System for controlling a variable geometry turbocharger

Claim 3

The system of claim 1 wherein the control logic for controlling the actuator further comprises: control logic for determining at least one control term; control logic for determining a modulated signal based on the at least one control term and the error signal; and control logic for applying the modulated signal to an input of the actuator.

Claim 4

The system of claim 1 wherein the control logic for controlling the actuator further comprises: control logic for determining an action signal based on the error signal, when error signal magnitude exceeds an action threshold value; control logic for determining at least one control term; control logic for determining a modulated signal based on the at least one control term and the action signal; and control logic for applying the modulated signal to an input of the actuator.

Claim 5

The system of claim 1 wherein the control logic for determining a desired turbocharger geometry further comprises: control logic for selecting an engine operating mode from the group consisting of a normal mode and at least one special mode based on the current engine conditions; control logic for determining a desired turbocharger geometry when the engine operating mode is the normal mode; and control logic for determining a desired turbocharger geometry when the engine operating mode is the at least one special mode.

Claim 8

The system of claim 5 wherein the control logic for determining the desired turbocharger geometry further comprises: control logic for determining a filtered rate of change of a second engine parameter; control logic for determining a geometry offset based on the filtered rate of change of the second engine parameter; and control logic for determining the desired turbocharger geometry based on the desired turbocharger geometry for steady state conditions of the first engine parameter, the desired turbocharger geometry for transient conditions of the first engine parameter, and the geometry offset.

Claim 9

An article of manufacture including a computer readable storage medium having information stored thereon representing instructions executable by a computer to control a vehicle having an internal combustion engine, a plurality of engine sensors indicative of current engine conditions, and a variable geometry turbocharger in which geometry is varied by a controllable actuator, the computer readable storage medium further comprising: instructions for determining a current turbocharger geometry based on an output of a turbocharger sensor; instructions for determining an engine speed; instructions for determining an engine torque demand; instructions for determining a desired turbocharger geometry based on the current engine conditions including the engine speed and the engine torque demand; instructions for determining an error signal by comparing the current turbocharger geometry to the desired turbocharger geometry; and instructions for controlling the actuator based on the error signal to change the current turbocharger geometry so as to track the desired turbocharger geometry.

Claim 10

An article of manufacture including a computer readable storage medium having information stored thereon representing instructions executable by a computer to control a vehicle having an internal combustion engine, a plurality of engine sensors indicative of current engine conditions, and a variable geometry turbocharger in which geometry is varied by a controllable actuator, the computer readable storage medium further comprising: instructions for determining a current turbocharger geometry based on an output of a turbocharger sensor; instructions for determining an engine speed; instructions for determining an engine torque demand; instructions for determining a desired turbocharger geometry based on the current engine conditions including the engine speed and the engine torque demand; instructions for determining an error signal by comparing the current turbocharger geometry to the desired turbocharger geometry; and instructions for controlling the actuator based on the error signal to change the current turbocharger geometry so as to track the desired turbocharger geometry.

Claim 11

The article of manufacture of claim 7 wherein the instructions for controlling the actuator further comprise: instructions for determining at least one control term; instructions for determining a modulated signal based on the at least one control term and the error signal; and instructions for applying the modulated signal to an input of the actuator.

Claim 12

The article of manufacture of claim 7 wherein the instructions for controlling the actuator further comprise: instructions for determining an action signal based on the error signal, when error signal magnitude exceeds an action threshold value; instructions for determining at least one control term; instructions for determining a modulated signal based on the at least one control term and the action signal; and instructions for applying the modulated signal to an input of the actuator.

Claim 13

The article of manufacture of claim 7 wherein the instructions for determining a desired turbocharger geometry further comprise: instructions for selecting an engine operating mode from the group consisting of a normal mode and at least one special mode based on the current engine conditions; instructions for determining a desired turbocharger geometry when the engine operating mode is the normal mode; and instructions for determining a desired turbocharger geometry when the engine operating mode is the at least one special mode.

Claim 14

An article of manufacture for controlling a vehicle having an internal combustion engine, a plurality of engine sensors having outputs indicative of current engine conditions, and a variable geometry turbocharger in which geometry is varied by a controllable actuator, the computer readable storage medium further comprising: instructions for determining a turbocharger geometry based on an output of a turbocharger sensor; instructions for selecting an engine operating mode from the group consisting of a normal mode and at least one special mode based on the current engine conditions; instructions for determining a desired turbocharger geometry based on the current engine conditions when the engine operating mode is the normal mode; instructions for determining a desired turbocharger geometry based on the current engine conditions when the engine operating mode is the at least one special mode; instructions for determining an error signal by comparing the current turbocharger geometry to the desired turbocharger geometry; and instructions for controlling the actuator based on the error signal to change the current turbocharger geometry so as to track the desired turbocharger geometry, wherein the instructions for determining a desired turbocharger geometry when the engine operating mode is the normal mode include instructions for determining a filtered rate of change of a first engine parameter based on the current engine conditions, instructions for determining a desired turbocharger geometry for steady state conditions of the first engine parameter, instructions for determining a desired turbocharger geometry for transient conditions of the first engine parameter, and instructions for determining the desired turbocharger geometry based on the desired turbocharger geometry for steady state conditions of the first engine parameter, the desired turbocharger geometry for transient conditions of the first engine parameter, and the filtered rate of change of the first engine parameter.

Claim 15

An article of manufacture for controlling a vehicle having an internal combustion engine, a plurality of engine sensors having outputs indicative of current engine conditions, and a variable geometry turbocharger in which geometry is varied by a controllable actuator, the computer readable storage medium further comprising: instructions for determining a turbocharger geometry based on an output of a turbocharger sensor; instructions for selecting an engine operating mode from the group consisting of a normal mode and at least one special mode based on the current engine conditions; instructions for determining a desired turbocharger geometry based on the current engine conditions when the engine operating mode is the normal mode; instructions for determining a desired turbocharger geometry based on the current engine conditions when the engine operating mode is the at least one special mode; instructions for determining an error signal by comparing the current turbocharger geometry to the desired turbocharger geometry; and instructions for controlling the actuator based on the error signal to change the current turbocharger geometry so as to track the desired turbocharger geometry, wherein the instructions for determining a desired turbocharger geometry when the engine operating mode is the normal mode include instructions for determining a filtered rate of change of a first engine parameter based on the current engine conditions, instructions for determining a desired turbocharger geometry for steady state conditions of the first engine parameter, instructions for determining a desired turbocharger geometry for transient conditions of the first engine parameter, and instructions for determining the desired turbocharger geometry based on the desired turbocharger geometry for steady state conditions of the first engine parameter, the desired turbocharger geometry for transient conditions of the first engine parameter, and the filtered rate of change of the first engine parameter.

Claim 16

The article of manufacture of claim 11 wherein the instructions for determining the desired turbocharger geometry further comprise: instructions for determining a filtered rate of change of a second engine parameter based on the current engine conditions; instructions for determining a geometry offset based on the filtered rate of change of the second engine parameter; and instructions for determining the desired turbocharger geometry based on the desired turbocharger geometry for steady state engine conditions of the first engine parameter, the desired turbocharger geometry for transient conditions of the first engine parameter, and the geometry offset.

Claim 17

A vehicular control system comprising: an internal combustion engine having a plurality of cylinders; a plurality of fuel injectors for supplying fuel to the plurality of cylinders; a plurality of engine sensors having outputs indicative of current engine conditions; a variable geometry turbocharger including a controllable actuator for varying the turbocharger geometry; a turbocharger sensor having an output indicative of a current turbocharger geometry; control logic for determining an engine speed parameter indicative of engine speed; control logic for determining an engine torque parameter indicative of engine torque demand; control logic for determining a desired turbocharger geometry based on the engine speed parameter and the engine torque parameter; control logic for determining an error signal by comparing the current turbocharger geometry to the desired turbocharger geometry; and control logic for controlling the actuator based on the error signal to change the current turbocharger geometry so as to track the desired turbocharger geometry.

Claim 18

A vehicular control system comprising: an internal combustion engine having a plurality of cylinders; a plurality of fuel injectors for supplying fuel to the plurality of cylinders; a plurality of engine sensors having outputs indicative of current engine conditions; a variable geometry turbocharger including a controllable actuator for varying the turbocharger geometry; a turbocharger sensor having an output indicative of a current turbocharger geometry; control logic for determining an engine speed parameter indicative of engine speed; control logic for determining an engine torque parameter indicative of engine torque demand; control logic for determining a desired turbocharger geometry based on the engine speed parameter and the engine torque parameter; control logic for determining an error signal by comparing the current turbocharger geometry to the desired turbocharger geometry; and control logic for controlling the actuator based on the error signal to change the current turbocharger geometry so as to track the desired turbocharger geometry.

Claim 19

The vehicular control system of claim 13 wherein the control logic for determining a desired turbocharger geometry further comprises: control logic for determining a filtered rate of change of the engine speed parameter; and control logic for determining a desired turbocharger geometry based on the engine speed parameter, the filtered rate of change of the engine speed parameter, and the engine torque parameter.

Claim 20

A vehicular control system comprising: an internal combustion engine having a plurality of cylinders; a plurality of fuel injectors for supplying fuel to the plurality of cylinders; a plurality of engine sensors having outputs indicative of current engine conditions; a variable geometry turbocharger including a controllable actuator for varying the turbocharger geometry; a turbocharger sensor having an output indicative of a current turbocharger geometry; control logic for determining an engine speed parameter indicative of engine speed; control logic for determining an engine torque parameter indicative of engine torque demand; control logic for determining a filtered rate of change of the engine torque parameter; control logic for determining a desired turbocharger geometry based on the engine speed parameter, the engine torque parameter, and the filtered rate of change of the engine torque parameter; control logic for determining an error signal by comparing the current turbocharger geometry to the desired turbocharger geometry; and control logic for controlling the actuator based on the error signal to change the current turbocharger geometry so as to track the desired turbocharger geometry.

Claim 21

A vehicular control system comprising: an internal combustion engine having a plurality of cylinders; a plurality of fuel injectors for supplying fuel to the plurality of cylinders; a plurality of engine sensors having outputs indicative of current engine conditions; a variable geometry turbocharger including a controllable actuator for varying the turbocharger geometry; a turbocharger sensor having an output indicative of a current turbocharger geometry; control logic for determining an engine speed parameter indicative of engine speed; control logic for determining an engine torque parameter indicative of engine torque demand; control logic for determining a filtered rate of change of the engine torque parameter; control logic for determining a desired turbocharger geometry based on the engine speed parameter, the engine torque parameter, and the filtered rate of change of the engine torque parameter; control logic for determining an error signal by comparing the current turbocharger geometry to the desired turbocharger geometry; and control logic for controlling the actuator based on the error signal to change the current turbocharger geometry so as to track the desired turbocharger geometry.