Fault detection system for internal combustion engine control apparatus

Claim 2

An internal combustion engine control apparatus, comprising an actuator included in an internal combustion engine, main control means for controlling the actuator, fault detection means for detecting a fault of the main control means, subcontrol means for controlling the actuator in place of the main control means only when a fault of the main control means is detected by the fault detection means, decision means for deciding whether the subcontrol means has a fault or not when the fault of the main control means is not detected by the fault detection means, alarm means for informing the generation of the fault when the decision means decides that the subcontrol means has the fault, and prohibiting means for prohibiting the actuator form being controlled by the subcontrol means when the decision means decides that the subcontrol means has the fault.

Claim 3

An internal combustion engine control apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising specified operating condition detection means for detecting that the internal combustion engine is in a specified operating condition, and the decision means includes switching means for switching so that the actuator is controlled by the subcontrol means in place of the main control means when the specified operation condition detection means detects that the internal combustion engine is in a specified operation condition, drive condition detection means for detecting the drive condition of the actuator controlled by the subcontrol means, and fault decision means for deciding the fault of the subcontrol means on the basis of the drive condition of the actuator detected by the drive condition detection means.

Claim 4

An internal combustion engine control apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the specified operating condition detection means detects starting condition of the internal combustion engine as the specified operating condition.

Claim 5

An internal combustion engine control apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the specified operating condition detection means detects the starting condition on the basis of speed of revolution in the internal combustion engine.

Claim 6

An internal combustion engine control apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the specified operating condition detecting means detects fuel cut condition in the internal combustion engine as the specified operating condition.

Claim 7

An internal combustion engine control apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the specified operating condition detection means detects the condition of the internal combustion engine which is in deceleration operation and in which fuel is cut, as the specified operating condition.

Claim 8

An internal combustion engine control apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the specified operating condition detection means detects the condition of the internal combustion engine which is in deceleration operation and in which fuel is cut and the fuel cut condition is expected to continue for a predetermined term, as the specified operating condition.

Claim 9

An internal combustion engine control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the decision means decides whether the subcontrol means has a fault or not on the basis of a control signal used for controlling the actuator, which is outputted from the subcontrol means.

Claim 10

An internal combustion engine control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the actuator adjusts the opening amount of a valve used for adjusting the amount of the air drawn to the internal combustion engine.

Claim 11

An internal combustion engine control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the actuator is used for adjusting the amount of the fuel supplied to the internal combustion engine.

Claim 12

An internal combustion engine control apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the internal combustion engine is mounted on vehicles in order to make the vehicles move.

Claim 13

An internal combustion engine control apparatus according to claim 11, further comprising means for detecting the operated amount of accelerator pedal operated by a driver, wherein the main control means and the subcontrol means control the actuator in response to the operated amount of accelerator pedal detected by the accelerator pedal operation amount detecting means.

Claim 14

An internal combustion engine control apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the internal combustion engine is mounted on vehicles in order to make the vehicles move, the actuator is used for adjusting the opening amount of a valve which adjusts the amount of the air drawn to the internal combustion engine.

Claim 15

An internal combustion engine control apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising means for detecting the operated amount of accelerator pedal operated by a driver, wherein the main control means and the subcontrol means control actuator in response to the operated amount of accelerator pedal detected by the accelerator pedal operation amount detecting means.

Claim 16

An internal combustion engine control apparatus, comprising valve means for adjusting the amount of air drawn into an internal combustion engine, which is arranged in an intake manifoId of the internal combustion engine, an actuator for actuating the valve means, an accelerator sensor for detecting the shift amount of an accelerator pedal operated by a driver, main control means for controlling the actuator in response to the shift amount of the accelerator pedal detected by the accelerator sensor, fault detection means for detecting a fault of the main control means, subcontrol means for controlling the actuator in response to the shift amount of the accelerator pedal detected by the accelerator sensor in place of the main control means only when the fault of the main control means is detected by the fault detection means, operating condition detection means for detecting that the internal combustion engine is in a predetermined condition, and decision means for deciding whether the subcontrol means has a fault or not when the operating condition detection means detects that the internal combustion engine iss in the predetermined condition, said decision means further comprising pseudosignal output means for outputting a pseudosignal of the shift amount of the accelerator pedal to the subcontrol means, which is independent from the shift amount of the accelerator pedal detected by the accelerator sensor, switching means for switching the subcontrol means from the main control means so that the subcontrol means controls the actuator in response to the pseudosignal of the shift amount outputted from the pseudosignal output means, actuated condition detection means for detecting an actuated condition of the valve means when the actuator is controlled by the subcontrol means on the basis of the operation of the switching means, and fault decision means for deciding whether the subcontrol means has a fault or not on the basis of the actuated condition detected by the actuated condition detected means.

Claim 17

An internal combustion engine control apparatus, comprising valve means for adjusting the amount of air drawn into an internal combustion engine, which is arranged in an intake manifoId of the internal combustion engine, an actuator for actuating the valve means, an accelerator sensor for detecting the shift amount of an accelerator pedal operated by a driver, main control means for controlling the actuator in response to the shift amount of the accelerator pedal detected by the accelerator sensor, fault detection means for detecting a fault of the main control means, subcontrol means for controlling the actuator in response to the shift amount of the accelerator pedal detected by the accelerator sensor in place of the main control means only when the fault of the main control means is detected by the fault detection means, operating condition detection means for detecting that the internal combustion engine is in a predetermined condition, and decision means for deciding whether the subcontrol means has a fault or not when the operating condition detection means detects that the internal combustion engine iss in the predetermined condition, said decision means further comprising pseudosignal output means for outputting a pseudosignal of the shift amount of the accelerator pedal to the subcontrol means, which is independent from the shift amount of the accelerator pedal detected by the accelerator sensor, switching means for switching the subcontrol means from the main control means so that the subcontrol means controls the actuator in response to the pseudosignal of the shift amount outputted from the pseudosignal output means, actuated condition detection means for detecting an actuated condition of the valve means when the actuator is controlled by the subcontrol means on the basis of the operation of the switching means, and fault decision means for deciding whether the subcontrol means has a fault or not on the basis of the actuated condition detected by the actuated condition detected means.

Claim 18

An internal combustion engine control apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the operating condition detection means detects the operating condition until the starting operation of the internal engine is over, as the predetermined condition.

Claim 19

An internal combustion engine control apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the operating condition detection means detects the finishing of the starting operation on the basis of speed of revolution in the internal combustion engine.

Claim 20

An internal combustion engine control apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the operating condition detection means detects fuel cut condition in the internal combustion engine, as the predetermined condition.

Claim 21

An internal combustion control apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the operating condition detection means detects the condition of the internal combustion engine which is in deceleration operation and in which fuel is cut, as the predetermined condition.

Claim 22

An internal combustion engine control apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the operating condition detection means detects the condition of the internal combustion engine which is in deceleration operation and in which fuel is cut and the fuel cut condition is expected to be continued for a predetermined term, as the predetermined operating condition.