MISFIRE DETERMINATION DEVICE AND MISFIRE DETERMINATION METHOD FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE

• US 20100031736A1
• Filed: 07/09/2009
• Published: 02/11/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/09/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Kushihama, Kiyotaka, Moriyama, Yohei
• Granted Patent: US 8,281,650 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 73/114.40
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 15/11 by detecting misfire

Abstract

When a rotation fluctuation amount of an engine exceeds a predetermined threshold, it is determined that there is a possibility that a misfire has occurred. Then, when a rotation fluctuation pattern of the engine coincides with a first rotation fluctuation pattern, it is determined that a misfire has occurred; whereas, when the rotation fluctuation pattern does not coincide with the first rotation fluctuation pattern, it is determined whether the rotation fluctuation pattern coincides with a specific rotation fluctuation pattern in consideration of a lock-up state of a lock-up clutch or whether an engine rotational speed is lower than a threshold. When the determination is affirmative, occurrence of a misfire is determined on the basis of whether the rotation fluctuation pattern of the engine coincides with a second misfire determination pattern that is defined to be smaller in variation of a rotation fluctuation amount than the first rotation fluctuation pattern.

Claims

1. A misfire determination device for an internal combustion engine that is coupled to a transmission via a hydraulic power transmission equipped with a lock-up clutch, wherein the misfire determination device determines that there is a possibility that a misfire has occurred when a rotation fluctuation amount of the internal combustion engine exceeds a predetermined threshold, and makes a misfire determination by determining whether a rotation fluctuation pattern of the internal combustion engine is a pattern specific to occurrence of a misfire, the misfire determination device comprising:

a first misfire determination unit that makes a first misfire determination in which a misfire determination is made on the basis of whether, when the lock-up clutch is in a non-lock-up state, the rotation fluctuation pattern of the internal combustion engine substantially coincides with a first rotation fluctuation pattern specific to occurrence of a misfire in the non-lock-up state; and

a second misfire determination unit that makes a second misfire determination in which occurrence of a misfire is determined on the basis of whether, when the lock-up clutch is in a lock-up state, the rotation fluctuation pattern of the internal combustion engine substantially coincides with a second rotation fluctuation pattern specific to occurrence of a misfire in the lock-up state.

2. The misfire determination device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a specific rotation fluctuation pattern determination unit that makes a specific rotation fluctuation pattern determination as to whether the rotation fluctuation pattern of the internal combustion engine in the lock-up state substantially coincides with a specific rotation fluctuation pattern that is specific to occurrence of a misfire, wherein

when it is determined that the rotation fluctuation pattern of the internal combustion engine substantially coincides with the specific rotation fluctuation pattern in the specific pattern determination made by the specific rotation fluctuation pattern determination unit, a misfire determination is executed by the second misfire determination unit.

3. The misfire determination device according to claim 2, wherein

when it is determined that a misfire has occurred in the first misfire determination or when it is determined that a misfire has occurred in the second misfire determination, it is finally determined that a misfire has occurred as a misfire determination result, whereas, when it is determined that the rotation fluctuation pattern of the internal combustion engine does not coincide with the specific rotation fluctuation pattern in the specific pattern determination or when it is determined that no misfire has occurred in the second misfire determination, it is finally determined that no misfire has occurred as a misfire determination result.

4. The misfire determination device according to claim 2, wherein

when it is determined that there is a possibility that a misfire has occurred because the rotation fluctuation amount of the internal combustion engine exceeds the predetermined threshold, the first misfire determination unit makes a misfire determination by comparing a variation pattern of a rotation fluctuation amount in an expansion stroke of a misfire determination target cylinder, a variation pattern of a rotation fluctuation amount in an expansion stroke of a cylinder that is in the expansion stroke immediately before the expansion stroke of the misfire determination target cylinder and a variation pattern of a rotation fluctuation amount in an expansion stroke of a cylinder that is in the expansion stroke immediately after the expansion stroke of the misfire determination target cylinder with the first rotation fluctuation pattern.

5. The misfire determination device according to claim 2, wherein

when the lock-up clutch is in the lock-up state and when it is determined that there is a possibility that a misfire has occurred because the rotation fluctuation amount of the internal combustion engine exceeds the predetermined threshold and then it is not determined that a misfire has occurred in the first misfire determination, the specific rotation fluctuation pattern determination unit makes a misfire determination by comparing a variation pattern of a rotation fluctuation amount in an expansion stroke of a misfire determination target cylinder and a variation pattern of a rotation fluctuation amount in an expansion stroke of a cylinder that is in the expansion stroke immediately after the expansion stroke of the misfire determination target cylinder with the specific rotation fluctuation pattern.

6. The misfire determination device according to claim 2, wherein

when the lock-up clutch is in the lock-up state and when it is determined that there is a possibility that a misfire has occurred because the rotation fluctuation amount of the internal combustion engine exceeds the predetermined threshold and then it is determined that the rotation fluctuation pattern of the internal combustion engine substantially coincides with the specific rotation fluctuation pattern in the specific pattern determination, the second misfire determination unit makes a misfire determination by comparing a variation pattern of a rotation fluctuation amount in an expansion stroke of a misfire determination target cylinder and a variation pattern of a rotation fluctuation amount in an expansion stroke of a cylinder that is in the expansion stroke immediately before the expansion stroke of the misfire determination target cylinder with the second rotation fluctuation pattern.

7. The misfire determination device according to claim 2, wherein

the specific rotation fluctuation pattern is defined as a pattern such that a rotation fluctuation amount in an expansion stroke of a misfire determination target cylinder is larger by a predetermined amount or more than a rotation fluctuation amount in an expansion stroke of a one-ignition-cycle-after cylinder that is in the expansion stroke immediately after the expansion stroke of the misfire determination target cylinder, and the second rotation fluctuation pattern is defined as a pattern such that a difference between a rotation fluctuation amount in an expansion stroke of a one-ignition-cycle-before cylinder that is in the expansion stroke immediately before the expansion stroke of the misfire determination target cylinder and the rotation fluctuation amount in the expansion stroke of the misfire determination target cylinder is smaller than or equal to a predetermined amount.

8. The misfire determination device according to claim 1, wherein

the second rotation fluctuation pattern is smaller in variation of a rotation fluctuation than the first rotation fluctuation pattern.

9. The misfire determination device according to claim 8, wherein

in a state where the lock-up clutch is in the lock-up state and only when a speed ratio of the transmission is set in a specific speed ratio at which there is a possibility that a resonance occurs between the internal combustion engine and the transmission, the second misfire determination unit makes a misfire determination on the basis of the second rotation fluctuation pattern.

10. The misfire determination device according to claim 8, wherein

in a state where the lock-up clutch is in the lock-up state, when it is determined that there is a possibility that a misfire has occurred because the rotation fluctuation amount of the internal combustion engine exceeds the predetermined threshold and when a rotation fluctuation amount of a cylinder, for which it is determined that there is a possibility that a misfire has occurred, has exceeded the predetermined threshold in a previous combustion stroke, the second misfire determination unit makes a misfire determination on that cylinder on the basis of the second rotation fluctuation pattern.

11. The misfire determination device according to claim 8, wherein

in a state where the lock-up clutch is in the lock-up state, when it is determined that there is a possibility that a misfire has occurred because the rotation fluctuation amount of the internal combustion engine exceeds the predetermined threshold, the second misfire determination unit makes a misfire determination by comparing a variation pattern of a rotation fluctuation amount in an expansion stroke of a misfire determination target cylinder, a variation pattern of a rotation fluctuation amount in an expansion stroke of a cylinder that is in the expansion stroke immediately before the expansion stroke of the misfire determination target cylinder and a variation pattern of a rotation fluctuation amount in an expansion stroke of a cylinder that is in the expansion stroke immediately after the expansion stroke of the misfire determination target cylinder with the second rotation fluctuation pattern.

12. The misfire determination device according to claim 8, wherein

the first rotation fluctuation pattern is defined as a pattern such that a rotation fluctuation amount in an expansion stroke of a misfire determination target cylinder is larger by a predetermined amount or more than a rotation fluctuation amount in an expansion stroke of a one-ignition-cycle-before cylinder that is in the expansion stroke immediately before the expansion stroke of the misfire determination target cylinder and a rotation fluctuation amount in an expansion stroke of a one-ignition-cycle-after cylinder that is in the expansion stroke immediately after the expansion stroke of the misfire determination target cylinder, and a rotation fluctuation amount in an expansion stroke of a two-ignition-cycle-after cylinder that is in the expansion stroke further immediately after the expansion stroke of the one-ignition-cycle-after cylinder and the rotation fluctuation amount in the expansion stroke of the misfire determination target cylinder have substantially equal absolute values and reverse in sign, and

the second rotation fluctuation pattern is defined as a pattern such that the rotation fluctuation amount in the expansion stroke of the misfire determination target cylinder is larger by a predetermined amount or more than the rotation fluctuation amount in the expansion stroke of the one-ignition-cycle-before cylinder, a difference between the rotation fluctuation amount in the expansion stroke of the one-ignition-cycle-after cylinder and the rotation fluctuation amount in the expansion stroke of the misfire determination target cylinder is smaller than or equal to a predetermined amount, and the rotation fluctuation amount in the expansion stroke of the two-ignition-cycle-after cylinder and the rotation fluctuation amount in the expansion stroke of the misfire determination target cylinder have substantially equal absolute values and reverse in sign.

13. The misfire determination device according to claim 8, wherein

the first rotation fluctuation pattern is defined as a pattern such that a rotation fluctuation amount in an expansion stroke of a misfire determination target cylinder is larger by a predetermined amount or more than a rotation fluctuation amount in an expansion stroke of a one-ignition-cycle-before cylinder that is in the expansion stroke immediately before the expansion stroke of the misfire determination target cylinder and a rotation fluctuation amount in an expansion stroke of a one-ignition-cycle-after cylinder that is in the expansion stroke immediately after the expansion stroke of the misfire determination target cylinder, and a rotation fluctuation amount in an expansion stroke of a two-ignition-cycle-after cylinder that is in the expansion stroke further immediately after the expansion stroke of the one-ignition-cycle-after cylinder and the rotation fluctuation amount in the expansion stroke of the misfire determination target cylinder have substantially equal absolute values and reverse in sign, and

the second rotation fluctuation pattern is defined as a pattern such that a difference between the rotation fluctuation amount in the expansion stroke of the one-ignition-cycle-before cylinder and the rotation fluctuation amount in the expansion stroke of the misfire determination target cylinder is smaller than or equal to a predetermined amount, the rotation fluctuation amount in the expansion stroke of the misfire determination target cylinder is larger by a predetermined amount or more than the rotation fluctuation amount in the expansion stroke of the one-ignition-cycle-after cylinder, and the rotation fluctuation amount in the expansion stroke of the two-ignition-cycle-after cylinder and the rotation fluctuation amount in the expansion stroke of the misfire determination target cylinder have substantially equal absolute values and reverse in sign.

14. The misfire determination device according to claim 8, wherein

the first rotation fluctuation pattern is defined as a pattern such that a rotation fluctuation amount in an expansion stroke of a misfire determination target cylinder is larger by a predetermined amount or more than a rotation fluctuation amount in an expansion stroke of a one-ignition-cycle-before cylinder that is in the expansion stroke immediately before the expansion stroke of the misfire determination target cylinder and a rotation fluctuation amount in an expansion stroke of a one-ignition-cycle-after cylinder that is in the expansion stroke immediately after the expansion stroke of the misfire determination target cylinder, and a rotation fluctuation amount in an expansion stroke of a two-ignition-cycle-after cylinder that is in the expansion stroke further immediately after the expansion stroke of the one-ignition-cycle-after cylinder and the rotation fluctuation amount in the expansion stroke of the misfire determination target cylinder have substantially equal absolute values and reverse in sign, and

the second rotation fluctuation pattern is defined as a pattern such that the rotation fluctuation amount in the expansion stroke of the one-ignition-cycle-before cylinder is larger by a predetermined amount or more than the rotation fluctuation amount in the expansion stroke of the misfire determination target cylinder, the rotation fluctuation amount in the expansion stroke of the misfire determination target cylinder is larger by a predetermined amount or more than the rotation fluctuation amount in the expansion stroke of the one-ignition-cycle-after cylinder, and the rotation fluctuation amount in the expansion stroke of the two-ignition-cycle-after cylinder and the rotation fluctuation amount in the expansion stroke of the misfire determination target cylinder have substantially equal absolute values and reverse in sign.

15. The misfire determination device according to claim 8, wherein

the first rotation fluctuation pattern is defined as a pattern such that a rotation fluctuation amount in an expansion stroke of a misfire determination target cylinder is larger by a predetermined amount or more than a rotation fluctuation amount in an expansion stroke of a one-ignition-cycle-before cylinder that is in the expansion stroke immediately before the expansion stroke of the misfire determination target cylinder and a rotation fluctuation amount in an expansion stroke of a one-ignition-cycle-after cylinder that is in the expansion stroke immediately after the expansion stroke of the misfire determination target cylinder, and a rotation fluctuation amount in an expansion stroke of a two-ignition-cycle-after cylinder that is in the expansion stroke further immediately after the expansion stroke of the one-ignition-cycle-after cylinder and the rotation fluctuation amount in the expansion stroke of the misfire determination target cylinder have substantially equal absolute values and reverse in sign, and

the second rotation fluctuation pattern is defined as a pattern such that the rotation fluctuation amount in the expansion stroke of the misfire determination target cylinder is larger by a predetermined amount or more than the rotation fluctuation amount in the expansion stroke of the one-ignition-cycle-before cylinder, the rotation fluctuation amount in the expansion stroke of the one-ignition-cycle-after cylinder is larger by a predetermined amount or more than the rotation fluctuation amount in the expansion stroke of the misfire determination target cylinder, and the rotation fluctuation amount in the expansion stroke of the two-ignition-cycle-after cylinder and the rotation fluctuation amount in the expansion stroke of the misfire determination target cylinder have substantially equal absolute values and reverse in sign.

16. A misfire determination device for an internal combustion engine that is coupled to a transmission via a hydraulic power transmission equipped with a lock-up clutch, wherein the misfire determination device determines that there is a possibility that a misfire has occurred when a rotation fluctuation amount of the internal combustion engine exceeds a predetermined threshold, and makes a misfire determination by determining whether a rotation fluctuation pattern of the internal combustion engine is a pattern specific to occurrence of a misfire, the misfire determination device comprising:

a first misfire determination unit that calculates a rotation fluctuation amount from a difference between an engine rotational speed in an expansion stroke of a misfire determination target cylinder for which it is determined that there is a possibility that the misfire has occurred and an engine rotational speed in an expansion stroke of another cylinder, and then makes a first misfire determination in which occurrence of a misfire is determined on the basis of whether a variation pattern of the rotation fluctuation amount substantially coincides with a predetermined misfire determination pattern;

an engine rotational speed determination unit that, when it is not determined that a misfire has occurred in the first misfire determination made by the first misfire determination unit, makes an engine rotational speed determination in which it is determined whether an engine rotational speed in the expansion stroke of the misfire determination target cylinder when the lock-up clutch is in the lock-up state is lower than a predetermined threshold; and

a second misfire determination unit that, when it is determined in the engine rotational speed determination made by the engine rotational speed determination unit that the engine rotational speed in the expansion stroke of the misfire determination target cylinder is lower than the predetermined threshold, makes a second misfire determination in which it is determined whether a misfire has occurred on the basis of the difference between the engine rotational speed in the expansion stroke of the misfire determination target cylinder and the engine rotational speed in the expansion stroke of the another cylinder.

17. The misfire determination device according to claim 16, wherein

when it is determined that a misfire has occurred in the first misfire determination or when it is determined that a misfire has occurred in the second misfire determination, it is finally determined that a misfire has occurred as a misfire determination result, whereas, when it is determined in the engine rotational speed determination that the engine rotational speed in the expansion stroke of the misfire determination target cylinder is not lower than the threshold or when it is determined in the second misfire determination that no misfire has occurred, it is finally determined that no misfire has occurred as a misfire determination result.

18. The misfire determination device according to claim 16, wherein

when it is determined that there is a possibility that a misfire has occurred because the rotation fluctuation amount of the internal combustion engine exceeds the predetermined threshold, the first misfire determination unit makes a misfire determination by comparing a variation pattern of a rotation fluctuation amount in an expansion stroke of a misfire determination target cylinder, a variation pattern of a rotation fluctuation amount in an expansion stroke of a cylinder that is in the expansion stroke immediately before the expansion stroke of the misfire determination target cylinder and a variation pattern of a rotation fluctuation amount in an expansion stroke of a cylinder that is in the expansion stroke immediately after the expansion stroke of the misfire determination target cylinder with the misfire determination pattern.

19. The misfire determination device according to claim 16, wherein

when the lock-up clutch is in the lock-up state and when it is determined that there is a possibility that a misfire has occurred because the rotation fluctuation amount of the internal combustion engine exceeds the predetermined threshold and then it is not determined that a misfire has occurred in the first misfire determination, the engine rotational speed determination unit determines whether the engine rotational speed in the expansion stroke of the misfire determination target cylinder is lower than a predetermined threshold and whether a situation that the rotation fluctuation amount in the expansion stroke of the misfire determination target cylinder exceeds the predetermined threshold successively occurs.

20. The misfire determination device according to claim 16, wherein

when the lock-up clutch is in the lock-up state and when it is determined that there is a possibility that a misfire has occurred because the rotation fluctuation amount of the internal combustion engine exceeds the predetermined threshold and then it is not determined that a misfire has occurred in the first misfire determination, the engine rotational speed determination device determines whether an engine rotational speed in an expansion stroke of a misfire determination target cylinder is lower than a predetermined threshold and whether a situation that the engine rotational speed in the expansion stroke of the misfire determination target cylinder is lower than the predetermined threshold successively occurs.

21. The misfire determination device according to claim 16, wherein:

when the lock-up clutch is in the lock-up state and when it is determined that there is a possibility that a misfire has occurred because the rotation fluctuation amount of the internal combustion engine exceeds the predetermined threshold and then it is determined in the engine rotational speed determination that there is a possibility that a misfire has occurred, the second misfire determination unit determines whether an engine rotational speed in an expansion stroke of a misfire determination target cylinder is lower by a predetermined amount or more than an engine rotational speed in an expansion stroke of a cylinder that is in an expansion stroke immediately before the expansion stroke of the misfire determination target cylinder and an engine rotational speed in an expansion stroke of a cylinder that is in the expansion stroke immediately after the expansion stroke of the misfire determination target cylinder, and, when the engine rotational speed in the expansion stroke of the misfire determination target cylinder is lower by the predetermined amount or more, it is determined that a misfire has occurred.

22. A misfire determination method for an internal combustion engine that is coupled to a transmission via a hydraulic power transmission equipped with a lock-up clutch, wherein the misfire determination method determines that there is a possibility that a misfire has occurred when a rotation fluctuation amount of the internal combustion engine exceeds a predetermined threshold, and makes a misfire determination by determining whether a rotation fluctuation pattern of the internal combustion engine is a pattern specific to occurrence of a misfire, the misfire determination method comprising:

making a first misfire determination in which a misfire determination is made on the basis of whether, when the lock-up clutch is in a non-lock-up state, the rotation fluctuation pattern of the internal combustion engine substantially coincides with a first rotation fluctuation pattern specific to occurrence of a misfire in the non-lock-up state; and

making a second misfire determination in which a misfire determination is made on the basis of whether, when the lock-up clutch is in a lock-up state, the rotation fluctuation pattern of the internal combustion engine substantially coincides with a second rotation fluctuation pattern specific to occurrence of a misfire in the lock-up state.

23. The misfire determination method according to claim 22, further comprising:

making a specific pattern determination as to whether the rotation fluctuation pattern of the internal combustion engine in the lock-up state substantially coincides with a specific rotation fluctuation pattern that is specific to occurrence of a misfire; and

when it is determined that the rotation fluctuation pattern of the internal combustion engine substantially coincides with the specific rotation fluctuation pattern in the specific pattern determination made by the specific rotation fluctuation pattern determination unit, executing a misfire determination on the basis of whether the rotation fluctuation pattern of the internal combustion engine substantially coincides with the second rotation fluctuation pattern.

24. The misfire determination method according to claim 22, wherein

the second rotation fluctuation pattern is smaller in variation of a rotation fluctuation than the first rotation fluctuation pattern.

25. A misfire determination method for an internal combustion engine that is coupled to a transmission via a hydraulic power transmission equipped with a lock-up clutch, wherein the misfire determination method determines that there is a possibility that a misfire has occurred when a rotation fluctuation amount of the internal combustion engine exceeds a predetermined threshold, and makes a misfire determination by determining whether a rotation fluctuation pattern of the internal combustion engine is a pattern specific to occurrence of a misfire, the misfire determination method comprising:

calculating a rotation fluctuation amount from a difference between an engine rotational speed in an expansion stroke of a misfire determination target cylinder for which it is determined that there is a possibility that the misfire has occurred and an engine rotational speed in an expansion stroke of another cylinder, and then making a first misfire determination in which occurrence of a misfire is determined on the basis of whether a variation pattern of the rotation fluctuation amount substantially coincides with a predetermined misfire determination pattern;

when it is not determined that a misfire has occurred in the first misfire determination, making an engine rotational speed determination in which it is determined whether an engine rotational speed in the expansion stroke of the misfire determination target cylinder when the lock-up clutch is in the lock-up state is lower than a predetermined threshold; and

when it is determined in the engine rotational speed determination that the engine rotational speed in the expansion stroke of the misfire determination target cylinder is lower than the predetermined threshold, making a second misfire determination in which it is determined whether a misfire has occurred on the basis of the difference between the engine rotational speed in the expansion stroke of the misfire determination target cylinder and the engine rotational speed in the expansion stroke of the another cylinder.