Ignition timing control system for internal combustion engine

• US 6,302,082 B1
• Filed: 04/19/2000
• Issued: 10/16/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Sato, Masahiro, Nagatani, Shuji, Torii, Minoru
• Primary Examiner(s): SOLIS, ERICK R
• Application Number:
  US09/552,146
• Time in Patent Office: 545 Days
• Field of Search: 123/305, 123/406.47
• US Class Current: 123/305
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2041/389 for injecting directly into the cylinder
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2200/0406 Intake manifold pressure
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 37/02 one of the functions being ignition
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/0047 Controlling exhaust gas recirculation [EGR] temperature control with cooler in recirculation circuit F02M26/33
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/3023 a mode being the stratified charge spark-ignited mode
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/401 Controlling injection timing F02D41/402 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F02P 5/1502 using one central computing unit
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/40 Engine management systems

Abstract

An ignition timing control system for a direct injection spark ignition internal combustion engine which is operated at an ultra-lean burn combustion or at a pre-mixture charged combustion. In the system, a desired fuel injection end timing at which injection of the determined fuel injection amount should be ended is determined. Then, the difference between the desired fuel injection end timing and the ignition timing is calculated and is determined whether the difference is less than a predetermined value (crank angle margin), and the ignition timing is corrected by the predetermined value when the difference is determined to be less than the predetermined value, thereby enabling to prevent the overlapping of the fuel injection end timing and the ignition timing from happening and avoiding the problem of misfiring or residual of unburned fuel in the cylinder from occurring.

Claims

1. A system for controlling an ignition timing for a direct injection spark ignition internal combustion engine which is operated at an ultra-lean burn combustion or at a pre-mixture charged combustion, comprising;

engine operating condition detecting means for detecting operating conditions of the engine at least including an engine speed and an engine load;

fuel injection amount determining means for determining a fuel injection amount based at least on the detected engine speed and the engine load of the engine operating conditions;

fuel injecting means for injecting fuel based on the determined fuel injection amount into a cylinder of the engine;

ignition timing determining means for determining an ignition timing based at least on the detected engine speed and the engine load of the engine operating conditions;

desired fuel injection end timing determining means for determining a desired fuel injection end timing at which injection of the determined fuel injection amount should be ended such that the fuel injecting means ends the fuel injection in response to the determined desired fuel injection end timing;

margin determining means for determining a difference between the determined desired fuel injection end timing and the determined ignition timing and for determining whether the difference is less than a predetermined value indicative of margin;

ignition timing correcting means for correcting the determined ignition timing by the predetermined value when the difference is determined to be less than the predetermined value; and

ignition means for igniting an air-fuel mixture made of the injected fuel mixed with air based at least on one of the determined ignition timing and the corrected ignition timing.

2. A system according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined value is based at least on the detected engine speed and the engine load of th engine operating conditions.

3. A system according to claim 2, wherein the predetermined value is determined to be decreased with increasing engine speed.

4. A system according to claim 2, wherein the predetermined value is determined to be increased with increasing engine speed.

5. A system according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined value is determined to be a value relating to crank angles.

6. A method of controlling an ignition timing for a direct injection spark ignition internal combustion engine which is operated at an ultra-lean burn combustion or at a pre-mixture charged combustion, comprising the steps of;

detecting operating conditions of the engine at least including an engine speed and an engine load;

determining a fuel injection amount based at least on the detected engine speed and the engine load of the engine operating conditions;

injecting fuel based on the determined fuel injection amount into a cylinder of the engine;

determining an ignition timing based at least on the detected engine speed and the engine load of the engine operating conditions;

determining a desired fuel injection end timing at which injection of the determined fuel injection amount should be ended such that the step of fuel injecting ends the fuel injection in response to the determined desired fuel injection end timing;

determining a difference between the determined desired fuel injection end timing and the determined ignition timing and for determining whether the difference is less than a predetermined value indicative of margin;

correcting the determined ignition timing by the predetermined value when the difference is determined to be less than the predetermined value; and

igniting an air-fuel mixture made of the injected fuel mixed with air based at least on one of the determined ignition timing and the corrected ignition timing.

7. A method according to claim 6, wherein the predetermined value is based at least on the detected engine speed and the engine load of the engine operating conditions.

8. A method according to claim 7, wherein the predetermined value is determined to be decreased with increasing engine speed.

9. A method according to claim 7, wherein the predetermined value is determined to be increased with increasing engine speed.

10. A method according to claim 6, wherein the predetermined value is determined to be a value relating to crank angles.