Condition-sensitive exhaust control

• US 7,957,892 B2
• Filed: 12/31/2007
• Issued: 06/07/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Enterprise Science Fund, LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: The Invention Science Fund I, L.L.C. (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Nugent, Thomas J. Jr., Wood, Victoria Y. H., Ishikawa, Muriel Y., Wood, Lowell L. Jr., Hyde, Roderick A., Kare, Jordin T.
• Primary Examiner(s): WOLFE JR, WILLIS RAY
• Application Number:
  US12/006,274
• Publication Number:
  US 20090171549A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,254 Days
• Field of Search: 701101-105, 701/109, 701/110, 701/111, 701/115, 701/207, 701/213, 180167-169, 602/74, 602/85
• US Class Current: 701/115
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/0075 Automatic parameter input, automatic initialising or calibrating means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/65 Data transmitted between vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 2560/02 the means being an exhaust gas sensor
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 2900/08 said parameters being related to the engine
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 2900/12 said parameters being related to the vehicle exterior
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 9/00 Electrical control of exhaust gas treating apparatus monitoring or diagnostic devices for exhaust-gas treatment apparatus F01N11/00; conjoint electrical control of two or more combustion engine functions F02D43/00
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/021 Introducing corrections for particular conditions exterior to the engine conjoint control of vehicle sub-units for propelling the vehicle B60W30/18
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/0235 in relation with the state of the exhaust gas treating apparatus control of exhaust gas treating apparatus per se F01N
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/1438 using means for determining characteristics of the combustion gases; Sensors therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/40 Engine management systems

Abstract

A method and exhaust control system for controlling a vehicle, including adjusting a vehicle parameter in response to a determined ambient condition or to local time.

Claims

1. A method of controlling an exhaust system in a vehicle, comprising:

determining an ambient condition; and

responsive to the determined ambient condition, adjusting an exhaust parameter of the exhaust system, the exhaust parameter selected from the group consisting of exhaust gas temperature, exhaust gas temperature profile, exhaust gas composition, exhaust gas back pressure, catalytic converter reactive area, exhaust gas flow path, catalyst selection, sequestration of at least one exhaust gas component, exhaust gas flow rate, exhaust particulates density, exhaust particulate composition, exhaust particulate size, concentration of exhaust components at a selected location in an exhaust flow path, coolant temperature, and inlet-exhaust thermal coupling.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the ambient condition is selected from the group consisting of temperature, pressure, partial pressure of an atmospheric component, local level of a selected pollutant, local insolation values, humidity, precipitation, wind conditions, road cover conditions, traffic conditions, local rules, altitude, and location.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting a record of the adjusting of the exhaust parameter.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein transmitting a record includes transmitting a record wirelessly.

5. A method of controlling a vehicle, comprising:

responsive to a local time, adjusting a vehicle parameter of the vehicle, the vehicle parameter selected from the group consisting of compression ratio, timing of commencement of fuel combustion, timing of fuel injection, timing of fuel introduction into an air-inlet stream, valve timing, fuel composition, fuel-oxidizer ratio, air inlet temperature, air inlet pressure, number of operating cylinders, battery usage, battery charge, engine or drive-train usage of electrical energy, engine operating rate, output torque, exhaust gas temperature, exhaust gas temperature profile, exhaust gas composition, exhaust gas back pressure, catalytic converter reactive area, exhaust gas flow path, catalyst selection, sequestration of at least one exhaust gas component, exhaust gas flow rate, exhaust particulates density, exhaust particulate composition, exhaust particulate size, concentration of exhaust components at a selected location in an exhaust flow path, coolant temperature, and inlet-exhaust thermal coupling.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising transmitting a record of the adjusting of the vehicle parameter.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein transmitting a record includes transmitting a record wirelessly.

8. A vehicle control system for a vehicle having an engine and an exhaust system, comprising:

an exhaust controller configured to determine an acceptable range for a vehicle parameter for a selected local time period and to direct the vehicle to maintain the vehicle parameter within the acceptable range during the selected local time period,

wherein the vehicle parameter is selected from the group consisting of compression ratio, timing of commencement of fuel combustion, timing of fuel injection, timing of fuel introduction into an air-inlet stream, valve timing, fuel composition, fuel-oxidizer ratio, air inlet temperature, air inlet pressure, number of operating cylinders, battery usage, battery charge, engine or drive-train usage of electrical energy, engine operating rate, output torque, exhaust gas temperature, exhaust gas temperature profile, exhaust gas composition, exhaust gas back pressure, catalytic converter reactive area, exhaust gas flow path, catalyst selection, sequestration of at least one exhaust gas component, exhaust gas flow rate, exhaust particulates density, exhaust particulate composition, exhaust particulate size, concentration of exhaust components at a selected location in an exhaust flow path, coolant temperature, and inlet-exhaust thermal coupling.

9. The vehicle control system of claim 8, wherein the vehicle is configured to determine the acceptable range for the vehicle parameter for the selected local time period based at least in part on vehicle location.

10. The vehicle control system of claim 8, wherein the vehicle controller includes an internal clock.

11. The vehicle control system of claim 8, wherein the vehicle controller is configured to determine time from an external signal.

12. The vehicle control system of claim 8, further comprising a compliance reporting unit configured to transmit a record of vehicle parameter adjustments.

13. The vehicle control system of claim 12, wherein the compliance reporting unit is configured to transmit a record wirelessly.

14. An exhaust control system for a vehicle having an engine and an exhaust system, comprising:

an exhaust controller configured to determine an acceptable range for an exhaust parameter responsive to an ambient condition and to direct the exhaust system to maintain the exhaust parameter within the acceptable range,

wherein the exhaust parameter is selected from the group consisting of exhaust gas temperature, exhaust gas temperature profile, exhaust gas composition, exhaust gas back pressure, catalytic converter reactive area, exhaust gas flow path, catalyst selection, sequestration of at least one exhaust gas component, exhaust gas flow rate, exhaust particulates density, exhaust particulate composition, exhaust particulate size, concentration of exhaust components at a selected location in an exhaust flow path, coolant temperature, and inlet-exhaust thermal coupling.

15. The exhaust control system of claim 14, wherein the ambient condition is selected from the group consisting of temperature, pressure, partial pressure of an atmospheric component, local level of a selected pollutant, local insolation values, humidity, precipitation, wind conditions, road cover conditions, traffic conditions, local rules, altitude, and location.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein determining an acceptable range for an exhaust parameter responsive to an ambient condition includes determining an acceptable range for an exhaust parameter responsive to a predicted ambient condition.

17. The exhaust control system of claim 14, wherein the exhaust controller is configured to determine an acceptable range for an exhaust parameter responsive to an ambient condition by selecting from a set of exhaust profiles.

18. The exhaust control system of claim 14, wherein the acceptable range for an exhaust parameter includes an acceptable range for the time averaged value of the exhaust parameter during a time interval.

19. The exhaust control system of claim 14, wherein the acceptable range for an exhaust parameter includes an acceptable range for a designated function of the exhaust parameter.

20. The exhaust control system of claim 14, wherein the acceptable range for an exhaust parameter includes an acceptable range for a second exhaust parameter.

21. The exhaust control system of claim 14, wherein the acceptable range for an exhaust parameter includes an acceptable range for a designated function of a plurality of exhaust parameters.

22. The exhaust control system of claim 14, wherein the acceptable range for an exhaust parameter includes an acceptable range for the value of the exhaust parameter during a probability weighted time interval.

23. The exhaust control system of claim 14, wherein the acceptable range for an exhaust parameter includes a time profile for the acceptable range for an exhaust parameter.

24. The exhaust control system of claim 14, further comprising a compliance reporting unit configured to transmit a record of exhaust parameter adjustments.

25. The exhaust control system of claim 24, wherein the compliance reporting unit is configured to transmit a record wirelessly.

26. The exhaust control system of claim 14, further comprising an exhaust parameter sensor, wherein the exhaust controller is configured to accept a sensor signal from the exhaust parameter sensor indicative of the state of the exhaust parameter and to use the sensor signal to direct the exhaust system to maintain the exhaust parameter within the acceptable range.

27. The exhaust control system of claim 26, wherein the exhaust parameter sensor is selected from the group consisting of electromagnetic sensors, spectroscopic sensors, thermal sensors, chemical sensors, pressure sensors, acoustic sensors, vibration sensors, mass sensors, electromechanical sensors, electrochemical sensors, microelectromechanical devices, and optical sensors.

28. The exhaust control system of claim 26, wherein the exhaust parameter sensor is configured to measure a property selected from the group consisting of temperature, pressure, gas composition, vapor composition, particulate content, particulate composition, particulate size distribution, flow rate, density, force, strain, and displacement.

29. The exhaust control system of claim 26, wherein the exhaust parameter sensor is internal to the vehicle.

30. The exhaust control system of claim 26, wherein the exhaust parameter sensor is external from the vehicle.