# US 9,435,282 B2 · Fuel supplying controller

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- Number: US 9,435,282 B2
- Document ID: US9435282B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 14/332,706
- Filed: 2014-07-16
- Published: 2015-01-22
- Granted: 2016-09-06
- Earliest claimed: 2013-07-18
- Assignees: Denso Corporation
- Applicants: Denso Corporation
- Inventors: Hiromu Kashiyama
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9435282B2

## CPC

- F02D 41/22: Safety or indicating devices for abnormal conditions {(in air/fuel ratio feedback systems F02D41/1495, in electric control linkage F02D11/107, in purge control systems F02M25/0809)}
- F02M 37/40: with means for detection of clogging
- F02D 41/068: {for warming-up}
- F02D 2041/224: {Diagnosis of the fuel system}
- F02D 2200/0602: Fuel pressure
- F02D 2200/0608: Estimation of fuel temperature
- F02D 2200/50: said parameters being related to the vehicle or its components
- Y02T 10/40: Engine management systems
- F02D: CONTROLLING COMBUSTION ENGINES (vehicle fittings, acting on a single sub-unit only, for automatically controlling vehicle speed B60K31/00; conjoint control of vehicle sub-units of different type or different function, road vehicle drive control systems for purposes other than the control of a single sub-unit B60W)
- F02M: SUPPLYING COMBUSTION ENGINES IN GENERAL WITH COMBUSTIBLE MIXTURES OR CONSTITUENTS THEREOF
- Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION

## Abstract

In a fuel supplying controller detecting a clogging of a fuel filter, a timer count portion includes a steady count portion and an unsteady count portion. The steady count portion adds a steady count value to a timer counter in a steady state where a vehicle-state value is less than a threshold. The unsteady count portion adds an unsteady count value that is greater than the steady count value to the timer counter in an unsteady state where the vehicle-state value is greater than or equal to the threshold.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A fuel supplying controller comprising:
a fuel tank accommodating a fuel;
a supply pump supplying the fuel from the fuel tank to an internal combustion engine of a vehicle;
a fuel filter provided in a passage between the fuel tank and the supply pump, the fuel filter filtering the fuel;
a clogging detection portion detecting a clogging of the fuel filter;
a period setting portion setting a non-detection period where a clogging detection according to the clogging detection portion is prohibited;
a comparison portion comparing a vehicle-state value with a threshold; and
a timer count portion executing a count until a timer counter exceeds the nondetection period, after a start of the internal combustion engine, wherein the timer count portion includes
a steady count portion adding a steady count value to the timer counter in a steady state where a vehicle-state value is less than the threshold, and
an unsteady count portion adding an unsteady count value that is greater than the steady count value to the timer counter in an unsteady state where the vehicle-state value is greater than or equal to the threshold, and
the vehicle-state value is a value indicating a vehicle state and is a fuel return amount corresponding to a fuel amount returned to the fuel tank from the internal combustion engine, and
the steady state includes a state that the fuel return amount is less than the threshold.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The fuel supplying controller according to claim 1, wherein
the comparison portion compares another vehicle-state value with another threshold;
the another vehicle-state value is an injection pressure corresponding to a fuel pressure of the fuel injected to the internal combustion engine, and
the steady state includes a state that the injection pressure is less than the another threshold.

### Claim 3

A fuel supplying controller comprising:
a fuel tank accommodating a fuel;
a supply pump supplying the fuel from the fuel tank to an internal combustion engine of a vehicle;
a fuel filter provided in a passage between the fuel tank and the supply pump, the fuel filter filtering the fuel;
a clogging detection portion detecting a clogging of the fuel filter;
a period setting portion setting a non-detection period where a clogging detection according to the clogging detection portion is prohibited; and
a timer count portion executing a count until a timer counter exceeds the non-detection period, after a start of the internal combustion engine,
a comparison portion comparing vehicle-state values with corresponding thresholds, respectively; wherein
the timer count portion includes
an unsteady count portion adding an unsteady count value to the timer counter in an unsteady state where at least one of the vehicle-state values is greater than or equal to the corresponding threshold, and
a steady count portion adding a steady count value to the timer counter in a steady state where all of the vehicle-state values are less than the corresponding thresholds, respectively,
the unsteady count value is greater than the steady count value,
the vehicle-state value is a value indicating a vehicle state;
the vehicle-state values include a fuel return amount corresponding to a fuel amount returned to the fuel tank from the internal combustion engine, and
the steady state includes a state that the fuel return amount is less than the threshold.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The fuel supplying controller according to claim 3, wherein the unsteady count portion adds the unsteady count value according to the vehicle-state values to the timer counter.

### Claim 5 (depends on 3)

The fuel supplying controller according to claim 3, wherein
the vehicle-state values further include an injection pressure corresponding to a fuel pressure of the fuel injected to the internal combustion engine, and
the steady state includes a state that the injection pressure is less than the threshold.