Deterioration signal generation device for gas sensor

• US 7,499,789 B2
• Filed: 05/23/2007
• Issued: 03/03/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/24/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NGK Spark PLUG Company Limited
• Original Assignee: NGK Spark PLUG Company Limited
• Inventors: Toda, Satoru, Takamatsu, Kunihiko, Sawaki, Naoto
• Primary Examiner(s): Wolfe, Jr.; Willis R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hoang; Johnny H.
• Application Number:
  US11/752,392
• Publication Number:
  US 20070276580A1
• Time in Patent Office: 650 Days
• Field of Search: 123/688, 123/691, 123/692, 701/103, 701/108, 701/109, 701/114, 602/74, 602/76, 602/77, 731/146.9, 731/147, 731/147.1, 731/147.2, 731/147.3
• US Class Current: 701/109
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/1495 Detection of abnormalities in the air/fuel ratio feedback system
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/4163 checking the operation of, or calibrating, the measuring apparatus G01N27/3274, G01N27/4175 and G01N33/0006 take precedence

Abstract

A deterioration signal generation device for a gas sensor for simulating a deterioration signal output by a gas sensor in a deteriorated state, the gas sensor detecting the fuel-air ratio of exhaust gas from an internal combustion engine based on the concentration of particular components in the exhaust gas, the deterioration signal generation device including a reference signal acquisition unit as defined herein, a reference signal storing unit as defined herein, a delay time setting unit as defined herein and a signal delay generation unit as defined herein.

Claims

1. A deterioration signal generation device for a gas sensor for simulating a deterioration signal output by a gas sensor in a deteriorated state, the gas sensor detecting the fuel-air ratio of exhaust gas from an internal combustion engine based on the concentration of particular components in the exhaust gas, the deterioration signal generation device comprising:

a reference signal acquisition unit which is connected to a reference sensor identical in configuration to the gas sensor for outputting a reference signal for generating the deterioration signal, the reference signal being associated with the concentration of the particular component in the exhaust gas, and which acquires the reference signal at constant time intervals;

a reference signal storing unit for storing the reference signals acquired by the reference signal acquisition unit in the order of acquisition;

a delay time setting unit for setting a delay time for outputting the reference signal while delaying the starting point of a change in the signal as a result of a change in a target fuel-air ratio of a mixture supplied to the internal combustion engine; and

a signal delay generation unit for generating the reference signal stored in the reference signal storing unit at a time preceding the current opportunity for acquisition a number of times corresponding to the delay time set by the delay time setting unit.

2. The deterioration signal generation device for a gas sensor according to claim 1, wherein

the delay time setting unit is configured to be able to separately set a rich-lean delay time for delaying the start of a change in the reference signal in the case of a change from the target fuel-air ratio from a rich side to a lean side and a lean-rich delay time for delaying the start of a change in the reference signal in the case of a change in the target fuel-air ratio from the lean side to the rich side;

and the signal delay generation unit comprises;

a rich-lean signal delay output unit for outputting the reference signal stored in the reference signal storing unit at a time preceding the current opportunity for acquisition a number of times corresponding to the rich-lean delay time;

a lean-rich signal delay output unit for outputting the reference signal stored in the reference signal storing unit at a time preceding the current opportunity for acquisition a number of times corresponding to the lean-rich delay time; and

a deterioration signal selection generation unit for generating the reference signal output from the rich-lean signal delay output unit as the deterioration signal when the value of the reference signal acquired by the reference signal acquisition unit has changed from the rich side to the lean side and generating the reference signal output from the lean-rich signal delay output unit as the deterioration signal when the value of the reference signal acquired by the reference signal acquisition unit has changed from the lean side to the rich side.

3. The deterioration signal generation device for a gas sensor according to claim 2, comprising:

a fuel-air ratio change starting point detection unit for detecting a rich-lean change starting point as the starting point of a change in the reference signal as a result of a change from the target fuel-air ratio from the rich side to the lean side and a lean-rich change starting point as the starting point of a change in the reference signal as a result of a change in the target fuel-air ratio from the lean side to the rich side based on a plurality of the reference signals acquired by the reference signal acquisition unit, wherein

the deterioration signal selection generation unit performs switching at the rich-lean change starting point such that the reference signal output from the rich-lean signal delay output unit will be generated as the deterioration signal and performs switching at the lean-rich change starting point such that the reference signal output from the lean-rich signal delay output unit will be generated as the deterioration signal.

4. The deterioration signal generation device for a gas sensor according to claim 3, wherein the fuel-air ratio change starting point detection unit executes a process of differentiating the reference signal and detects a differential of the reference signal exceeding a threshold for a change in the target fuel-air ratio from the rich side to the lean side as the rich-lean change starting point and a differential exceeding a threshold for a change in the target fuel-air ratio from the lean side to the rich side as the lean-rich change starting point.

5. The deterioration signal generation device for a gas sensor according to claim 1, comprising:

a gain factor setting unit for setting a gain factor for outputting the reference signal with the gain of the same changed; and

a gain changing unit for changing the gain of the reference signal by multiplying the reference signal by the gain factor set by the gain factor setting unit.

6. The deterioration signal generation device for a gas sensor according to claim 5, wherein:

the gain factor setting unit is configured to be able to separately set a lean gain factor for changing the gain of the reference signal when the value of the reference signal is leaner than a predetermined threshold and a rich gain factor for changing the gain of the reference signal when the value of the reference signal is richer than the predetermined threshold; and

the gain changing unit multiplies the reference signal by the lean gain factor when it is determined that the value of the reference signal is leaner than the predetermined threshold and multiplies the reference signal by the rich gain factor when it is determined that the value of the reference signal is richer than the predetermined threshold.

7. The deterioration signal generation device for a gas sensor according to claim 1, comprising:

a transition rate setting unit for setting a transition rate for outputting the reference signal with response characteristics of the signal changed, the response characteristics changing as the target fuel-air ratio changes; and

a transition time changing unit for changing the response characteristics of the reference signal by multiplying the reference signal by the transition rate set by the transition rate setting unit.

8. The deterioration signal generation device for a gas sensor according to claim 7, wherein:

the transition rate setting unit is configured to be able to separately set a rich-lean transition rate for changing the response characteristics of the reference signal in the case of a change in the target fuel-air ratio from the rich side to the lean side and a lean-rich transition rate for changing the response characteristics of the reference signal in the case of a change in the target fuel-air ratio from the lean side to the rich side; and

the transition time changing unit multiplies the reference signal by the rich-lean transition rate when the value of the reference signal acquired by the reference signal acquisition unit changes from the rich side to the lean side and multiplies the reference signal by the lean-rich transition rate when the value of the reference signal acquired by the reference signal acquisition unit changes from the lean side to the rich side.

9. The deterioration signal generation device for a gas sensor according to claim 3, comprising:

a holding signal storing unit for storing the deterioration signal generated at the rich-lean change starting point as a rich-lean holding signal and storing the deterioration signal generated at the lean-rich change starting point as a lean-rich holding signal; and

a holding signal output unit for outputting the rich-lean holding signal as the deterioration signal when the deterioration signal generated after the rich-lean change starting point has a value greater than that of the rich-lean holding signal, the holding signal being output until the deterioration signal generated after the rich-lean change starting point becomes a value equal to or smaller than that of the rich-lean holding signal and for outputting the lean-rich holding signal as the deterioration signal when the deterioration signal generated after the lean-rich change starting point has a value smaller than that of the lean-rich holding signal, the holding signal being output until the deterioration signal generated after the lean-rich change starting point becomes a value equal to or greater than that of the lean-rich holding signal.