US Patent No: 5,595,060

Number of patents in Portfolio can not be more than 2000

Apparatus and method for internal-combustion engine control

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Abstract

In a control apparatus and control method for an internal combustion engine having an exhaust purifying catalytic device for adsorbing nitrogen oxide contained in exhaust gases from the engine, the adsorption state of nitrogen oxide adsorbed by the catalytic device is estimated by an electronic control unit during the lean-combustion driving of the engine. If the catalytic device is saturated with nitrogen oxide, the ignition timing is delayed and the exhaust gas is recirculated to the intake side of the engine with the lean air-fuel ratio kept unchanged. This starts the nitrogen oxide reduced driving mode for deteriorating the combustion state in the engine. At this time, the engine output will not change by a great amount. Further, a reducing atmosphere is created around the catalytic device by unburnt gases, generated due to the deterioration of the combustion state, to deoxidize the adsorbed nitrogen oxide. As a result, the purifying ability of the catalytic device can be recovered to suppress the discharge amount of nitrogen oxide without deteriorating the smoothness of engine driving and fuel economy.

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First Claim

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Patent Owner(s)

Patent OwnerAddressTotal Patents
MITSUBISHI JIDOSHA KOGYO K.K. (A.K.A. MITSUBISHI MOTORS CORPORATION)TOKYO1127

International Classification(s)

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  • [Patents Count]

Inventor(s)

Inventor Name Address # of filed Patents Total Citations
Koga, Kazuo Okazaki, JP 23 581
Togai, Kazuhide Takatsuki, JP 34 809

Cited Art

Patent Info (Count) # Cites Year
 
TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA (3)
5,172,550 Control apparatus for an internal combustion engine 29 1991
5,209,061 Exhaust gas purification system for an internal combustion engine 81 1992
5,437,153 Exhaust purification device of internal combustion engine 129 1994
 
HITACHI, LTD. (1)
5,357,749 Apparatus for controlling exhaust concentration 29 1992

Patent Citation Ranking

Forward Cites

Patent Info (Count) # Cites Year
 
FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC (45)
6,843,051 Method and apparatus for controlling lean-burn engine to purge trap of stored NOx 0 2000
6,810,659 Method for determining emission control system operability 2 2000
6,708,483 Method and apparatus for controlling lean-burn engine based upon predicted performance impact 3 2000
6,629,453 Method and apparatus for measuring the performance of an emissions control device 3 2000
6,594,989 Method and apparatus for enhancing fuel economy of a lean burn internal combustion engine 30 2000
6,691,507 Closed-loop temperature control for an emission control device 10 2000
6,860,100 Degradation detection method for an engine having a NOx sensor 2 2001
6,694,244 Method for quantifying oxygen stored in a vehicle emission control device 5 2001
6,691,020 Method and system for optimizing purge of exhaust gas constituent stored in an emission control device 2 2001
6,650,991 Closed-loop method and system for purging a vehicle emission control 2 2001
6,615,577 Method and system for controlling a regeneration cycle of an emission control device 20 2001
6,604,504 Method and system for transitioning between lean and stoichiometric operation of a lean-burn engine 6 2001
6,553,754 Method and system for controlling an emission control device based on depletion of device storage capacity 13 2001
6,993,899 System and method for controlling catalyst storage capacity 2 2001
6,629,409 System and method for determining set point location for oxidant-based engine air/fuel control strategy 42 2001
6,990,799 Method of determining emission control system operability 7 2001
6,829,885 Nox trap efficiency 14 2001
7,168,239 Method and system for rapid heating of an emission control device 8 2002
7,111,450 Method for controlling the temperature of an emission control device 11 2002
7,032,572 Method for controlling an engine to obtain rapid catalyst heating 5 2002
6,925,982 Overall scheduling of a lean burn engine system 1 2002
6,868,827 Method for controlling transitions between operating modes of an engine for rapid heating of an emission control device 20 2002
6,769,398 Idle speed control for lean burn engine with variable-displacement-like characteristic 27 2002
6,758,185 Method to improve fuel economy in lean burn engines with variable-displacement-like characteristics 25 2002
6,745,747 Method for air-fuel ratio control of a lean burn engine 19 2002
6,735,938 Method to control transitions between modes of operation of an engine 44 2002
6,736,120 Method and system of adaptive learning for engine exhaust gas sensors 10 2002
6,736,121 Method for air-fuel ratio sensor diagnosis 48 2002
6,725,830 Method for split ignition timing for idle speed control of an engine 8 2002
6,715,462 Method to control fuel vapor purging 22 2002
6,568,177 Method for rapid catalyst heating 84 2002
6,769,243 System and method for determining target oxygen storage in an automotive catalyst 5 2002
6,751,947 System and method for estimating oxidant storage of a catalyst 10 2002
6,964,159 System and method for adjusting air/fuel ratio 1 2002
6,684,631 Method and system for reducing NOx tailpipe emissions of a lean-burn internal combustion engine 3 2002
7,287,371 Device and method for internal combustion engine control 0 2003
6,912,844 System and method for determining set point location for oxidant-based engine air/fuel control strategy 1 2003
7,143,574 System and method for determining set point location for oxidant-based engine air/fuel control strategy 1 2004
6,964,160 System and method for controlling catalyst storage capacity 0 2004
6,874,490 Method and system of adaptive learning for engine exhaust gas sensors 14 2004
6,955,155 Method for controlling transitions between operating modes of an engine for rapid heating of an emission control device 6 2004
7,059,112 Degradation detection method for an engine having a NOx sensor 10 2004
7,007,461 System and method for controlling catalyst storage capacity 3 2004
7,047,932 Method to improve fuel economy in lean burn engines with variable-displacement-like characteristics 2 2004
7,069,903 Idle speed control for lean burn engine with variable-displacement-like characteristic 8 2004
 
FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, INC. (29)
5,899,062 Catalyst monitor using arc length ratio of pre- and post-catalyst sensor signals 25 1997
5,894,725 Method and apparatus for maintaining catalyst efficiency of a NO.sub.x trap 58 1997
6,244,047 Method of purging lean NOx trap 16 1998
6,539,704 Method for improved vehicle performance 4 2000
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6,438,944 Method and apparatus for optimizing purge fuel for purging emissions control device 9 2000
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6,427,437 Method for improved performance of an engine emission control system 6 2000
6,374,597 Method and apparatus for accessing ability of lean NOx trap to store exhaust gas constituent 13 2000
6,360,530 Method and apparatus for measuring lean-burn engine emissions 7 2000
6,327,847 Method for improved performance of a vehicle 13 2000
6,308,515 Method and apparatus for accessing ability of lean NOx trap to store exhaust gas constituent 15 2000
6,308,697 Method for improved air-fuel ratio control in engines 10 2000
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6,397,583 Method for catalyst monitoring using flex fuel 7 2001
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6,502,387 Method and system for controlling storage and release of exhaust gas constituents in an emission control device 11 2001
6,490,860 Open-loop method and system for controlling the storage and release cycles of an emission control device 7 2001
6,487,853 Method and system for reducing lean-burn vehicle emissions using a downstream reductant sensor 7 2001
6,467,259 Method and system for operating dual-exhaust engine 44 2001
6,463,733 Method and system for optimizing open-loop fill and purge times for an emission control device 31 2001
6,453,666 Method and system for reducing vehicle tailpipe emissions when operating lean 3 2001
 
TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA (9)
6,109,024 Exhaust gas purification device for an internal combustion engine 63 1998
6,047,542 Method and device for purifying exhaust gas of engine 55 1998
6,237,329 Combustion controller for lean burn engines 9 1998
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6,481,200 Catalyst warming apparatus of internal combustion engine 1 2000
7,162,862 Air-fuel ratio control apparatus for internal combustion engine 4 2002
6,694,724 Exhaust emission control apparatus of internal combustion engine and control method of the same 16 2002
 
HONDA GIKEN KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA (7)
6,763,655 Catalyst state detector for exhaust gas purifying catalyst 3 2001
6,574,954 Electronic control unit for controlling ignition timing during reduction of NOx occluded by lean NOx catalyst 2 2001
6,705,077 Exhaust gas recirculation control system and method and engine control unit for internal combustion engine 4 2002
6,978,598 Deteriorated state evaluation device for exhaust emission control equipment 1 2002
6,758,038 Temperature estimating apparatus for internal combustion engine 1 2002
6,758,033 State determining apparatus for exhaust gas purifier 1 2002
6,928,805 Hydrocarbon adsorbent state monitoring device 0 2002
 
HITACHI, LTD. (5)
6,212,880 Engine control device 4 1999
6,596,247 Method for purifying exhaust gas from internal combustion engines 1 1999
6,755,015 Apparatus for purifying and controlling exhaust gases 4 2000
6,357,224 Engine exhaust gas purifying apparatus 10 2000
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HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD. (3)
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GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC (2)
6,422,003 NOX catalyst exhaust feedstream control system 11 2000
7,565,799 Controlling lean NOx trap (LNT) catalyst performance 0 2005
 
MITSUBISHI DENKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA (2)
6,505,465 Device for controlling an internal combustion engine 7 2001
7,089,730 Exhaust gas purification method for internal combustion engine 1 2002
 
NIPPON SOKEN, INC. (2)
8,341,940 Addition-amount controller for exhaust gas purifying agent and exhaust emission control system 0 2008
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NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD. (2)
6,370,870 Exhaust gas purifying device 9 1999
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CHRYSLER GROUP LLC (1)
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CONTINENTAL AUTOMOTIVE GMBH (1)
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CUMMINS, INC. (1)
7,831,378 System and method for estimating NOx produced by an internal combustion engine 2 2007
 
DAIMLER AG (1)
6,003,306 Method and apparatus for nitrogen oxide emission of a direct injection internal combustion engine 6 1997
 
MITSUBISHI FUSO TRUCK AND BUS CORPORATION (1)
7,395,658 Apparatus and method for estimating NOx trap catalyst adsorption amount 1 2005
 
MITSUBISHI JIDOSHA KOGYO K.K. (A.K.A. MITSUBISHI MOTORS CORPORATION) (1)
6,487,851 Exhaust emission control device of internal combustion engine 7 2000
 
ROBERT BOSCH GMBH (1)
6,494,036 Method for operating the catalyst of an internal combustion engine 2 2001
 
SOUTHWEST RESEARCH INSTITUTE (1)
7,137,379 Method for rich pulse control of diesel engines 1 2005
 
VISTEON GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, INC. (1)
6,230,485 Motor vehicle exhaust catalyst regeneration 5 1999
 
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6,571,551 Heat exchanger for SOx or NOx regeneration of catalyst 10 2001
 
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7,010,907 Exhaust gas cleanup device for internal combustion engine 4 2002