Oxygen depletion sensing for a remote starting vehicle
AssigneeFord Global Technologies, LLC
InventorsTodd Kappauf, Diana Brehob
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Abstract
Automotive vehicles are increasingly being equipped with remote starting devices. If the vehicle is within a space which is very well sealed, it is possible that the concentration of the exhaust gases may exceed desirable levels. A method and system are disclosed in which a mass-based determination of air/fuel ratio is compared with the air/fuel ratio being maintained by the exhaust gas oxygen sensor. When the air/fuel ratio based on a mass measurement deviates from the air/fuel ratio based on the exhaust gas oxygen sensor by more than a threshold difference, the remotely started vehicle is turned off.
Claims33
A method to control an internal combustion engine, the engine being adapted for remote starting, comprising:
- determining a measured air/fuel ratio based on fuel flow and air flow, said fuel flow and said air flow being supplied to the engine;
- computing an error based on said first air/fuel ratio and a stoichiometric air/fuel ratio;
- and
- ceasing engine combustion when said error exceeds a threshold and when it is determined that the engine has been started remotely.
A vehicle system, comprising:
- an internal combustion engine, said engine being adapted to respond to a signal to start independently of an operator of the vehicle being inside the vehicle;
- fuel injectors coupled to said engine;
- an exhaust gas oxygen sensor coupled to an exhaust of said engine;
- an electronic control unit coupled to said engine, said exhaust gas oxygen sensor, and said fuel injectors, when said engine has been started independent of an operator, said electronic control unit determining a measured air/fuel ratio based on a fuel pulse width commanded to said fuel injectors and causing operation of the engine to cease when an error based on said measured air/fuel ratio exceeds from a stoichiometric air/fuel ratio by-a threshold error.
A method to control an internal combustion engine installed into a vehicle, the engine being adapted for remote starting, comprising:
- determining a measured air/fuel ratio based on fuel flow and air flow to the engine;
- computing an error based on said first air/fuel ratio and a stoichiometric air/fuel ratio;
- and
- ceasing engine combustion when said error exceeds a threshold.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.