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:
Mar. 31, 1998
Filed:
Feb. 09, 1996
Takuya Matsumoto, Kyoto, JP;
Toru Hashimoto, Kyoto, JP;
Mitsuhiro Miyake, Kyoto, JP;
Toshiro Nomura, Okazaki, JP;
Hidetsugu Kanao, Okazaki, JP;
Mitsubishi Jidosha Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha, Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
A deterioration diagnostic apparatus for a three-way catalyst includes an electronic control unit, which obtains a frequency of reversals of the changing direction in which the output of an upstream-side O.sub.2 sensor changes, based on the number of times the output voltage of the O.sub.2 sensor crosses a threshold. Also, the control unit obtains a frequency of reversals of the changing direction in which the output of a downstream-side O.sub.2 sensor changes, based on the number of times the output voltage of the downstream-side O.sub.2 sensor crosses upper and lower reversal reference values which are obtained by adding and subtracting a hysteresis constant to and from an average value of input values of the downstream-side O.sub.2 sensor output voltage. The control unit further obtains the ratio of the reversal frequency of the downstream-side sensor output to the reversal frequency of the upstream-side sensor output, and diagnoses deterioration of the three-way catalyst when the reversal frequency ratio has become greater than a predetermined value.