EP0304089A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Electronic engine control apparatus
Assignee: Hitachi Ltd
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Filing: 1988-08-19
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2008-08-19
Abstract
Abstract An electronic engine control apparatus includes: a plurality of first sensors (1 - 8) for detecting the driving action taken in accordance with a driver's intent; a plurality of second sensors (4, 9, 12, 13) for detecting the operating conditions of a vehicle and an engine; a plurality of actuators (14, 15) for controlling the engine; a unit (10) for discriminating the driver's intent of how to drive the vehicle based on output signals from the first and second sensors; and a unit (10) for controlling the engine to match the driver's intent by selectively adjusting at least one of the actuators, in accordance with the discriminated driver's intent.
Inventors
- 👤 Mikihiko Onari
- 👤 Motohisa Funabashi
- 👤 Teruji Sekozawa
- 👤 Makoto Shioya
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-23 22:15
CPC Classifications
B; B60; B60K; B60K31/00; B60W; B60W10/00; B60W10/04; B60W10/06; B60W10/10; B60W10/11; B60W30/00; B60W30/18; B60W30/1819; F; F02; F02D; F02D11/00; F02D11/06; F02D11/10; F02D11/105; F16; F16H; F16H59/00; F16H59/02; F16H59/08; B60W50/00; B60W2050/0001; B60W2050/0043; B60W2050/0057; B60W40/00; B60W40/08; B60W40/09; F16H61/00; F16H2061/0075; F16H2061/0081
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 41
Claim 1
Independent Claim
102 words
An electronic engine control apparatus comprising: a plurality of first sensors (1 - 8) for detecting the driving action taken in accordance with a driver's intent; a plurality of second sensors (4, 9, 12, 13) for detecting the operating conditions of a vehicle and an engine; a plurality of actuators (14, 15) for controlling the engine; means (10) for disciminating the driver's intent of how to drive the vehicle based on output signals from said first and second sensors; and means (10) for controlling the engine by selectively adjusting at least one of said actuators, in accordance with the discriminated driver's intent.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
102 words
An electronic engine control apparatus comprising: a plurality of first sensors (1 - 8) for detecting the driving action taken in accordance with a driver's intent; a plurality of second sensors (4, 9, 12, 13) for detecting the operating conditions of a vehicle and an engine; a plurality of actuators (14, 15) for controlling the engine; means (10) for disciminating the driver's intent of how to drive the vehicle based on output signals from said first and second sensors; and means (10) for controlling the engine by selectively adjusting at least one of said actuators, in accordance with the discriminated driver's intent.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
58 words
An electronic engine control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said discrimination means classifies the driver's intents into a plurality of types in accordance with the driving environments of the vehicle and/or the driver's preference to driveability, and discriminates to what type the driver's intent belongs, in accordance with the output signals from said first and second sensors.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
48 words
An electronic engine control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said discrimination means measures the output signals from said first and second sensors a plurality of times during a plurality of engine cycles. and discriminates to what type the driver's intent belongs, in accordance with said measured values.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
66 words
An electronic engine control apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said discrimination means classifies the driver's intents with respect to the driving environments of a vehicle into a congested road, an urban street. a suburban road, a mountain road and a highway, and discriminates to what type the driving environment of a vehicle belongs, in accordance with the output signals from said first and second sensors.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
88 words
An electronic engine control apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said second sensors include a vehicle speed sensor (12) for detecting a vehicle speed, a revolution number sensor (9) for detecting the number of revolutions of an engine, and a throttle valve position sensor (4) for detecting the opening degree of a throttle valve. and wherein said discrimination means discriminates to what type the driving environment of a vehicle belongs, in accordance with output signals from said vehicle speed sensor, revolution number sensor and throttle valve position sensor.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
142 words
An electronic engine control apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said discrimination means calculates an engine revolution number change ratio using an output signal from said revolution number sensor, further calculates a throttle valve opening degree change ratio using an output signal from said throttle valve position sensor, and classifies the obtained vehicle speed, revolution number change ratio and throttle valve opening degree change ratio into large, middle and small types, and wherein said discrimination means discriminates as a highway if the vehicle speed is high, as a congested road if the vehicle speed is low and the engine acceleration is small, as a mountain road if the throttle valve opening degree change ratio and the engine revolution number change ratio are large, and as an urban street if the vehicle speed and the engine revolution number change ratio take intermediate values.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
105 words
An electronic engine control apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said discrimination means comprises: a unit for calculating the occurrence frequencies of the large, middle and small types of each output signal value by applying membership functions of the Fuzzy theory to the output signals of said first and second sensors; a unit for obtaining the occurrence probability of each driving environment by performing conversion matrix calculation from the occurrence frequencies of the large, middle and small types of each output signal into the driving environments; and a unit for discriminating an objective driving environment which has a maximum occurrence probability among the driving environments.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
150 words
An electronic engine control apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said first sensors include a gear shift sensor (8) for detecting a gear shift by a shift lever, a brake sensor (5) for detecting a depression of a brake pedal, an accelerator pedal sensor (4) for detecting a depression of an accelerator pedal, and a steering sensor (6) for detecting a motion of a steering, and said second sensors include a vehicle speed sensor (12) for detecting a vehicle speed and wherein said discrimination means classifies the frequency of the gear shift, the frequency of the steering, the frequency of the brake depression and the frequency of the accelerator pedal depression into large, middle and small types, respectively, in accordance with the output signals from said first and second sensors, classifies the vehicle speed into large, middle and small types, and discriminates the driving environments based on the classification result.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
55 words
An electronic engine control apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said discrimination means discriminates as a highway running if the vehicle speed is high and the frequency of the gear shift is large, and as a congested road running if the vehicle speed is low and the frequency of the brake pedal depression is high.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
40 words
An electronic engine control apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said discrimination means discriminates as a suburban road running if the vehicle speed is maintained near a limited speed and the frequency and range of the steering motion are small.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
33 words
An electronic engine control apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said discrimination means discriminates as an urban street running if both the frequencies of the steering motion and the brake actuation are high.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
39 words
An electronic engine control apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said discrimination means discriminates as a mountain road running if both the frequencies of the steering motion and the depression change between the brake and accelerator pedals are large.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
67 words
An electronic engine control apparatus according to claim 4, wherein one of said plurality of actuators is fuel injection valves, and wherein said control means controls said fuel injection valves in such a manner that the ratio of an injected fuel amount to a sucked air amount increases relatively at said respective driving environments of the congested road, urban street, mountain road and highway in this order.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
58 words
An electronic engine control apparatus according to claim 4, wherein one of said plurality of actuators is ignition plugs (14, 15), and wherein said control means controls said ignition plugs in such a manner that the ignition timings advance relatively at said respective driving environments of the congested road, urban street, mountain road and highway in this order.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
72 words
An electronic engine control apparatus according to claim 4, wherein one of said plurality of actuators is means (17, 18, 19, 61, 63, 66) for adjusting a repulsion force of an accelerator pedal, and wherein said control means controls said repulsion force adjusting means in such a manner that the repulsion forces reduce relatively at said respective driving environments of the congested road, urban street, mountain road and highway in this order.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
94 words
An electronic engine control apparatus according to claim 4, wherein one of said plurality of actuators is means (70) for controlling a throttle valve opening degree through conversion of the depression angle of an accelerator pedal into the throttle valve opening degree, and wherein said control means controls said throttle valve opening degree controlling means in such a manner that conversion ratios from the accelerator pedal depression angle into the throttle valve opening degree increase relatively at said respective driving environments of the congested road, urban street, mountain road, and highway in this order.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
52 words
An electronic engine control apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said discrimination means classifies the driver's intents with respect to the driver's preference to driveability into sporty, normal and gentle types, and discriminates to what type the driver's preference belongs, in accordance with the output signals from said first and second sensors.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
72 words
An electronic engine control apparatus according to claim 17, wherein said second sensors include a revolution number sensor (9) for detecting the number of revolutions of an engine, and a throttle valve position sensor (4) for detecting the opening degree of a throttle valve, and wherein said discrimination means discriminates to what type the driver's preference belongs, in accordance with output signals from said revolution number sensor and throttle valve position sensor.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
115 words
An electronic engine control apparatus according to claim 18, wherein said discrimination means calculates an engine revolution number change ratio using an output signal from said revolution number sensor, further calculates a throttle valve opening degree change ratio using an output signal from said throttle valve position sensor, and classifies the obtained revolution number change ratio and throttle valve opening degree change ratio into large, middle and small types, and wherein said discrimination means discriminates as the sporty type if the revolution number change ratio, throttle valve opening degree, and throttle valve opening degree change ratio are large, as the normal type if they are middle, and as the gentle type if they are small.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
105 words
An electronic engine control apparatus according to claim 17, wherein said discrimination means comprises: a unit for calculating the occurrence frequencies of the large, middle and small types of each output signal value by applying membership functions of the Fuzzy theory to the output signals of said first and second sensors; a unit for obtaining the occurrence probability of each driver's preference by performing conversion matrix calculation from the occurrence frequencies of the large, middle and small types of each output signal into the driver's preferences; and a unit for discriminating an objective driver's preference which has a maximum occurrence probability among the driver's preferences.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
46 words
An electronic engine control apparatus according to claim 17, wherein said first sensors include a sensor (4) for detecting the depression angle of an accelerator pedal, and wherein said discrimination means discriminates the preferences as a sporty type if a driver abruptly depresses the accelerator pedal.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
62 words
An electronic engine control apparatus according to claim 17, wherein said first sensors include a sensor (4) for detecting the depression position of an accelerator pedal, and a sensor (5) for detecting the depression position of a brake pedal, and wherein said discrimination means discriminates the preferences to driveability based on the depressions and depression frequencies of the accelerator and brake pedals.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
92 words
An electronic engine control apparatus according to claim 17, wherein said first sensors include a sensor (4) for detecting the depression position of an accelerator pedal, a sensor (5) for detecting a depression position of a brake pedal, and a sensor (8) for detecting a gear position of a shift lever, said second sensors include a sensor (12) for detecting a vehicle speed, and a sensor (9) for detecting an engine revolution number, and said discrimination means discriminates the driver's preferences based on the output signals from said first and second sensors.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
64 words
An electronic engine control apparatus according to claim 17, wherein one of said plurality of actuators is fuel injection valves, and wherein said control means controls said fuel injection valves in such a manner that the ratios of an injected fuel amount to a sucked air amount increase relatively at said respective driver's preferences to the gentle, normal and sporty types in this order.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
55 words
An electronic engine control apparatus according to claim 17, wherein one of said plurality of actuators is ignition plugs (14, 15), and wherein said control means controls said ignition plugs in such a manner that the ignition timings advance relatively at said respective driver's preferences to the gentle, normal and sporty types in this order.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
69 words
An electronic engine control apparatus according to claim 17, wherein one of said plurality of actuators is means (17, 18, 19, 61, 63, 66) for adjusting a repulsion force of an accelerator pedal, and wherein said control means controls said repulsion force adjusting means in such a manner that the repulsion forces reduce relatively at said respective driver's preferences to the gentle, normal and sporty types in this order.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
91 words
An electronic engine control apparatus according to claim 17, wherein one of said plurality of actuators is means (70) for controlling a throttle valve opening degree through conversion of the depression angle of an accelerator pedal into the throttle valve opening degree, and wherein said control means controls said throttle valve opening degree controlling means in such a manner that conversion ratios from the accelerator pedal depression angle into the throttle valve opening degree increase relatively at said respective driver's preferences to the gentle, normal and sporty types in this order.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
52 words
An electronic engine control apparatus according to claim 17, wherein said discrimination means detects a transition condition of the driving condition based on the output signals from said first and second sensors, and discriminates the driver's preferences based on the output signals from said first and second sensors during the transition condition.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
61 words
An electronic engine control apparatus according to claim 28, wherein said discrimination means detects a driving start as said transition condition, calculates an accelerator pedal depression position change ratio based on an output signal of an accelerator pedal depression position sensor as said first sensor, and discriminates the driver's preferences based on the depression position change ratio at the driving start.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
49 words
An electronic engine control apparatus according to claim 29. wherein said discrimination means classifies the accelerator pedal depression change ratios into large, middle and small types, and discriminates the driver's preferences as the sporty, normal and gentle types if the change ratios are large, middle and small types, respectively.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
58 words
An electronic engine control apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said discrimination means classifies the driver's intents into a plurality of types in accordance with the driving environments of the vehicle and the driver's preferences to driveability, and discriminates to what type the driver's intent belongs, in accordance with the output signals from said first and second sensors.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
43 words
An electronic engine control apparatus according to claim 31, wherein said discrimination means classifies the driving environments into a highway, congested road and other driving environments, and further classifies the other driving environments into the driver's preferences to sporty, normal and gentle types.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
85 words
An electronic engine control apparatus according to claim 32, wherein said second sensors include a vehicle speed sensor (12) for detecting a vehicle speed, a revolution number sensor (19) for detecting the number of revolutions of an engine, and a throttle valve position sensor (14) for detecting the opening degree of a throttle valve, and wherein said discrimination means discriminates to what type the driving environment belongs, in accordance with output signals from said vehicle speed sensor, revolution number sensor and throttle valve position sensor.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
151 words
An electronic engine control apparatus according to claim 33, wherein said discrimination means calculates an engine revolution number change ratio using an output signal from said revolution number sensor, further calculates a throttle valve opening degree change ratio using an output signal from said throttle valve position sensor, and classifies the obtained vehicle speed, revolution number change ratio and throttle valve opening degree change ratio into large, middle and small types, and wherein said discrimination means discriminates as the highway if the vehicle speed is high, as the congested road if the vehicle speed is low and the engine revolution number change ratio is small, and said discrimination means discriminates as the sporty type if the engine revolution number change ratio, throttle valve opening degree and throttle valve opening degree change ratio are large, as the normal type if they are middle, and as the gentle type if they are small.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim
122 words
An electronic engine control apparatus according to claim 31, wherein said discrimination means comprises: a unit for calculating the occurrence frequencies of the large, middle and small types of each output signal value by applying membership functions of the Fuzzy theory to the output signals of said first and second sensors; a unit for obtaining the occurrence probability of each driving environment and each driver's preference by performing conversion matrix calculation from the occurrence frequencies of the large, middle and small types of each output signal into the driving environments and the driver's preferences; and a unit for discriminating an objective driving environment and an objective driver's preference which have maximum occurrence probabilities among the driving environments and the driver's preferences, respectively.
Claim 37
Dependent Claim
112 words
An electronic engine control apparatus according to claim 32, wherein one of said plurality of actuators is fuel injection valves, and wherein said control means sets a first air/fuel mixture ratio if the driving environment is the congested road or the driver's preference is the gentle type, a second air/fuel mixture ratio if the driver's preference is the normal type, and a third air/fuel mixture ratio if the driving environment is the highway or the driver's preference is the sporty type, and controls the fuel injection valves in such a manner that the mixture ratios increase relatively at the respective mixture ratios of the first, second and third ratios in this order.
Claim 38
Dependent Claim
108 words
An electronic engine control apparatus according to claim 32, wherein one of said plurality of actuators is ignition plugs (14, 15), and wherein said control means controls sets first spark timings if the driving environment is the congested road or the driver's preference is the gentle type, second spark timings if the driver's preference is the normal type, and third spark timings if the driving environment is the highway or the driver's preference is the sporty type, and controls the ignition plugs in such a manner that the spark timings advance relatively at the respective spark timings of the first, second and third spark timings in this order.
Claim 39
Dependent Claim
126 words
An electronic engine control apparatus according to claim 32, wherein one of said plurality of actuators is means (17, 18, 19, 61, 63, 66) for adjusting a repulsion force of an accelerator pedal, and wherein said control means sets a first repulsion force if the driving environment is the congested road or the driver's preference is the gentle type, a second repulsion force if the driver's preference is the normal type, and a third repulsion force if the driving environment is the highway or the driver's preference is the sporty type, and controls said repulsion force adjusting means in such a manner that the accelerator pedal repulsion forces reduce relatively at said respective repulsion forces of the first, second and third repulsion forces in this order.
Claim 40
Dependent Claim
147 words
An electronic engine control apparatus according to claim 32, wherein one of said plurality of actuators is means (70) for controlling a throttle valve opening degree through conversion of the depression angle of an accelerator pedal into the throttle valve opening degree, and wherein said control means sets a first conversion ratio of the accelerator pedal depression angle into the throttle valve opening degree if the driving environment is the congested road or the driver's preference is the gentle type, a second conversion ratio if the driver's preference is the normal type, and a third conversion ratio if the driving environment is the highway or the driver's preference is the sporty type, and controls said throttle valve opening degree controlling means in such a manner that the conversion ratios increase relatively at the respective conversion ratios of the first, second and third conversion ratios in this order.
Claim 41
Dependent Claim
87 words
An electronic engine control apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said discrimination means classifies the driver's intents with respect to the driving action of a driver in acceleration periods into a plurality of acceleration characteristic patterns. and discriminates to what acceleration characteristic pattern the driver's intent belongs, based on the output signals from said first and second sensors, and wherein said control means includes an acceleration rate controlling mechanism and changes the coefficient of said acceleration rate controlling mechanism in accordance with the discriminated acceleration characteristic pattern.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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