CONTROL SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR SENSOR SIGNAL OUT OF RANGE DETECTION

• US 20100274442A1
• Filed: 04/28/2009
• Published: 10/28/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations Incorporated (Motors Liquidation Co. GUC Trust)
• Inventors: Wang, Wenbo, Lucido, Michael J., Van Gilder, John F., Mac Ewen, Ian J., Grenn, Daniel P., Esfahan, Hamid M.
• Granted Patent: US 8,670,894 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/34
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2041/223 Diagnosis of fuel pressure sensors
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2250/14 Timing of measurement, e.g. synchronisation of measurements to the engine cycle
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/222 relating to the failure of sensors or parameter detection devices
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 27/007 Malfunction diagnosis, i.e. diagnosing a sensor defect
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/40 Engine management systems

Abstract

A method and control module for determining a sensor error includes a time-based diagnostic module generating a time-based diagnostic for a sensor and an event-based diagnostic module generating an event-based diagnostic for the sensor. A synchronizing module synchronizes the time-based diagnostic and the event-based diagnostic to obtain a diagnostic result. A fault indicator module generates a fault signal in response to the diagnostic result.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

generating a time-based diagnostic signal;

generating an event-based diagnostic signal;

synchronizing the time-based diagnostic signal and the event-based diagnostic signal to obtain a diagnostic result; and

generating a fault signal corresponding to a sensor error in response to the diagnostic result.

2. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein generating a time-based diagnostic signal and generating an event-based diagnostic signal comprises generating the time-based diagnostic signal and generating the event-based diagnostic signal for a pressure sensor.

3. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein synchronizing comprises generating a table having the time-based diagnostic signal and the event-based diagnostic signal.

4. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein generating a time-based diagnostic signal comprises generating the time-based diagnostic signal during a first period, and wherein generating an event-based diagnostic signal comprises generating the event-based diagnostic signal during a second period.

5. A method as recited in claim 4 wherein the first period is the same as the second period.

6. A method as recited in claim 4 wherein the first period is different than the second period.

7. A method as recited in claim 4 wherein generating a time-based diagnostic signal comprises generating a first plurality of samples during the first period at a first rate and wherein generating an event-based diagnostic signal comprises generating a second plurality of samples at a second rate different than the first rate.

8. A method as recited in claim 4 wherein determining a number of samples above a threshold, when the number exceeds the threshold indicating a time-based fault.

9. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein generating an event-based diagnostic signal comprises generating event-samples in response to an event.

10. A method as recited in claim 9 wherein the event comprises cranskshaft rotation or engine speed.

11. A method as recited in claim 9 further comprising determining a number of bad samples above a threshold, when the number of samples exceeds the threshold indicating an event-based fault.

12. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein generating a time-based diagnostic comprises generating a first pressure time-based diagnostic and wherein generating an event-based diagnostic comprises generating a first pressure event-based diagnostic, wherein the first pressure is above a predetermined pressure.

13. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein generating a time-based diagnostic comprises generating a first pressure time-based diagnostic and wherein generating an event-based diagnostic comprises generating a first pressure event-based diagnostic, wherein the first pressure is below a predetermined pressure.

14. A control module comprising:

a time-based diagnostic module generating a time-based diagnostic for a sensor;

an event-based diagnostic module generating an event-based diagnostic for the sensor;

a synchronizing module synchronizing the time-based diagnostic and the event-based diagnostic to obtain a diagnostic result; and

a fault indicator module generating a fault signal in response to the diagnostic result.

15. A control module as recited in claim 14 wherein the synchronizing module comprises a table for synchronizing the time-based diagnostic and the event-based diagnostic.

16. A control module as recited in claim 14 wherein the time-based diagnostic module generates the time-based diagnostic for the sensor during a first period, and wherein the event-based diagnostic generates the event-based diagnostic during a second period.

17. A control module as recited in claim 16 wherein the first period is different than the second period.

18. A control module as recited in claim 14 wherein the time-based diagnostic module generates the time-based diagnostic for the sensor at a first rate, and wherein the event-based diagnostic generates the event-based diagnostic at a second rate.

19. A control module as recited in claim 18 wherein the first rate is different than the second rate.

20. A control system comprising:

the control module as recited in claim 14;

wherein the sensor comprises a pressure sensor.