Apparatus and method for controlling a car

• US 5,050,562 A
• Filed: 01/11/1989
• Issued: 09/24/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 01/13/1988
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Ishii, Junichi, Kurihara, Nobuo, Amano, Matsuo, Makino, Junichi, Atago, Takeshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Dolinar, Andrew M.
• Application Number:
  US07/295,820
• Time in Patent Office: 986 Days
• Field of Search: 123/489, 123/480, 123/486, 123/488, 123/479, 123/416, 123/440, 123/417, 123/589, 364/431.05, 364/431.11, 364/431.12, 364/431.01
• US Class Current: 123/406.44
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 1/04 with fuel-air mixture admission into cylinder
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/2441 characterised by the learning conditions
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/2454 Learning of the air-fuel ratio control
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/248 using a plurality of learned values

Abstract

A car control apparatus in which correction characteristics indicating whether or not various control constants are proper or not are calculated through loop control of one of the car'"'"'s operation parameters, such as the air-fuel ratio, on the basis of the air-fuel ratio correction factors subjected to learning to thereby rationalize the control constants such as the fundamental injection time so as to realize proper fuel injection and proper ignition timing control.

Claims

1. A car control apparatus, comprising:

(a) an operating condition detection means for detecting one of a plurality of operating condition parameters in an actuating system of a car;

(b) a regulation means for regulating the operating conditions of said actuating system of said car;

(c) a control signal generation means for generating a control signal for controlling said regulation means on the basis of an output of said operating condition detection means; and

(d) a correction means for obtaining a learning factor by feedback of said one car operating condition parameter, and for deriving at least two correction factors from said learning factor;

said correction factors including a control constant correction factor for correcting a control constant component to be used for generating at least the control signal, and an output constant correction factor for correcting an output constant component of said operating condition detection means; and

for correcting the control constant of said control signal and the output correction constant using said correction factors.

2. A car control apparatus, comprising:

(a) an operating condition detection means for detecting one of a plurality of operation condition parameters in an actuating system of a car;

(b) a regulation means for regulating the operating conditions of said actuating system of said car;

(c) a control signal generation means for generating a control signal for controlling said regulation means on the basis of an output of said operating condition detection means; and

(d) a correction means for obtaining a learning factor by feedback of said one car operating condition parameter, and for deriving at least two correction factors from said learning factor;

said correction factors including a control constant correction factor for correcting an initial control constant component to be used for generating at least the control signal, and an output constant correction factor for correcting an initial output constant component of said operating condition detection means; and

for correcting the initial control constant of said control signal and the initial output correction constant using said correction factors.

3. A car control apparatus, comprising:

(a) an operating condition detection means for detecting one of a plurality of operating conditions in an actuating system of a car;

(b) a regulation means for regulating the operating conditions of said actuating system of said car;

(c) a control signal generation means for generating a control signal for controlling said regulation means on the basis of an output of said operating condition detection means, said control signal generation means including a memory means; and

(d) initial constant setting means for obtaining a learning factor by feedback of said one car operating condition parameter, and for deriving at least two correction factors from said learning factor;

said correction factors including a control constant correction factor for correcting an initial control constant component to be used for generating at least the control signal, and an output constant correction factor for correcting an initial output constant component of said operating condition detection means; and

for correcting the initial control constant of said control signal and the initial output correction constant using said correction factors, said corrected initial control constant of said control signal and the initial output correction constant being stored in said memory means.

4. A method for controlling a car having a car control apparatus, comprising:

(a) an operating condition detection means for detecting one of a plurality of operating conditions in an actuating system of a car;

(b) a regulation means for controlling the operating conditions of said actuating system of said car; and

(c) a control signal generation means responsive to an output of said operating condition detection means for generating a control signal for controlling said regulation means and for generating control constants stored in a memory or correction constants to be used for correcting output characteristics of said operating condition detection means;

wherein said method in which said constants are renewed comprises the steps of;

(1) storing desired constants into said memory;

(2) producing said control signals by using said desired constants to thereby control said regulation means;

(3) feeding back one of a plurality of parameters of said car operating conditions to thereby obtain a learning factor of said actuating system;

(4) dividing said variation components into two or more correction factors including a control constant correction factor for correcting a control constant component to be used for generating at least the control signal, and an output constant correction factor for correcting an output constant component of said operating condition detection means, and correcting the control constant of said control signal and the output correction constant using said correction factors; and

(5) updating said constants which have been stored in said memory by using said correction factors.

5. A car control apparatus, comprising:

(a) an air-fuel ratio sensor for detecting an air-fuel ratio on the basis of exhaust gas components of an engine;

(b) an air flow sensor for detecting an amount of air sucked into said engine;

(c) an injection signal generation means for generating a fuel injection signal on the basis of an output of said air flow sensor; and

(d) a correction means for obtaining a learning factor on the basis of a signal of said air-fuel ratio sensor, and for deriving at least two correction factors from said learning factor;

said correction factors including a control constant correction factor for correcting a control constant component to be used for generating at least the fuel injection signal, and an output constant correction factor for correcting an output constant component of said air flow sensor; and

for correcting the control constant of said fuel injection signal and the output correction constant using said correction factors.

6. A car control apparatus, comprising:

(a) an air flow sensor for detecting an amount of air sucked into an engine;

(b) an engine speed sensor for detecting the engine speed of said engine;

(c) an injection signal generation means for obtaining an injection pulse width T_p in accordance with an expression of ##EQU8## where K_const represents an injector constant, Q_a represents an output of said air flow sensor, and N represents an output of said engine speed sensor;

(d) an air-fuel ration sensor for detecting an air-fuel ratio on the basis of exhaust gas components of said engine;

(e) a variation component memory for storing variation components determined on the basis of deviations between air-fuel ratio target values previously set in accordance with a plurality of predetermined operating conditions of said engine and air-fuel ratio detection values detected by said air-fuel ratio detection sensor under a plurality of corresponding engine operating conditions;

(f) a correction calculation means for performing a calculation for dividing said variation components in said variation component memory into at least two distinct components as correction values including a control constant component to be used for generating at least the fuel injection signal and an output correction constant component of the output Q_a of said air flow sensor; and

(g) a correction means for correcting the output Q_a of said air flow sensor by using the correction values obtained by said correction calculation means.

7. A car control apparatus, comprising:

(a) an air flow sensor for detecting an amount of air sucked into an engine;

(b) an engine speed sensor for detecting the engine speed of said engine;

(c) an injection signal generation means for obtaining an injection pulse width T_i in accordance with an expression of ##EQU9## where K_const represents an injector constant, T_s represents an ineffective time constant, Q_a represents an output of said air flow sensor, and N represents an output of said engine speed sensor;

(d) an air-fuel ratio sensor for detecting an air-fuel ratio on the basis of exhaust gas components of said engine;

(e) a variation component memory for storing variation components determined on the basis of deviations between air-fuel ratio target values previously set in accordance with a plurality of predetermined operating conditions of said engine and air-fuel ratio detection values detected by said air-fuel ratio detection sensor under a plurality of corresponding engine operating conditions;

(f) a correction calculation means for operating a calculation for dividing said variation components in said variation component memory into distinct components as correction values including said injector constant to be used for generating at least the fuel injection signal, inefficient time constant and an output correction constant component of the output Q_a of said air flow sensor; and

(g) a correction means for correcting the output Q_a of said air flow sensor, said injector constant and said inefficient time constant by using the correction values obtained by said correction calculation means.

8. A car control method in an apparatus, comprising:

(a) an air flow sensor for detecting an amount of air sucked into an engine;

(b) an engine speed sensor for detecting the engine speed of said engine;

(c) an injection signal generation means for obtaining an injection pulse width T in accordance with an expression of ##EQU10## where K_const represents an injector constant, T_s represents an ineffective time constant, Q_a represents an output of said air flow sensor, and N represents an output of said engine speed sensor;

(d) an air-fuel ratio sensor for detecting an air-fuel ratio on the basis of exhaust gas components of said engine;

(e) a variation component memory for storing variation components determined on the basis of deviations between air-fuel ratio target values previously set in accordance with a plurality of predetermined operating conditions of said engine and air-fuel ratio detection values detected by said air-fuel ratio detection sensor under a plurality of corresponding engine operating conditions;

(f) a correction calculation means for operating a calculation for dividing said variation components in said variation component memory into distinct components as correction values including said injector constant to be used for generating at least the fuel injection signal, inefficient time constant and an output correction constant component of the output Q_a of said air flow sensor; and

(g) a correction means for correcting the output Q_a of said air flow sensor, said injector constant and said inefficient time constant by using the correction values obtained by said correction calculation means;

wherein said method comprises a step determining said correction values of said constants in the following order;

(1) said ineffective time constant;

(2) said air flow sensor output characteristic correction constants; and

(3) said injector constant.

9. An engine control apparatus comprising at least two sensors, including an air-fuel ratio sensor and at least one engine controlling actuator, in which deviations between air-fuel ratio target values previously set in accordance with a plurality of predetermined operating conditions of said engine and air-fuel ratio detection values actually detected by said air-fuel ratio detection sensor under a plurality of corresponding engine operating conditions are calculated and held as a plurality of predetermined air-fuel ratio correction factors so that said actuator is controlled by using said air-fuel ratio correction factors to perform feedback control,

said engine control apparatus further comprising a calculated processing means for calculating characteristic correction factors for a detection value of the engine operating condition detected by at least one of said sensors and characteristic correction factors for control characteristic of said at least one actuator separately from each other on the basis of at least two air-fuel ratio correction factors in the different engine operating conditions among said calculated and held plurality of predetermined air-fuel ratio correction factors, whereby abnormality is judged on the corresponding sensor and actuator by using the numerical values of said characteristic correction factors.

10. A car control apparatus comprising:

(a) an air flow sensor for detecting an amount of air sucked into an engine;

(b) an engine speed sensor for detecting the engine speed of said engine;

(c) an injection signal generation means for obtaining an injection pulse width T_p in accordance with an expression of ##EQU11## where K_const represents an injector constant, Q_a represents an output of said air flow sensor, and N represents an output of said engine speed sensor;

(d) an air-fuel ratio sensor for detecting an air-fuel ratio on the basis of exhaust gas components of said engine;

(e) a variation components memory for storing variation components determined on the basis of deviations between air-fuel ratio target values previously set in accordance with a plurality of predetermined operating conditions of said engine and air-fuel ratio detection values detected by said air-fuel ratio detection sensor under a plurality of corresponding engine operating conditions;

(f) a correction calculation means for operating a calculation for dividing said variation components in said variation component memory into at least two distinct components as correction values including a control constant component to be used for generating at least the fuel injection signal and an output correction constant component of the output Q_a of said air flow sensor;

(g) a correction means for correcting the output Q_a of said air flow sensor by using the correction values obtained by said correction calculation means; and

(h) an ignition timing determination means for determining a fundamental ignition timing on the basis of a value of division between the corrected value of said output Q_a of said air flow sensor and the output N of said engine speed sensor.

11. An engine control apparatus comprising:

(a) means for detecting and outputting parameters indicating operating condition of the engine;

(b) means for controlling operation values of said engine according to control values;

(c) feedback means for correcting said control values in order to make said outputted parameters of said detecting means close to predetermined target values;

(d) means for learning characteristics of relations between said control values and said operation values during actual operation of said engine and determining variations of the characteristics;

(e) means for determining compensation values for said control values and for said outputted parameters of said detecting means on the basis of the variations obtained by said learning means; and

(f) means for revising or compensating said control values and said outputted parameters of said detecting means according to said compensation values for said control values and for said outputted parameters of said detecting means.