Electronic control method and apparatus for internal combustion engine

Claim 1

1 . In a control apparatus for an internal combustion engine having: sensor means (2-14) for producing signals representative of operating conditions of said engine; actuator means (64-72) for controlling respective energy conversion functions of said engine in response to control signals applied thereto; an input/output unit (20) coupled to receive signals produced by said sensor means and to deliver control signals to said actuator means; a data processing unit (-50), coupled to said input/output unit, for carrying out engine control data processing operations in accordance with signals produced by said sensor means and thereby generating engine control values that are coupled to said input/output unit; a random access memory (54); a power supply system (80-84) for applying an electric power from a power source to said actuator means, input/output unit and data processing unit through an ignition switch; and another power supply system for always applying an electric power from said power source to said random access memory, said data processing unit including means for constantly fetching through said input/output unit signals flowing between said sensor means and said input/ output unit and signals flowing between said input/output unit and said actuator means, means for deciding whether the respective fetched signals are normal or abnormal to thereby store the results of the decision as diagnosis data representing the normal and abnormal data in said random access memory, means for storing a predetermined code in a predetermined area of said random access memory, means for reading the data stored in said predetermined area of said random access memory and deciding whether or not the read data is said predetermined code, means for generating the engine control values by carrying out the engine control data processing operations in accordance with said diagnosis data stored in said random access memory in response to the turning-on of said ignition switch, when said read data is decided to be said predetermined data, and means for writing said predetermined code in said predetermined area of said random access memory and clearing data of all areas of said random access memory other than said predetermined area to thereby generate the engine control signal values by carrying out the engine control-data processing, when said read data is decided not to be said predetermined data.

Claim 4

A method for controlling a combustion engine using an electronic apparatus; said electronic apparatus including sensor means (2-14) for producing signals representative of operating conditions of said engine; actuator means (64-72) for controlling respective energy conversion functions of said engine in response to control signals applied thereto; an input/output unit (20) coupled to receive signals produced by said sensor means and to deliver control signals to said actuator means; a data processing unit (50), coupled to said input/output unit, for carrying out engine control data processing operations in accordance with signals produced by said sensor means and thereby generating engine control values that are coupled to said input/output unit; a random access memory (54); a power supply system (80-84) for applying an electric power from a power source to said actuator means, input/output unit and data processing unit through an ignition..switch; and another power supply system for always applying an electric power from said power source to said random access memory, the method comprising the steps of a) constantly fetching through said input/output unit signals flowing between said sensor means and said input/output unit and signals flowing between said input/ output unit and said actuator means, b) deciding whether the respective fetched signals are normal or abnormal to thereby store the results of the decision as diagnosis data representing the normal and abnormal data in said random access memory, c) storing a predetermined code in a predetermined area of said random access memory, d) %reading the data stored in said predetermined area of said random access memory and deciding whether or not the read data is said predetermined code, e) generating the engine control values by carrying out the engine control data processing operations in accordance with said diagnosis data stored in said random access memory in response to the turning-on of said ignition switch, when said read data is decided to be said predetermined data in step d), and f) writing said predetermined code in said predetermined area of said random access memory and clearing data of all areas of said random access memory other than said predetermined area to thereby generate the engine control.signal values by carrying out the engine control data processing, when said read data is decided not to be said predetermined data in step d).

Claim 5

A method for controlling a combustion engine using an electronic apparatus; said electronic apparatus including sensor means (2-14) for producing signals representative of operating conditions of said engine; actuator means (64-72) for controlling respective energy conversion functions of said engine in response to control signals applied thereto; an input/output unit (20) coupled to receive signals produced by said sensor means and to deliver control signals to said actuator means; a data processing unit (50), coupled to said input/output unit, for carrying out engine control data processing operations in accordance with signals produced by said sensor means and thereby generating engine control values that are coupled to said input/output unit; a random access memory (54); a power supply system (80-84) for applying an electric power from a power source to said actuator means, input/output unit and data processing unit through an ignition..switch; and another power supply system for always applying an electric power from said power source to said random access memory, the method comprising the steps of a) constantly fetching through said input/output unit signals flowing between said sensor means and said input/output unit and signals flowing between said input/ output unit and said actuator means, b) deciding whether the respective fetched signals are normal or abnormal to thereby store the results of the decision as diagnosis data representing the normal and abnormal data in said random access memory, c) storing a predetermined code in a predetermined area of said random access memory, d) %reading the data stored in said predetermined area of said random access memory and deciding whether or not the read data is said predetermined code, e) generating the engine control values by carrying out the engine control data processing operations in accordance with said diagnosis data stored in said random access memory in response to the turning-on of said ignition switch, when said read data is decided to be said predetermined data in step d), and f) writing said predetermined code in said predetermined area of said random access memory and clearing data of all areas of said random access memory other than said predetermined area to thereby generate the engine control.signal values by carrying out the engine control data processing, when said read data is decided not to be said predetermined data in step d).