Method and system for controlling ignition timing for internal combustion engine

• US 5,727,522 A
• Filed: 03/25/1997
• Issued: 03/17/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 03/25/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi Car Engineering Company Limited (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: HITACHI, LTD. AND HITACHI CAR ENGINEERING CO., LTD.
• Inventors: Hayasaka, Masayoshi, Otani, Asahiko
• Primary Examiner(s): Nelli, Raymond A.
• Application Number:
  US08/824,554
• Time in Patent Office: 357 Days
• Field of Search: 123/339.11, 123/339.19, 123/339.23, 123/422, 123/406, 123/417, 123/418, 364/431.04
• US Class Current: 123/339.11
• CPC Class Codes: F02P 5/1508 with particular means during idling
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/40 Engine management systems

Abstract

In a control system for an ignition timing of an internal combustion engine and a control method for the ignition timing, a basic ignition timing of the engine is set, an engine speed is detected, a target value of the engine speed is set while the engine is in idling condition, an ignition timing correction amount is determined depending upon a difference of the target value and a detected engine speed while the engine is in idling condition, the basic ignition timing is corrected with the correction amount, and after the engine speed becomes higher than or equal to a predetermined value, the engine is controlled with the corrected ignition timing.

Claims

1. An ignition timing control system for an internal combustion engine comprising:

basic ignition timing setting means for setting a basic ignition timing of the engine;

means for setting a target value of an engine speed while the engine is in idling condition;

correcting means for determining an ignition timing correction value depending upon a difference between said target value and a detected engine speed and correcting the basic ignition timing with said ignition timing correction value; and

control means for controlling said engine with the corrected ignition timing after the engine speed becomes higher than or equal to a predetermined value.

2. An ignition timing control system as set forth in claim 1, which further includes means for detecting the idling condition of the engine.

3. An ignition timing control system as set forth in claim 2, wherein said means for detecting engine idling condition includes a sensor for detecting an open angle of a throttle valve and means for making judgment that the engine is in idling condition when the throttle valve open angle representative of closed condition is detected.

4. An ignition timing control system as set forth in claim 2, wherein said means for detecting engine idling condition includes an accelerator pedal for operating a throttle valve, an accelerator sensor for detecting whether the accelerator pedal is depressed or not, and means for making judgement that the engine is in idling condition when the accelerator pedal is not depressed.

5. An ignition timing control system as set forth in claim 1, wherein said correction is initiated with a further time delay after the engine speed of the internal combustion engine once reaches the predetermined value.

6. An ignition timing control system as set forth in claim 5, wherein said time delay is set depending upon an elapsed time after the engine speed of the internal combustion engine once reached the predetermined value.

7. An ignition timing control system as set forth in claim 5, wherein said time delay is set based on a parameter value indicative of integrated value of an intake vacuum of the internal combustion engine.

13. An ignition timing control system as set forth in claim 1, wherein said ignition timing correcting means generates a correction value for retarding the ignition timing from said basic ignition timing when said engine speed is higher than said target value, for advancing the ignition timing from said basic ignition timing when said engine speed is lower than said target value, and for not to effect correction or to retard from said basic ignition timing when said engine speed is lower than said target value and a difference between is greater than or equal to said predetermined value.

14. An ignition timing control system as set forth in claim 13, wherein said ignition timing control means provides a correction restricting period wherein the timing correction to retarding direction is restricted or the timing correction is inhibited when the engine speed is lower than the target speed and the difference therebetween is not less than a predetermined value while a predetermined time is not elapsed after the start of the engine.

15. An ignition timing control system as set forth in claim 14, wherein said ignition timing correcting means determines said correction restricting period depending upon a parameter value indicative of a friction of said engine.

16. An ignition timing control system as set forth in claim 1, which further comprises correction amount variation speed restricting means sets variation amount of an ignition timing correction amount per predetermined period or per predetermined engine speed to a maximum variation amount, when said ignition timing correction amount is greater than said maximum variation amount.

17. An ignition timing control system as set forth in claim 16, wherein said correction amount variation speed restricting means triggers when said engine condition is changed into the idling state for gradually increasing said correction amount of said ignition timing correction to attain a predetermined characteristics depending upon said engine speed and said target value.

18. An ignition timing control system as set forth in claim 17, which further comprises inhibiting means for disabling said correction amount variation speed restricting means during a period up to elapsing of a predetermined period after starting-up of said engine, a period while said engine is in deceleration state, or a period while said engine is in operation at the engine speed corresponding to said target value.

19. An ignition timing control system as set forth in claim 18, wherein said correction amount variation speed restricting means is triggered when said engine is changed the state from the idling condition to other condition, for gradually reducing said correction amount from a predetermined characteristics to zero depending upon the difference between said target value and said engine speed when the engine is not in deceleration state upon triggering and ignition timing correcting is retarding correction.

20. An ignition timing control system as set forth in claim 1, which further comprises:

means for detecting variation of lowering speed of said engine speed, and

correction restricting means for restricting the correction value of said ignition timing or inhibiting correction when said engine speed is higher than the predetermined speed while said lowering speed variation is greater than or equal to the predetermined value.

25. An ignition timing control system as set forth in claim 1, which further comprises one of valve open speed detecting means for detecting valve opening speed of a throttle valve of said engine, load increasing speed detecting means for detecting increasing speed of an engine load, and engine speed variation detecting means for detecting increasing speed of the engine speed, acceleration judgment means for detecting accelerating state of the engine on the basis of the result of detection of any one of said valve open speed detecting means, said load increasing speed detecting means and said engine speed variation detecting means, and correction restricting means for restricting correction amount or inhibiting correction when accelerating condition is judged.

26. An ignition timing control system as set forth in claims 25, which further comprises one of valve open speed detecting means for detecting valve opening speed of a throttle valve of said engine, load increasing speed detecting means for detecting increasing speed of an engine load, and engine speed variation detecting means for detecting increasing speed of the engine speed, acceleration judgment means for detecting accelerating state of the engine on the basis of the result of detection of any one of said valve open speed detecting means, said load increasing speed detecting means and said engine speed variation detecting means, and correction restricting means for restricting correction amount or inhibiting correction when accelerating condition is judged.

31. An ignition timing control system as set forth in claim 1, which further comprises fail-safe means for restricting said ignition timing correction amount, inhibiting correction or adjusting air/fuel ratio of a mixture to be supplied to said engine when the retarding correction amount of the ignition timing of greater than or equal to a predetermined value and said retarding correction value is maintained for a period longer than or equal to a predetermined period.

33. An ignition timing control system as set forth in claim 31, which further comprises fail-safe means for restricting said ignition timing correction amount, inhibiting correction or adjusting air/fuel ratio of a mixture to be supplied to said engine when the retarding correction amount of the ignition timing of greater than or equal to a predetermined value and said retarding correction value is maintained for a period longer than or equal to a predetermined period.

8. An ignition timing control system for an internal combustion engine comprising:

basic ignition timing setting means for setting a basic ignition timing of the engine;

driving condition detecting means including a sensor for detecting an engine speed;

means for setting a target value of an engine speed while the engine is in idling condition;

correcting means for determining an ignition timing correction value depending upon a difference between said target value and a detected engine speed and correcting the basic ignition timing with said ignition timing correction value;

monitoring means for detecting variation speed of taking-up of the engine speed upon starting-up of said engine; and

control means for controlling said engine with the corrected ignition timing after the engine speed becomes higher than or equal to a predetermined value.

9. An ignition timing control system as set forth in claim 8, which further includes means for detecting the idling condition of the engine.

10. An ignition timing control system as set forth in claim 9, wherein said means for detecting engine idling condition includes a sensor for detecting an open angle of a throttle valve and means for making judgment that the engine is in idling condition when the throttle valve open angle representative of closed condition is detected.

11. An ignition timing control system as set forth in claim 9, wherein said means for detecting engine idling condition includes an accelerator pedal for operating a throttle valve, an accelerator sensor for detecting whether the accelerator pedal is depressed or not, and means for making judgement that the engine is in idling condition when the accelerator pedal is not depressed.

12. An ignition timing control system as set forth in claim 8, wherein said ignition timing correcting means enables initiation of correction of the ignition timing after the engine speed once reaches a predetermined value, and the gone is controlled with the corrected ignition timing when a variation speed of the engine speed at starting-up of the engine is lower than a predetermined value.

21. An ignition timing control system for an internal combustion engine comprising:

basic ignition timing setting means for setting a basic ignition timing of the engine;

driving condition detecting means including a sensor for detecting an engine speed;

means for setting a target value of an engine speed while the engine is in idling condition;

correcting means for determining an ignition timing correction value depending upon a difference between said target value and a detected engine speed and correcting the basic ignition timing with said ignition timing correction value;

monitoring means for detecting variation speed of taking-up of the engine speed upon starting-up of said engine;

correction amount variation speed restricting means for setting variation of said ignition timing correction amount to said maximum variation amount when variation amount of said ignition timing correction amount per predetermined period or per predetermined engine speed is greater than predetermined maximum variation amount;

means for detecting lowering speed variation of said engine speed; and

correction restricting means for restricting the correction amount of said ignition timing or inhibiting correction when said lowering speed variation is greater than or equal to the predetermined value and said engine speed is higher than said predetermined engine speed,

said correction restricting means preferentially functioning before operation of said correction amount variation speed restricting means.

22. An ignition timing control system as set forth in claim 21, which further includes means for detecting the idling condition of the engine.

23. An ignition timing control system as set forth in claim 22, wherein said means for detecting engine idling condition includes a sensor for detecting an open angle of a throttle valve and means for making judgment that the engine is in idling condition when the throttle valve open angle representative of closed condition is detected.

24. An ignition timing control system as set forth in claim 22, wherein said means for detecting engine idling condition includes an accelerator pedal for operating a throttle valve, an accelerator sensor for detecting whether the accelerator pedal is depressed or not, and means for making judgement that the engine is in idling condition when the accelerator pedal is not depressed.

32. An ignition timing control system as set forth in claim 24, which further comprises fail-safe means for restricting said ignition timing correction amount, inhibiting correction or adjusting air/fuel ratio of a mixture to be supplied to said engine when the retarding correction amount of the ignition timing of greater than or equal to a predetermined value and said retarding correction value is maintained for a period longer than or equal to a predetermined period.

27. An ignition timing control system for an internal combustion engine comprising:

basic ignition timing setting means for setting a basic ignition timing of the engine;

driving condition detecting means including a sensor for detecting an engine speed;

means for setting a target value of an engine speed while the engine is in idling condition;

correcting means for determining an ignition timing correction value depending upon a difference between said target value and a detected engine speed and correcting the basic ignition timing with said ignition timing correction value;

monitoring means for detecting variation speed of taking-upon of the engine speed upon starting-up said engine;

correction amount variation speed restricting means for setting variation of said ignition timing correction amount to said maximum variation amount when variation amount of said ignition timing correction amount per predetermined period or per predetermined engine speed is greater than predetermined maximum variation amount;

one of valve open speed detecting means for detecting valve opening speed of a throttle valve of said engine, load increasing speed detecting means for detecting increasing speed of an engine load, and engine speed variation detecting means for detecting increasing speed of the engine speed;

acceleration judgment means for detecting accelerating state of the engine on the basis of the result of detection of any one of said valve open speed detecting means, said load increasing speed detecting means and said engine speed variation detecting means, and correction restricting means for restricting correction amount or inhibiting correction when accelerating condition is judged; and

correction restricting means for restricting the correction amount of said ignition timing or inhibiting correction when said lowering speed variation is greater than or equal to the predetermined value and said engine speed is higher than said predetermined engine speed,

said correction restricting means preferentially functioning before operation of said correction amount variation speed restricting means.

28. An ignition timing control system as set forth in claim 27, which further includes means for detecting the idling condition of the engine.

29. An ignition timing control system as set forth in claim 28, wherein said means for detecting engine idling condition includes a sensor for detecting an open angle of a throttle valve and means for making judgment that the engine is in idling condition when the throttle valve open angle representative of closed condition is detected.

30. An ignition timing control system as set forth in claim 28, wherein said means for detecting engine idling condition includes an accelerator pedal for operating a throttle valve, an accelerator sensor for detecting whether the accelerator pedal is depressed or not, and means for making judgement that the engine is in idling condition when the accelerator pedal is not depressed.

34. A method for controlling an ignition timing of an internal combustion engine comprising the steps of:

setting a basic ignition timing of the engine;

detecting an engine speed;

setting a target value of the engine speed when the engine is in idling condition;

determining an ignition timing correction value detecting upon a difference between said target value and the engine speed while the engine is in idling condition;

correcting the value of said basic ignition timing with said correction value; and

controlling the engine with the corrected ignition timing when the engine speed becomes higher than or equal to a predetermined value.

35. An ignition timing control method as set forth in claim 34, which further includes a step of detecting the idling condition of the engine, said idling condition detecting step includes steps of detecting valve open angle of a throttle valve, and making judgment that the engine is in idling condition when the valve open angle representative of closing condition of the throttle valve is detected.

36. An ignition timing control method as set forth in claim 34, which further includes a step of detecting idling condition of the engine, said idling condition detecting step includes steps of detecting whether an accelerator pedal for operating a throttle valve is depressed or not and making judgment that the engine is in idling condition when the accelerator pedal not depressed is detected.