Method and device for controlling the operating mode of an internal combustion engine

• US 8,200,415 B2
• Filed: 11/28/2007
• Issued: 06/12/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/01/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vitesco Technologies Germany GmbH (INA-Holding Schaeffler GmbH & Co. KG)
• Original Assignee: Conti Temic Microelectronic GmbH (Continental AG)
• Inventors: Hagel, Reinhold, Tuna, Mehmet, Routier, Emmanuel, Goeney, Kayhan
• Primary Examiner(s): WOLFE JR, WILLIS RAY
• Application Number:
  US12/312,535
• Publication Number:
  US 20100063711A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,658 Days
• Field of Search: 123/406.13, 123/406.24, 123/406.45, 123/406.47, 123/435, 123/436, 123/481, 123/198.F, 701101-105, 701/110, 701/111, 701/114, 701/115, 731/140.2, 731/140.6, 731/141.6, 731/141.7, 731/98, 702/182, 702/183, 702/185, 702/189
• US Class Current: 701/111
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2041/1432 the system including a filter, e.g. a low pass or high pass filter
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2041/288 for performing a transformation into the frequency domain, e.g. Fourier transformation
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2200/1015 Engines misfires
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/0087 Selective cylinder activation, i.e. partial cylinder operation deceleration cut-off F02D41/123
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/1497 With detection of the mechanical response of the engine
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 15/11 by detecting misfire

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for controlling the operating mode of an internal combustion engine (1) comprising several cylinders (3) and an injection system (4) with one injection unit (5) per cylinder (3). According to said method: a digital measuring signal, which characterizes the combustion of fuel (6) in the internal combustion engine (1), is first determined; said digital measuring signal is then transformed into a frequency range; a misfiring of the ignition is detected using the amplitude information of the transformed measuring signal and if a misfiring has occurred, the injection of the individual cylinders (3) is deactivated sequentially for a predefined period and for each cylinder the corresponding digital measuring signal that characterizes said cylinder is determined and transformed into the frequency range and a misfiring cylinder (3) is identified during the evaluation of the transformed measuring signal using the amplitude information. The invention also relates to a device for controlling the operating mode of an internal combustion engine (1) using a method of this type.

Claims

1. A method for controlling the operating mode of an internal combustion engine (1) with n cylinders (3) and an injection system (4) with an injection unit (5) per cylinder (3), with the steps:

a) determination of a digital measuring signal which characterizes the combustion of fuel (6) in the internal combustion engine (1),

b) transformation of the digital measuring signal into a frequency range,

c) evaluation of the transformed measuring signal, a misfiring of the ignition being detected using the amplitude information of the transformed measuring signal, and

if a misfiring of the ignition is detected

e) sequential deactivation of the injection of each individual of the n cylinders (3) for a predefined time, and repetition of the steps a) to c) for each of the n cylinders (3),

wherein using the amplitude information n/2^nd order of the transformed measuring signal a misfiring cylinder (3) is identified.

2. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that the digital measuring signal is a speed measuring signal determined by means of a sensor wheel (10).