EP0441522A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Control device for an automobile
Assignee: Hitachi Ltd
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Filing: 1991-01-30
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2011-01-30
Abstract
Abstract A control device for an automobile has at least one sensor (8) for detecting an operational state of the automobile. An output from the sensor is applied to a sample and hold circuit (11) which is adapted to provide a time displaced output to a hierarchical group of neural elements (13). The neural elements operate upon said time displaced signals by varying the weighting of the signals and/or threshold values of the neural elements in accordance with a desired output parameter. The output of the neural computer is applied to a control circuit (2) which is adapted to control an automobile actuator. The hierarchical group of neural elements are provided with numerous forms of different learning functions so that the desired output parameter is achieved. In one such embodiment (Figure 32) desired parameters are applied to said neural computer and to a comparator, signals derived from sensors associated with automobile actuators are also applied to said comparator whereby difference signals are outputted from said comparator to control the weighting and/or threshold levels of the neural elements. The invention may be applied to different functions such as controlling air/fuel ratio, ignition timing, knock control, O₂ sensing, suspension adjustment, and road surface detection.
Inventors
- 👤 Mamoru C/O Hitachi Research Fujieda
- 👤 Minoru C/O Hitachi Research Oosuga
- 👤 Toshiharu C/O Hitachi Research Nogi
- 👤 Yoshishige C/O Hitachi Research Ooyama
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-23 17:47
CPC Classifications
G; G01; G01S; G01S17/00; G01S17/88; G01S17/93; G01S17/931; B; B60; B60K; B60K31/00; B60K31/0008; B60W; B60W30/00; B60W30/18; B60W30/20; B60W40/00; B60W40/08; B60W40/09; B60W50/00; F; F02; F02D; F02D41/00; F02D41/02; F02D41/14; F02D41/1401; F02D41/1405; F02P; F02P5/00; F02P5/04; F02P5/045; G01L; G01L23/00; G01L23/22; G01L23/221; G01L23/225; B60W2030/206; B60W2050/0001; B60W2050/0002; B60W2050/0043; B60W2050/0057; B60W2540/00; B60W2540/30; F02B; F02B75/00; F02B75/02; F02B2075/022; F02B2075/027; F02D2041/1433; F16; F16H; F16H61/00; F16H2061/0075; F16H2061/0081; F16H2061/0084; F16H2061/0087; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S706/00; Y10S706/902; Y10S706/903; Y10S706/905
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 16
Claim 1
Independent Claim
91 words
A control device for an automobile having at least one sensor (8) adapted to detect an operational state of said automobile, and an actuator for controlling said operational state, said control device including a hierarchical group of neural elements adapted to receive an output signal from said at least one sensor, modifying means (Figures 17 - 19) for adaptively controlling the neural elements in accordance with a desired parameter and a control means (2) for receiving an output signal from said group of neural elements for controlling said actuator (5, 7).
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
33 words
A control device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said modifying means includes means for varying weighting values of each neural element in the group of neural elements to provide said desired parameter.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
38 words
A control device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the modifying means includes a threshold modifying means for modifying a threshold value of said neural element in said hierarchical group of neural elements to provide said desired parameter.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
47 words
A control device as claimed in any preceding claim wherein a plurality of sensors (3, 4, 8) are provided for detecting an operational state of respective components in an automobile and at least one actuator (6, 7) is provided for controlling each said component of said automobile.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
50 words
A control device as claimed in claim 4 wherein a transformation means (11) is adapted to transform signals from said at least one sensor (8) into a plurality of signals time displaced from one another and to apply said time displaced signals to said hierarchical group of neural elements (13).
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
130 words
A control device as claimed in claim 5 wherein there is provided a knock sensor (8) and signals therefrom are adapted to be applied to said transformation means (11), said time displaced signals being adapted to be supplied to said hierarchical group of neural elements (13), said group of neural elements comprising an input layer of neural elements, an intermediate layer of neural elements and an output layer of neural elements, difference means connected to each neural element of said output layer of neural elements, said difference means also being adapted to receive an input signal to an associated neural element of said input layer of neural elements whereby the output of said difference means provides substantially noise-free knocking signals which may be applied to said control means (Figure 21).
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
87 words
A control device as claimed in claim 1 wherein a controller (53) is provided for providing predetermined, desired, sensor values to said hierarchical group of neural elements (50) and an error feedback means (52) is provided for receiving signals from said controller (53) and from said at least one sensor, said error feedback means (52) being adapted to modify the output of the neural elements in said hierarchical group of neural elements whereby the difference in signals applied to said error feedback means are brought to zero.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
38 words
A control device as claimed in claim 7 wherein the at least one sensor comprises a light emitter (141) and a light detector array (143) adapted to supply signals to said hierarchical group of neural elements (Figure 43).
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
60 words
A control device as claimed in claim 1 wherein a plurality of sensors are provided and a plurality of control means are provided, and driver actuable means are provided adapted to control the output of the hierarchical group of neural elements whereby operational parameters of the automobile may be varied in dependence upon said drivers preference (Figures 55 and 56).
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
125 words
A control device for an automobile including target value producing means (53) for producing a desired target value of a predetermined parameter, a hierarchical group of neural elements (50) for receiving said target value from said target value producing means whereby said neural elements are adapted to produce an output signal for a control variable based upon one of weighting and threshold values of said neural elements, actuator means (6) operable in accordance with said control variable, sensor means (8) for measuring an actual value of said predetermined parameter, comparator means (52) for comparing said actual value with said target value and for applying a difference signal indicative of said comparison means to control one of said weighting and threshold values of said neural elements.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
43 words
A control device as claimed in claim 10 wherein said target value producing means (53) is adapted to produce a plurality of target values each of which is adapted to be supplied to a neural element in said hierarchical group of neural elements.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
91 words
A control device for an automobile comprising: (a) a plurality of sensors (3, 4, 8) for detecting an operational state of at least one component in said automobile, (b) a hierarchical group of neural elements (13) adapted to receive output signals from said sensors, (c) a control variable decision means (2) for determining a control variable based on the output from said group of neural elements, (d) an actuator (6, 7) for controlling said at least one component in dependence upon the control variable determined by said control variable decision means.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
26 words
A control device as claimed in claim 12 wherein a weighting means is provided for weighting said sensor signals to be inputted to said neural elements.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
23 words
A control device as claimed in claim 13 wherein weighting modification means are provided for modifying a weighting ratio of said weighting means.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
38 words
A control device as claimed in claim 14 wherein a transformation means (11) is provided to receive input signals from said sensors and to apply a time displaced signal representative thereof to said hierarchical group of neural elements.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
12 words
An automobile including a control device as claimed in any preceding claim.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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