Electronic type engine control method

A method of operating a processor-controlled system in which output signals are produced as a result of the processor carrying out a plurality of tasks, the functions of which affect the operation of said system, and in which there are provided a plurality of task programs through the execution of which said tasks are performed, comprising the steps of:

• (a) generating interrupt signals associated with said task programs in response to which said processor is to execute said programs;
• (b) selectively storing in memory an execution request signal for the task program associated with an interrupt signal;
• and
• (c) searching said memory for the presence of execution request signals and causing the execution of a selected task program for which an execution request signal has been stored in step (b);
• and wherein
• step (b) includes the step of inhibiting the storage in memory of an execution request signal for a selected task program.

A method of electronically controlling the operation of an internal combustion engine provided with a control system which includes sensors for detecting operating conditions of said engine, an arithmetic unit for arithmetically determining control quantities for controlling said engine through the digital processing of output signals produced from said sensors, memory means for storing therein programs and data for performing said arithmetic operations, and control means for controlling said engine on the basis of the results of said arithmetic operations, wherein contents of said arithmetic operations are divided into a number of tasks in dependence on control functions to be performed, said method comprising:

• a first step of setting the indication of an activation request for a given one of said tasks through the execution of another task;
• a second step of searching the set of the activation request indications for the individual tasks;
• and
• a third step of executing the tasks for which activation requests are retrieved on the basis of the generation of retrieved activation requests.

A method of electronically controlling the operation of an internal combustion engine provided with a control system which includes sensors for detecting operating conditions of said engine, an arithmetic unit for arithmetically determining control quantities for controlling said engine through the digital processing of output signals produced from said sensors, memory means for storing therein programs and data for performing said arithmetic operations, and control means for controlling said engine on the basis of the results of said arithmetic operations, wherein contents of said arithmetic operations are divided into a number of tasks in dependence on control functions to be performed, said method comprising:

• a first step of setting the indication of an activation request for a task through the execution of said task itself;
• a second step of searching the set of activation request indications for the individual tasks;
• and
• a third step of executing the tasks for which activation requests are retrieved on the basis of the generation of retrieved activation requests.