JP2013024132A - Engine controller and engine control system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a controller capable of surely operating a valve stop mechanism at the earliest timing by a simple structure according to the rotation speed of an engine.SOLUTION: In the engine control device, a trigger FC detection section detects "trigger FC-on", and controls status transition from the detected situation of the "trigger FC-on" and a crank angle shifted by the rotation of a crankshaft, thereby determining whether or not the timing of current-carrying instructions to the valve stop mechanism can be accelerated at a designated crank angle cycle unit from the rotation of the engine. When determining that it can be accelerated, the timing of current-carrying instructions can be accelerated by changing target timing that is timing for making the valve stop mechanism complete prescribed conjunctive motions.

Description

  The present invention relates to an engine control device and an engine control system.

  Conventionally, for the purpose of preventing catalyst deterioration during fuel cut in a high-temperature oxidizing atmosphere, stop the intake valve or exhaust valve with the intake valve or closed valve closed during fuel cut so that no new inflow of air into the cylinder occurs. Thus, an engine having a valve stop mechanism for preventing a new inflow of air into a catalyst installed downstream of a cylinder and a control device thereof are known.

  Such an engine control device generates a valve stop request when detecting a behavior (hereinafter referred to as “trigger FC”) that triggers a fuel cut, such as a driver's accelerator operation, to the valve stop mechanism. To stop the intake valve or the exhaust valve (hereinafter collectively referred to as “valve”). The stop instruction is given in the form of an energization instruction to the solenoid actuator of the valve stop mechanism.

  The operation of the solenoid actuator that is driven in response to the energization instruction links the valve stop mechanism to the rotation operation of the crankshaft, and the valve stop mechanism stops the valve by interlocking the mechanical elements based on the rotation operation of the crankshaft. I do.

  The engine control device determines the timing of the operation transition of the valve stop mechanism after the energization instruction according to the rotation angle of the crankshaft (hereinafter referred to as “crank angle”) (see, for example, Patent Document 1). .

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-336577

By the way, the engine control apparatus needs to give an energization instruction at a timing at which the valve stop mechanism is reliably linked to the crankshaft that continues to rotate.
To that end, the timing (crank angle) that takes into account the solenoid actuator operating time, engine speed, etc., so that the solenoid actuator operation is completed to the crank angle target value at which the valve stop mechanism can be reliably operated. It is necessary to give an energization instruction to the solenoid actuator.
On the other hand, the target value of the crank angle for completing the operation of the solenoid actuator is changed when the crank angle at which the mechanism starts the interlocking operation is determined due to the configuration of the valve stop mechanism. However, since the crank angle at which the mechanism starts the interlock operation does not change, it can be said that it is not desirable to change the target value in consideration of the processing load.

Therefore, the engine control device sets a fixed crank angle, which is estimated to ensure that the solenoid actuator completes its operation with sufficient margin, as a target value, and energizes this target value at the timing to complete the operation of the solenoid actuator. A simple processing configuration for giving an instruction can be considered.
In addition, when the processing configuration is such that the energization instruction is performed with a fixed crank angle as a target, the time required for the operation of the solenoid actuator is generally longer than the time when the crank angle changes as the engine rotates. From the engine cycle (rotation cycle) at the time of starting the process for calculating the energization instruction timing (when the valve stop request is generated) It is necessary to set a fixed crank angle in the cycle as a target.

  However, when the above-described technology is used, when the engine speed is low, there may be a significant delay from when the valve stop request is generated until the valve stop mechanism actually stops the valve. There was a problem.

  This is because when the engine speed is low, the transition of the crank angle at a predetermined time is small, so that the time required to reach the fixed crank angle set as the target value as described above increases. This is because the fixed crank angle in the cycle after the engine cycle (rotation period) at the time when the valve stop request is generated is set to the target value.

  For these reasons, how to realize an engine control device or an engine control system capable of operating the valve stop mechanism at an appropriate timing according to the engine speed has become a major issue.

  The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and is an engine control capable of reliably operating the valve stop mechanism at the earliest timing according to the engine speed with a simple processing configuration. An object is to provide an apparatus and an engine control system.

  In order to solve the above-described problems and achieve the object, the present invention includes a valve stop mechanism capable of stopping at least one of an intake valve and an exhaust valve operating in conjunction with rotation of a crankshaft. An engine control apparatus for controlling an engine, wherein the valve stop mechanism is provided with an interlock mechanism for causing the valve stop mechanism to operate in conjunction with rotation of the engine, and the operation of the interlock mechanism is When completed, the valve is configured to shift to a stop state in conjunction with the rotation of the engine, and when it is determined to stop the valve in response to a request to stop the valve, the determination is performed. The fixed crank angle in the second cycle that is the cycle after the first cycle that is the cycle of the engine at the time is set as the target timing for completing the operation of the interlocking mechanism. When it is determined that the energization timing, which is the timing of energization instruction to the actuator of the valve stop control means, can be advanced based on the engine speed and the valve stop control means for instructing energization to the actuator that operates the mechanism And an energization timing correction means for changing the target timing to a crank angle in a cycle before the second cycle.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to reliably operate the valve stop mechanism at the earliest timing according to the engine speed with a simple processing configuration.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an outline of a valve stop control method according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is a schematic view of the valve stop mechanism. FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of the engine control apparatus according to the embodiment. FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the valve stop mechanism during valve actuation. FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining a valve stop operation by the valve stop mechanism. FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the valve stop mechanism when the valve is stopped. FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an example of setting transition information. FIG. 8 is a diagram for explaining a basic operation of status transition control in the valve stop control unit. FIG. 9 is a diagram for explaining status transition control in a case where “energization start” is advanced. FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining status transition control in the case of suppressing “start of energization”. FIG. 11 is a flowchart illustrating a processing procedure of status transition control processing in the valve stop control unit. FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure of status transition processing in the valve stop control unit.

  Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of a valve stop control method according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the following, the outline of the valve stop control method according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 1, and then an embodiment of the engine control device and the engine control system to which the valve stop control method according to the present invention is applied will be described with reference to FIG. This will be described with reference to FIG.

  Hereinafter, a case where the engine is a general four-stroke engine will be described. Accordingly, in the following, when the predetermined crank angle period is referred to, it means the rotation angle “0 ° to 720 °” of the crankshaft corresponding to one cycle of the four-stroke engine. In the following, “crank angle” may be described as “CA” (Crank Angle).

  In the following, a control signal indicating the start of fuel cut is described as “trigger FC on”, but such “trigger FC on” may be rephrased as “start trigger”.

  First, the outline of the valve stop control method according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an outline of a valve stop control method according to the present invention. 1A shows an overview of status transition control during valve stop, and FIG. 1B shows an overview of the valve stop control method according to the present invention.

  In general, not only engine control devices, but also control devices that operate mechanisms such as valve stop mechanisms, the status of the mechanism operation is divided into multi-stage statuses and the processing necessary for transition between statuses is performed sequentially. Transition control is often performed.

  With regard to this point, in the valve stop control method according to the present invention, as shown in FIG. 1A, status transition control is performed in which a series of operations related to valve stop is divided into seven stages of status.

  Note that “status 4 target” to “status 7 target” shown in FIG. 1A are predetermined transition target values each represented by a crank angle. In the valve stop control method according to the present invention, the status transition control of the valve stop mechanism separated from the engine control device is performed using the “status 4 target” to “status 7 target”.

  Hereinafter, status transition control in the valve stop control method according to the present invention will be specifically described. As shown in FIG. 1A, in the valve stop control method according to the present invention, the engine control device is changed to the “valve stop request” state of status “1” at the timing when “trigger FC ON” is received. .

  And as shown to (A) of FIG. 1, an engine control apparatus is changed to the "valve stop permission" state of status "2" at timing, such as the energization start prohibition area on a valve stop mechanism is cancelled | released. The transition to the status “2” is basically performed in the crank angle cycle in which “trigger FC ON” is accepted or in the next crank angle cycle.

  As shown in the “back calculation section” in FIG. 1A, the transition of the status “3” to the “energization start” state is a timing calculated backward from the “status 4 target” in consideration of the engine speed. Done. Details regarding the calculation of the timing will be described later with reference to FIG.

  Then, the “guide landing” state with status “4”, the “pin slide start” state with status “5”, the “pin slide complete” state with status “6”, and the “lock complete” state with status “7” The transition to is performed at a timing when the crank angle exceeds each transition target value from “status 4 target” to “status 7 target”.

  Note that “status 4 target” to “status 7 target” are preferably adjusted in advance so that the mechanical elements of the valve stop mechanism are smoothly interlocked at an optimal timing.

  By the way, the upper part of FIG. 1B shows the contents described with reference to FIG. 1A in units of crank angle periods. As shown in the upper part of FIG. 1B, when a predetermined valve stop permission condition is satisfied when the status changes to “1” in “crank angle cycle # N−1” based on “trigger FC on”. Transition to status “2” is performed in the crank angle cycle.

  Here, as shown in the upper part of FIG. 1B, it is assumed that “status 4 target” is positioned at “crank angle cycle # N + 1”. In this case, as shown in FIG. 1B-1, the timing to the status “3” corresponding to “energization start” is calculated backward from the “status 4 target” in consideration of the engine speed as described above. .

  Here, when the engine speed is low, the transition of the crank angle at a predetermined time becomes small, so the “back calculation section” shown in FIG. 1A tends to be relatively small. For this reason, as shown in the upper part of FIG. 1B, there may occur a case where the timing of “energization start” falls within “crank angle cycle # N + 1”. Such a case causes a delay in the valve stop operation, which is not preferable from the viewpoint of performing fuel cut with good response.

  Therefore, in the valve stop control method according to the present invention, in particular, it is determined whether or not the timing of “energization start” can be advanced by the unit of the crank angle cycle. The timing of “energization start” was advanced.

  Specifically, after the transition to the status “2”, the transition timing to the status “3” corresponding to the “energization start” obtained by reverse calculation is temporarily advanced in units of the crank angle period ((B-2) in FIG. 1). Reference), the transition timing to status “3” is compared with the current crank angle (see (B-3) in FIG. 1).

  In this comparison, when it is determined that the transition timing to the status “3” is a timing (crank angle) ahead of the current crank angle, the timing corresponding to the transition timing to the status “3” is “ The timing of “energization start” is actually advanced by the unit of the crank angle cycle.

  Therefore, the status transition after status “4” linked to the timing of “energization start” is also advanced by the unit of the crank angle cycle. This means, for example, that the “guide landing” of status “4” is performed while maintaining the position in the crank angle cycle (see the section p in the figure). It can be operated at the optimal timing.

  Details of the status transition control process shown in FIG. 1B will be described later with reference to FIGS.

  Thus, in the valve stop control method according to the present invention, when the engine speed is low, it is determined whether or not the timing of “energization start” can be advanced by the unit of the crank angle cycle, and it is determined that it can be advanced. In such a case, the timing of “energization start” is advanced based on this determination. Therefore, according to the valve stop control method according to the present invention, the valve stop mechanism can be operated at an appropriate timing according to the engine speed.

  Below, the Example about the engine control apparatus and engine control system to which the valve stop control method demonstrated using FIG. 1 is applied is described in detail. In the following, when the predetermined valve stop permission condition shown in the description using FIG. 1B is satisfied, that is, when it is determined that the valve is stopped in response to the valve stop request. The crank angle period may be described as a “first cycle”, and a cycle after the “first cycle” may be described as a “second cycle”.

  First, an outline of the operation of the valve stop mechanism will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 2 is a schematic view of the valve stop mechanism 20. Note that FIG. 2 will be described by taking a four-cylinder engine equipped with a variable valve mechanism 60 as an example. The numbers # 1 to # 4 in the figure correspond to each cylinder.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the valve stop mechanism 20 is provided corresponding to each of the cams # 1 to # 4 (the main cam 62 and the sub cam 63) attached to the camshaft 61 of the variable valve mechanism 60. . The main cams 62 are attached such that the directions of the cam peaks are different.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the # 1 valve stop mechanism 20 and the # 2 valve stop mechanism 20 are connected by a link mechanism. Similarly, the # 3 valve stop mechanism 20 and the # 4 valve stop mechanism 20 are connected by a link mechanism. The combination of the # 1 and # 2 valve stop mechanisms 20 and the combination of the # 3 and # 4 valve stop mechanisms 20 are connected by a delay mechanism.

  The # 2 valve stop mechanism 20 includes a switching mechanism 25 that switches between a valve stop operation and a valve return operation. The switching instruction to the switching mechanism 25 is made by the engine control device in the form of starting energization or releasing energization of the solenoid 201 included in the switching mechanism 25.

  The engine control device starts energization of the solenoid 201 when the valve stop mechanism 20 performs a stop operation. Further, when the valve stop mechanism 20 is caused to perform a return operation, the energization of the solenoid 201 is released.

  The switching instruction given to the switching mechanism 25 by the engine control apparatus determines the operation of the # 2 valve stop mechanism 20, and the operation of the # 2 valve stop mechanism 20 is performed via the link mechanism. Interlocks with the mechanism 20. Similarly, the operation of the # 2 valve stop mechanism 20 is linked to the # 3 and # 4 valve stop mechanisms 20 via the delay mechanism.

  That is, after a series of interlocking operations are completed after receiving the switching instruction of the engine control device and until the valve corresponding to each cylinder is actually stopped or returned, the predetermined stop operation or return operation of the valve stop mechanism 20 is performed. Become.

  In the following description, the operation of the # 2 valve stop mechanism 20 which is the starting point of such a series of interlocking operations will be described as an example. The detailed operation of the valve stop mechanism 20 will be described later with reference to FIGS.

  Next, a configuration example of the engine control apparatus 10 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of the engine control apparatus 10 according to the embodiment. In FIG. 3, only components necessary for describing the features of the engine control device 10 are shown, and descriptions of general components are omitted.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the engine control device 10 includes a control unit 11 and a storage unit 12. The control unit 11 further includes a trigger FC detection unit 11a, a valve stop control unit 11b, and an FC control unit 11c. And the memory | storage part 12 memorize | stores the transition information 12a.

  A valve stop mechanism 20, a fuel injection mechanism 30, an accelerator opening sensor 40, and a crank angle sensor 50 are disposed outside the engine control device 10.

  Here, each device arranged outside the engine control apparatus 10 will be described. The valve stop mechanism 20 is a mechanism that stops the valve based on a control signal indicating the start of energization from a valve stop control unit 11b described later. The valve stop mechanism 20 is a mechanism for returning the valve based on a control signal indicating release of energization from the valve stop control unit 11b.

  Here, details of the operation of the valve stopping mechanism 20 will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 to 6, in order to explain the operation of the valve stop mechanism 20, simplified views of the valve stop mechanism 20 and the respective mechanisms disposed around the valve stop mechanism 20 are shown. The positional relationship is not limited.

  FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the valve stop mechanism 20 during valve actuation. FIG. 4 (1) shows a state in which the valve is closed during valve operation, and FIG. 4 (2) shows a state in which the valve is open during valve operation. Moreover, the thick line near the valve body of the valve 70 in the drawing indicates the boundary with the cylinder.

  As shown in FIG. 4 (1), the valve stop mechanism 20 includes a solenoid 201 and a lock pin 202. The solenoid 201 projects the lock pin 202 based on a control signal indicating the start of energization from a valve stop control unit 11b described later. Further, the solenoid 201 returns the protrusion of the lock pin 202 to the original based on a control signal indicating release of energization from the valve stop control unit 11b.

  Further, the valve stop mechanism 20 includes a first rocker arm 211 and a pair of second rocker arms 212 arranged at both ends thereof. The first rocker arm 211 and the second rocker arm 212 are swingably attached around a common rocker shaft (not shown). The pair of second rocker arms 212 is in contact with the end portions of the valve stems of the pair of valves 70.

  The valve stop mechanism 20 includes a first switching pin 213, a pair of second switching pins 214 disposed at both ends thereof, and a slide pin 215. Then, one end of the pair of second switching pins 214 is brought into contact with the cylindrical portion 215a of the slide pin 215.

  The first switching pin 213, the pair of second switching pins 214, and the cylindrical portion 215a form a shaft portion of the slide pin 215 that rotates around the axis Xs. The shaft portion of the slide pin 215 is penetrated through the first rocker arm 211 and the second rocker arm 212 with the return spring 216 interposed therebetween.

  The slide pin 215 has an arm portion 215b, a projection portion 215c, and a notch portion 215d in addition to the columnar portion 215a. The valve stop mechanism 20 constitutes a switching mechanism 25 with the slide pin 215, the solenoid 201, the lock pin 202, and the guide groove 65 cut in the large diameter portion 64 of the camshaft 61.

  The switching mechanism 25 operates so as to finally fit the lock pin 202 and the notch 215d of the slide pin 215 when the valve is stopped. This point will be described later with reference to FIG. .

  In addition to the guide groove 65 of the switching mechanism 25, the camshaft 61 is provided with a main cam 62 having a cam crest and a pair of sub cams 63 having the same shape as the base circle of the main cam 62. As shown in (1) of FIG. 4, when the valve 70 is closed during the valve operation, the main cam 62 is the first rocker arm 211 and the pair of sub cams 63 is the pair of second rocker arms. 212, respectively.

  Here, as shown in FIG. 4 (1), when the valve is not engaged with the lock pin 202 and the notch 215d, the shaft portion of the slide pin 215 is moved to the arrow 501 by the reaction force of the return spring 216. It is urged in the direction indicated by.

  Therefore, at the time of valve operation, the boundary between the first rocker arm 211 and the pair of second rocker arms 212 and the boundary between the shaft portions of the slide pins 215 are shifted from each other.

  Then, as shown in (2) of FIG. 4, when the cam shaft 61 rotates around the axis Xp, the cam crest of the main cam 62 pushes down the first rocker arm 211 that is in contact therewith.

  At this time, the connection between the first rocker arm 211 and the pair of second rocker arms 212 is held by the shift of the boundary of the shaft portion of the slide pin 215 as described above. The pair of second rocker arms 212 is also pushed down.

  That is, since the valve 70 in contact with the second rocker arm 212 is also pushed down, the valve 70 is opened.

  Next, the valve stop operation by the valve stop mechanism 20 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 5 is a view for explaining the valve stop operation by the valve stop mechanism 20.

  As shown in (1) of FIG. 5, when the valve stop mechanism 20 is energized to the solenoid 201 to stop the valve, as shown in (2) of FIG. 5, the lock pin 202 protrudes. Then, as shown in FIG. 5 (3), the protruding lock pin 202 flips the end of the slide pin 215.

  Then, as shown in FIG. 5 (4), the slide pin 215 urged by being bounced by the end portion rotates around the axis Xs and lands on the guide groove 65. Specifically, the protrusion 215 c of the slide pin 215 engages with the guide groove 65. This timing corresponds to “Guide landing” of status 4 (see FIG. 1).

  In addition, when the slide pin 215 “guides landing” based on the protrusion of the lock pin 202 in this way, the valve 70 (see FIG. 4) shifts to a stop state in conjunction with the rotation of the engine. Therefore, if the “interlocking mechanism” is configured by the lock pin 202 and the slide pin 215, the “guide landing” (see FIG. 1) of the above-described status 4 is the “target timing” for completing the operation of the “interlocking mechanism”. In other words.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 5 (5), when the camshaft 61 rotates around the axis Xp, the slide pin 215 moves along the guide groove 65 in the direction of the arrow in the figure. The timing for starting the movement corresponds to “pin slide start” of status 5 (see FIG. 1).

  Although not shown, the guide groove 65 is cut so that the bottom gradually becomes shallower, and the slide pin 215 is likely to be gradually removed from the guide groove 65 as it moves in the direction of the arrow in the figure. .

  5 (6), the slide pin 215 is detached from the guide groove 65 at a predetermined position, and the slide pin 215 is provided in the direction in which the lock pin 202 is provided as the guide groove 65 becomes shallower. Therefore, the lock pin 202 and the cutout portion 215d are fitted to each other.

  The timing at which the slide pin 215 completes the movement to the predetermined position described above corresponds to “pin slide completion” (see FIG. 1) of status 6. Further, the timing at which the lock pin 202 and the notch 215d are fitted corresponds to the status 7 “lock complete” (see FIG. 1).

  Then, as shown in FIG. 5 (7), the boundary between the first rocker arm 211 and the pair of second rocker arms 212 and the shaft portion of the slide pin 215 are obtained by fitting the lock pin 202 and the notch 215d. The boundary of

  Next, the operation of the valve stop mechanism 20 when the valve is stopped after the valve stop operation described with reference to FIG. 5 is completed will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the valve stop mechanism 20 when the valve is stopped.

  As already described in (7) of FIG. 5, as shown in (1) of FIG. 6, when the valve is stopped, the boundary between the first rocker arm 211 and the pair of second rocker arms 212, and the slide pin 215 coincides with the boundary of the shaft portion.

  This means that the connection between the first rocker arm 211 and the pair of second rocker arms 212 that has been held due to deviation from the boundary of the shaft portion of the slide pin 215 has been released.

  Therefore, as shown in (2) of FIG. 6, even when the camshaft 61 rotates around the axis Xp, the main cam 62 having the cam crest is pushed down in the direction indicated by the arrow 504. Only the first rocker arm 211 is in contact.

  That is, since the pair of second rocker arms 212 that contact the valve 70 is not pushed down, the valve 70 remains closed.

  Here, the valve return operation by the valve stop mechanism 20 will also be described using FIG. When returning the valve, the valve stop mechanism 20 returns the lock pin 202 protruding by releasing the energization to the solenoid 201 to remove the fitting between the slide pin 215 and the lock pin 202 (FIG. 6). (See (1)).

  Then, the shaft portion of the slide pin 215 that has been disengaged is biased by the reaction force of the return spring 216 and moves in the direction indicated by the arrow 502 (see (1) in FIG. 6). That is, the boundary between the first rocker arm 211 and the pair of second rocker arms 212 is shifted from the boundary between the shaft portions of the slide pins 215, and the first rocker arm 211 and the pair of second rocker arms 212 are connected again.

  The timing for releasing the energization of the solenoid 201 is preferably when the main cam 62 pushes down only the first rocker arm 211 as shown in (2) of FIG. This is because when the main cam 62 does not push down the first rocker arm 211 (see (1) in FIG. 6), the reaction force of the return spring 216 is directly applied to the slide pin 215 in the direction indicated by the arrow 502. If the first rocker arm 211 is pushed down as shown in (2), the reaction force of the return spring 216 is divided and weakened (see the broken arrow 503 in the figure), so the slide pin 215 and the lock pin 202 This is because it is easy to remove the fitting.

  Returning to the description of FIG. 3, the fuel injection mechanism 30 will be described. The fuel injection mechanism 30 stops the fuel supply into the cylinder when a fuel cut start instruction is received from the FC control unit 11c, which will be described later, and enters the cylinder when the fuel cut release instruction is received from the FC control unit 11c. It is a mechanism to resume the fuel supply to the.

The accelerator opening sensor 40 is a device for detecting the accelerator opening by the driver's accelerator operation, and outputs the detected accelerator opening to the trigger FC detector 11a. The crank angle sensor 50 is a crank angle detection device (not shown), and outputs the detected crank angle to the trigger FC detection unit 11a and the valve stop control unit 11b. The engine control device 10 calculates the engine speed from the detected crank angle by calculation.
Instead of the accelerator opening sensor 40, an idle SW that detects whether the accelerator is operated by the driver may be used.

  It continues and the component inside the engine control apparatus 10 is demonstrated. The control unit 11 is a control unit that performs overall control of the engine control device 10. The trigger FC detector 11a determines “trigger FC” from the accelerator opening input from the accelerator opening sensor 40, the crank angle input from the crank angle sensor 50, the engine speed, and the like, and “trigger FC on” or “trigger FC on” or “ A control signal indicating "trigger FC off" is output to the valve stop control unit 11b and the FC control unit 11c.

  The valve stop control unit 11b controls the status transition related to the valve stop and the valve return based on “trigger FC on” or “trigger FC off” input from the trigger FC detection unit 11a, and controls the valve stop mechanism 20 at an appropriate timing. This is a processing unit that performs processing to output a control signal indicating “energization start” or “energization release” to the solenoid 201. The present embodiment mainly describes status transition control related to the valve stop operation based on “trigger FC ON” in the valve stop control section 11b.

  And the valve stop control part 11b controls the start timing of electricity supply in this valve stop operation | movement based on the crank angle and engine speed which were input from the crank angle sensor 50, and the transition information 12a of the memory | storage part 12. FIG. The transition information 12a is information relating to status transition control in the valve stop control unit 11b, and is sequentially read or written by the valve stop control unit 11b.

  Here, a setting example of the transition information 12a will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating a setting example of the transition information 12a. As shown in FIG. 7, the transition information 12 a is information including a “status number” item, a “status name” item, and a “status target” item.

  The “status number” item is an item in which each status number in the status transition control is stored. The “status name” item is an item in which a status name corresponding to each status number is stored.

  The “status target” item is an item in which a status target corresponding to each status number is stored. The status target is a transition target value expressed by the cumulative crank angle from a predetermined timing. Here, the status is set after receiving “trigger FC on” in crank angle cycle # N-1 (see FIG. 1). The cumulative crank angle from the timing of transition from “1” to “2” is represented.

  For example, FIG. 7 shows an example in which the status targets with status numbers “4” to “7” are “810”, “1400”, “1720”, and “1880”, respectively.

  Note that status numbers “1” to “3” in which “−” is set as the status target indicate that the status target is not a fixed value. For example, the “valve stop request” with the status number “1” corresponds to a status target that takes the timing of accepting “trigger FC on”.

  Further, the “valve stop permission” of the status number “2” corresponds to a status target that takes a timing after the energization start prohibition section in the mechanism. The “energization start” of the status number “3” is calculated from the status target of the “guide landing” of the status number “4”, the engine speed input from the crank angle sensor 50, and the like. Details of this point will be described later with reference to FIG.

  Such transition information 12a is referred to in status transition control processing performed by the valve stop control unit 11b. The valve stop control unit 11b may perform status management by writing information indicating the latest status to the transition information 12a.

  For example, although not shown in FIG. 7, the transition information 12a further includes an item in which a flag value corresponding to each status number is stored, and then the valve stop control unit 11b transitions the status. Only the flag value of the corresponding status number may be turned on.

  FIG. 7 shows an example in which the stored value of each item of the transition information 12a is a numerical value or text, but the data format in the transition information 12a is not limited.

  Next, the basic operation of status transition control in the valve stop control unit 11b will be described with reference to FIG. 8 while using the setting example of the transition information 12a shown in FIG. FIG. 8 is a diagram for explaining a basic operation of status transition control in the valve stop control unit 11b.

  In addition, “actual CA” shown in FIG. 8 is an “actual crank counter” indicating actual crank angle movement, and “internal CA” is valve stop control that accumulates after latching “actual CA”. “Internal counter” inside the unit 11b is shown.

  As shown in FIG. 8, it is assumed that “trigger FC on” is detected in crank angle cycle # N−1. The valve stop control unit 11b changes the status to “1” at the timing when such “trigger FC on” is detected.

  The valve stop control unit 11b changes the status to “2”, for example, at a timing when the crank angle cycle #N has passed the energization start prohibition section on the mechanism. FIG. 8 shows a case where the timing of transition to the status “2” coincides with the starting point of the crank angle cycle #N for easy understanding.

  And the valve stop control part 11b starts the count of "internal CA" at the timing which changed to this status "2" (refer (1) of FIG. 8). At this time, the valve stop control unit 11b sets the value obtained by latching “real CA” at such timing as the initial value of “internal CA” (see (2) in FIG. 8). Therefore, in the example shown in FIG. 8, the “internal CA” at this timing is “0”.

  Then, the valve stop control unit 11b changes the status at a timing when the accumulated “internal CA” takes a predetermined value. For example, the transition to the status “3” indicating “energization start” is performed at the timing when the “internal CA” reaches the “status 3 target”.

  Here, “status 3 target” is a transition target value of “energization start” and is based on an expression “status 3 target = status 4 target− (engine speed *) based on“ status 4 target ”corresponding to“ guide landing ”. Guide landing required time / (60 * 1000) * 360) ”(refer to the formula surrounded by the rectangle in FIG. 8). In the following, the “status 3 target” may be described as “energization timing”, and the “status 4 target” may be described as “target timing” (see the description using FIG. 5).

  Note that the “guide landing required time” included in the above-described equation is that the slide pin 215 shown in FIG. 5 (4) is already guided by the guide groove 65 from the energization of the solenoid 201 shown in FIG. It shows the time required for landing.

  The underlined part “engine speed * guide landing required time / (60 * 1000) * 360” in the above formula is a converted value (hereinafter referred to as “guide landing required”) representing the “guide landing required time” as a crank angle. CA ”).

  In the equation of FIG. 8, when the unit of “engine speed” is “rpm” and the unit of “guide landing required time” is “ms”, the conversion coefficient to the crank angle is “1 / (60 * 1000) * 360 ", but if the units of" engine speed "and" guide landing required time "are different, the conversion coefficient differs depending on these units.

  The “status 3 target” calculated in this way takes a variable value that is large when the engine speed is low and small when the engine speed is high, depending on the engine speed.

  Then, according to the setting example of the transition information 12a in FIG. 7, the valve stop control unit 11b sets the status to “4” at the timing when “internal CA” reaches “810” included in the crank angle cycle # N + 1. When the “internal CA” reaches “1400”, the status changes to “5”.

  Up to this point, the basic operation of the status transition control in the valve stop control unit 11b has been described with reference to FIG. Next, the case where the “energization start” corresponding to the transition to the status “3” is accelerated will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 9 is a diagram for explaining status transition control in a case where “energization start” is advanced. Here, the description of the same part as the content described in FIG. 8 may be omitted.

  As shown in FIG. 9, the case where the “energization start” is advanced indicates a case where both of the conditions “guide landing required CA <status 4 target−720 CA” and “actual CA + 720 CA ≦ status 3 target” are both satisfied. In such a case, the valve stop control unit 11b determines that the “energization start” can be advanced.

  This is because even if the "energization start" corresponding to the "status 3 target" calculated backward from the "status 4 target" in consideration of the engine speed, etc. is performed at an earlier timing by one crank angle cycle, This means that the relative timing of “status 4 target” in angular cycle units can be maintained. That is, “guide landing” can be performed at an optimal timing in terms of mechanism while “energization start” is advanced by one cycle.

  In this case, specifically, as shown in FIG. 9, the valve stop control unit 11b starts counting “internal CA” at the timing of transition to the status “2” (see (1) in FIG. 9). .

  At this time, the valve stop control unit 11b once latches “real CA” at this timing to “internal CA” (see (2) in FIG. 9). Then, the valve stop control unit 11b adds a crank angle corresponding to one crank angle cycle (here, “720CA”) to the latched “internal CA” (see (3) in FIG. 9). That is, the initial value of “internal CA” is advanced by one cycle.

  Then, the valve stop control unit 11b accumulates “internal CA” and changes the status at a timing when “internal CA” takes a predetermined value.

  For example, according to the setting example of the transition information 12a in FIG. 7, as shown in FIG. 9, the valve stop control unit 11b determines that “internal CA” has reached “810” included in the crank angle cycle #N. In other words, the status can be shifted to “4” at a timing earlier by one cycle than the crank angle cycle # N + 1 shown in FIG. Since the same applies to the status “5” and later, detailed description thereof is omitted here.

  That is, when it is determined that the “energization timing” can be advanced, the valve stop control unit 11b sets the “target timing” that was the fixed crank angle in the “second cycle” before the “second cycle”. The energization timing correction process for changing to the crank angle in this cycle is performed.

  Here, the valve stop control unit 11b has been described as performing such an energization timing correction process. However, for example, an “energization timing correction process unit” specialized for such a process may be separately provided. .

  Thereby, even if it is a case where the rotation speed of an engine is low, a valve can be stopped with respect to the valve stop mechanism 20 without performing unnecessary waiting. That is, the valve stop mechanism 20 can be operated at an appropriate timing according to the engine speed.

  Further, since the valve stop mechanism 20 can be operated at an appropriate timing according to the engine speed, the fuel cut can be appropriately performed according to the detection section of the “trigger FC” and the drivability is improved. This makes it possible to suppress fuel consumption loss.

  In particular, a delay in the valve stop operation by the valve stop mechanism 20 when the engine speed is low causes a delay in the valve return operation due to the mechanism. In addition, the fuel cut control is configured so that the fuel cut is performed in accordance with the valve stop operation, and after the valve stop operation is completed, the fuel cut is released in accordance with the valve return operation. In the case where it is necessary to cancel, the delay of the valve stop operation leads to the delay of the fuel cut cancellation. And the delay in the execution of the fuel cut in the state where the engine speed at the time when the fuel cut is requested is low and the engine speed is reduced leads to the delay in the subsequent release of the fuel cut, In the meantime, the engine speed has decreased, possibly leading to an engine stall. However, the valve stop mechanism 20 is reliably operated at the earliest timing according to the engine speed, thus preventing a delay in the valve return operation. Can reduce the chance to reach the engine stall.

  In the description using FIG. 9, an example in which “720CA” is added to “internal CA” is shown, but “720CA” is subtracted from each transition target value of “status 7 target” from “status 3 target”. It is good to do.

  In the above, the case where it is determined that the timing of “energization start” can be advanced as a result of determining whether or not the timing of “energization start” has been described has been described. There are cases where the timing cannot be advanced.

  Therefore, such a case will be described below with reference to FIG. FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining status transition control in the case of suppressing “start of energization”. It should be noted that here, the description of the same parts as those described in FIGS. 8 and 9 may be omitted.

  As illustrated in FIG. 10, the valve stop control unit 11 b performs status transition control that suppresses “start of energization” when the condition “real CA + 720 CA> status 3 target” is satisfied.

  This is because, even if “energization start” corresponding to “status 3 target” calculated backward from “status 4 target” is performed one cycle earlier in units of crank angle cycle, “guide landing” at the optimal timing in terms of mechanism. Means you can't.

  In this case, specifically, as shown in FIG. 10, the valve stop control unit 11b does not start counting “internal CA” at the timing of transition to the status “2” (see (1) in FIG. 10). .

  Therefore, the valve stop control unit 11b suppresses latching of “real CA” to “internal CA” at such timing (see (2) in FIG. 10). Then, the valve stop control unit 11b waits until the start point of the next crank angle cycle # N + 1 while holding “internal CA” without counting (see (3) in FIG. 10).

  Then, the valve stop control unit 11b latches “real CA” to “internal CA” at the starting point of the crank angle cycle # N + 1 and accumulates “internal CA” (see (4) in FIG. 10). , “Status” is changed at a timing when “internal CA” takes a predetermined value.

  That is, the valve stop control unit 11b passes the crank angle cycle over again so that “guide landing” can be performed at an optimal timing in terms of mechanism even when the conditions shown at the beginning of FIG. 10 are satisfied. Perform status transition control to measure timing. Thereby, the status transition which matched the behavior of the valve stop mechanism 20 is realizable.

  Note that the same effect can be obtained by subtracting “720CA” from “internal CA” at the timing (1) in FIG.

  Returning to the description of FIG. 3, the FC controller 11c will be described. The FC control unit 11c performs control indicating a fuel cut start instruction to the fuel injection mechanism 30 based on “trigger FC on” from the trigger FC detection unit 11a and timing notification that the valve has actually stopped from the valve stop control unit 11b. Output a signal.

  The storage unit 16 is a storage unit configured by a storage device such as a hard disk, a nonvolatile memory, or a register, and stores transition information 12a. Since the transition information 12a has already been described, description thereof is omitted here.

  The engine control system can be configured by including at least the engine control device 10, the valve stop mechanism 20, and the fuel injection mechanism 30 described so far.

  Next, a processing procedure of status transition control processing executed by the valve stop control unit 11b of the engine control apparatus 10 according to the embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure of status transition control processing in the valve stop control unit 11b.

  This status transition control process is executed every time the predetermined crank angle changes. In this embodiment, the predetermined crank angle is assumed to be “30 CA”. Further, as described above, the predetermined crank angle cycle is assumed to be “720CA”.

  As illustrated in FIG. 11, the valve stop control unit 11b sets “actual CA” that is an actual crank angle to “actual CA for setting” for the workpiece (step S101). Then, after calculating the “guide landing required CA” (see FIG. 8), the valve stop control unit 11b determines whether the “guide landing required CA” is less than “status 4 target-720 CA”. (Step S102).

  Here, when the determination condition of step S102 is satisfied (step S102, Yes), the valve stop control unit 11b sets “ON” to an “internal CA correction flag” indicating whether or not to correct “internal CA” ( Step S103). Further, when the determination condition of step S102 is not satisfied (step S102, No), the valve stop control unit 11b sets the “internal CA correction flag” to “OFF” (step S104).

  Subsequently, the valve stop control unit 11b determines whether it is the timing of transition from status 1 to status 2 or whether the “latch suppression flag” indicating whether or not to latch “real CA” is “ON”. Determination is made (step S105).

  Here, when the determination condition of step S105 is satisfied (step S105, Yes), the valve stop control unit 11b determines whether or not the “internal CA correction flag” is “ON” (step S106).

  If the determination condition of step S106 is satisfied (step S106, Yes), "720CA" is added to "real CA for setting" (step S107). If the determination condition of step S106 is not satisfied (step S106, No), the control is transferred to the process of step S108.

  Then, the valve stop control unit 11b calculates “status 3 target” (see FIG. 8), and determines whether “setting CA” is equal to or less than “status 3 target” (step S108). .

  Here, when the determination condition of step S108 is satisfied (step S108, Yes), the valve stop control unit 11b sets “actual CA for setting” to “internal CA” which is a CA counter inside the valve stop control unit 11b. (Step S109), the “latch suppression flag” is set to “OFF” (Step S110).

  If the determination condition of step S108 is not satisfied (step S108, No), the valve stop control unit 11b sets “0CA” to “internal CA” (step S111), and sets the “latch suppression flag” to “ON”. (Step S112).

  If the determination condition in step S105 is not satisfied (step S105, No), the valve stop control unit 11b adds “30CA” to “internal CA” and counts up (step S113).

  And the valve stop control part 11b performs the "status transition process" mentioned later using FIG. 12 (step S114), and complete | finishes a process.

  Subsequently, the processing procedure of the “status transition process” shown in FIG. 11 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure of status transition processing in the valve stop control unit 11b.

  As shown in FIG. 12, in the status transition process, the valve stop control unit 11b branches the control depending on which status number the current status is (step S201).

  If the current status is “2” (step S201, “2”), the valve stop control unit 11b determines whether the “status 3 target” is equal to or less than “internal CA” ( Step S202). And if the determination conditions of step S202 are satisfy | filled (step S202, Yes), the valve stop control part 11b will change a status to "3" (step S203).

  Although not shown, a control signal indicating “energization start” is output to the solenoid 201 described above at the timing of step S203. Moreover, if the determination condition of step S202 is not satisfied (step S202, No), the valve stop control unit 11b does not make a transition from the status “2”.

  If the current status is “3” (step S201, “3”), the valve stop control unit 11b determines whether “status 4 target” is equal to or less than “internal CA” (step S201). S204). If the determination condition of step S204 is satisfied (step S204, Yes), the valve stop control unit 11b changes the status to “4” (step S205). Further, if the determination condition of step S204 is not satisfied (step S204, No), the valve stop control unit 11b does not make a transition from the status “3”.

  If the current status is “4” (step S201, “4”), the valve stop control unit 11b determines whether the “status 5 target” is equal to or less than “internal CA” (step S201). S206). If the determination condition of step S206 is satisfied (step S206, Yes), the valve stop control unit 11b changes the status to “5” (step S207). If the determination condition of step S206 is not satisfied (step S206, No), the valve stop control unit 11b does not make a transition from the status “4”.

  If the current status is “5” (step S201, “5”), the valve stop control unit 11b determines whether “status 6 target” is equal to or less than “internal CA” (step S201). S208). If the determination condition in step S208 is satisfied (step S208, Yes), the valve stop control unit 11b changes the status to “6” (step S209). Further, if the determination condition in step S208 is not satisfied (step S208, No), the valve stop control unit 11b does not make a transition from the status “5”.

  If the current status is “6” (step S201, “6”), the valve stop controller 11b determines whether the “status 7 target” is equal to or less than “internal CA” (step S201). S210). And if the determination conditions of step S210 are satisfy | filled (step S210, Yes), the valve stop control part 11b will change a status to "7" (step S211). If the determination condition of step S210 is not satisfied (step S210, No), the valve stop control unit 11b does not make a transition from the status “6”.

  After executing any of these processes branched based on the determination in step S201, the valve stop control unit 11b ends the process.

  As described above, in this embodiment, the trigger FC detection unit detects “trigger FC on”, and the valve stop control unit performs status transition based on the detected “trigger FC on” and the crank angle that changes. The engine control device is configured to determine whether or not to accelerate the timing of instructing the valve stop mechanism in units of a predetermined crank angle cycle based on the engine speed. . Therefore, the valve stop mechanism can be operated at an appropriate timing according to the engine speed.

  In the above-described embodiment, the case where the engine is a four-stroke engine and “720CA” corresponding to one cycle of the four-stroke engine with a predetermined crank angle cycle is described, but the engine type and the like are limited. is not. Therefore, a predetermined crank angle period corresponding to one cycle corresponding to the engine type can be used.

  In the above-described embodiment, the case where the internal CA is increased or decreased by a predetermined crank angle cycle unit (that is, “720CA”) for one cycle has been described. However, the internal CA may be increased or decreased by two cycles or more. For example, two cycles may be increased in advance, and one cycle may be reduced, two cycles may be reduced, or not reduced as appropriate depending on the situation.

  In the above-described embodiments, the case where the engine is a four-cylinder engine equipped with a variable valve mechanism has been described. However, the number of cylinders is not particularly limited. In the above-described embodiment, the valve stop control is performed only for one cylinder of the four-cylinder engine and the other cylinders are interlocked with each other. However, the valve stop control is separately performed for each cylinder. Also good.

  In the above-described embodiment, the case where the present invention is mainly applied to an engine control apparatus and an engine control system for controlling an automobile engine has been mainly described. However, the present invention is not necessarily limited thereto, and an internal combustion engine for controlling various different internal combustion engines. You may implement in an engine control apparatus and an internal combustion engine control system.

  As described above, the engine control device and the engine control system according to the present invention are useful when it is desired to reliably operate the valve stop mechanism at the earliest timing according to the engine speed with a simple processing configuration. In particular, it is suitable for application to an engine control device and an engine control system that are developed with the aim of achieving both improvement in fuel efficiency and improvement in drivability.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Engine control apparatus 11 Control part 11a Trigger FC detection part 11b Valve stop control part 11c FC control part 12 Memory | storage part 12a Transition information 20 Valve stop mechanism 25 Switching mechanism 30 Fuel injection mechanism 40 Accelerator opening degree sensor 50 Crank angle sensor 60 Variable valve Mechanism 61 Cam shaft 62 Main cam 63 Sub cam 64 Large diameter portion 65 Guide groove 70 Valve 201 Solenoid 202 Lock pin 211 First rocker arm 212 Second rocker arm 213 First switching pin 214 Second switching pin 215 Slide pin 215a Cylindrical portion 215b Arm 215c Projection 215d Notch 216 Return spring

Claims (6)

An engine control device for controlling an engine including a valve stop mechanism capable of stopping at least one of an intake valve and an exhaust valve that operates in conjunction with rotation of a crankshaft,
The valve stop mechanism is provided with an interlocking mechanism for causing the valve stop mechanism to operate in conjunction with the rotation of the engine. When the operation of the interlocking mechanism is completed, the valve stop mechanism is interlocked with the rotation of the engine. The valve is configured to enter the stop state,
When it is determined to stop the valve in response to the valve stop request, the fixed crank in the second cycle that is a cycle after the first cycle that is the cycle of the engine when the determination is made As a target timing for completing the operation of the interlocking mechanism, a valve stop control means for instructing energization to an actuator that operates the interlocking mechanism;
When it is determined that the energization timing, which is the timing of energization instruction to the actuator of the valve stop control means, can be advanced based on the engine speed, the target timing is changed to the crank angle in the cycle before the second cycle. And an energization timing correction means. The energization timing correction means includes
2. It is determined whether or not the energization timing can be advanced based on the number of revolutions of the engine and a crank angle when the valve stop control means determines to stop the valve. The engine control device described in 1. The valve stop control means includes
The engine control device according to claim 1, wherein when the fuel cut is performed, the valve stop request is received. The energization timing correction means includes
When it is determined that the energization timing can be advanced, a value obtained by adding a crank angle period unit indicating one cycle of the engine to a crank angle detected from rotation of the crankshaft, an operating time of the actuator, and the 4. The engine control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the energization timing is determined by comparing with a target value of the energization timing calculated based on an engine speed. The energization timing correction means includes
When it is determined that the energization timing can be advanced, a crank angle corresponding to a crank angle cycle unit indicating one cycle of the engine from the target value of the energization timing calculated based on the operation time of the actuator and the engine speed. 4. The engine control device according to claim 1, wherein the energization timing is determined by comparing a value obtained by subtracting a value with a crank angle detected from rotation of the crankshaft. 5. The valve stop mechanism;
An engine control system comprising: the engine control device according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

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