System for controlling an internal combustion engine and method therefor
US4690116A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Sep 17, 1986 |
| Grant date | Sep 1, 1987 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Sep 17, 2006 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY02T10/40
- WIPO fieldEngines, pumps, turbines
- WIPO sectorMechanical engineering
Abstract
A system and method for controlling a multi-cylinder internal combustion engine includes a plurality of pressure-responsive sensors, each detecting the internal pressure in a corresponding cylinder (or in a corresponding cylinder group), means for determining whether the pressure-responsive sensor for any one of the cylinders (cylinder groups) is malfunctioning on the basis of the readings from the sensors, and means for controlling the ignition timing for each cylinder (each cylinder group) on the basis of the readings from the respective pressure-responsive sensors and retarding by a predetermined retardation offset the ignition timing for any of the cylinders whose associated sensor has failed. The ignition timing of a malfunctioning cylinder is offset by the predetermined offset with respect to the ignition timing for one of the other cylinders (cylinder groups) whose corresponding sensor is operating normally and which has the most retarded ignition timing among such cylinders.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.