Engine control apparatus

• US 20080300768A1
• Filed: 08/05/2008
• Published: 12/04/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/07/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Subaru Corp.
• Original Assignee: Fuji Heavy Industries Limited (Subaru Corp.)
• Inventors: Hijikata, Kenji
• Granted Patent: US 8,352,150 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/102
• 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 2200/604 Engine control mode selected by driver, e.g. to manually start particle filter regeneration or to select driving style
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2250/18 Control of the engine output torque
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/2422 Selective use of one or more tables

Abstract

A storage unit provided in an engine control device stores three kinds of mode maps having different engine output characteristics. One of the mode maps is selected in accordance with the driving conditions, and a target torque is set by referring to the selected mode map using an engine speed and an accelerator opening-degree as parameters. A throttle opening-degree signal corresponding to the target torque is output to a throttle actuator, and an operation of opening or closing the throttle valve is performed in response to the throttle opening-degree signal.

Claims

1. An engine control apparatus, comprising:

driving-state detection means for detecting a driving state;

storage means for storing mode maps for respective engine control modes, the engine control modes including at least a power mode having engine output characteristics that prioritize power and a save mode having engine output characteristics with which power is suppressed, each mode map having lattice axes of an accelerator opening-degree and the driving state and setting an engine output command value for the corresponding engine control mode;

selecting means for selecting one of the engine control modes; and

engine-output-command-value determining means for determining the engine output command value by referring to the mode map corresponding to the engine control mode selected by the selecting means.

2. The engine control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the selecting means automatically selects one of the engine control modes on the basis of the driving state detected by the driving-state detection means.

3. The engine control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the selecting means automatically selects one of the engine control modes on the basis of a vehicle speed and a weighted average of the sums of parameters corresponding to a plurality of events based on the driving state detected by the driving-state detection means.

4. An engine control apparatus, comprising:

driving-state detection means for detecting a driving state;

storage means for storing mode maps for respective engine control modes, the engine control modes including at least a normal mode having engine output characteristics suitable for normal driving and a power mode having engine output characteristics that prioritize power, each mode map having lattice axes of an accelerator opening-degree and the driving state and setting an engine output command value for the corresponding engine control mode;

selecting means for selecting one of the engine control modes; and

engine-output-command-value determining means for determining the engine output command value by referring to the mode map corresponding to the engine control mode selected by the selecting means.

5. The engine control apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the selecting means automatically selects one of the engine control modes on the basis of the driving state detected by the driving-state detection means.

6. The engine control apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the selecting means automatically selects one of the engine control modes on the basis of a vehicle speed and a weighted average of the sums of parameters corresponding to a plurality of events based on the driving state detected by the driving-state detection means.

7. An engine control apparatus, comprising:

driving-state detection means for detecting a driving state;

storage means for storing mode maps for respective engine control modes, the engine control modes including at least a normal mode having engine output characteristics suitable for normal driving and a save mode having engine output characteristics with which power is suppressed, each mode map having lattice axes of an accelerator opening-degree and the driving state and setting an engine output command value for the corresponding engine control mode;

selecting means for selecting one of the engine control modes; and

engine-output-command-value determining means for determining the engine output command value by referring to the mode map corresponding to the engine control mode selected by the selecting means.

8. The engine control apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the selecting means automatically selects one of the engine control modes on the basis of the driving state detected by the driving-state detection means.

9. The engine control apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the selecting means automatically selects one of the engine control modes on the basis of a vehicle speed and a weighted average of the sums of parameters corresponding to a plurality of events based on the driving state detected by the driving-state detection means.

10. An engine control apparatus, comprising:

driving-state detection means for detecting a driving state;

storage means for storing mode maps for respective engine control modes, the engine control modes including at least a normal mode having engine output characteristics suitable for normal driving, a save mode having engine output characteristics with which power is suppressed, and a power mode having engine output characteristics that prioritize power, each mode map having lattice axes of an accelerator opening-degree and the driving state and setting an engine output command value for the corresponding engine control mode;

selecting means for selecting one of the engine control modes; and

engine-output-command-value determining means for determining the engine output command value by referring to the mode map corresponding to the engine control mode selected by the selecting means.

11. The engine control apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the selecting means automatically selects one of the engine control modes on the basis of the driving state detected by the driving-state detection means.

12. The engine control apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the selecting means automatically selects one of the engine control modes on the basis of a vehicle speed and a weighted average of the sums of parameters corresponding to a plurality of events based on the driving state detected by the driving-state detection means.