Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha

Denso Corporation

Aisan Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha

Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha & Denso Corp.

Shigeo Kikori

Mitsuru Takada

Keiji Yoeda

Shigeru Kamio

Kunihiro Iwatsuki

Hiroshi Tanaka

Noboru Takagi

Naohide Fuwa

Takashi Ohta

Makoto Ogiso

Eiichi Kamiyama

Hideo Tomomatsu

Hideyuki Nishida

Daisuke Akihisa

Yoshihiro Iwashita

Ken Kuretake

Iwao Maeda

Shouji Katsumata

Kazuhiko Shiratani

Katsumi Ishida

Hiroshi Takamatsu

Takamasa Kitamura

Hiroshi Mizuno

Tomomi Yamada

Katsuyuki Kawai

Ichiro Hosotani

Tomohiro Oda

Hitoshi Akimoto

Akio Kikori, Legal Representative

Hiroyuki Makisako

Osamu Fukasawa

In a variable compression ratio internal combustion engine in which the compression ratio is changed by changing the combustion chamber volume, the present invention enables to inhibit irregularities in the air-fuel ratio involved by changing of the combustion chamber volume. In a transition period during which the compression ratio is changed, the actual volume of the combustion chamber realized by a compression ratio changing mechanism is detected. A factor that influences the air-fuel ratio (for example, fuel injection quantity, cylinder intake air quantity or amount of EGR) is controlled based on the actual volume of the combustion chamber thus detected to make the air-fuel ratio substantially equal to that before and after the change of the compression ratio.

Internal combustion engine with variable compression ratio

A device for controlling an internal combustion engine with a variable valve timing system is provided. While the piston descends just after the combustion in the cylinder, the intake valve is opened by the variable valve system for the intake valve such that the intake air is supplied into the cylinder from the engine intake system.

Device for controlling an internal combustion engine with a variable valve timing system

In method and apparatus for controlling starting of a solenoid-operated valve for an internal combustion engine, when a request for a start of the solenoid-operated valve is generated, a provisional target position to which an armature is likely to be moved is determined, and the armature is moved to the determined provisional target position. If the provisional target position is difference from a predetermined target position, the armature is moved to the target position after being moved from the neutral position to the provisional target position.

Start control method and apparatus for solenoid-operated valves of internal combustion engine

A target intake air mass and a target compression ratio are determined according to the operating condition of an internal combustion engine. A variable compression ratio mechanism is controlled according to the target compression ratio. During this process, a knock limit intake air mass is determined from the actual compression ratio attained by the variable compression ratio mechanism, the smaller one of the knock limit intake air mass and the target intake air mass is set as the final target intake air mass and a variable valve timing mechanism is controlled according to the final target intake air mass.

Internal combustion engine controller

The accelerator opening degree detection apparatus of the present invention includes: an accelerator pedal position sensor for detecting a position of an accelerator pedal; and a calculating section for calculating an accelerator opening degree based on an output of the accelerator pedal position sensor. The calculating section performs at least the following steps of: obtaining a signal PDLAD by smoothing the output of the accelerator pedal position sensor with a first smoothing coefficient; obtaining a signal PDLSM by smoothing the output of the accelerator pedal position sensor with a second smoothing coefficient which is larger than the first smoothing coefficient; storing a reference value GPDL representing a reference position of the accelerator pedal position sensor; calculating an accelerator opening degree PDLA based on a difference between the signal PDLAD and the reference value GPDL; and updating the reference value GPDL based on the signal PDLSM if the accelerator opening degree PDLA satisfies a predetermined update condition.

Accelerator opening degree detection apparatus

An apparatus for controlling an opening of a throttle valve to adjust an amount of air flow led into an internal combustion engine mounted on a vehicle. A depression sensor detects the degree of depression of an accelerator pedal. An electric component is provided for electrically adjusting the opening of the throttle valve based on the depression of the gas pedal. A mechanical component is provided for adjusting the opening of the throttle valve in response to the depression of the accelerator pedal. The mechanical component is rendered operable when the electric component fails to control the opening of the throttle valve. An electric control unit (ECU) prohibits the electric component from resuming control of the throttle valve until a certain condition is met, such as stoppage of the engine or the entire vehicle, even if the electric component is capable of controlling the throttle valve. In another embodiment, the ECU prohibits the electric component from resuming control of the throttle valve until a transmission shift position of neutral or park is detected.

Method and apparatus for controlling throttle valve

An air-amount-first fuel-amount-second control apparatus for an internal combustion engine having an electronically-controlled throttle valve. The response characteristic of the throttle valve is stored, a target value of the throttle valve opening degree corresponding to the operating position of the accelerator pedal is calculated, the intake air valve closing time of the fuel injection cylinder is calculated in accordance with the engine operating condition, the time required for reaching a target throttle valve opening degree is calculated from the target throttle valve opening degree and the stored value of the response characteristic of the throttle valve, the throttle valve opening degree as of the intake air valve closing time is calculated from the calculated time required for reaching the target throttle valve opening degree and the intake air valve closing time of the fuel injection cylinder. A fuel supply amount constituting a target air-fuel ratio is calculated from the target air-fuel ratio and the intake air amount corresponding to the throttle valve opening degree as of the intake air valve closing time, and the fuel in the calculated amount is supplied to the engine fuel injection cylinder.

Control apparatus for internal combustion engine using air-amount-first

In an electronic throttle control for an engine, two throttle sensors are used to detect a throttle opening. When a sensor failure is detected in either of those throttle sensors, a feedback control is executed according to the output of the other normal sensor if any. If both throttle sensors fail or it cannot be determined whether there is any normal sensor, the feedback is stopped and the feedback variables are initialized and a motor control duty is set to -30% or 0% according to the existing accelerator depression. Thereafter, if the throttle sensors are not restored even after a preset determination delay time is over, an electromagnetic clutch and a DC motor are turned off to stop the electronic throttle control. A throttle valve is controlled mechanically for a limp-home running.

Electronic throttle control having throttle sensor failure detecting

In an automatic transmission, torque shocks are effectively reduced in specific downshifting conditions where relatively strong engine braking occurs as a result of downshifting. When a downshift command to the automatic transmission is detected when an accelerator pedal is not depressed, a valve opening command is issued to a throttle valve so that engine output will have increased by the time the downshifting action of the automatic transmission actually begins, ignition timing is delayed so that an increase in engine output resulting from the opening of the throttle valve by a throttle valve control means is offset for a period starting at the time the engine output actually increases as a result of the opening of the throttle valve by the throttle valve control means and ending at the time the downshifting action of the automatic transmission actually beings, and the ignition timing delaying is cancelled upon initiation of the downshifting action of the automatic transmission.

Apparatus and method for controlling ignition during a throttle closed

A throttle valve controller achieves high output response to the smaller deviation of the actual opening from the demand opening of the throttle valve and achieves high control stability against the larger deviation. It has a preset data table containing proportional gain values and integral gain values of PID control in correspondence to deviation values in inversely proportional arrangement. During the transitional state of control system, a pair of provisional gain values are read out of the table in response to the deviation value: (step S3), these gain values are compared with those of the previous operation cycle and the smaller gain value pair are selected: (steps S4-S7), and the valve drive signal is calculated from the selected gain values:(steps S8, S11). Consequently, the controller achieves high output response to the smaller deviation due to the larger gain value and high control stability without the overshooting of valve movement against the larger deviation due to the smaller gain value.

Throttle valve controller

Growing community of inventors

Toyota, Japan

Shigeo Kikori