Speed Dependent Knock Control

• US 20100018500A1
• Filed: 08/29/2008
• Published: 01/28/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/24/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Itano, Edwin
• Granted Patent: US 8,291,888 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 123/406.380
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2200/025 Engine noise, e.g. determined by using an acoustic sensor
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2200/501 Vehicle speed
• CPC Class Codes: F02P 5/152 dependent on pinking detecting or indicating knocks in internal-combustion engines G01L23/22
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/40 Engine management systems

Abstract

A system and method for controlling knock according to engine speed is disclosed. A knock control system has at least two settings, a first setting used for a first speed range and a second setting used for a second speed range. In another embodiment, knock may be controlled according to ambient noise measured directly within the motor vehicle.

Claims

1. A motor vehicle, comprising:

an engine associated with a knock control system configured to control the level of knock in the engine;

a vehicle speed sensor;

the knock control system including a first knock control setting that is associated with a first vehicle speed range and a second knock control setting that is associated with a second vehicle speed range; and

wherein the first knock control setting is associated with a first predetermined noise level and wherein the second knock control setting is associated with a second predetermined noise level that is greater than the first predetermined noise level.

2. The motor vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the knock control system includes a third knock control setting that is associated with a third vehicle speed range.

3. The motor vehicle according to claim 2, wherein the third knock control setting is associated with a third predetermined noise level that is greater than the second predetermined noise level.

4. The motor vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the knock control system includes more than three knock control settings.

5. The motor vehicle according to claim 4, wherein the vehicle speed sensor is used to determine a current vehicle speed.

6. The motor vehicle according to claim 5, wherein the first predetermined noise level is not audible over ambient noise associated with an interior of the motor vehicle when the current vehicle speed is the first vehicle speed range.

7. The motor vehicle according to claim 6, wherein the second predetermined noise level is not audible over ambient noise associated with an interior of the motor vehicle when the current vehicle speed is in the second vehicle speed range.

8. A motor vehicle, comprising:

an engine associated with a knock control system configured to control a level of knock in the engine, the level of knock including an associated knock noise level;

an ambient noise sensor configured to measure a current ambient noise level of the motor vehicle; and

wherein the knock control system receives information from the ambient noise sensor related a current ambient noise level and selects a knock control setting associated with a predetermined knock noise level that is below the current ambient noise level.

9. The motor vehicle according to claim 8, wherein the ambient noise sensor is a microphone associated with an interior portion of the motor vehicle.

10. The motor vehicle according to claim 9, wherein the knock control system includes a knock sensor configured to determine a current knock noise level.

11. The motor vehicle according to claim 10, wherein the knock control system includes two or more knock sensors configured to determine the current knock noise level.

12. The motor vehicle according to claim 10, wherein the knock control system includes two or more knock control settings.

13. The motor vehicle according to claim 12, wherein the knock control system decreases the knock control setting when the current knock noise level is below the current ambient noise level.

14. The motor vehicle according to claim 13, wherein the knock control system increases the knock control setting when the current knock noise level is above the current ambient noise level.

15. A motor vehicle, comprising:

an engine associated with a knock control system configured to control a level of knock in the engine, the level of knock including an associated knock noise level;

a vehicle speed sensor configured to determine a current vehicle speed;

the knock control system using a map to obtain a retrieved ambient noise level according to the current vehicle speed; and

wherein the knock control system selects a knock control setting with a knock noise level that is below the retrieved ambient noise level.

16. The motor vehicle according to claim 15, wherein the knock control system includes a knock sensor that is used to determine the knock noise level.

17. The motor vehicle according to claim 16, wherein the knock control system includes multiple knock sensors.

18. The motor vehicle according to claim 15, wherein the map includes a set of ambient noise levels associated with a set of engine speed ranges.

19. The motor vehicle according to claim 18, wherein the map includes an algorithm or function for determining the ambient noise level according to the current vehicle speed.

20. The motor vehicle according to claim 15, wherein the knock noise level is a predetermined knock noise level associated with the knock control setting.