US 7,444,262 B2 · Reverse rotation detector for internal combustion engine

Abstract

A crank angle sensor outputs a pulse signal whenever a crankshaft rotates a predetermined angle. An ECU performs an elimination process on a sequence of pulse signals to obtain a remaining signal used to determine the crank angle. When the rotation speed of the crankshaft becomes lower than a predetermined threshold, the ECU suspends the elimination process and determines the crank angle using pulse signals that have not undergone the elimination process. The ECU detects reverse rotation of the crankshaft based on pulse signals that have not undergone the elimination process. A crank counter is operated in synchronism with the falling of a pulse signal when the crankshaft rotates in the forward direction and is operated in synchronism with the rising of a pulse signal when the crankshaft rotates in the reverse direction.

Claims14

Dependent claims

A device for use in an internal combustion engine having an output shaft for detecting reverse rotation of the output shaft, the device comprising:

a sensor for outputting a pulse signal whenever the output shaft is rotated by a predetermined angle;
a rotation angle calculation unit for executing an elimination process, in which a predetermined proportion of pulse signals are eliminated from a sequence of the pulse signals, and determining a rotation angle of the output shaft based on a remaining signal obtained through the elimination process;
and
a reverse rotation detection unit for detecting reverse rotation of the output shaft based on the pulse signals;
wherein when rotation speed of the output shaft becomes lower than a predetermined threshold, the rotation angle calculation unit suspends the elimination process and determines the rotation angle of the output shaft based on the pulse signals that have not undergone the elimination process, and the reverse rotation detection unit detects reverse rotation of the output shaft based on the pulse signals that have not undergone the elimination process.

2 more elements

A device for use in an internal combustion engine having an output shaft for detecting reverse rotation of the output shaft, the device comprising:

a sensor for outputting a pulse signal whenever the output shaft is rotated by a predetermined angle;
a rotation angle calculation unit including a counter for performing a count operation in synchronism with rising or falling of the pulse signal, the rotation angle calculation unit determining a rotation angle of the output shaft based on a count value of the counter;
and
a reverse rotation detection unit for detecting reverse rotation of the output shaft based on the pulse signals;
wherein the rotation angle calculation unit has the counter perform the count operation in synchronism with one of the rising and falling of the pulse signal when the output shaft is rotating in a forward direction, and the rotation angle calculation unit has the counter perform the count operation in synchronism with the other one of the rising and falling of the pulse signal when the reverse rotation detection unit detects reverse rotation of the output shaft.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Reverse rotation detector for internal combustion engine

Life of this patent

Reverse rotation detector for internal combustion engine

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims14