Electronic engine timing
First Claim
1. An electronic timing system for an internal combustion engine, the system comprising:
- an engine gear wheel teeth position sensor for detecting the rotation of a gear wheel of the engine, wherein each gear tooth of a periphery of the gear wheel is detected as it passes said gear wheel teeth position sensor to generate a gear wheel teeth signal;
an engine phase sensor for detecting a phase of the engine and for generating an engine phase signal every cycle of the engine;
a signal multiplying means for multiplying said gear wheel teeth signal by an integer multiple of the number of cylinders, N, in the engine to produce a high resolution engine rotation signal in the form of a pulse train, each pulse in said pulse train indicating a predetermined angular displacement of the engine;
means for generating a cylinder cycle reference signal for initiating a timing activity for each individual cylinder of the engine, wherein said cylinder cycle reference signal is generated responsive to said high resolution engine rotation signal and engine phase signal such that a predetermined number of pulses of said high resolution engine rotation signal, corresponding to one cycle of the engine as indicated by said engine phase signal, is divided up into N equal cylinder timing intervals, each cylinder timing interval being marked by a cylinder cycle reference marker; and
,means for controlling the timing of combustion in respective cylinders of the engine responsive to said high resolution engine rotation signal, said engine phase signal and said cylinder cycle reference markers whereby, in use, the timing of combustion in each engine cylinder can be more precisely controlled to coincide with a desired operational position of the engine.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An electronic timing system for producing precise timing control signals to the fuel injectors and ignition coils of an internal combustion engine. The system includes a cylinder cycle marker circuit (16) for generating an engine cycle reference signal based on the detected operational position of the engine as indicated by a TDC signal and a fly wheel teeth (FWT) signal. The system also includes a cylinder sequencer (22) for controlling the sequence of combustion in respective cylinders of the engine responsive to the engine cycle reference signal. A multiplying circuit (14) is provided for multiplying the incoming FWT signal to produce a high resolution engine rotation signal which is a programmable integer multiple of the FWT signal. Injector and ignition timing control signals can be delayed by timers (24, 26) with a programmable delay specified in terms of an integer multiple of the multiplied FWT signal, and can therefore be precisely set in terms of ° crank angle before TDC regardless of the engine speed. Furthermore, being angle referenced each programmable delay at least maintains the last calculated advance setting regardless of changes in engine speed.
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Citations
18 Claims
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1. An electronic timing system for an internal combustion engine, the system comprising:
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an engine gear wheel teeth position sensor for detecting the rotation of a gear wheel of the engine, wherein each gear tooth of a periphery of the gear wheel is detected as it passes said gear wheel teeth position sensor to generate a gear wheel teeth signal; an engine phase sensor for detecting a phase of the engine and for generating an engine phase signal every cycle of the engine; a signal multiplying means for multiplying said gear wheel teeth signal by an integer multiple of the number of cylinders, N, in the engine to produce a high resolution engine rotation signal in the form of a pulse train, each pulse in said pulse train indicating a predetermined angular displacement of the engine; means for generating a cylinder cycle reference signal for initiating a timing activity for each individual cylinder of the engine, wherein said cylinder cycle reference signal is generated responsive to said high resolution engine rotation signal and engine phase signal such that a predetermined number of pulses of said high resolution engine rotation signal, corresponding to one cycle of the engine as indicated by said engine phase signal, is divided up into N equal cylinder timing intervals, each cylinder timing interval being marked by a cylinder cycle reference marker; and
,means for controlling the timing of combustion in respective cylinders of the engine responsive to said high resolution engine rotation signal, said engine phase signal and said cylinder cycle reference markers whereby, in use, the timing of combustion in each engine cylinder can be more precisely controlled to coincide with a desired operational position of the engine. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A method of electronic timing for an internal combustion engine, the method comprising:
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detecting the rotation of a gear wheel of the engine, wherein each gear tooth on a periphery of the gear wheel is detected to generate a gear wheel teeth signal; detecting a phase of the engine and generating an engine phase signal every cycle of the engine; multiplying said gear wheel teeth signal by an integer multiple of the number of cylinders, N, in the engine to produce a high resolution engine rotation signal in the form of a pulse train, each pulse in said pulse train indicating a predetermined angular displacement of the engine; generating a cylinder cycle reference signal for initiating a timing activity for each individual cylinder of the engine, wherein said cylinder cycle reference signal is generated responsive to said high resolution engine rotation signal and engine phase signal such that a predetermined number of pulses of said high resolution engine rotation signal, corresponding to one cycle of the engine as indicted by said engine phase signal, is divided up into N equal cylinder timing intervals, each cylinder timing interval being marked by a cylinder cycle reference marker; and
,controlling the timing of combustion in respective cylinders of the engine responsive to said high resolution engine rotation signal, said cylinder cycle reference markers and said engine phase signal whereby, in use, the timing of combustion in each engine cylinder can be more precisely controlled to coincide with a desired operational position of the engine. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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Specification