Event logging method and device

• US 20080071443A1
• Filed: 09/17/2007
• Published: 03/20/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cummins Turbo Technologies Limited (Cummins Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Cummins Turbo Technologies Limited (Cummins Incorporated)
• Inventors: Cox, Calvin
• Granted Patent: US 8,473,149 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/35
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 17/20 Devices dealing with sensing elements or final actuators or transmitting means between them, e.g. power-assisted sensing elements alone F01D17/02; final actuators alone F01D17/10
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 17/24 electrical
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 37/24 by using pumps or turbines with adjustable guide vanes
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/0007 for control of turbo-charged or super-charged engines control of the pumps per se F02B37/12
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/22 Safety or indicating devices for abnormal conditions in air/fuel ratio feedback systems F02D41/1495, in electric control linkage F02D11/107, in purge control systems F02M25/0809
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/2403 using essentially up/down counters
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2220/40 in turbochargers
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 15/05 by combined monitoring of two or more different engine parameters
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0841 Registering performance data recording measured values G01D; information storage G11B
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/40 Engine management systems

Abstract

A method of logging information about events for an internal combustion engine having an ignition circuit, and an event logging device arranged to implement the method. The method comprises incrementing a current value of a counter (50) at a predetermined rate when the ignition circuit is turned on, detecting that an event has occurred (53), creating a new event record (54) having at least two fields, populating the fields within the new event record with information about the event (55), including at least an event type and the current value of the counter; and storing the new event record (57).

Claims

1. A method of logging information about events for an internal combustion engine having an ignition circuit, the method comprising the steps of:

incrementing a current value of a counter at a predetermined rate only when the ignition circuit is turned on;

detecting that an event has occurred;

creating a new event record having at least two fields;

populating the fields within the new event record with information about the event, including at least event type and the current value of the counter; and

storing the new event record.

2. A method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of storing the current value of the counter in a counter memory device.

3. A method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of storing each event record in an event record memory device.

4. A method according to claim 2, wherein the or each memory device comprises a non-volatile memory device such that the stored contents of the or each memory device are not erased if a power supply to the or each memory device is disconnected.

5. A method according to claim 3, wherein the event record memory device has a finite capacity to receive new event records, the method further comprising the step of overwriting an oldest event record with the new event record once the finite capacity of the event record memory device is exceeded.

6. A method according to claims 3, further comprising the step of using a pointer in the event record memory device to point to the next sequential position after the new event records, for storing the next event record.

7. A method according to claim 1, wherein the internal combustion engine comprises a turbocharger with a variable geometry turbine, the turbine being driven by exhaust gas delivery to the turbine inlet passage from an internal combustion engine exhaust manifold.

8. A method according to claim 7, wherein the turbine uses a selectively moveable element to vary the geometry of an inlet passage of the turbine, the moveable element being displaceable by an actuator in response to electrical control signals.

9. A method according to claim 7, wherein the actuator is an electrical actuator.

10. A method according to claim 1, wherein each event record has further fields and the step of populating the fields further comprises populating the further fields with information about the event selected from a group including engine status, actuator temperature and actuator position.

11. A method according to claim 1, wherein the internal combustion engine has an engine management control system that controls the implementation of the method.

12. A method according to claim 11, wherein the engine management control system comprises a microprocessor that controls the implementation of the method.

13. A method according to claim 11, wherein the method is implemented via a computer program stored in the engine management system.

14. A method according to claim 1, wherein events are selected from a group including an ignition circuit turning on, failure of an actuator to reach a desired position, excess current drawn by an actuator, failure of a Hall sensor within a turbine and failure of the internal combustion engine.

15. A method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of using the event records to determine a pattern of operation of a vehicle which is driven by said engine.

33. A method according to claim 3, wherein the or each memory device comprises a non-volatile memory device such that the stored contents of the or each memory device are not erased if a power supply to the or each memory device is disconnected.

34. A method according to claim 4, wherein the event record memory device has a finite capacity to receive new event records, the method further comprising the step of overwriting an oldest event record with the new event record once the finite capacity of the event record memory device is exceeded.

35. A method according to claim 5, wherein the event record memory device has a finite capacity to receive new event records, the method further comprising the step of overwriting an oldest event record with the new event record once the finite capacity of the event record memory device is exceeded.

36. A method according to claim 4, further comprising the step of using a pointer in the event record memory device to point to the next sequential position after the new event record, for storing the next event record.

16. An event logging device for an internal combustion engine having an ignition circuit, the event logging system comprising:

a counter arranged to increment at a predetermined rate only when the ignition circuit is turned on;

means for detecting that an event has occurred;

means for creating a new event record having at least two fields;

means for populating the fields within the new event record with information about the event, including at least event type and the current value of the counter; and

a memory for storing the new event record.

17. An event logging device according to claim 16, wherein the device is arranged to store the current value of the counter in a counter memory device.

18. An event logging device according to claim 16, wherein the device is arranged to store each event record in an event record memory device.

19. An event logging device according to claim 17, wherein the or each memory device comprises a non-volatile memory device such that the stored contents of the or each memory device are not erased if a power supply to the or each memory device is disconnected.

20. An event logging device according to claim 18, wherein the event record memory device has a finite capacity to receive new event records, and is arranged to overwrite an oldest event record with the new event record once the finite capacity of the event record memory device is exceeded.

21. An event logging device according to claim 18, wherein the device is arranged to provide a pointer in the event record memory device to point to the next sequential position after the new event record, for storing the next event record.

22. An event logging device according to claim 16, wherein the internal combustion engine comprises a turbocharger with a variable geometry turbine, the turbine being driven by exhaust gas delivery to the turbine inlet passage from an internal combustion engine exhaust manifold.

23. An event logging device according to claim 22, wherein the turbine uses a selectively moveable element to vary the geometry of an inlet passage of the turbine, the moveable element being displaceable by an actuator in response to electrical control signals.

24. An event logging device according to claim 23, wherein the actuator is an electrical actuator.

25. An event logging device according to claim 16, wherein each event record has further fields and the device is arranged to populate the further fields with information about the event selected from a group including engine status, actuator temperature and actuator position.

26. An event logging device according to claim 16, wherein the internal combustion engine has an engine management control system and the event logging device forms part of the engine management system.

27. An event logging device according to claim 26, wherein the engine management control system comprises a microprocessor.

28. An event logging device according to claim 16, wherein events are selected from a group including an ignition circuit turning on, failure of an actuator to reach a desired position, excess current drawn by an actuator, failure of a Hall sensor within a turbine and failure of the internal combustion engine.

29. A powered vehicle having an internal combustion engine, comprising an event logging device according to claim 16.

37. An event logging device according to claim 17, wherein the device is arranged to store each event record in an event record memory device.

38. An event logging device according to claim 37, wherein the or each memory device comprises a non-volatile memory device such that the stored contents of the or each memory device are not erased if a power supply to the or each memory device is disconnected.

30. (canceled)

31. (canceled)

32. (canceled)