Universal control of a plurality of fuel injectors for an internal combustion engine

• US 5,233,964 A
• Filed: 10/10/1991
• Issued: 08/10/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 10/10/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Visteon Global Technologies Incorporated (Visteon Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Ford Motor Company
• Inventors: Jamoua, Saad A., Flannery, Kevin M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dolinar, Andrew M.
• Application Number:
  US07/774,500
• Time in Patent Office: 670 Days
• Field of Search: 123/487, 123/490, 123/479, 123/480, 364/431.05, 364/431.12
• US Class Current: 123/479
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2250/12 Timing of calculation, i.e. specific timing aspects when calculation or updating of engine parameter is performed
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/266 the computer being backed-up or assisted by another circuit, e.g. analogue
• CPC Class Codes: F02P 15/008 Reserve ignition systems; Redundancy of some ignition devices
• CPC Class Codes: F02P 5/1518 using two or more central computing units, e.g. interpolation
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/40 Engine management systems

Abstract

Auxiliary control is used to reduce the processing load of an engine control computer by directly controlling a fuel injection system of an internal combustion engine. After initial set up, an auxiliary controller is able to control up to eight injectors while only receiving delay times from engine operating events, e.g. power stroke of each associated cylinder, and pulse width time periods defining the activation times for the injectors. The auxiliary controller can also maintain limited engine operation in the event of failure of the engine control computer when the computer is unable to provide updated delay times and pulse width time periods. A delay time and a pulse width time period are continuously calculated by the engine control computer and provided to the auxiliary controller. The most recently received delay time and pulse width time period are then used by the auxiliary controller to control up to eight identified fuel injectors. The auxiliary controller needs to be set up only one time during each engine operating period. By initializing the auxiliary controller each time it is used, the auxiliary controller can be made universal in that one controller design can be used to interchangeably service a large variety of engines.

Claims

1. A sequential circuit universal controller for controlling a plurality of electronic fuel injectors of an internal combustion engine, said controller comprising:

first register means for receiving and storing controller configuration data defining electronic fuel injectors to be controlled;

second register means for receiving and storing pulse width data and time delay data required for current control of said defined electronic fuel injectors; and

circuit means responsive to the stored contents of said first and second register means for generating control signals for said electronic fuel injectors whereby said electronic fuel injectors are controlled in accordance with current demands of said internal combustion engine which are provided to said controller via updates of data received and stored within said second register means, said circuit means including delay counters for generating signals to activate said electronic fuel injectors upon counting to a defined count set by said time delay data and pulse width counters for generating signals to deactivate said electronic fuel injectors upon counting to a defined count set by said pulse width data, and means for loading said delay counters and said pulse width counters with said time delay data and said pulse width data, respectively, prior to operation whereby said controller can be updated at any time by new pulse width data and time delay data.

2. A sequential circuit universal controller for controlling a plurality of electronic fuel injectors of an internal combustion engine as claimed in claim 1 wherein said universal controller is formed as an integrated circuit chip.

3. A sequential circuit universal controller for controlling a plurality of electronic fuel injectors of an internal combustion engine as claimed in claim 1 wherein said universal controller controls up to eight electronic fuel injectors.

4. A sequential circuit universal controller for controlling a plurality of electronic fuel injectors of an internal combustion engine as claimed in claim 1 further comprising limited engine operation means coupled to said circuit means for operating said controller with a predefined delay time and a predefined pulse width time period in the event of failure of a primary engine controller which operates said universal controller.

5. A sequential circuit universal controller for controlling a plurality of electronic fuel injectors of an internal combustion engine as claimed in claim 4 wherein said predefined delay time is equal to zero.

6. A method of controlling a plurality of electronic fuel injectors of an internal combustion engine from a primary control computer by the addition of a sequential circuit universal fuel injector controller to reduce the control operations required to be performed by the primary control computer, said method comprising the steps of:

generating initialization signals which are passed from the primary control computer to the sequential circuit universal fuel injector controller and stored therein to identify a number of fuel injectors to be controlled and a fuel injector control mode;

repeatedly generating a delay time from a recurring event within the internal combustion engine for activation of the fuel injectors and a pulse width time period defining a time period for the activation of the identified fuel injectors, delay times and pulse width times being generated by said primary control computer, passed to and stored in said sequential circuit universal fuel injector controller; and

applying said delay times and said pulse width times in accordance with the identified fuel injectors to control the identified fuel injectors by generation of fuel injector control signals by said sequential circuit universal fuel injector controller by performing the steps of;

loading a current delay time into a delay counter corresponding to the fuel injector to be activated;

loading a current pulse width time period into a pulse width counter corresponding to the fuel injector to be activated;

activating said delay counter;

activating the fuel injector to be activated upon said delay counter reaching a defined count;

activating said pulse width counter; and

deactivating the fuel injector to be activated upon said pulse width counter reaching a defined count whereby updates of said delay times and pulse width time periods can be made at any time and are utilized for control of the next fuel injector to be activated.

7. A method of controlling a plurality of electronic fuel injectors of an internal combustion engine as claimed in claim 6 further providing for operation of the fuel injectors in the event of failure of said primary control computer, said method further comprising the steps of:

generating limited operation fuel control signals in accordance with a predefined delay time and a predefined pulse width time period for limited operation of said engine; and

forcing selection of said limited operation fuel control signals for controlling the fuel injectors.

8. A method of controlling a plurality of electronic fuel injectors of an internal combustion engine as claimed in claim 7 wherein said predefined delay time is equal to zero.