Apparatus and method for controlling a car

Claim 2

A car control apparatus, comprising: (a) an operating condition detection means for detecting one of a plurality of operating condition parameters in an actuating system of a car; (b) a regulation means for regulating the operating conditions of said actuating system of said car; (c) a control signal generation means for generating a control signal for controlling said regulation means on the basis of an output of said operating condition detection means; and (d) a correction means for obtaining a learning factor by feedback of said one car operating condition parameter, and for deriving at least two correction factors from said learning factor; said correction factors including a control constant correction factor for correcting a control constant component to be used for generating at least the control signal, and an output constant correction factor for correcting an output constant component of said operating condition detection means; and for correcting the control constant of said control signal and the output correction constant using said correction factors.

Claim 3

A car control apparatus, comprising: (a) an operating condition detection means for detecting one of a plurality of operation condition parameters in an actuating system of a car; (b) a regulation means for regulating the operating conditions of said actuating system of said car; (c) a control signal generation means for generating a control signal for controlling said regulation means on the basis of an output of said operating condition detection means; and (d) a correction means for obtaining a learning factor by feedback of said one car operating condition parameter, and for deriving at least two correction factors from said learning factor; said correction factors including a control constant correction factor for correcting an initial control constant component to be used for generating at least the control signal, and an output constant correction factor for correcting an initial output constant component of said operating condition detection means; and for correcting the initial control constant of said control signal and the initial output correction constant using said correction factors.

Claim 4

A car control apparatus, comprising: (a) an operating condition detection means for detecting one of a plurality of operation condition parameters in an actuating system of a car; (b) a regulation means for regulating the operating conditions of said actuating system of said car; (c) a control signal generation means for generating a control signal for controlling said regulation means on the basis of an output of said operating condition detection means; and (d) a correction means for obtaining a learning factor by feedback of said one car operating condition parameter, and for deriving at least two correction factors from said learning factor; said correction factors including a control constant correction factor for correcting an initial control constant component to be used for generating at least the control signal, and an output constant correction factor for correcting an initial output constant component of said operating condition detection means; and for correcting the initial control constant of said control signal and the initial output correction constant using said correction factors.

Claim 5

A car control apparatus, comprising: (a) an operating condition detection means for detecting one of a plurality of operating conditions in an actuating system of a car; (b) a regulation means for regulating the operating conditions of said actuating system of said car; (c) a control signal generation means for generating a control signal for controlling said regulation means on the basis of an output of said operating condition detection means, said control signal generation means including a memory means; and (d) initial constant setting means for obtaining a learning factor by feedback of said one car operating condition parameter, and for deriving at least two correction factors from said learning factor; said correction factors including a control constant correction factor for correcting an initial control constant component to be used for generating at least the control signal, and an output constant correction factor for correcting an initial output constant component of said operating condition detection means; and for correcting the initial control constant of said control signal and the initial output correction constant using said correction factors, said corrected initial control constant of said control signal and the initial output correction constant being stored in said memory means.

Claim 6

A car control apparatus, comprising: (a) an operating condition detection means for detecting one of a plurality of operating conditions in an actuating system of a car; (b) a regulation means for regulating the operating conditions of said actuating system of said car; (c) a control signal generation means for generating a control signal for controlling said regulation means on the basis of an output of said operating condition detection means, said control signal generation means including a memory means; and (d) initial constant setting means for obtaining a learning factor by feedback of said one car operating condition parameter, and for deriving at least two correction factors from said learning factor; said correction factors including a control constant correction factor for correcting an initial control constant component to be used for generating at least the control signal, and an output constant correction factor for correcting an initial output constant component of said operating condition detection means; and for correcting the initial control constant of said control signal and the initial output correction constant using said correction factors, said corrected initial control constant of said control signal and the initial output correction constant being stored in said memory means.

Claim 9

A car control apparatus, comprising: (a) an air-fuel ratio sensor for detecting an air-fuel ratio on the basis of exhaust gas components of an engine; (b) an air flow sensor for detecting an amount of air sucked into said engine; (c) an injection signal generation means for generating a fuel injection signal on the basis of an output of said air flow sensor; and (d) a correction means for obtaining a learning factor on the basis of a signal of said air-fuel ratio sensor, and for deriving at least two correction factors from said learning factor; said correction factors including a control constant correction factor for correcting a control constant component to be used for generating at least the fuel injection signal, and an output constant correction factor for correcting an output constant component of said air flow sensor; and for correcting the control constant of said fuel injection signal and the output correction constant using said correction factors.

Claim 10

A car control apparatus, comprising: (a) an air-fuel ratio sensor for detecting an air-fuel ratio on the basis of exhaust gas components of an engine; (b) an air flow sensor for detecting an amount of air sucked into said engine; (c) an injection signal generation means for generating a fuel injection signal on the basis of an output of said air flow sensor; and (d) a correction means for obtaining a learning factor on the basis of a signal of said air-fuel ratio sensor, and for deriving at least two correction factors from said learning factor; said correction factors including a control constant correction factor for correcting a control constant component to be used for generating at least the fuel injection signal, and an output constant correction factor for correcting an output constant component of said air flow sensor; and for correcting the control constant of said fuel injection signal and the output correction constant using said correction factors.

Claim 11

A car control apparatus, comprising: (a) an air flow sensor for detecting an amount of air sucked into an engine; (b) an engine speed sensor for detecting the engine speed of said engine; (c) an injection signal generation means for obtaining an injection pulse width T p in accordance with an expression of ##EQU8## where K const represents an injector constant, Q a represents an output of said air flow sensor, and N represents an output of said engine speed sensor; (d) an air-fuel ration sensor for detecting an air-fuel ratio on the basis of exhaust gas components of said engine; (e) a variation component memory for storing variation components determined on the basis of deviations between air-fuel ratio target values previously set in accordance with a plurality of predetermined operating conditions of said engine and air-fuel ratio detection values detected by said air-fuel ratio detection sensor under a plurality of corresponding engine operating conditions; (f) a correction calculation means for performing a calculation for dividing said variation components in said variation component memory into at least two distinct components as correction values including a control constant component to be used for generating at least the fuel injection signal and an output correction constant component of the output Q a of said air flow sensor; and (g) a correction means for correcting the output Q a of said air flow sensor by using the correction values obtained by said correction calculation means.

Claim 12

A car control apparatus, comprising: (a) an air flow sensor for detecting an amount of air sucked into an engine; (b) an engine speed sensor for detecting the engine speed of said engine; (c) an injection signal generation means for obtaining an injection pulse width T p in accordance with an expression of ##EQU8## where K const represents an injector constant, Q a represents an output of said air flow sensor, and N represents an output of said engine speed sensor; (d) an air-fuel ration sensor for detecting an air-fuel ratio on the basis of exhaust gas components of said engine; (e) a variation component memory for storing variation components determined on the basis of deviations between air-fuel ratio target values previously set in accordance with a plurality of predetermined operating conditions of said engine and air-fuel ratio detection values detected by said air-fuel ratio detection sensor under a plurality of corresponding engine operating conditions; (f) a correction calculation means for performing a calculation for dividing said variation components in said variation component memory into at least two distinct components as correction values including a control constant component to be used for generating at least the fuel injection signal and an output correction constant component of the output Q a of said air flow sensor; and (g) a correction means for correcting the output Q a of said air flow sensor by using the correction values obtained by said correction calculation means.

Claim 13

A car control apparatus, comprising: (a) an air flow sensor for detecting an amount of air sucked into an engine; (b) an engine speed sensor for detecting the engine speed of said engine; (c) an injection signal generation means for obtaining an injection pulse width T i in accordance with an expression of ##EQU9## where K const represents an injector constant, T s represents an ineffective time constant, Q a represents an output of said air flow sensor, and N represents an output of said engine speed sensor; (d) an air-fuel ratio sensor for detecting an air-fuel ratio on the basis of exhaust gas components of said engine; (e) a variation component memory for storing variation components determined on the basis of deviations between air-fuel ratio target values previously set in accordance with a plurality of predetermined operating conditions of said engine and air-fuel ratio detection values detected by said air-fuel ratio detection sensor under a plurality of corresponding engine operating conditions; (f) a correction calculation means for operating a calculation for dividing said variation components in said variation component memory into distinct components as correction values including said injector constant to be used for generating at least the fuel injection signal, inefficient time constant and an output correction constant component of the output Q a of said air flow sensor; and (g) a correction means for correcting the output Q a of said air flow sensor, said injector constant and said inefficient time constant by using the correction values obtained by said correction calculation means.

Claim 14

A car control apparatus, comprising: (a) an air flow sensor for detecting an amount of air sucked into an engine; (b) an engine speed sensor for detecting the engine speed of said engine; (c) an injection signal generation means for obtaining an injection pulse width T i in accordance with an expression of ##EQU9## where K const represents an injector constant, T s represents an ineffective time constant, Q a represents an output of said air flow sensor, and N represents an output of said engine speed sensor; (d) an air-fuel ratio sensor for detecting an air-fuel ratio on the basis of exhaust gas components of said engine; (e) a variation component memory for storing variation components determined on the basis of deviations between air-fuel ratio target values previously set in accordance with a plurality of predetermined operating conditions of said engine and air-fuel ratio detection values detected by said air-fuel ratio detection sensor under a plurality of corresponding engine operating conditions; (f) a correction calculation means for operating a calculation for dividing said variation components in said variation component memory into distinct components as correction values including said injector constant to be used for generating at least the fuel injection signal, inefficient time constant and an output correction constant component of the output Q a of said air flow sensor; and (g) a correction means for correcting the output Q a of said air flow sensor, said injector constant and said inefficient time constant by using the correction values obtained by said correction calculation means.

Claim 15

A car control method in an apparatus, comprising: (a) an air flow sensor for detecting an amount of air sucked into an engine; (b) an engine speed sensor for detecting the engine speed of said engine; (c) an injection signal generation means for obtaining an injection pulse width T in accordance with an expression of ##EQU10## where K const represents an injector constant, T s represents an ineffective time constant, Q a represents an output of said air flow sensor, and N represents an output of said engine speed sensor; (d) an air-fuel ratio sensor for detecting an air-fuel ratio on the basis of exhaust gas components of said engine; (e) a variation component memory for storing variation components determined on the basis of deviations between air-fuel ratio target values previously set in accordance with a plurality of predetermined operating conditions of said engine and air-fuel ratio detection values detected by said air-fuel ratio detection sensor under a plurality of corresponding engine operating conditions; (f) a correction calculation means for operating a calculation for dividing said variation components in said variation component memory into distinct components as correction values including said injector constant to be used for generating at least the fuel injection signal, inefficient time constant and an output correction constant component of the output Q a of said air flow sensor; and (g) a correction means for correcting the output Q a of said air flow sensor, said injector constant and said inefficient time constant by using the correction values obtained by said correction calculation means; wherein said method comprises a step determining said correction values of said constants in the following order; (1) said ineffective time constant; (2) said air flow sensor output characteristic correction constants; and (3) said injector constant.

Claim 16

A car control method in an apparatus, comprising: (a) an air flow sensor for detecting an amount of air sucked into an engine; (b) an engine speed sensor for detecting the engine speed of said engine; (c) an injection signal generation means for obtaining an injection pulse width T in accordance with an expression of ##EQU10## where K const represents an injector constant, T s represents an ineffective time constant, Q a represents an output of said air flow sensor, and N represents an output of said engine speed sensor; (d) an air-fuel ratio sensor for detecting an air-fuel ratio on the basis of exhaust gas components of said engine; (e) a variation component memory for storing variation components determined on the basis of deviations between air-fuel ratio target values previously set in accordance with a plurality of predetermined operating conditions of said engine and air-fuel ratio detection values detected by said air-fuel ratio detection sensor under a plurality of corresponding engine operating conditions; (f) a correction calculation means for operating a calculation for dividing said variation components in said variation component memory into distinct components as correction values including said injector constant to be used for generating at least the fuel injection signal, inefficient time constant and an output correction constant component of the output Q a of said air flow sensor; and (g) a correction means for correcting the output Q a of said air flow sensor, said injector constant and said inefficient time constant by using the correction values obtained by said correction calculation means; wherein said method comprises a step determining said correction values of said constants in the following order; (1) said ineffective time constant; (2) said air flow sensor output characteristic correction constants; and (3) said injector constant.

Claim 17

An engine control apparatus comprising at least two sensors, including an air-fuel ratio sensor and at least one engine controlling actuator, in which deviations between air-fuel ratio target values previously set in accordance with a plurality of predetermined operating conditions of said engine and air-fuel ratio detection values actually detected by said air-fuel ratio detection sensor under a plurality of corresponding engine operating conditions are calculated and held as a plurality of predetermined air-fuel ratio correction factors so that said actuator is controlled by using said air-fuel ratio correction factors to perform feedback control, said engine control apparatus further comprising a calculated processing means for calculating characteristic correction factors for a detection value of the engine operating condition detected by at least one of said sensors and characteristic correction factors for control characteristic of said at least one actuator separately from each other on the basis of at least two air-fuel ratio correction factors in the different engine operating conditions among said calculated and held plurality of predetermined air-fuel ratio correction factors, whereby abnormality is judged on the corresponding sensor and actuator by using the numerical values of said characteristic correction factors.

Claim 18

An engine control apparatus comprising at least two sensors, including an air-fuel ratio sensor and at least one engine controlling actuator, in which deviations between air-fuel ratio target values previously set in accordance with a plurality of predetermined operating conditions of said engine and air-fuel ratio detection values actually detected by said air-fuel ratio detection sensor under a plurality of corresponding engine operating conditions are calculated and held as a plurality of predetermined air-fuel ratio correction factors so that said actuator is controlled by using said air-fuel ratio correction factors to perform feedback control, said engine control apparatus further comprising a calculated processing means for calculating characteristic correction factors for a detection value of the engine operating condition detected by at least one of said sensors and characteristic correction factors for control characteristic of said at least one actuator separately from each other on the basis of at least two air-fuel ratio correction factors in the different engine operating conditions among said calculated and held plurality of predetermined air-fuel ratio correction factors, whereby abnormality is judged on the corresponding sensor and actuator by using the numerical values of said characteristic correction factors.

Claim 19

A car control apparatus comprising: (a) an air flow sensor for detecting an amount of air sucked into an engine; (b) an engine speed sensor for detecting the engine speed of said engine; (c) an injection signal generation means for obtaining an injection pulse width T p in accordance with an expression of ##EQU11## where K const represents an injector constant, Q a represents an output of said air flow sensor, and N represents an output of said engine speed sensor; (d) an air-fuel ratio sensor for detecting an air-fuel ratio on the basis of exhaust gas components of said engine; (e) a variation components memory for storing variation components determined on the basis of deviations between air-fuel ratio target values previously set in accordance with a plurality of predetermined operating conditions of said engine and air-fuel ratio detection values detected by said air-fuel ratio detection sensor under a plurality of corresponding engine operating conditions; (f) a correction calculation means for operating a calculation for dividing said variation components in said variation component memory into at least two distinct components as correction values including a control constant component to be used for generating at least the fuel injection signal and an output correction constant component of the output Q a of said air flow sensor; (g) a correction means for correcting the output Q a of said air flow sensor by using the correction values obtained by said correction calculation means; and (h) an ignition timing determination means for determining a fundamental ignition timing on the basis of a value of division between the corrected value of said output Q a of said air flow sensor and the output N of said engine speed sensor.

Claim 20

A car control apparatus comprising: (a) an air flow sensor for detecting an amount of air sucked into an engine; (b) an engine speed sensor for detecting the engine speed of said engine; (c) an injection signal generation means for obtaining an injection pulse width T p in accordance with an expression of ##EQU11## where K const represents an injector constant, Q a represents an output of said air flow sensor, and N represents an output of said engine speed sensor; (d) an air-fuel ratio sensor for detecting an air-fuel ratio on the basis of exhaust gas components of said engine; (e) a variation components memory for storing variation components determined on the basis of deviations between air-fuel ratio target values previously set in accordance with a plurality of predetermined operating conditions of said engine and air-fuel ratio detection values detected by said air-fuel ratio detection sensor under a plurality of corresponding engine operating conditions; (f) a correction calculation means for operating a calculation for dividing said variation components in said variation component memory into at least two distinct components as correction values including a control constant component to be used for generating at least the fuel injection signal and an output correction constant component of the output Q a of said air flow sensor; (g) a correction means for correcting the output Q a of said air flow sensor by using the correction values obtained by said correction calculation means; and (h) an ignition timing determination means for determining a fundamental ignition timing on the basis of a value of division between the corrected value of said output Q a of said air flow sensor and the output N of said engine speed sensor.

Claim 21

An engine control apparatus comprising: (a) means for detecting and outputting parameters indicating operating condition of the engine; (b) means for controlling operation values of said engine according to control values; (c) feedback means for correcting said control values in order to make said outputted parameters of said detecting means close to predetermined target values; (d) means for learning characteristics of relations between said control values and said operation values during actual operation of said engine and determining variations of the characteristics; (e) means for determining compensation values for said control values and for said outputted parameters of said detecting means on the basis of the variations obtained by said learning means; and (f) means for revising or compensating said control values and said outputted parameters of said detecting means according to said compensation values for said control values and for said outputted parameters of said detecting means.

Claim 22

An engine control apparatus comprising: (a) means for detecting and outputting parameters indicating operating condition of the engine; (b) means for controlling operation values of said engine according to control values; (c) feedback means for correcting said control values in order to make said outputted parameters of said detecting means close to predetermined target values; (d) means for learning characteristics of relations between said control values and said operation values during actual operation of said engine and determining variations of the characteristics; (e) means for determining compensation values for said control values and for said outputted parameters of said detecting means on the basis of the variations obtained by said learning means; and (f) means for revising or compensating said control values and said outputted parameters of said detecting means according to said compensation values for said control values and for said outputted parameters of said detecting means.