System and method for sampling and processing mass air flow sensor data

A system for a vehicle having an internal combustion engine with a plurality of cylinders each in fluid communication with an intake air flow, and a mass air flow (MAF) sensor positioned with respect to the intake air flow, the system comprising:

• a computer device in communication with the MAF sensor that includes a processor and tangible, non-transitory memory;
• and
• instructions recorded in the memory, including a calibrated non-linear conversion curve;
• wherein the computer device is configured to execute the instructions from the memory to thereby receive a pulse train signal from the MAF sensor describing frequency data of the intake air flow, to translate the frequency data from the MAF sensor into a mass air flow via the calibrated non-linear conversion curve, to calculate the instantaneous mass air flow value at each leading or trailing edge of the pulse train signal, to accumulate the instantaneous mass air flow values over the calibrated duration, to calculate a time-weighted average of the accumulated mass air flow values, and to execute a control action with respect to the vehicle using the calculated time-weighted average.

A method comprising:

• receiving mass air flow (MAF) data via a controller of a vehicle having an an internal combustion engine with a plurality of cylinders each in fluid communication with an intake air flow;
• converting the frequency information of the received MAF data into an instantaneous mass flow via a calibrated non-linear conversion curve over a full cylinder event;
• calculating the instantaneous air mass flow at every leading or trailing edge of the pulse train signal;
• accumulating the calculated instantaneous mass air flow values over the full cylinder event;
• calculating a time-weighted mass air flow as a function of the accumulated instantaneous mass air flow values;
• and
• executing a control action with respect to the vehicle using the calculated time-weighted average.