US5144929A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Knock suppression apparatus and method for a multi-cylinder internal combusiton engine
Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corp
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Filing: 1991-07-17
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Granted: 1992-09-08
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Expires: 2011-07-17
Abstract
Abstract A knock suppression apparatus and method for a multi-cylinder internal combustion engine can perform knock determination for each cylinder, and selectively prevent such knock suppression control from being reflected or performed on a cylinder for which knock determination is determined to be erroneous due to the influences of noise, thereby avoiding resultant reduction in the engine control efficiency. A plurality of knock sensors are provided each of which senses vibrations of a corresponding cylinder to generate a corresponding output signal. A knock determiner generates a knock determining signal if it is determined, based on the output signals of the knock sensors, that there is knocking in a cylinder. A controller controls engine operating parameters in a direction to suppress knocking in the cylinder based on the knock determining signal. A noise determiner determines whether the knock determining signal for each cylinder is erroneous due to noise, and generates a noise determining signal if the knock determining signal is erroneous. A knock control inhibiter inhibits knock suppression control based on the knock determining signal on a cylinder for which a noise determining signal is generated.
Inventors
- 👤 Yasuhiko Hosoya
- 👤 Toshio Iwata
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-03 03:33
CPC Classifications
F; F02; F02P; F02P5/00; F02P5/04; F02P5/145; F02P5/15; F02P5/152; F02P5/1522; F02B; F02B1/00; F02B1/02; F02B1/04; Y; Y02; Y02T; Y02T10/00; Y02T10/10; Y02T10/40
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 16
Claim 1
Independent Claim
152 words
A knock suppression apparatus for a multi-cylinder internal combustion engine, comprising: a) knock sensor means for sensing vibrations of cylinders to generate a corresponding output signal; b) a knock determiner for generating a knock determining signal if it is determined, based on the output signal of said knock sensor means, that a peak level thereof exceeds a peak threshold derived from an average level thereof; c) a controller for controlling engine operating parameters in a direction to suppress knocking in the cylinder based on the knock determining signal; d) a noise determiner for determining whether the knock determining signal for each cylinder is erroneous due to noise, and for generating a noise determining signal if the knock determining signal is erroneous; and e) a knock control inhibiter for inhibiting knock suppression control by the controller based on the knock determining signal on a cylinder for which a noise determining signal is generated.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
152 words
A knock suppression apparatus for a multi-cylinder internal combustion engine, comprising: a) knock sensor means for sensing vibrations of cylinders to generate a corresponding output signal; b) a knock determiner for generating a knock determining signal if it is determined, based on the output signal of said knock sensor means, that a peak level thereof exceeds a peak threshold derived from an average level thereof; c) a controller for controlling engine operating parameters in a direction to suppress knocking in the cylinder based on the knock determining signal; d) a noise determiner for determining whether the knock determining signal for each cylinder is erroneous due to noise, and for generating a noise determining signal if the knock determining signal is erroneous; and e) a knock control inhibiter for inhibiting knock suppression control by the controller based on the knock determining signal on a cylinder for which a noise determining signal is generated.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
35 words
A knock suppression apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said controller comprises an ignition retarding controller for retarding an ignition instant of a knocking cylinder in response to a knock determining signal for the cylinder.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
50 words
A knock suppression apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said knock control inhibiter includes a plurality of first counters each counting noise determining signals for a corresponding cylinder, and inhibits knock suppression control on a cylinder for which more than a first predetermined number of noise determining signals are generated.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
34 words
A knock suppression apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said knock control inhibiter inhibits knock suppression control on a cylinder for which more than a predetermined number of noise determining signals are consecutively generated.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
97 words
A knock suppression apparatus according to claim 3 wherein said knock control inhibiter further includes a plurality of second counters each counting the number of ignitions of a corresponding cylinder, said knock control inhibiter being operable to clear a second counter for a cylinder each time a noise determining signal for the cylinder is generated, and clear a first counter for the cylinder if the number of ignitions of the cylinder is more than a second predetermined value at the time when the number of noise determining signals generated for the cylinder exceeds a first predetermined value.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
64 words
A knock suppression apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said knock control inhibiter includes a plurality of counters each counting the number of ignitions of a corresponding cylinder, said knock control inhibiter being operable to inhibit knock suppression control on a cylinder for which the number of noise determining signals generated within a predetermined number of ignitions of the cylinder exceeds a predetermined value.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
130 words
A knock suppression method for a multi-cylinder internal combustion engine, comprising the steps of: a) sensing vibrations of cylinders to generate a corresponding knock sensor output signal; b) generating a knock determining signal if it is determined, based on the knock sensor output signal, that a peak level thereof exceeds a peak threshold derived from an average level thereof; c) controlling engine operating parameters in a direction to suppress knocking in the cylinder based on the knock determining signal; d) determining whether the knock determining signal for the cylinder is erroneous due to noise; e) generating a noise determining signal if the knock determining signal is erroneous; and f) inhibiting knock suppression control based on the knock determining signal on a cylinder for which a noise determining signal is generated.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
130 words
A knock suppression method for a multi-cylinder internal combustion engine, comprising the steps of: a) sensing vibrations of cylinders to generate a corresponding knock sensor output signal; b) generating a knock determining signal if it is determined, based on the knock sensor output signal, that a peak level thereof exceeds a peak threshold derived from an average level thereof; c) controlling engine operating parameters in a direction to suppress knocking in the cylinder based on the knock determining signal; d) determining whether the knock determining signal for the cylinder is erroneous due to noise; e) generating a noise determining signal if the knock determining signal is erroneous; and f) inhibiting knock suppression control based on the knock determining signal on a cylinder for which a noise determining signal is generated.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
38 words
A knock suppression method according to claim 7, wherein the step of inhibiting knock suppression control comprises inhibiting ignition retarding control on a cylinder for which more than a first predetermined number of noise determining signals are generated.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
38 words
A knock suppression method according to claim 7, wherein the step of inhibiting knock suppression control comprises inhibiting ignition retarding control on a cylinder for which more than a predetermined number of noise determining signals are consecutively generated.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
47 words
A knock suppression method according to claim 7, wherein the step of inhibiting knock suppression control comprises inhibiting ignition retarding control on a cylinder for which the number of noise determining signals generated within a predetermined number of ignitions of the cylinder exceeds a first predetermined value.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
179 words
A knock control method for a multi-cylinder internal combustion engine comprising the steps of: sensing vibrations of cylinders to generate a correspondng knock sensor output signal; determining, based on the knock sensor output signal, whether there is knocking in a cylinder; generating a knock determining signal if it is determined that there is knocking in a cylinder; calculating a deviation level corresponding to a knock determining signal based on a difference between a peak level of a knock sensor output signal for each cylinder and a predetermined peak threshold; determining whether the deviation level is equal to a predetermined noise level and generating a noise determining signal if the deviation level is equal to the noise level; determining whether the number of noise determining signals generated is less than a first predetermined value; retarding an ignition instant of a cylinder if the deviation level for the cylinder is not equal to the noise level; and inhibiting ignition retarding control on the cylinder if the number of noise determining signals for the cylinder is greater than the first predetermined value.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
179 words
A knock control method for a multi-cylinder internal combustion engine comprising the steps of: sensing vibrations of cylinders to generate a correspondng knock sensor output signal; determining, based on the knock sensor output signal, whether there is knocking in a cylinder; generating a knock determining signal if it is determined that there is knocking in a cylinder; calculating a deviation level corresponding to a knock determining signal based on a difference between a peak level of a knock sensor output signal for each cylinder and a predetermined peak threshold; determining whether the deviation level is equal to a predetermined noise level and generating a noise determining signal if the deviation level is equal to the noise level; determining whether the number of noise determining signals generated is less than a first predetermined value; retarding an ignition instant of a cylinder if the deviation level for the cylinder is not equal to the noise level; and inhibiting ignition retarding control on the cylinder if the number of noise determining signals for the cylinder is greater than the first predetermined value.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
182 words
A knock control method for a multi-cylinder internal combustion engine comprising the steps of: sensing vibrations of cylinders to generate a corresponding knock sensor output signal; determining, based on the knock sensor output signal, whether there is knocking in a cylinder; generating a knock determining signal if it is determined that there is knocking in a cylinder; calculating a deviation level corresponding to a knock determining signal based on a difference between a peak level of a knock sensor output signal for each cylinder and a predetermined peak threshold; determining whether the deviation level is equal to a predetermined noise level and generating a noise determining signal if the deviation level is equal to the noise level; determining whether the number of noise determining signals generated is less than a first predetermined value; retarding an ignition instant of a cylinder if the number of noise determining signals for the cylinder is less than the first predetermined value; and inhibiting ignition retarding control on the cylinder if the number of noise determining signals for the cylinder is greater than the first predetermined value.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
182 words
A knock control method for a multi-cylinder internal combustion engine comprising the steps of: sensing vibrations of cylinders to generate a corresponding knock sensor output signal; determining, based on the knock sensor output signal, whether there is knocking in a cylinder; generating a knock determining signal if it is determined that there is knocking in a cylinder; calculating a deviation level corresponding to a knock determining signal based on a difference between a peak level of a knock sensor output signal for each cylinder and a predetermined peak threshold; determining whether the deviation level is equal to a predetermined noise level and generating a noise determining signal if the deviation level is equal to the noise level; determining whether the number of noise determining signals generated is less than a first predetermined value; retarding an ignition instant of a cylinder if the number of noise determining signals for the cylinder is less than the first predetermined value; and inhibiting ignition retarding control on the cylinder if the number of noise determining signals for the cylinder is greater than the first predetermined value.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1995-09-08 | 1996-03-09 | 1996-09-08 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1999-09-08 | 2000-03-09 | 2000-09-08 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2003-09-08 | 2004-03-09 | 2004-09-08 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |