System and method for auto-ignition of gasoline internal combustion engine

Claim 3

The system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said portion of said determined total fuel quantity is substantially invariable with variation of the engine load of the internal combustion engine.

Claim 4

The system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said portion of said total fuel quantity is inversely proportional to the engine load of said internal combustion engine.

Claim 5

The system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said control unit provides said first start time of said first fuel injection during movement of said piston from the initiation of said exhaust gas retaining phase to the top dead center position during said exhaust gas retaining phase.

Claim 6

The system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said control unit advances said second start time of said second fuel injection as the engine load of said internal combustion engine increases.

Claim 7

The system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said control unit increases fuel quantity for said first fuel injection as the engine speed of said internal combustion engine increases.

Claim 8

The system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said control unit advances said start first time of said first fuel injection as the engine speed of the internal combustion engine increases.

Claim 9

The system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said control unit advances said second start time of said second fuel injection as the engine speed of said internal combustion engine increases.

Claim 12

The system as claimed in claim 9 , wherein said operating parameter is indicative of the engine load and wherein said control unit calculates said operating parameter indicative of the engine load in response to an accelerator pedal position and the engine speed.

Claim 13

The system as claimed in claim 9 , wherein said operating parameter is indicative of the engine load of the internal combustion engine, and wherein said control unit selects said gasoline reform auto-ignition combustion mode when the engine load is less than a predetermined value.

Claim 14

The system as claimed in claim 11 , wherein said control unit selects said auto-ignition combustion mode when the engine load exceeds said predetermined value, wherein said control unit is operative during selection of said auto-ignition stratified charge combustion mode to adjust opening and closing timings of said intake means and opening and closing timings of said exhaust means such that said piston reciprocates within said cylinder to perform an exhaust phase, an exhaust gas retaining phase, an intake phase, a compression phase, and an expansion phase, wherein said control unit is operative during selection of said auto-ignition combustion mode to provide a third start time of a third fuel injection by said fuel injector during said intake phase and said compression phase, and wherein said control unit is operative during selection of said auto-ignition combustion mode to determine a third fuel injection control signal indicative of said determined total fuel quantity and applying said third fuel injection control signal at said third start time to control fuel quantity injected for said third fuel injection.

Claim 15

The system as claimed in claim 9 , wherein said control unit is operative during selection of said gasoline reform auto-ignition combustion mode to hold said first start time and said second start time invariable against variation in the engine load.

Claim 16

The system as claimed in claim 9 , wherein said control unit is operative during selection of said gasoline reform auto-ignition combustion mode to hold said first start time invariable against variation in the engine load and adjust said second start time in response to the engine load such that said second start time advances as the engine load increases.

Claim 17

The system as claimed in claim 9 , wherein said operating parameter is indicative of the engine speed of the internal combustion engine, and wherein said control unit selects said auto-ignition combustion mode when the engine speed is greater than a predetermined value.

Claim 18

The system as claimed in claim 15 , wherein said control unit selects said auto-ignition combustion mode when the engine speed drops below said predetermined value, wherein said control unit is operative during selection of said auto-ignition combustion mode to adjust opening and closing timings of said intake means and opening and closing timings of said exhaust means such that said piston reciprocates within said cylinder to perform an exhaust phase, an exhaust gas retaining phase, an intake phase, a compression phase, and an expansion phase, wherein said control unit is operative during selection of said auto-ignition combustion mode to provide a third start time of a third fuel injection by said fuel injector during said intake phase and said compression phase, and wherein said control unit is operative during selection of said auto-ignition combustion mode to determine a third fuel injection control signal indicative of said determined total fuel quantity and applying said third fuel injection control signal at said third start time to control fuel quantity injected for said third fuel injection.

Claim 19

The system as claimed in claim 15 , wherein said control unit is operative during selection of said gasoline reform auto-ignition combustion mode to adjust said first start time in response to the engine speed such that said first start time advances as the engine speed increases and to hold said second start time invariable against variation in the engine speed.

Claim 20

The system as claimed in claim 15 , wherein said control unit is operative during selection of said gasoline reform auto-ignition combustion mode to hold said first start time invariable against variation in the engine speed and to adjust said second start time in response to the engine speed such that said second start time advances as the engine speed increases.

Claim 21

A computer readable storage device having stored therein data representing instructions executable by a computer to implement an auto-ignition of gasoline internal combustion engine, the engine having a piston disposed in a cylinder for reciprocating motion to define a combustion chamber, intake means for admitting fresh air into the cylinder, a fuel injector directly communicating with the combustion chamber, and exhaust means for discharging exhaust gas resulting from combustion within the cylinder, wherein opening and closing timings of the intake means and opening and closing timings of the exhaust means are adjustable, the computer readable storage device comprising: instructions for adjusting opening and closing timings of the intake means and opening and closing timings of the exhaust means such that the piston reciprocates within the cylinder to perform an exhaust phase, an exhaust gas retaining phase, an intake phase, a compression phase, and an expansion phase; instructions for providing a first start time of a first fuel injection by the fuel injector during said exhaust gas retaining phase and a second start time of a second fuel injection by the fuel injector during said compression phase; instructions for determining a portion of total fuel quantity and the remainder of said total fuel quantity; instructions for determining a first fuel injection control signal indicative of said portion of said total fuel quantity and applying said first fuel injection control signal to the fuel injector at said first start time to control fuel quantity injected for said first fuel injection; and instructions for determining a second fuel injection control signal indicative of the remainder of said total fuel quantity and applying said second fuel injection control signal to the fuel injector at said second start time to control fuel quantity injected for said second fuel injection.

Claim 22

A computer readable storage device having stored therein data representing instructions executable by a computer to implement an auto-ignition of gasoline internal combustion engine, the engine having a piston disposed in a cylinder for reciprocating motion to define a combustion chamber, intake means for admitting fresh air into the cylinder, a fuel injector directly communicating with the combustion chamber, and exhaust means for discharging exhaust gas resulting from combustion within the cylinder, wherein opening and closing timings of the intake means and opening and closing timings of the exhaust means are adjustable, the computer readable storage device comprising: instructions for adjusting opening and closing timings of the intake means and opening and closing timings of the exhaust means such that the piston reciprocates within the cylinder to perform an exhaust phase, an exhaust gas retaining phase, an intake phase, a compression phase, and an expansion phase; instructions for providing a first start time of a first fuel injection by the fuel injector during said exhaust gas retaining phase and a second start time of a second fuel injection by the fuel injector during said compression phase; instructions for determining a portion of total fuel quantity and the remainder of said total fuel quantity; instructions for determining a first fuel injection control signal indicative of said portion of said total fuel quantity and applying said first fuel injection control signal to the fuel injector at said first start time to control fuel quantity injected for said first fuel injection; and instructions for determining a second fuel injection control signal indicative of the remainder of said total fuel quantity and applying said second fuel injection control signal to the fuel injector at said second start time to control fuel quantity injected for said second fuel injection.

Claim 23

A computer readable storage device having stored therein data representing instructions executable by a computer to implement an auto-ignition of gasoline internal combustion engine, the engine having a piston disposed in a cylinder for reciprocating motion to define a combustion chamber, intake means for admitting fresh air into the cylinder, a fuel injector directly communicating with the combustion chamber, and exhaust means for discharging exhaust gas resulting from combustion within the cylinder, wherein opening and closing timings of the intake means and opening and closing timings of the exhaust means are adjustable, the computer readable storage device comprising: instructions for selecting one of a gasoline reform auto-ignition combustion mode and an auto-ignition combustion mode in response to magnitude of an operating parameter indicative of one of the engine load and the engine speed of the internal combustion engine; instructions for adjusting, during selection of said gasoline reform auto-ignition combustion mode, opening and closing timings of the intake means and opening and closing timings of the exhaust means such that the piston reciprocates within the cylinder to perform an exhaust phase, an exhaust gas retaining phase, an intake phase, a compression phase, and an expansion phase; instructions for providing, during selection of said gasoline reform auto-ignition combustion mode, a first start time of a first fuel injection by the fuel injector during said exhaust gas retaining phase and a second start time of a second fuel injection by the fuel injector during said compression phase; instructions for determining total fuel quantity to be injected in response to engine load of the internal combustion engine; instructions for determining, during selection of said gasoline reform auto-ignition combustion mode, a portion of and the remainder of said determined total fuel quantity; instructions for determining, during selection of said gasoline reform auto-ignition combustion mode, a first fuel injection control signal indicative of said portion of said determined total fuel quantity and applying said first fuel injection control signal to the fuel injector at said first start time to control fuel quantity injected for said first fuel injection; and instructions for determining, during selection of said gasoline reform auto-ignition combustion mode, a second fuel injection control signal indicative of the remainder of said determined total fuel quantity and applying said second fuel injection control signal to the fuel injector at said second start time to control fuel quantity injected for said second fuel injection.

Claim 24

A computer readable storage device having stored therein data representing instructions executable by a computer to implement an auto-ignition of gasoline internal combustion engine, the engine having a piston disposed in a cylinder for reciprocating motion to define a combustion chamber, intake means for admitting fresh air into the cylinder, a fuel injector directly communicating with the combustion chamber, and exhaust means for discharging exhaust gas resulting from combustion within the cylinder, wherein opening and closing timings of the intake means and opening and closing timings of the exhaust means are adjustable, the computer readable storage device comprising: instructions for selecting one of a gasoline reform auto-ignition combustion mode and an auto-ignition combustion mode in response to magnitude of an operating parameter indicative of one of the engine load and the engine speed of the internal combustion engine; instructions for adjusting, during selection of said gasoline reform auto-ignition combustion mode, opening and closing timings of the intake means and opening and closing timings of the exhaust means such that the piston reciprocates within the cylinder to perform an exhaust phase, an exhaust gas retaining phase, an intake phase, a compression phase, and an expansion phase; instructions for providing, during selection of said gasoline reform auto-ignition combustion mode, a first start time of a first fuel injection by the fuel injector during said exhaust gas retaining phase and a second start time of a second fuel injection by the fuel injector during said compression phase; instructions for determining total fuel quantity to be injected in response to engine load of the internal combustion engine; instructions for determining, during selection of said gasoline reform auto-ignition combustion mode, a portion of and the remainder of said determined total fuel quantity; instructions for determining, during selection of said gasoline reform auto-ignition combustion mode, a first fuel injection control signal indicative of said portion of said determined total fuel quantity and applying said first fuel injection control signal to the fuel injector at said first start time to control fuel quantity injected for said first fuel injection; and instructions for determining, during selection of said gasoline reform auto-ignition combustion mode, a second fuel injection control signal indicative of the remainder of said determined total fuel quantity and applying said second fuel injection control signal to the fuel injector at said second start time to control fuel quantity injected for said second fuel injection.