Engine misfire detection system
AssigneeJohn M. Thompson
InventorsJohn M. Thompson, Kenneth W. Auer
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An engine misfire detection system includes a database of engine fingerprints, each fingerprint corresponding to a known misfire condition. A technician uses software to compare the fingerprints in the database to an engine with a combustion inefficiency to determine which cylinder in the engine has the combustion inefficiency. The fingerprints are generated by evaluating an output from a lambda sensor and a timing reference. An alternate embodiment associates oxygen sensors with each of the cylinders in the engine and infers combustion inefficiency when a given sensor detects a peak in the amount of oxygen.
Claims25
A method of detecting combustion inefficiency in an engine having multiple cylinders, comprising:
- detecting oxygen levels in an exhaust stream with a sensor;
- connecting the sensor to an external probe;
- comparing sensor readings to a database of fingerprints associated with the external probe, wherein the database of fingerprints comprises fingerprints of engines having combustion inefficiencies;
- and
- providing an indication as to which cylinder has the combustion inefficiency.
A computer readable medium having software stored thereon, said software adapted to detect combustion inefficiency in an engine having multiple cylinders by:
- accepting data from a sensor through an external probe;
- comparing sensed oxygen levels from the sensor coupled with a timing reference to a database of fingerprints, wherein the database of fingerprints comprises fingerprints of engines having combustion inefficiencies;
- and
- providing an indication as to which cylinder has the combustion inefficiency.
A method of detecting a misfire in an engine having multiple cylinders comprising:
- connecting an external probe to a sensor associated with an exhaust path of the engine;
- collecting readings from the sensor relating to oxygen levels within the exhaust path;
- comparing, through software, the oxygen levels collected from the sensor to a database of fingerprints;
- and
- providing an indication as to which of the multiple cylinders is misfiring.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.