Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 10
Claim 1
Independent Claim
157 words
An air-fuel ratio control system for an internal combustion engine having an exhaust system, and a catalytic converter having a catalyst arranged in said exhaust system, comprising: an upstream oxygen sensor arranged in said exhaust system at a location upstream of said catalytic converter; a downstream oxygen sensor arranged in said exhaust system at a location downstream of said catalytic converter; feedback control constant-determining means for determining a feedback control constant, based on an output from said downstream oxygen sensor; feedback control means for determining an air-fuel ratio control amount, based on said feedback control constant determined by said feedback control constant-determining means and an output from said upstream oxygen sensor, and for feedback-controlling an air-fuel ratio of a mixture supplied to said engine by means of the determined air-fuel ratio control amount; and updating rate-setting means for setting an updating rate of said feedback control constant, based on temperature of said catalyst of said catalytic converter.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
157 words
An air-fuel ratio control system for an internal combustion engine having an exhaust system, and a catalytic converter having a catalyst arranged in said exhaust system, comprising: an upstream oxygen sensor arranged in said exhaust system at a location upstream of said catalytic converter; a downstream oxygen sensor arranged in said exhaust system at a location downstream of said catalytic converter; feedback control constant-determining means for determining a feedback control constant, based on an output from said downstream oxygen sensor; feedback control means for determining an air-fuel ratio control amount, based on said feedback control constant determined by said feedback control constant-determining means and an output from said upstream oxygen sensor, and for feedback-controlling an air-fuel ratio of a mixture supplied to said engine by means of the determined air-fuel ratio control amount; and updating rate-setting means for setting an updating rate of said feedback control constant, based on temperature of said catalyst of said catalytic converter.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
35 words
An air-fuel ratio control system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said updating rate-setting means sets said updating rate of said feedback control-constant to a lower value as said temperature of said catalyst is lower.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
26 words
An air-fuel ratio control system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said feedback control constant is a control term for correcting said air-fuel ratio control amount.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
50 words
An air-fuel ratio control system as claimed in claim 3, wherein said updating rate-setting means sets a correction term which is added to or subtracted from said control term, in response to said output from said downstream oxygen sensor, to thereby set said updating rate of said feedback control constant.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
29 words
An air-fuel ratio control system as claimed in claim 3, wherein said control term is a proportional term applied upon inversion of said output from said upstream oxygen sensor.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
50 words
An air-fuel ratio control system as claimed in claim 5, wherein said updating rate-setting means sets a correction term which is added to or subtracted from said proportional term, in response to said output from said downstream oxygen sensor, to thereby set said updating rate of said feedback control constant.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
32 words
An air-fuel ratio control system as claimed in claim 1, including catalyst temperature estimating means for estimating the temperature of said catalyst of said catalytic converter from operating conditions of said engine.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
95 words
An air-fuel ratio control system as claimed in claim 7, wherein said catalyst temperature-estimating means comprises steady condition temperature-calculating means for calculating a steady condition temperature of said catalyst of said catalytic converter in a steady condition of said engine, based on operating conditions of said engine at least including load on said engine, and follow-up speed-calculating means for calculating a follow-up speed of said temperature of said catalyst relative to said steady condition temperature, said catalyst temperature-estimating means estimating the temperature of said catalyst, based on said steady condition temperature and said follow-up speed.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
101 words
An air-fuel ratio control system as claimed in claim 8, wherein said catalyst temperature-estimating means further comprises intake air temperature-detecting means for detecting intake air temperature of said engine, vehicle speed-detecting means for detecting speed of a vehicle on which said engine is installed, and correcting means for correcting at least one of said steady condition temperature and said follow-up speed, based on said intake air temperature and said vehicle speed, said catalyst temperature-estimating means estimating the temperature of said catalyst, based on said at least one of said steady condition temperature and said follow-up speed corrected by said correcting means.