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:
Oct. 28, 2003
Filed:
Oct. 15, 2001
Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., Yokohama, JP;
Abstract
An engine exhaust emission control arrangement has a catalytic converter including a three-way catalyst. A first oxygen sensor detects an oxygen concentration of exhaust gas upstream of the catalyst and a second oxygen sensor detects an oxygen concentration of exhaust gas downstream of the catalyst. A microprocessor calculates a specific period oxygen storage amount of a catalyst while the upstream oxygen concentration is higher than the stoichiometric concentration and the downstream oxygen concentration is in a predetermined concentration range which has a value approximately equal to the stoichiometric oxygen concentration. The microprocessor also calculates a specific period oxygen release amount of a catalyst while the upstream oxygen concentration is lower than the stoichiometric concentration and the downstream oxygen concentration produces an indication of a predetermined concentration range. A specific period oxygen storage amount is sampled at a time at which the downstream oxygen concentration becomes greater than the predetermined concentration range as a maximum oxygen storage amount and a specific period oxygen release amount is sampled at a time at which the downstream oxygen concentration becomes smaller than the predetermined concentration range as a maximum oxygen release amount. The engine air-fuel ratio is controlled to cause the oxygen storage amount of the catalyst to coincide with a target value which is set at approximately half of an average value of the maximum oxygen storage amount and the maximum oxygen release amount.