Method of controlling internal combustion engine

Claim 1

A method of operating a control apparatus for controlling the operation of an internal combustion engine, said apparatus including sensor means including an air flow rate meter and a crankshaft rotation angle sensor for generating output signals representative of operating conditions of the engine; actuator means, including at least a fuel injector, for controlling operating conditions of the engine in response to control signals applied thereto; and a data processing unit including central processor, random access memory and read only memory, for executing data calculations based upon output signals generated by said sensor means and producing therefrom control signals to be coupled to said actuator means for controlling operating conditions of the engine; said method comprising the steps of: (a) sampling output signals generated by said air flow rate meter and said crankshaft rotation angle sensor at predetermined timings; (b) storing, in said random access memory, said sampled output signals; (c) executing, in said central processor, a first prescribed calculation in accordance with selected ones of the signal samples stored in said random access memory representative of air flow rate and thereby producing first extrapolated air flow rate data; (d) executing, in said central processor, a second prescribed calculation in accordance with selected ones of the signal samples stored in said random access memory representative of crankshaft rotation speed and thereby producing first extrapolated crankshaft rotation speed data; (e) executing, in said central processor, a third prescribed calculation in accordance with a prescribed relationship between said first extrapolated air flow rate data and said first extrapolated crankshaft rotation speed data and producing therefrom a fuel injection control signal representative of the amount of fuel to be injected by said fuel injector based upon said third prescribed calculation; and (f) applying said fuel injection control signal to said injector.

Claim 2

A method of operating a control apparatus for controlling the operation of an internal combustion engine, said apparatus including sensor means including an air flow rate meter and a crankshaft rotation angle sensor for generating output signals representative of operating conditions of the engine; actuator means, including at least a fuel injector, for controlling operating conditions of the engine in response to control signals applied thereto; and a data processing unit including central processor, random access memory and read only memory, for executing data calculations based upon output signals generated by said sensor means and producing therefrom control signals to be coupled to said actuator means for controlling operating conditions of the engine; said method comprising the steps of: (a) sampling output signals generated by said air flow rate meter and said crankshaft rotation angle sensor at predetermined timings; (b) storing, in said random access memory, said sampled output signals; (c) executing, in said central processor, a first prescribed calculation in accordance with selected ones of the signal samples stored in said random access memory representative of air flow rate and thereby producing first extrapolated air flow rate data; (d) executing, in said central processor, a second prescribed calculation in accordance with selected ones of the signal samples stored in said random access memory representative of crankshaft rotation speed and thereby producing first extrapolated crankshaft rotation speed data; (e) executing, in said central processor, a third prescribed calculation in accordance with a prescribed relationship between said first extrapolated air flow rate data and said first extrapolated crankshaft rotation speed data and producing therefrom a fuel injection control signal representative of the amount of fuel to be injected by said fuel injector based upon said third prescribed calculation; and (f) applying said fuel injection control signal to said injector.

Claim 7

A method of operating a control apparatus for controlling the operation of an internal combustion engine, said apparatus including sensor means including an intake negative pressure sensor for generating output signals representative of operating conditions of the engine; actuator means, including at least a fuel injector, for controlling operating conditions of the engine in response to control signals applied thereto; and a data processing unit including central processor, random access memory and read only memory, for executing data calculations based upon output signals generated by said sensor means and producing therefrom control signals to be coupled to said actuator means for controlling operating conditions of the engine; said method comprising the steps of: (a) sampling output signals generated by said intake negative pressure sensor at predetermined timings; (b) storing, in said random access memory, said sampled output signals; (c) executing, in said control processor, a first prescribed calculation in accordance with selected ones of the signal samples stored in said random access memory representation of intake negative pressure and thereby producing first extrapolated intake negative pressure data; (d) executing, in said control processor, a second prescribed calculation in accordance with a prescribed relationship between said first extrapolated intake negative pressure data and atmospheric pressure and producing therefrom a fuel injection control signal representative of the amount of fuel to be injected by said fuel injector based upon said second prescribed calculation; and (e) applying said fuel injection control signal to said injector.

Claim 8

A method of operating a control apparatus for controlling the operation of an internal combustion engine, said apparatus including sensor means including an intake negative pressure sensor for generating output signals representative of operating conditions of the engine; actuator means, including at least a fuel injector, for controlling operating conditions of the engine in response to control signals applied thereto; and a data processing unit including central processor, random access memory and read only memory, for executing data calculations based upon output signals generated by said sensor means and producing therefrom control signals to be coupled to said actuator means for controlling operating conditions of the engine; said method comprising the steps of: (a) sampling output signals generated by said intake negative pressure sensor at predetermined timings; (b) storing, in said random access memory, said sampled output signals; (c) executing, in said control processor, a first prescribed calculation in accordance with selected ones of the signal samples stored in said random access memory representation of intake negative pressure and thereby producing first extrapolated intake negative pressure data; (d) executing, in said control processor, a second prescribed calculation in accordance with a prescribed relationship between said first extrapolated intake negative pressure data and atmospheric pressure and producing therefrom a fuel injection control signal representative of the amount of fuel to be injected by said fuel injector based upon said second prescribed calculation; and (e) applying said fuel injection control signal to said injector.

Claim 14

A method of operating a control apparatus for controlling the operation of an internal combustion engine, said apparatus including sensor means including an air flow rate meter and a crankshaft rotation angle sensor for generating output signals representative of operating conditions of the engine; actuator means, including at least a fuel injector, for controlling operating conditions of the engine in response to control signals applied thereto; and a data processing unit including central processor, random access memory and read only memory, for executing data calculations based upon output signals generated by said sensor means and producing therefrom control signals to be coupled to said actuator means for controlling operating conditions of the engine; said method comprising the steps of: (a) sampling output signals generated by said air flow rate meter and said crankshaft rotation angle sensor at predetermined timings; (b) storing, in said random access memory, said sampled output signals; (c) coupling selected ones of the signal samples stored in said random access memory representative of air flow rate to said central processor; (d) comparing in said central processor, the values of signal samples coupled thereto in step (c) and producing an output signal representative of a change in the amount of fuel to be injected in response to the absolute value of the difference between said signal values exceeding a predetermined value; (e) executing, in said central processor, a prescribed calculation in accordance with selected ones of the signal samples representative of air flow rate and crankshaft rotation speed, and producing therefrom a fuel injection control signal representative of the amount of fuel to be injected by said fuel injector; and (f) applying said fuel injection control signal to said injector.

Claim 15

A method of operating a control apparatus for controlling the operation of an internal combustion engine, said apparatus including sensor means including an air flow rate meter and a crankshaft rotation angle sensor for generating output signals representative of operating conditions of the engine; actuator means, including at least a fuel injector, for controlling operating conditions of the engine in response to control signals applied thereto; and a data processing unit including central processor, random access memory and read only memory, for executing data calculations based upon output signals generated by said sensor means and producing therefrom control signals to be coupled to said actuator means for controlling operating conditions of the engine; said method comprising the steps of: (a) sampling output signals generated by said air flow rate meter and said crankshaft rotation angle sensor at predetermined timings; (b) storing, in said random access memory, said sampled output signals; (c) coupling selected ones of the signal samples stored in said random access memory representative of air flow rate to said central processor; (d) comparing in said central processor, the values of signal samples coupled thereto in step (c) and producing an output signal representative of a change in the amount of fuel to be injected in response to the absolute value of the difference between said signal values exceeding a predetermined value; (e) executing, in said central processor, a prescribed calculation in accordance with selected ones of the signal samples representative of air flow rate and crankshaft rotation speed, and producing therefrom a fuel injection control signal representative of the amount of fuel to be injected by said fuel injector; and (f) applying said fuel injection control signal to said injector.