Signal conditioner and user interface

• US 7,162,357 B2
• Filed: 01/17/2006
• Issued: 01/09/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/14/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Optimum Power Technology LP
• Original Assignee: Optimum Power Technology LP
• Inventors: Chatfield, Glen F., Houston, Roy D.
• Primary Examiner(s): WOLFE JR, WILLIS RAY
• Application Number:
  US11/333,014
• Publication Number:
  US 20060116809A1
• Time in Patent Office: 357 Days
• Field of Search: 123/339.11, 123/339.14, 123/339.21, 123/352, 123/357, 123/478, 123/480, 123/486, 123/488, 701 29- 36, 701101-105, 701/114, 701/115, 731/181, 731/182, 340/425.5, 340/438, 340/439, 340/901
• US Class Current: 701/104
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 11/105 characterised by the function converting demand to actuation, e.g. a map indicating relations between an accelerator pedal position and throttle valve opening or target engine torque
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2200/604 Engine control mode selected by driver, e.g. to manually start particle filter regeneration or to select driving style
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2400/11 After-sales modification devices designed to be used to modify an engine afterwards
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/266 the computer being backed-up or assisted by another circuit, e.g. analogue
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/28 Interface circuits

Abstract

A signal modifying device, user interface, and method of modifying a signal. The signal modifying device includes a processor, a first input coupled to the processor and an output coupled to the processor. Instructions are stored within the processor that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to provide a signal incident at the output that corresponds to a signal incident at the input.

Claims

1. A signal modifying device having an input to be coupled to a fuel control output of an engine control unit carrying a fuel control signal and an output carrying a reduced fuel control signal to be coupled to a fuel injector.

2. The signal modifying device of claim 1, further comprising a second input to be coupled to a second signal, wherein a signal incident at the output of the signal modifying device is offset from the fuel control output based on the second signal.

3. A signal modifying device having an input to be coupled to a sensor providing a signal that affects a quantity of fuel delivered and an output carrying a signal indicating a lesser quantity of fuel than the sensor and to be coupled to an engine control unit.

4. The signal modifying device of claim 3, further comprising a second input to be coupled to a second signal, wherein a signal incident at the output of the signal modifying device is offset from the signal incident at the input based on the second signal.

5. A method of modifying a control table used in a signal modifying device, comprising:

selecting from the signal modifying device one of a plurality of regions of a control table;

inputting a modifier associated with the selected region of the control table from the signal modifying device; and

limiting the modifier such that the modifier will not produce an output signal to be output from the signal modifying device that varies from a signal to be input into the signal modifying device by more than a predefined portion of the input signal.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the modifier affects a quantity of fuel to be provided to an engine.

7. A method of modifying a control table used in a signal modifying device, comprising:

selecting from the signal modifying device one of a plurality of regions of a control table;

inputting a modifier associated with the selected region of the control table from the signal modifying device; and

resetting the modifier to a default value.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the resetting is performed by actuating a switch.

9. A method of modifying a set point that distinguishes two regions in a control table used in a signal modifying device, each region defined by a range of engine operation, comprising:

selecting from the signal modifying device one set point distinguishing the separation of at least two ranges; and

inputting a value for the set point.

10. The method of modifying a set point of claim 9, wherein the set point distinguishes between a region and an interpolation band.

11. The method of modifying a set point of claim 9, further comprising limiting the set point such that a high set point of a range may not be set lower than a low set point of the range.

12. An engine control system, comprising:

an engine control unit having an output to be coupled to an actuator; and

a signal modifying device having an input to be coupled to the output of the engine control unit and a modified output to be coupled to the actuator in parallel with the engine control unit output.

13. The engine control system of claim 12, wherein the actuator includes a fuel injector.

14. The engine control system of claim 12, wherein the output of the engine control unit is a pulse-width modulated signal that provides an on signal for a period of time and the modified output of the signal modifying device is a pulse-width modulated signal that provides an on signal for an additional period of time.

15. The engine control system of claim 14, wherein the additional period of time the output of the signal modifying device provides an on signal is a portion of the period of time the output of the engine control unit provides an on signal.