Method of and apparatus for communicating the operating condition of an internal combustion engine
AssigneeToyota Jidosha Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorsJiro Nakano, Hironobu Ono
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A feedback operation check signal which indicates whether or not the feedback amount determined depending the output signal from the exhaust gas sensor to control the air-fuel ratio is within a predetermined range is fed to an information output terminal, when the throttle valve is in the idling position. On the other hand, when the throttle valve is not in the idling position, an electrical signal which is synchronized with the output signal from the exhaust gas sensor is fed to the same information output terminal.
Claims14
A method of communicating the operating conditions of an internal combustion engine havng a throttle valve, an information output terminal, an exhaust gas sensor for detecting the concentration of a predetermined component in the exhaust gas and producing an output signal which alternates in response to the change of the detected concentration, and a feedback control system for producing, depending upon the output signal from the exhaust gas sensor, a loop feedback signal and for correcting the air-fuel ratio of the air-fuel mixture supplied to the engine depending upon the produced loop feedback signal, said method comprising the steps of:
- detecting whether the throttle valve is in the idling position and producing an idling detection signal which indicates whether the throttle valve is in the idling position;
- in response to the idling detection signal, discriminating whether the loop feedback signal is within a predetermined range and supplying an electrical signal which indicates whether the loop feedback signal is within the predetermined range, to said information output terminal, only when the throttle valve is in the idling position;
- and
- in response to the idling detection signal, supplying an electrical signal which is synchronized with the output signal from the exhaust gas sensor to said information output terminal, when the throttle valve is not in the idling position.
A method of communicating the operating conditions of an internal combustion engine having a throttle valve, an information output terminal, an exhaust gas sensor for detecting the concentration of a predetermined component in the exhaust gas and producing an output signal which alternates in response to the change of the detected concentration, a feedback control system for controlling the air-fuel ratio of the air-fuel mixture supplied to the engine depending upon the output signal from the exhaust gas sensor, and a diagnosis system for detecting abnormal operations of the engine to produce diagnosed signals which indicate the detected abnormal operations, said method comprising the steps of:
- detecting whether the throttle valve is in the idling position and producing an idling detection signal which indicates whether the throttle valve is in the idling position;
- in response to the idling detection signal, feeding one of the diagnosed signals to said information output terminal, only when the throttle valve is in the idling position;
- and
- in response to the idling detection signal, feeding an electrical signal which is synchronized with the output signal from the exhaust gas sensor to said information output terminal, when the throttle valve is not in the idling position.
Apparatus for communicating the operating conditions of an internal combustion engine having a throttle valve, an information output terminal, an exhaust gas sensor for detecting the concentration of a predetermined component in the exhaust gas and producing an output signal which alternates in response to the change of the detected concentration, and a feedback control system for producing, depending upon the output signal from the exhaust gas sensor, a loop feedback signal and for correcting the air-fuel ratio of the air-fuel mixture supplied to the engine depending upon the produced loop feedback signal, said apparatus comprising:
- means for detecting whether the throttle valve is in the idling position and producing an idling detection signal which indicates whether the throttle valve is in the idling position;
- and
- processing means responsive to said idling detection signal, for (1) discriminating whether the loop feedback signal is within a predetermined range and supplying an electrical signal which indicates whether the loop feedback signal is within the predetermined range, to said information output terminal, only when the throttle valve is in the idling position, and (2) feeding an electrical signal which is synchronized with the output signal from the exhaust gas sensor to said information output terminal, when the throttle valve is not in the idling position.
Apparatus for communicating the operating conditions of an internal combustion engine having a throttle valve, an information output terminal, an exhaust gas sensor for detecting the concentration of a predetermined component in the exhaust gas and producing an output signal which alternates in response to the change of the detected concentration, a feedback control system for controlling the air-fuel ratio of the air-fuel mixture supplied to the engine depending upon the output signal from the exhaust gas sensor, and a diagnosis system for detecting abnormal operations of the engine to produce diagnosed signals which indicate the detected abnormal operations, said apparatus comprising:
- means for detecting whether the throttle valve is in the idling position to produce an idling detection signal which indicates whether the throttle valve is in the idling position;
- and
- processing means, responsive to the idling detection signal, for (1) feeding one of the diagnosed signals to said information output terminal, only when the throttle valve is in the idling position, and (2) feeding an electrical signal which is synchronized with the output signal from the exhaust gas sensor, when the throttle valve is not in the idling position.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.