engine roughness

Abstract

The present invention is directed to provide a controller for an internal combustion engine, capable of suppressing deterioration in drivability of an engine. A controller for an internal combustion engine has lean control means for calculating a torque margin from a reference engine speed and an actual engine speed and setting a combustion air-fuel ratio of an internal combustion engine to the lean side on the basis of the torque margin. In addition to correction of a fuel injection amount by the lean control means, the fuel injection amount is further corrected on the basis of a final correction value for reducing deterioration in drivability. The final correction value is set by selecting either a correction value which is set on the basis of an engine speed fluctuation amount or a final correction value of last time, which suppresses deterioration in drivability more. Thus, the operation of setting the air-fuel ratio to the lean side while considering deterioration in drivability can be performed.

Claims

1. A controller for an internal combustion engine, comprising:

lean correcting means for setting a lean correction value for correcting a fuel injection amount by decreasing the fuel injection amount during an operation after a cold start of an internal combustion engine and controlling an air-fuel ratio of the internal combustion engine to be leaner than a stoichiometric air-fuel ratio;

engine speed fluctuation detecting means for detecting fluctuations in revolution speed of the internal combustion engine;

correction amount calculating means for calculating a correction value for correcting the air-fuel ratio to the rich side on the basis of the engine speed fluctuation detected by the engine speed fluctuation detecting means;

final correction value calculating means for calculating a final correction value of this time by selecting either a final correction value of last time or a correction value calculated by the correction amount calculating means as a correction value which suppresses the engine speed fluctuation more; and

fuel injection amount correcting means for correcting the fuel injection amount on the basis of the lean correction value and the final correction value.

2. The controller for an internal combustion engine according to claim 1, further comprising:

engine speed detecting means for detecting revolution speed of the internal combustion engine; and

reference engine speed setting means for setting a reference engine speed as a reference value for the engine speed,

wherein the lean correcting means sets the lean correction value on the basis of the reference engine speed and a detected engine speed.

3. The controller for an internal combustion engine according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the engine speed fluctuation detecting means is means for obtaining an angular velocity in each of a plurality of cylinders and detecting an engine speed fluctuation on the basis of variations of the angular velocity.

4. A controller for an internal combustion engine, comprising:

engine speed fluctuation detecting means for detecting fluctuations in revolution speed of an internal combustion engine;

final correcting means for correcting a predetermined parameter used for controlling the internal combustion engine on the basis of a final correction value; and

control means for controlling the internal combustion engine on the basis of the predetermined parameter corrected by the final correcting means,

wherein correction value setting means for setting a correction value for correcting the predetermined parameter on the basis of an engine speed fluctuation detected by the engine speed fluctuation detecting means is provided, and

the final correcting means selects either a correction value set by the correction value setting means or a final correction value of last time set by the final correcting means, which suppresses the engine speed fluctuation more, and sets a final correction value.

5. The controller for an internal combustion engine according to claim 4, further comprising target ignition timing setting means for setting a target ignition timing in accordance with operating conditions of the internal combustion engine,

wherein the predetermined parameter is the target ignition timing.

6. The controller for an internal combustion engine according to claim 4, further comprising a variable valve mechanism for changing a timing of opening an intake valve and/or an exhaust valve of the internal combustion engine,

wherein the predetermined parameter is a target timing of opening the intake valve and/or exhaust valve of the variable valve mechanism.

7. A controller for an internal combustion engine, comprising:

control means using a parameter which exerts an influence on a revolution speed fluctuation amount of an internal combustion engine;

basic fuel injection amount setting means for setting a basic fuel injection amount for carrying out combustion at a relatively lean air-fuel ratio;

engine speed fluctuation amount detecting means for detecting a revolution speed fluctuation amount of the internal combustion engine; and

roughness correcting means for correcting the basic fuel injection amount which is set by the basic fuel injection amount setting means on the basis of the revolution speed fluctuation amount of the internal combustion engine detected by the engine speed fluctuation amount detecting means,

wherein correcting means for correcting a correction amount in the roughness correcting means on the basis of the value of the parameter is provided.

8. The controller for an internal combustion engine according to claim 7, wherein the control means comprises at least one of:

ignition timing control means for retarding an ignition timing for a catalyst early warm-up at the time of a cold start operation of the internal combustion engine;

engine speed detecting means for detecting a revolution speed of the internal combustion engine; and

intake air amount detecting means for detecting an intake air amount, and

a parameter exerting an influence on the engine speed fluctuation amount is at least one of the ignition timing, the engine speed, and the intake air amount.

9. A controller for an internal combustion engine having control means for computing a feedback correction factor for feedback-controlling a fuel injection amount on the basis of an air-fuel ratio sensor output value and a target air-fuel ratio and controlling a fuel injection amount, comprising:

engine speed fluctuation detecting means for detecting fluctuations in revolution speed of an internal combustion engine; and

guard value setting means for setting a guard value for regulating the feedback correction factor on the basis of fluctuations in revolution speed of the internal combustion engine detected by the engine speed fluctuation detecting means.

10. The controller for an internal combustion engine according to claim 9, wherein the guard value setting means sets a lean-side guard value and/or a rich-side guard value.

11. The controller for an internal combustion engine according to claim 10, wherein the guard value setting means sets the rich-side guard value and/or the lean-side guard value so that a deviation from a reference value of the feedback correction factor is reduced when the engine speed fluctuation exceeds a predetermined value.

12. The controller for an internal combustion engine according to claim 11, wherein when the engine speed fluctuation is smaller than the predetermined value, the guard value setting means sets the rich-side guard value and/or the lean-side guard value so that a deviation from a reference value of the feedback correction factor gradually increases.