Cylinder identifying system for internal combustion engine

• US 6,446,602 B1
• Filed: 04/20/2001
• Issued: 09/10/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Inventors: Yonezawa, Shiro, Hashimoto, Atsuko, Ohuchi, Hirofumi
• Primary Examiner(s): Hirsch, Paul J.
• Application Number:
  US09/838,256
• Publication Number:
  US 20020050272A1
• Time in Patent Office: 508 Days
• Field of Search: 123/406.61, 123/406.62, 123/406.63, 123/406.18, 123/406.58
• US Class Current: 123/406.62
• CPC Class Codes: F01L 1/34 characterised by the provision of means for changing the timing of the valves without changing the duration of opening and without affecting the magnitude of the valve lift
• CPC Class Codes: F01L 2800/00 Methods of operation using a variable valve timing mechanism
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 13/0234 changing the valve timing only
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2041/001 for engines with variable valve actuation
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/009 using means for generating position or synchronisation signals

Abstract

A cylinder identifying system for an internal combustion engine capable of establishing a complicated cam signal pulse pattern without need for setting specific periods for cylinder identification while enhancing control performance by reducing a crank rotation angle required for cylinder identification. A cylinder identifying means (10) for identifying discriminatively individual cylinders on the basis of a crank angle pulse signal (SGT) and a cam pulse signal (SGC) includes a pulse signal number storage means (12) for counting for storage signal numbers of specific pulses generated over a plurality of subperiods which are defined by dividing an ignition control period for each of the individual cylinders into plural subperiods, and an information series storage means (15) for storing information series each composed of a combination of the signal numbers generated during plural subperiods, respectively. The individual cylinders are identified on the basis of the information series.

Claims

1. A cylinder identifying system for an internal combustion engine, comprising:

crank angle signal generating means provided in association with a crank shaft of said internal combustion engine for generating a crank angle pulse signal in synchronization with rotation of said crank shaft of said engine;

cam signal generating means provided in association with a cam shaft for generating a cam pulse signal containing specific pulses for identifying individual cylinders of said internal combustion engine in synchronization with rotation of said cam shaft rotating at a speed corresponding to one half of that of said crank shaft;

variable valve timing means for setting variably the phase of valve drive timing for said individual cylinders, respectively, in dependence on operating states of said engine; and

cylinder identifying means designed for operating in synchronization with the phase of said valve drive timing for said individual cylinders which is changed by said variable valve timing means, for thereby identifying discriminatively said individual cylinders on the basis of said crank angle pulse signal and said cam pulse signal,

wherein said cylinder identifying means includes;

pulse signal number storage means for counting for storage signal numbers of said specific pulses generated over a plurality of subperiods which are defined by dividing an ignition control period for each of said individual cylinders into plural subperiods; and

information series storage means for storing information series composed of a combination of the signal numbers of said specific phases generated during said plural subperiods, respectively;

wherein said individual cylinders of said internal combustion engine are identified on the basis of said information series.

2. A cylinder identifying system for an internal combustion engine according to claim 1,

wherein said information series is composed of four successive signals containing said specific pulses.

3. A cylinder identifying system for an internal combustion engine according to claim 1,

wherein said information series storage means is so designed as to store a plurality of information series which are variable within a range in which the phase of said valve drive timing is changed by said variable valve timing means, and

wherein said cylinder identifying means identifies a given one of said cylinders on the basis of at least one of said plural information series.

4. A cylinder identifying system for an internal combustion engine according to claim 1,

wherein said cylinder identifying means includes:

information series learning means for learning a first one of said information series at a predetermined crank angle based on said crank angle pulse signal,

wherein said cylinder identifying means is so arranged as to identify said individual cylinders on the basis of a result of comparison of the information series detected currently with said first information series learned.

5. A cylinder identifying system for an internal combustion engine according to claim 4,

wherein said cylinder identifying means includes:

changeable information series arithmetic means for determining arithmetically a second one of said information series which can vary within a range of said predetermined crank angle on the basis of said first information series and the range within which the phase of said valve drive timing can be changed by means of said variable valve timing means, and

wherein said cylinder identifying means is so arranged as to identify said individual cylinders, respectively, on the basis of result of comparison between the information series detected currently and at least one of said first and second information series.

6. A cylinder identifying system for an internal combustion engine according to claim 4,

wherein said information series learning means is so arranged as to learn said first information series at a time point which corresponds to at least one of a most retarded valve drive timing and a most advanced valve drive timing set by said variable valve timing means.

7. A cylinder identifying system for an internal combustion engine according to claim 4,

wherein said information series learning means is so arranged as to learn said first information series at a time point at which operation of said internal combustion engine is started.

8. A cylinder identifying system for an internal combustion engine according to claim 1,

wherein said crank angle pulse signal is comprised of pulse trains each containing a pulse indicative of a reference position for each of said individual cylinders, and

wherein said plural subperiods are established by dividing said ignition control period with reference to said reference position.

9. A cylinder identifying system for an internal combustion engine according to claim 8,

wherein said cylinder identifying means is so arranged as to identify said individual cylinders at least either during a predetermined time period from a time point at which said engine operation is started or at a time point corresponding to said most retarded valve drive timing set by said variable valve timing means.

10. A cylinder identifying system for an internal combustion engine according to claim 1,

further comprising:

phase detecting means for detecting a change of the valve drive timing phase shifted by means of said variable valve timing means on the basis of given specific pulses contained in said cam pulse signal and crank angle position information derived from said crank angle pulse signal.

11. A cylinder identifying system for an internal combustion engine according to claim 1,

wherein the number of the cylinders of said internal combustion engine is four and the ignition control period for each of said cylinders is so set as to correspond to a crank angle of 180°

,

said plural subperiods corresponding to each of said individual cylinders being constituted by a first subperiod and a second subperiod, respectively, and

wherein the numbers of said specific pulses contained in said cam pulse signal generated during said first subperiod and said second subperiod, respectively, are “

1” and

“

0”

;

“

2” and

“

1”

;

“

0” and

“

2”

; and

“

0” and

“

1”

, respectively, in the sequential order in which said cylinders are controlled.

12. A cylinder identifying system for an internal combustion engine according to claim 1,

wherein the number of the cylinders of said internal combustion engine is six and the ignition control period for each of said cylinders is so set as to correspond to a crank angle of 120°

,

said plural subperiods corresponding to said individual cylinders being constituted by a first subperiod and a second subperiod, respectively, and

wherein the numbers of said specific pulses contained in said cam pulse signal generated during said first subperiod and said second subperiod, respectively, are “

1” and

“

0”

, “

2” and

“

0”

, “

1” and

“

2”

, “

0” and

“

2”

, “

1” and

“

1” and

“

0” and

“

1”

, respectively, in the order in which said cylinders are to be controlled.

13. A cylinder identifying system for an internal combustion engine according to claim 1,

wherein the number of the cylinders of said internal combustion engine is three and the ignition control period for each of said cylinders is so set as to correspond to a crank angle of 240°

,

said plural subperiods being constituted by a first subperiod, a second subperiod, a third subperiod and a fourth subperiod, respectively,

wherein the numbers of said specific pulses contained in said cam pulse signal during said first, second, third and fourth subperiods, respectively, are “

1”

, “

0”

, “

2” and

“

0”

;

“

1”

, “

2”

, “

0” and

“

2”

;

“

1”

, “

1”

, “

0” and

“

1”

, respectively, in the sequential order in which said individual cylinders are controlled.