US 5,361,213 A · Control device for an automobile

Abstract

A control device for an automobile has at least one sensor for detecting an operational state of the automobile. An output from the sensor is applied to a sample and hold circuit which is adapted to provide a time displaced output to a hierarchical group of neural elements. The neural elements operate upon said time displaced signals by varying the weighting of the signals and/or threshold values of the neural elements in accordance with a desired output parameter. The output of the neural computer is applied to a control circuit which is adapted to control an automobile actuator. The hierarchical group of neural elements are provided with numerous forms of different learning functions so that the desired output parameter is achieved. In one such embodiment desired parameters are applied to said neural computer and to a comparator, signals derived from sensors associated with automobile actuators are also applied to said comparator whereby difference signals are outputted from said comparator to control the weighting and/or threshold levels of the neural elements. The invention may be applied to different functions such as controlling air/fuel ratio, ignition timing, knock control, sensing, suspension adjustment, and road surface detection.

Claims22

Dependent claims

A control device for an automobile having an engine knock sensor for detecting engine knock of said automobile engine, and an actuator for controlling said engine knock, said control device including transformation means for transforming signals from said knock sensor into a spatial multi-variable signal consisting of plural bits and to apply said spatial multi-variable signal to a hierarchical group of neural elements, each element providing an output O.sub.1 where ##EQU12## where O.sub.j are inputs, W.sub.ij are weighting factors and .theta. is a threshold,

and further including modifying means for adaptively controlling the internal parameters of the neural elements by comparison with actual knock data, and a control means for receiving an output signal from said group of neural elements for controlling said actuator.

A control device for an automobile having an engine knock sensor for detecting engine knock of said automobile engine, and an actuator for controlling said engine knock, said control device including

(a) transformation means for transforming time series signals from said knock sensor into a spatial multi-variable signal consisting of plural bits, said transformation means having a sampling and holding means which starts sampling and holding on the basis of a sample start signal which is related to an instant of ignition and carries out the sampling and holding process for a predetermined period of time, whereby n old samples are replaced by n new samples at each predetermined period of time, and to apply said spatial multi-variable signal to
(b) an input layer of n neural elements of a hierarchical group of neural elements, each element providing an output O.sub.1 where ##EQU13## where O.sub.j are inputs, W.sub.ij are weighting factors and .theta. is a threshold,
(c) means for measuring actual knock data and for producing an output signal representative thereof,
(d) modifying means for adaptively controlling the internal parameters of the neural elements by comparison with the actual knock data measuring means output signal, and
(e) control means for receiving an output signal from said group of neural elements for controlling said actuator.

2 more elements

A control device for an automobile having at least one sensor adapted to detect an operational state of said automobile, and an actuator for controlling said operational state, said control device including:

(a) a transformation means for transforming signals in time series from said at least one sensor into a spatial multi-variable signal, said transformation means having a sampling and holding means which starts sampling and holding on the basis of a sample hold start signal relating to an instant of ignition as its starting point, and carries out the sampling and holding process for a predetermined period of time, the spatial multi-variable signal consisting of plural bits (12a, 12b, 12c, - - - 12n) in sequence of input order and being renewed at each predetermined period of time so that n old samples are replaced by n new samples at each predetermined period of time;
(b) a hierarchical group of neural elements having an input layer of n neural elements for receiving said spatial multi-variable signal;
(c) modifying means for adaptively controlling the neural elements in accordance with a desired parameter;
and
(d) a control means for receiving an output signal from said group of neural elements for controlling said actuator.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Control device for an automobile

Life of this patent

Control device for an automobile

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims22