Engine control apparatus

• US 8,903,634 B2
• Filed: 05/24/2011
• Issued: 12/02/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/24/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Bungo, Keiichiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas G
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nolan, Peter D
• Application Number:
  US13/114,575
• Publication Number:
  US 20120053809A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,288 Days
• Field of Search: 701/99, 701/102, 701/104, 701/113, 123/339.1, 123/339.16, 123/339.24, 123/399
• US Class Current: 701/113
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 63/04 for electric generators
• 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 2200/021 Engine temperature
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2200/0404 Throttle position
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 29/06 peculiar to engines driving electric generators
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 31/003 for idle speed control
• 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: H02P 9/04 Control effected upon non-electric prime mover and dependent upon electric output value of the generator

Abstract

The engine control apparatus includes a governor control mechanism for keeping the engine frequency constant, decides the “presence” or “absence” of the engine load by the throttle aperture and forcibly changes the engine frequency to a predetermined frequency depending on the presence or absence of the load, the engine control apparatus includes an engine controlling unit (10) for controlling fuel supply to an engine (1), an engine temperature detecting unit (4) for detecting an engine temperature of the engine (1), and a threshold changing unit (10a) for changing each throttle aperture as a threshold for deciding the “presence” or “absence” of an engine load depending on the engine temperature detected by the engine temperature detecting unit (4).

Claims

1. An engine control apparatus which comprises a governor control mechanism for keeping an engine frequency constant, configured to decide a “

presence”

corresponding to a load-absent state or an “

absence”

corresponding to a load-present state of an engine load by a throttle aperture, and forcibly configured to change an engine frequency to a predetermined frequency depending on the presence or absence of the load, comprising;

an engine controlling unit (10) for controlling fuel supply to an engine (1);

an engine temperature detecting unit (4) for detecting an engine temperature of said engine; and

a threshold changing unit (10a) for changing a throttle aperture used as a threshold for deciding the “

presence”

or “

absence”

of the engine load based on the engine temperature detected by said engine temperature detecting unit (4);

said threshold changing unit sets a threshold Tha and a threshold THb;

said threshold Tha is a value of the throttle aperture used to decide whether the engine load is “

present”

based on the load-absent state, and the threshold changing unit changes the threshold Tha to decrease the value of the threshold Tha in response to an increase in the temperature detected by the engine temperature detecting unit; and

said threshold Thb is a value of the throttle aperture used to decide whether the engine load is “

absent”

based on the load-present state, and the threshold changing unit changes the threshold Thb to decrease the value of the threshold Thb in response to an increase in the temperature detected by the engine temperature detecting unit.

2. The engine control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said engine controlling unit (10) comprises a storing unit (10b), and

said storing unit (10b) holds map data configured by plotting each throttle aperture corresponding to the engine temperature per threshold for deciding the “

presence”

or “

absence”

of the engine load; and

the threshold Tha in said map data is set to be higher than the threshold Thb relative to the engine temperature.

3. The engine control apparatus according to claim 2, wherein each throttle aperture of said map data is smaller as the engine temperature is higher.

4. The engine control apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the engine temperature detecting unit (4) is configured to periodically detect the engine temperature to update the threshold changed by the threshold changing unit (10a).

5. The engine control apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the engine temperature detecting unit (4) is configured to periodically detect the engine temperature to update the threshold changed by the threshold changing unit (10a).

6. The engine control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the engine temperature detecting unit (4) is configured to periodically detect the engine temperature to update the threshold changed by the threshold changing unit (10a).