The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Sep. 15, 1992
Filed:
Jan. 29, 1992
Toshio Ohsawa, Himeji, JP;
Mitsubishi Denki K.K., Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
An apparatus for detecting combustion in an internal combustion engine which comprises: a plurality of cylinders wherein an ignition control is performed being synchronized with a revolution number of the internal combustion engine; and an ionic current detector installed at an ignition plug of at least one cylinder of the plurality of cylinders; said ionic currrent detector including means for generating a voltage which corresponds to a level of an ionic current generated by the ignition plug, means for generating a threshold value which is a combustion determining standard, and a comparator which generates an output signal that shows a combustion state, by comparing the voltage with the threshold value; said means for generating a threshold value is composed of a threshold level variable circuit which generates a threshold value corresponding to a running condition of the engine. And a method of detecting combustion in an internal combustion engine having the above cylinders, the ionic current detector and the ECU, which comprises step of: calculation an ionic detect time during between the detection of an edge of an ignition signal and an edge of the next ignition signal, of the cylinder; and determinig a combustion state by comparing the ionic detect time which a predetermined value, by the ECU.