US 9,416,689 B2 · Method and apparatus for controlling a phase varying apparatus

Abstract

[Problems to be Solved] In the valve opening and closing timing controlled by an ECU, since the responsivity of a phase varying apparatus becomes low and the valve opening and closing timing cannot be appropriately controlled in the state of low engine rpm, desired engine characteristics cannot be obtained. Therefore, it is a problem to be solved by the present invention to provide a method and an apparatus for controlling a phase varying apparatus capable of obtaining the considerably high responsiveness of the phase varying apparatus under condition of low engine rpm. [Solution] The above problem can be solved by a phase control method for controlling a phase varying apparatus constituted so as to calculate an estimated relative angle value one step later by the Kalman filter using a relative angle calculated from rotational velocity values of the associated shafts in the current step and a command value to an electromagnetic clutch in the current step, input the estimated relative angle value to a sliding mode controller as a feedback signal, calculate a command value to the electromagnetic clutch one step later based on the value of the feedback signal and output the command signal.

Claims10

Dependent claims

A phase controlling method for controlling a phase varying apparatus for varying a valve timing of an engine valve in an internal combustion engine by varying a phase of rotation of a camshaft with respect to a crankshaft,

the phase varying apparatus comprising:
a driving rotor to which rotation is transmitted from the crankshaft,
a driven rotor which is coaxial with the driving rotor and disposed on a side of the camshaft and
a phase variation mechanism for varying a relative angle between the driving rotor and the driven rotor using an electromagnetic clutch to control the phase varying apparatus, wherein
a relative angle between the crankshaft and the camshaft in the current step, which is calculated based on a rotational velocity value of the crankshaft and the rotational velocity value of the camshaft, and a command value to the electromagnetic clutch in the current step are inputted into a phase varying apparatus estimator and, wherein
an estimated relative angle value one step later is calculated by Kalman filter based on the thus inputted values in the phase varying apparatus estimator, wherein
the thus calculated estimated relative angle value is input to a sliding mode controller as a feedback signal and a command value to the electromagnetic clutch one step later is calculated using common parameters to those used in the phase varying apparatus estimator based on the thus inputted value in the sliding mode controller so that the thus calculated command value is outputted to the phase varying apparatus.

4 more elements

A phase control apparatus for controlling a phase varying apparatus for varying a valve timing of an engine valve in an internal combustion engine by varying a phase of rotation of a camshaft with respect to a crankshaft, the phase varying apparatus comprising:

a driving rotor to which rotation is transmitted from the crankshaft,
a driven rotor which is coaxial with the driving rotor and disposed on a side of the camshaft, and
a phase variation mechanism for varying a relative angle between the driving rotor and the driven rotor using an electromagnetic clutch to control the phase varying apparatus,
the phase control apparatus further comprising:
a phase varying apparatus estimator for calculating an estimated relative angle value one step later by a Kalman filter using a relative angle between the crankshaft and the camshaft in the current step calculated based on a rotational velocity value of the crankshaft and a rotational velocity value of the camshaft and a command value to the electromagnetic clutch in the current step, and
a sliding mode controller for receiving the estimated relative angle value one step later as a feedback signal and calculating a command value to the electromagnetic clutch one step later using parameters common to those used for the calculation in the phase varying apparatus estimator based on the input vale of the feedback signal, and outputting the thus calculated command value one step later.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Method and apparatus for controlling a phase varying apparatus

Life of this patent

Method and apparatus for controlling a phase varying apparatus

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims10