Control apparatus and control method for internal combustion engine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10041426-B2
Application number	US-201515319626-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 8, 2015
Priority date	Jun 19, 2014
Publication date	Aug 7, 2018
Grant date	Aug 7, 2018

Abstract

A control apparatus for a four-cycle internal combustion engine that includes a plurality of cylinders into which fuel is directly injected, includes an electronic control unit. The electronic control unit is configured to: (i) execute stop control that stops rotation of a crankshaft of the internal combustion engine by stopping fuel injection and ignition in the internal combustion engine when a predetermined stop condition is fulfilled; and (ii) carry out fuel injection and ignition in a second cylinder of the plurality of the cylinders when the stop control is executed, the second cylinder being in an exhaust stroke when the internal combustion engine is stopped, when a piston of a first cylinder of the plurality of the cylinders is estimated to stop at a top dead center.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A control apparatus for a four-cycle internal combustion engine, the four-cycle internal combustion engine including a crankshaft and a plurality of cylinders into which fuel is directly injected, the control apparatus comprising
an electronic control unit configured to:
(i) execute stop control that stops rotation of the crankshaft by stopping fuel injection and ignition in the four-cycle internal combustion engine when a predetermined stop condition is fulfilled; and
(ii) carry out fuel injection and ignition in a second cylinder of the plurality of the cylinders when the stop control is executed and a piston of a first cylinder of the plurality of the cylinders is estimated to stop at a top dead center, the second cylinder being in an exhaust stroke when the four-cycle internal combustion engine is stopped.

2. The control apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the electronic control unit is configured to carry out fuel injection and ignition in the second cylinder in a latter half of the exhaust stroke of the second cylinder when the stop control is executed.

3. The control apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the electronic control unit is configured to advance a timing for closing an exhaust valve of the second cylinder in carrying out fuel injection and ignition in the second cylinder when the stop control is executed.

4. The control apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the electronic control unit is configured to:
(i) obtain a predetermined relationship between a crank angle and a rotational speed of the four-cycle internal combustion engine, the predetermined relationship includes a relationship between the crank angle and the rotational speed of the four-cycle internal combustion engine when the crankshaft stops rotating and the piston stops at the top dead center, and includes a relationship between the crank angle and the rotational speed of the four-cycle internal combustion engine when the crankshaft stops rotating and the piston does not stop at the top dead center,
(ii) measure a rotational speed of the four-cycle internal combustion engine at each actual crank angle based on the predetermined relationship; and
(iii) estimate that the piston of the first cylinder stops at the top dead center, based on the measured rotational speed.

5. A control method for a four-cycle internal combustion engine controlled by an electronic control unit, the four-cycle internal combustion engine including a crankshaft and a plurality of cylinders into which fuel is directly injected, the control method comprising:
(i) executing, by the electronic control unit, stop control that stops rotation of the crankshaft by stopping fuel injection and ignition in the four-cycle internal combustion engine when a predetermined stop condition is fulfilled, and
(ii) carrying out, by the electronic control unit, fuel injection and ignition in a second cylinder of the plurality of the cylinders when the stop control is executed and a piston of a first cylinder of the plurality of the cylinders is estimated to stop at a top dead center, the second cylinder being in an exhaust stroke when the four-cycle internal combustion engine is stopped.

Assignees

• Toyota Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kojima Susumu

Classifications

• F02D41/042 Primary

  for stopping the engine · CPC title

• F02N19/005

  Aiding engine start by starting from a predetermined position, e.g. pre-positioning or reverse rotation · CPC title

• F02B75/02

  Engines characterised by their cycles, e.g. six-stroke · CPC title

• F02N2300/2006

  using prediction of future conditions · CPC title

• F02N2019/008

  the engine being stopped in a particular position · CPC title