Variable valve control system for internal combustion engine

A variable valve control system for an internal combustion engine, comprising:

• a valve to open and close an opening of a combustion chamber of the engine;
• a variable lift characteristic control mechanism to adjust a valve lift characteristic of the valve;
• a sensing section to collect information needed to determine an estimated valve lift characteristic of the valve;
• an input section to receive an externally input calibration-mode command;
• and
• a control unit in operative communication with the variable lift characteristic control mechanism, the sensing section, and the input section, to operate the engine in a calibration mode in response to the calibration-mode command, and to perform the following in the calibration mode:
• controlling the valve lift characteristic to be a mechanically defined small setting;
• collecting the information when the valve lift characteristic is the small setting;
• and
• calibrating the sensing section in accordance with the collected information.

A variable valve control system for an internal combustion engine, comprising:

• a valve to open and close an opening of a combustion chamber of the engine;
• variable lift characteristic control means for adjusting a valve lift characteristic of the valve;
• sensing means for collecting information needed to determine an estimated valve lift characteristic of the valve;
• input means for receiving an externally input calibration-mode command;
• and
• control means in operative communication with the variable lift characteristic control means, the sensing means, and the input section, for performing the following:
• controlling the valve lift characteristic to be a mechanically defined small setting in response to the calibration-mode command;
• collecting the information when the valve lift characteristic is the small setting;
• and
• calibrating the sensing means in accordance with the collected information.