# US 11,111,868 B2 · Method of exhaust gas management in internal combustion engines, corresponding system, engine, vehicle and computer program product > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,111,868 B2 - Document ID: US11111868B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/058,770 - Filed: 2018-08-08 - Published: 2019-02-14 - Granted: 2021-09-07 - Earliest claimed: 2017-08-10 - Assignees: STMicroelectronics S.r.l. - Applicants: Stmicroelectronics S.R.L. - Inventors: Ferdinando Taglialatela Scafati - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11111868B2 ## CPC - F02D 41/005: {according to engine operating conditions} - F02D 41/1405: {Neural network control} - F02D 41/1467: {with determination means using an estimation} - F02D 41/0072: {Estimating, calculating or determining the EGR rate, amount or flow (sensors in EGR systems F02M26/45)} - Y02T 10/40: Engine management systems - F02D: CONTROLLING COMBUSTION ENGINES (vehicle fittings, acting on a single sub-unit only, for automatically controlling vehicle speed B60K31/00; conjoint control of vehicle sub-units of different type or different function, road vehicle drive control systems for purposes other than the control of a single sub-unit B60W) - Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION ## Abstract A method of controlling exhaust gas recirculation in the internal combustion engine includes: sensing one or more sensing signals indicative of operating conditions of an internal combustion engine, producing, as a function of the sensing signal or signals sensed, an exhaust gas recirculation control signal for controlling exhaust gas recirculation in the internal combustion engine, producing, e.g., via a “virtual” sensor including a neural network, a particulate size distribution signal indicative of the particulate size distribution in the exhaust of the internal combustion engine, correcting the exhaust gas recirculation control signal as a function of the particulate size distribution control signal, thereby producing a corrected exhaust gas recirculation control signal, and controlling exhaust gas recirculation in the internal combustion engine as a function of the corrected exhaust gas recirculation control signal. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method, including: sensing a sensing signal indicative of an operating condition of an internal combustion engine producing, as a function of the sensing signal sensed, an exhaust gas recirculation control signal for controlling an amount of exhaust gas recirculated to the internal combustion engine producing a particulate size distribution signal indicative of a particulate size distribution in the exhaust gas of the internal combustion engine based on the operating condition of the internal combustion engine and the amount of exhaust gas recirculated to the internal combustion engine producing a corrected exhaust gas recirculation control signal based on the particulate size distribution signal and controlling the particulate size distribution in the exhaust gas by adjusting the amount of exhaust gas recirculated to the internal combustion engine based on the corrected exhaust gas recirculation control signal. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein sensing the sensing signal includes sensing a signal selected out of a speed signal, a load signal and combinations thereof. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein producing the exhaust gas recirculation control signal includes applying engine control maps to the sensing signal sensed. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3, wherein the sensing signal, used to produce the particulate size distribution signal, is selected out of an engine turning speed signal, an engine load signal, an exhaust gas recirculation sensing signal indicative of an actual amount of exhaust gas recirculation in the internal combustion engine and combinations thereof. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3, wherein producing the particulate size distribution signal includes applying neural net processing to the sensing signal. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein producing the particulate size distribution signal includes producing the particulate size distribution signal based on the sensing of the sensing signal. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein producing the particulate size distribution signal includes targeting a reference value for the particulate size distribution signal. ### Claim 8 An engine control system, comprising: an engine control module sensitive to a sensing signal indicative of an operating condition of an internal combustion engine and configured to produce, as a function of the sensing signal, an exhaust gas recirculation control signal for controlling an amount of exhaust gas recirculated to the internal combustion engine a particulate size distribution module configured to produce a particulate size distribution signal indicative of a particulate size distribution in the exhaust gas of the internal combustion engine based on the operating condition of the internal combustion engine and the amount of exhaust gas recirculated to the internal combustion engine and a correction module configured to produce a corrected exhaust gas recirculation control signal to control the particulate size distribution in the exhaust gas by adjusting the amount of exhaust gas recirculated to the internal combustion engine as a function of the corrected exhaust gas recirculation control signal. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The engine control system of claim 8, further comprising: a sensor configured to provide the sensing signal. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The engine control system of claim 8, wherein the particulate size distribution module is configured to produce the particulate size distribution signal based on an exhaust gas recirculation sensing signal indicative of an actual amount of exhaust gas recirculation in the internal combustion engine. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) The engine control system of claim 8, wherein the engine control module is configured to produce the exhaust gas recirculation control signal by applying engine control maps to the sensing signal. ### Claim 12 (depends on 8) The engine control system of claim 8, wherein the particulate size distribution module is configured to produce the particulate size distribution signal based on the sensing signal. ### Claim 13 (depends on 8) The engine control system of claim 8, wherein the particulate size distribution module is configured to produce the particulate size distribution signal applying neural net processing to the sensing signal. ### Claim 14 (depends on 8) The engine control system of claim 8, wherein the engine control module, particulate size distribution module, and correction module are implemented by a software-controlled processor. ### Claim 15 A motor vehicle, comprising: an internal combustion engine; and an engine control system configured to control the internal combustion engine, the engine control system including: an engine control module sensitive to a sensing signal indicative of an operating condition of an internal combustion engine and configured to produce, as a function of the sensing signal, an exhaust gas recirculation control signal for controlling an amount of exhaust gas recirculated to the internal combustion engine a particulate size distribution module configured to produce a particulate size distribution signal indicative of a particulate size distribution in the exhaust gas of the internal combustion engine based on the operating condition of the internal combustion engine and the amount of exhaust gas recirculated to the internal combustion engine and a correction module configured to produce a corrected exhaust gas recirculation control signal based on the particulate size distribution signal to control the particulate size distribution in the exhaust gas by adjusting the amount of exhaust gas recirculated to the internal combustion engine as a function of the corrected exhaust gas recirculation control signal. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The motor vehicle of claim 15, wherein the particulate size distribution module is configured to produce the particulate size distribution signal based on an exhaust gas recirculation sensing signal indicative of an actual amount of exhaust gas recirculation in the internal combustion engine. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The motor vehicle of claim 15, wherein the particulate size distribution module is configured to produce the particulate size distribution signal applying neural net processing to the sensing signal. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The motor vehicle of claim 15, wherein the engine control module, particulate size distribution module, and correction module are implemented by a software-controlled processor. ### Claim 19 A non-transient computer readable medium including instructions that cause at least one computer to implement a method including: sensing a sensing signal indicative of an operating condition of an internal combustion engine producing, as a function of the sensing signal sensed, an exhaust gas recirculation control signal for controlling an amount of exhaust gas recirculated to the internal combustion engine producing a particulate size distribution signal indicative of a particulate size distribution in the exhaust gas of the internal combustion engine based on the operating condition of the internal combustion engine and the amount of exhaust gas recirculated to the internal combustion engine producing a corrected exhaust gas recirculation control signal based on the particulate size distribution signal and controlling the particulate size distribution in the exhaust gas by adjusting the amount of exhaust gas recirculated to the internal combustion engine based on the corrected exhaust gas recirculation control signal. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The non-transient computer readable medium of claim 19, wherein producing the exhaust gas recirculation control signal includes applying engine control maps to the sensing signal. ### Claim 21 (depends on 19) The non-transient computer readable medium of claim 19, wherein producing the particulate size distribution signal includes applying neural net processing to the sensing signal.