OBD-II exhaust gas oxygen sensor

• US 5,357,791 A
• Filed: 03/15/1993
• Issued: 10/25/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Motor Company
• Inventors: Squire, Carl W., Smith, Paul F., Schubert, Thomas A., Gee, Thomas S.
• Primary Examiner(s): RAEVIS, ROBERT R
• Application Number:
  US08/031,407
• Time in Patent Office: 589 Days
• Field of Search: 73/118.1, 73/23.31, 73/117.2, 364/431.05, 364/431.11, 123/688
• US Class Current: 73/114.73
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/1441 Plural sensors
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/1495 Detection of abnormalities in the air/fuel ratio feedback system

Abstract

Functionality of the exhaust gas oxygen sensor is determined by continually monitoring the exhaust gas oxygen sensor voltage to determine both a peak rich voltage and peak lean voltage. Based on the information after some predetermined time period, a system determines whether rich air/fuel ratio excursions are required and lean air/fuel ratio excursions are required. If a rich air/fuel excursion is required, then there is a command to decrease the air/fuel ratio to make it rich until the peak rich voltage is greater than a predetermined threshold voltage. Analogously, if a lean excursion is required, then there is a command to have a lean air/fuel ratio excursion done until the peak lean voltage is less than a predetermined threshold. If a time out happened before the peak rich voltage was greater than the rich threshold or the peak lean voltage was less than the lean threshold, then there is a determination that there is a malfunction detected on the sensor/circuit.

Claims

1. A method for determining the functionality of an EGO sensor including the non-intrusive steps of:

reading the exhaust gas oxygen sensor voltage;

comparing the exhaust gas oxygen sensor voltage to a peak rich voltage;

comparing the exhaust gas oxygen voltage to a peak lean voltage;

storing the exhaust gas oxygen sensor voltage as the peak rich voltage if the current exhaust gas oxygen voltage is greater than the previous peak voltage;

storing the exhaust gas oxygen sensor voltage as the peak lean voltage if the exhaust gas oxygen sensor voltage is less than the peak lean voltage; and

further including the intrusive steps of;

determining if a rich air/fuel ratio excursion is required;

commanding a rich air/fuel ratio excursion if it is required;

holding the rich air fuel ratio until there is a time out or the peak rich voltage is greater than a threshold rich voltage;

if a time out happened, determining that there is a malfunction of the sensor;

determining if a lean excursion is required;

if yes, commanding a lean air/fuel ratio excursion;

holding the lean A/F excursion until the peak lean voltage is less than a threshold lean voltage or there has been a time out;

if there is a time out, then a malfunction is detected;

if no time out happened, then the sensor is OK; and

if no lean excursion is required, then the sensor is OK.

2. A method for determining the functionality of an upstream or a downstream EGO sensor associated with the exhaust of an internal combustion engine including the steps of:

reading the voltage from each of the exhaust gas oxygen sensors,

storing the peak voltage readings of the exhaust gas sensor voltages;

comparing a peak voltage reading to a predetermined voltage window by comparing the peak voltages of the upstream sensor to a predetermined window and then comparing the peak voltages of the downstream sensor to the predetermined window; and

adding a predetermined time delay between the steps of comparing the peak voltages of the upstream sensor to the predetermined voltage window and comparing the peak voltage of the downstream sensor to the predetermined voltage window.

3. A method as recited in claim 2 further comprising the intrusive steps of:

determining if a rich air/fuel ratio excursion is required;

commanding a rich air/fuel ratio excursion if it is required;

holding the rich air/fuel ratio until there is a time out or the peak rich voltage is greater than the threshold rich voltage;

if a time out happened, determining that there is a malfunction of the sensor;

determining if a lean excursion is required;

if yes, commanding a lean air/fuel ratio excursion;

holding the lean A/F excursion until the peak lean voltage is less than the threshold lean voltage or there has been a time out;

if there is a time out, then a malfunction is detected;

if no time out happened, then the sensor is OK; and

if no lean excursion is required, then the sensor is OK.