Apparatus for detecting revolutions of an internal combustion engine
First Claim
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1. In an apparatus for detecting the number of revolutions of the crankshaft of an internal combustion engine including:
- a sensor for detecting a rotational angle of the engine crankshaft which generates a pulse each time the engine crankshaft rotates a fixed crank angle;
a central processor unit for performing an arithmetic operation in accordance with a stored program to provide output data;
a memory coupled to the central processor unit for storing the program to be executed;
an input/output unit connected with said sensor, said central processor unit and said memory;
said input/output unit comprising;
a first register for storing data representative of an interval of time, which data is supplied from said central processor unit;
a first timer for counting up pulses which are produced at fixed periods of time;
a comparator for comparing the stored data of said first register with the count value of said first timer to produce a pulse when the count value becomes equal to or greater than the value of the stored data;
a first counter for counting up the pulses produced by means of said sensor, said first counter being reset in response to the pulse deleivered from said comparator; and
wherein said central processing unit includes control means for changing the data to be set into said first register in accordance with a preceding count value of said first counter.
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Abstract
In a detecting apparatus for indicating engine revolutions or vehicle speed, a counter is provided to count up, for a predetermined period of time, the number of pulses produced by an angle sensor. To improve the accuracy of the measurement, the time width during which the pulses are counted can be varied in accordance with a rotational speed of the engine. In this way, a larger measurement time period is provided at lower speeds than at higher speeds.
21 Citations
37 Claims
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1. In an apparatus for detecting the number of revolutions of the crankshaft of an internal combustion engine including:
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a sensor for detecting a rotational angle of the engine crankshaft which generates a pulse each time the engine crankshaft rotates a fixed crank angle; a central processor unit for performing an arithmetic operation in accordance with a stored program to provide output data; a memory coupled to the central processor unit for storing the program to be executed; an input/output unit connected with said sensor, said central processor unit and said memory; said input/output unit comprising; a first register for storing data representative of an interval of time, which data is supplied from said central processor unit; a first timer for counting up pulses which are produced at fixed periods of time; a comparator for comparing the stored data of said first register with the count value of said first timer to produce a pulse when the count value becomes equal to or greater than the value of the stored data; a first counter for counting up the pulses produced by means of said sensor, said first counter being reset in response to the pulse deleivered from said comparator; and wherein said central processing unit includes control means for changing the data to be set into said first register in accordance with a preceding count value of said first counter. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3)
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4. An apparatus for detecting the number of revolutions of the crankshaft of an internal combustion engine comprising:
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a sensor for detecting a rotational angle of the engine crankshaft, which generates a pulse each time the engine crankshaft rotates a fixed crank angle; a central processor unit for performing an arithmetic operation in accordance with a stored program, said processor unit providing first data indicative of a first interval of time, second data indicative of a second interval of time, and third data indicative of a third interval of time, wherein the first interval of time is greater than the second interval of time, and the second interval of time is greater than the third interval of time; a memory coupled to the central processor unit for storing the program to be executed; a first register for storing data selected from said first, second and third data; a first timer for counting up clock pulses; a comparator for comparing the stored data of said first register with the count value of said first timer to produce a pulse when the count value becomes equal to or greater than the value of the stored data; a first counter for counting up the pulses produced by means of said sensor, said first counter being reset in response to the pulse delivered from said comparator; and a second register connected with said first counter to receive the count value thereof, the contents of said second register being transferred to the central processor unit which performs an operation for comparing the transferred data with a preceding count value of said first counter to produce an output to determine which of the first, second and third data to be supplied to said first register is selected. - View Dependent Claims (5, 6, 7)
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8. In an electronic control apparatus for detecting the speed of a first member moving relative to a second member comprising:
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sensor means, coupled with said first and second members, for generating an output pulse for a prescribed displacement of said first and second members relative to each other; a data processing unit for carrying out data processing operations and providing output data; and an input/output unit coupled with said sensor means and said data processing unit; said input/output unit comprising; first means, coupled to said sensor means, for storing a first code, the value of which is modified in response to output pulses generated by said sensor means during a prescribed period of time; and second means for controlling the duration of said prescribed period of time in response to output data provided by said data processing unit, said second means including means for storing a second code, the value of which is modified of a preselected rate, and p1 means for generating an output signal, representative of said prescribed period of time during which the value of the first code stored by said fist means is modified, in response to the value of said second reaching a predetermined value. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A method of operating an electronic control apparatus so as to determine the speed of a first member relative to a second member, said apparatus having sensor means, coupled with said first and second members, for generating an output pulse for a prescribed displacement of said first and second members relative to each other, a data processing unit for carrying out data processing operations and providing output data, and an input/output unit coupled with said sensor means and said data processor unit, said input/output unit containing first means, coupled to said sensor means, for storing a first code, the value of which is modified by output pulses generated by said sensor means during a prescribed period of time, and second means for controlling the duration of said prescribed period of time in response to output data provided by said data processing unit,
said method comprising the steps of: -
storing said first code in said first means, whereby the value of said first code is modified by said output pulses generated by said sensor means during said prescribed period of time; converting the value of said first code having been modified during said prescribed period of time into data indicative of said speed in dependence upon the duration of said prescribed period of time within which said first code has been modified by said output pulses; and coupling to said data processing unit the converted value of said first code. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34)
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35. In a control apparatus for an internal combustion engine for use in a vehicle having:
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sensor means for producing signals representative of operating conditions of said engine including at least one of engine speed and vehicle speed; actuator means for controlling respective energy conversion functions of said engine in response to control signals applied thereto; an input/output unit coupled to receive signals produced by said sensor means and to deliver control signals to said actuator means, and a data processing unit, coupled to said input/output unit, for carrying out engine control data processing operations in accordance with signals produced by said sensor means and thereby generating engine control codes that are coupled to said input/outut unit; the improvement wherein said input/output unit comprises; first means for generating an engine control timing signal pattern through which operational events of said engine are controlled; second means, coupled to said data processing unit, for storing said engine control codes; third means, coupled to said first means, for generating respective engine timing codes the values of which are selectively modified by said engine control timing pattern; fourth means, coupled to said second and third means, for comparing respective ones of said engine control codes with respective ones of said engine timing codes and producing respective output signals when said respective engine control codes define a prescribed relationship with respect to said engine timing codes; and fifth means, coupled to said fourth means, for producing control signals to be coupled to said actuator means in response to the output signals produced by said fourth means; and
whereinsaid second means includes means for storing a first engine control code representative of a prescribed period of time during which one of said engine speed and vehicle speed is measured in response to signals produced by a respective one of said sensor means; and said third means includes means for generating a first engine timing code, the value of which is modified in response to the generation of signals produced by said respective one of said sensor means during said prescribed period of time, the value of said first engine timing code at the end of said prescribed period of time being representative of said one of said engine speed and vehicle speed. - View Dependent Claims (36, 37)
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Specification