Technique for controlling the starting operation of an electronic engine control apparatus
First Claim
1. A method of operating a processor-controlled apparatus for controlling the operation of a combustion engine, said engine including an output shaft driven by mechanical energy converted from heat energy caused by the combustion of a fuel, at least one means controlling energy conversion in response to control signals applied thereto, and engine starting means which includes switching means having first and second states and wherein, during the second state of said switching means, said engine is started by a starter motor, said apparatus being coupled to receive signals produced by sensor means indicative of operating conditions of the engine and including input/output means adapted to receive sensed signals from said sensor means and to deliver control signals to said energy conversion controlling means, said input/output means including first means for generating said control signals in accordance with processor-generated engine control data and second means for producing a starter signal representative of the state of the switching means;
- said method comprising the steps of;
(a) detecting a change to the first state from the second state of said switching means in accordance with the starter signal produced by the second means of the input/output means; and
(b) starting, in accordance with step (a), an operation for detecting the condition of the stopping of energy conversion, so as to return said first means of said input/output means to a prescribed initial condition in response to the termination of energy conversion by said engine.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An electronic control apparatus for an internal combustion engine having engine parameter data sensors, an input/output unit, actuators and a data processing unit carries out a prescribed scenario for starting the engine. The starting sequence begins with the operation of a starting subsystem having a switch the state of which controls the operation of the starter motor. The starter motor is caused to be engaged and a set of initialization procedures are carried out by the data processing unit and input/output unit in dependence upon the state of the switch in the starting subsystem. These initializing procedures include engine operation control calculations as well as system preset steps. During this time, prescribed interrupts which would otherwise be delivered to the data processing unit from the input/output unit are inhibited. However, once the engine has been started, the interrupt inhibit is removed and the system operates under normal conditions.
43 Citations
24 Claims
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1. A method of operating a processor-controlled apparatus for controlling the operation of a combustion engine, said engine including an output shaft driven by mechanical energy converted from heat energy caused by the combustion of a fuel, at least one means controlling energy conversion in response to control signals applied thereto, and engine starting means which includes switching means having first and second states and wherein, during the second state of said switching means, said engine is started by a starter motor, said apparatus being coupled to receive signals produced by sensor means indicative of operating conditions of the engine and including input/output means adapted to receive sensed signals from said sensor means and to deliver control signals to said energy conversion controlling means, said input/output means including first means for generating said control signals in accordance with processor-generated engine control data and second means for producing a starter signal representative of the state of the switching means;
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said method comprising the steps of; (a) detecting a change to the first state from the second state of said switching means in accordance with the starter signal produced by the second means of the input/output means; and (b) starting, in accordance with step (a), an operation for detecting the condition of the stopping of energy conversion, so as to return said first means of said input/output means to a prescribed initial condition in response to the termination of energy conversion by said engine. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A method of operating a processor-controlled apparatus for controlling the operation of an internal combustion engine having an output shaft rotatably driven by mechanical energy generated in response to the combustion of fuel supplied to the engine, said engine including a starter motor for starting the engine, said starter motor being coupled to starter means including switching means having first and second states, said starter motor being energized in response to said switching means being in a second of first and second states into which said switching means may be placed, said apparatus including sensor means for producing signals representative of operating conditions of the engine and an input/output unit coupled to receive signals produced by said sensor means and to deliver control signals to be coupled to the engine to control energy conversion functions of the engine, said input/output unit including first means for generating said control signals in accordance with processor-generated engine control data;
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said method comprising the steps of; (a) generating a first signal in response to said switching means being in said second state; (b) in response to said switching means being in said first state, detecting whether or not said first signal has been generated; and (c) in response to detecting that said first signal has been generated, monitoring an energy conversion function of said engine and, upon detecting a stopping condition of said energy conversion function, inhibiting said first means from generating said control signals. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A method of operating an electronic control apparatus for controlling the operation of a combustion engine, said engine including an output shaft driven by mechanical energy converted from heat energy caused by the combustion of fuel, and at least one means controlling energy conversion and engine starting means, said engine starting means including switching means having first and second states, and, during the second state of the switching means, said engine being started by a starter motor, and electronic control apparatus including a plurality of sensors, input/output means adapted to receive signals from said sensors and to deliver control signals to said energy conversion controlling means, and control circuit means, coupled to said input/output means, for producing engine control data in accordance with the signals generated by the sensors, said input/output means including first means for generating said control signals in accordance with engine control data produced by the control circuit means, and second means for producing a starter signal representative of the state of said switching means;
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said method comprising the steps of; (a) detecting a change to the first state from the second state of said switching means in accordance with the starter signal produced by the second means of the input/output means; and (b) starting, in accordance with step (a), an operation for detecting the condition of the stopping of said energy conversion of the engine so as to return said first means of said input/output means to prescribed initial condition in response to the stopping of said energy conversion. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24)
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Specification