US4575800A — System for optimizing the timing of diesel or spa…

Claim 1

Independent Claim 190 words

An adaptive electronic control system for maximizing the performance of a power producing machine for given settings of a machine performance modifying parameter, comprising: (a) shaft rotation sensing means coupled to said machine for sensing complete rotations of the output shaft of said machine with respect to a fixed reference point; (b) means coupled to said shaft rotation sensing means for symmetrically reciprocally moving the setting of said machine performance modifying parameter back and forth about said given setting in synchronism with the angular rotation of said output shaft during successive integral engine cycles; (c) speed determining means coupled to said shaft rotation sensing means for defining the average speed of rotation of said output shaft in plural segments of the period of symmetrical reciprocal movement of said setting about said given setting; (d) computing means for determining the weighted difference between said average speeds in first ones of said plural segments and in second ones of said plural segments, the weighting factor being a function of the acceleration of said output shaft; and (e) means for adjusting said given setting in accordance with said weighted difference in average speeds.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 190 words

An adaptive electronic control system for maximizing the performance of a power producing machine for given settings of a machine performance modifying parameter, comprising: (a) shaft rotation sensing means coupled to said machine for sensing complete rotations of the output shaft of said machine with respect to a fixed reference point; (b) means coupled to said shaft rotation sensing means for symmetrically reciprocally moving the setting of said machine performance modifying parameter back and forth about said given setting in synchronism with the angular rotation of said output shaft during successive integral engine cycles; (c) speed determining means coupled to said shaft rotation sensing means for defining the average speed of rotation of said output shaft in plural segments of the period of symmetrical reciprocal movement of said setting about said given setting; (d) computing means for determining the weighted difference between said average speeds in first ones of said plural segments and in second ones of said plural segments, the weighting factor being a function of the acceleration of said output shaft; and (e) means for adjusting said given setting in accordance with said weighted difference in average speeds.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 40 words

The adaptive electronic control system as in claim 1 wherein each phase of said period of symmetrical reciprocal movement of said setting includes an equal number of machine cylinder firing pulses and is in synchronism with said cylinder firing pulses.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 29 words

The adaptive electronic control system as in claim 1 wherein said shaft rotation sensing means comprises means for producing one electrical pulse for each 360° rotation of said shaft.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 59 words

The adaptive control system as in claim 3 wherein said means for producing an electrical pulse includes: (a) means secured to said shaft and rotatable therewith; (b) a mark element disposed on said means secured to said shaft and rotatable therewith; and (c) a mark sensing means fixedly mounted proximate the periphery of said means secured to said shaft.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 36 words

The adaptive control system as in claim 1 wherein said computing means includes biasing means for modifying said weighted difference whereby said machine setting is held in a predetermined relationship with respect to the MBT setting.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 105 words

The adaptive control system as in claim 5 wherein said biasing means comprises: (a) memory means operatively coupled to said computing means and adapted to store predetermined operands at addressable locations therein; (b) addressing means associated with said speed determining means for selectively reading said operands from said memory means; (c) means including said computing means for forming the product of said operand and a factor proportional to the square of the engine's cycle time; and (d) means for adding said product to said weighted difference between the average speeds in first ones of said plural segments and in second ones of said plural segments.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 16 words

The adaptive control system as in claim 5 wherein said computing means includes a programmed microprocessor.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 105 words

The adaptive control system as in claim 5 wherein said biasing means comprises: (a) memory means operatively coupled to said computing means and adapted to store predetermined operands at addressable locations therein; (b) addressing means associated with said speed determining means for selectively reading said operands from said memory means; (c) means including said computing means for forming the product of said operand and a factor proportional to the square of the engine's cycle times; and (d) means for adding said product to said weighted difference between the average speeds in first ones of said plural segments and in second ones of said plural segments.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 30 words

The adaptive control system as in claim 1 wherein said means for oscillating and said means for adjusting said given setting comprise signal responsive means coupled to said computing means.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 58 words

The adaptive control system as in claim 1 wherein said speed determining means comprises: (a) a source of regularly occurring clock pulses; (b) counting means; and (c) means coupling said source of regularly occurring clock pulses to said counting means whereby those clock pulses occurring during predetermined rotations of said output shaft are accumulated in said counting means.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 66 words

The adaptive control system as in claim 10 wherein said computing means includes: (a) digital adding means coupled to said counting means for periodically forming sum values of the pulses accumulated in said counting means; and (b) digital subtracting means coupled to receive the output from said digital adding means for periodically generating a digital value representative of the algebraic difference between the said sum values.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 29 words

The adaptive control system as in claim 11 wherein said counting means, said digital adding means and said digital subtracting means are controlled by said shaft rotation sensing means.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 45 words

The adaptive control system as in claim 10 and further including cycle index means responsive to the rotational speed of said shaft for increasing the number of said predetermined rotations of said output shaft during which said clock pulses are accummulated in said counting means.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 29 words

The adaptive electronic control system of claim 1 wherein said machine performance modifying parameter comprises the start-of-inject time of at least one of a plurality of engine fuel injectors.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 37 words

The adaptive electronic control system of claim 1 wherein said plural segments of the period of symmetrical reciprocal movement of said setting include segments from a preceding and current cycles of said reciprocal movements of said setting.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 36 words

The adaptive electronic control system of claim 15 and further including means responsive to rate of change of engine speed for controlling the inclusion of segments from a preceding and current cycles of said reciprocal movements.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 162 words

An adaptive electronic control system for maximizing the performance of a power producing machine for given settings of a machine performance modifying parameter, comprising: (a) shaft rotation sensing means coupled to said machine for sensing complete revolutions of the output shaft of said machine; (b) means coupled to said shaft rotation sensing means for reciprocally moving the setting of said machine performance modifying parameter back and forth about said given setting in synchronism with the angular rotation of said output shaft, the time period of the reciprocating movement of said setting being divided into quarters; (c) rotation time determining means coupled to said shaft rotating sensing means for defining the average time of rotation of said output shaft in each of said quarters; (d) computing means for determining the weighted difference between the average rotational time in first ones of said quarters and in second ones of said quarters; and (e) means for adjusting said given setting in accordance with said difference.

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 162 words

An adaptive electronic control system for maximizing the performance of a power producing machine for given settings of a machine performance modifying parameter, comprising: (a) shaft rotation sensing means coupled to said machine for sensing complete revolutions of the output shaft of said machine; (b) means coupled to said shaft rotation sensing means for reciprocally moving the setting of said machine performance modifying parameter back and forth about said given setting in synchronism with the angular rotation of said output shaft, the time period of the reciprocating movement of said setting being divided into quarters; (c) rotation time determining means coupled to said shaft rotating sensing means for defining the average time of rotation of said output shaft in each of said quarters; (d) computing means for determining the weighted difference between the average rotational time in first ones of said quarters and in second ones of said quarters; and (e) means for adjusting said given setting in accordance with said difference.

Claim 20

Dependent Claim 39 words

The adaptive electronic control system as in claim 17 wherein each phase of said time of reciprocating movement of said setting includes an equal number of machine cylinder firing pulses and is in synchronism with said cylinder firing pulses.

Claim 21

Dependent Claim 29 words

The adaptive electronic control system as in claim 17 wherein said shaft rotation sensing means comprises means for producing an electrical pulse each time said shaft rotates through 360°.

Claim 22

Independent Claim 114 words

A method for maximizing the performance of a power-producing machine for given settings of a machine performance modifying parameter, comprising the steps of: (a) sensing integral rotations of the output shaft of said machine; (b) symmetrically reciprocally moving the setting of said parameter back and forth about said given setting in timed synchronism with the angular rotation of said output shaft; (c) determining the average speed of rotation of said output shaft in plural quarter segments of the movement cycle of said setting; (d) determining the weighted difference between average speeds in first ones and second ones of said plural quarter segments; and (e) adjusting said given setting as a function of said difference.

Claim 23

Independent Claim 114 words

A method for maximizing the performance of a power-producing machine for given settings of a machine performance modifying parameter, comprising the steps of: (a) sensing integral rotations of the output shaft of said machine; (b) symmetrically reciprocally moving the setting of said parameter back and forth about said given setting in timed synchronism with the angular rotation of said output shaft; (c) determining the average speed of rotation of said output shaft in plural quarter segments of the movement cycle of said setting; (d) determining the weighted difference between average speeds in first ones and second ones of said plural quarter segments; and (e) adjusting said given setting as a function of said difference.

Claim 24

Independent Claim 119 words

A method of calibrating the fuel injection timing control of an internal combustion engine, comprising the steps of: (a) sensing integral rotations of the output shaft of said engine; (b) cyclicly advancing and retarding the start-of-inject time of at least one of said injectors back and forth about a given setting of said timing control in synchronism with the angular rotation of said output shaft; (c) determining the average speed of rotation of said output shaft in plural segments of the cycle of advancing and retarding of said setting; (d) determining the weighted difference between average speeds in first ones and second ones of said plural segments; and (e) adjusting said given setting as a function of said difference.

Claim 25

Independent Claim 119 words

A method of calibrating the fuel injection timing control of an internal combustion engine, comprising the steps of: (a) sensing integral rotations of the output shaft of said engine; (b) cyclicly advancing and retarding the start-of-inject time of at least one of said injectors back and forth about a given setting of said timing control in synchronism with the angular rotation of said output shaft; (c) determining the average speed of rotation of said output shaft in plural segments of the cycle of advancing and retarding of said setting; (d) determining the weighted difference between average speeds in first ones and second ones of said plural segments; and (e) adjusting said given setting as a function of said difference.

Claim 26

Independent Claim 154 words

A method of phasing the commencement timing of the fuel injections for a multi-cylinder engine, comprising the steps of: (a) sensing integral revolutions of the output shaft of said engine; (b) individually varying the start-of-inject time of one of a plurality of fuel injectors cyclically and symmetrically about a given time setting in synchronism with said integral revolutions of said output shaft; (c) determining the average time of rotation of said output shaft during plural quarter segments of the period of the cyclic variations of said time setting; (d) computing the weighted difference between the average shaft rotational time in first ones and in second ones of said plural quarter segments; (e) adjusting said given time setting in accordance with the computed weighted difference; (f) recording the start-of-inject time value corresponding to a predetermined value relative to that for maximum brake torque; and (g) repeating steps (a) through (f) for each engine fuel injector.

Claim 27

Independent Claim 154 words

A method of phasing the commencement timing of the fuel injections for a multi-cylinder engine, comprising the steps of: (a) sensing integral revolutions of the output shaft of said engine; (b) individually varying the start-of-inject time of one of a plurality of fuel injectors cyclically and symmetrically about a given time setting in synchronism with said integral revolutions of said output shaft; (c) determining the average time of rotation of said output shaft during plural quarter segments of the period of the cyclic variations of said time setting; (d) computing the weighted difference between the average shaft rotational time in first ones and in second ones of said plural quarter segments; (e) adjusting said given time setting in accordance with the computed weighted difference; (f) recording the start-of-inject time value corresponding to a predetermined value relative to that for maximum brake torque; and (g) repeating steps (a) through (f) for each engine fuel injector.

Claim 28

Dependent Claim 59 words

The method for phasing the timing of fuel injectors as in claim 22 and further including the steps of: (a) determining the deviations in timing value of all other injectors from that of a predetermined one of said injectors; (b) converting said deviations to time measurements; and (c) applying said time measurements to an engine performance modifying control system.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1989-03-10	1989-09-09	1990-03-11	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1993-03-10	1993-09-09	1994-03-11	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	1997-03-10	1997-09-09	1998-03-11	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

System for optimizing the timing of diesel or spark ignition engines

Abstract

Inventors

Bibliographic Details

Claims Analysis

References Cited (Backward Citations)

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Assigned Categories & Tags

Assign Category Tag