Internal combustion engine and method for operating an internal combustion engine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12497930-B2
Application number	US-202218722181-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 22, 2022
Priority date	Dec 21, 2021
Publication date	Dec 16, 2025
Grant date	Dec 16, 2025

Abstract

The disclosure relates to an internal combustion engine having multiple camshaft control units which are connected to one another in a line by a first network topology and via which a crankshaft signal can be transmitted in unprocessed, amplified or conditioned form. The camshaft control units are designed to suppress forwarding of the crankshaft signal in a first state and to forward or to replicate the crankshaft signal and to send an additional signal in a second state. The disclosure also relates to a method for logically assigning the camshaft control units to the camshafts to be adjusted by them.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1 . An internal combustion engine, comprising:
a crankshaft, and a position of the crankshaft defined by a crankshaft angle, a crankshaft sensor configured to provide a crankshaft signal for determining the crankshaft angle, a plurality of camshafts, each of the plurality of camshafts having a camshaft phaser and a camshaft control unit, a first network topology, configured to connect the camshaft control units to one another in a line and, via the first network topology, the crankshaft signal is transmitted in unprocessed, amplified, or processed form, wherein:
in a first state, the camshaft control units are configured to suppress forwarding of the crankshaft signal, and
in a second state, the camshaft control units are configured to forward or replicate the crankshaft signal and send an additional signal.

2 . The internal combustion engine according to claim 1 , wherein:
each camshaft control unit has a data memory configured to store information as to which one of the plurality of camshafts it is logically assigned to, the first state is formed by a state of indeterminate logical assignment of each camshaft control unit to one of the plurality of camshafts, the second state is formed by a state of determined logical assignment of each camshaft control unit to a one of the plurality of camshafts, and the additional signal has information about a determined logical assignment of at least one of the camshaft control units to one of the plurality of camshafts.

3 . The internal combustion engine according to claim 2 , wherein at least two of the camshaft control units are configured as identical parts in hardware and software.

4 . The internal combustion engine according to claim 2 , wherein:
an engine control unit is connected in the first network topology to exactly one camshaft control unit, the engine control unit configured to set angles for the camshaft control units via camshaft control signals, and a second network topology configured to send:
the camshaft control signals from the engine control unit to the camshaft control units, and
the additional signals.

5 . The internal combustion engine according to claim 4 , wherein the first network topology is implemented via cables, and each of the camshaft control units has a cable input and a cable output for the first network topology and the second network topology is physically separate from the first network topology.

6 . A method for teaching an internal combustion engine, comprising:
providing an internal combustion engine having:
a crankshaft, a position of the crankshaft defined by a crankshaft angle,
a crankshaft sensor configured to provide a crankshaft signal for determining the crankshaft angle,
a plurality of camshafts, each of the plurality of camshafts having a camshaft phaser and a camshaft control unit,
a first network topology configured to connect the camshaft control units to one another in line and via which the crankshaft signal is transmitted in unprocessed, amplified, or processed form, and
the camshaft control units are:
configured to, in a first state, suppress forwarding of the crankshaft signal, and
configured to, in a second state, forward or replicate the crankshaft signal and send an additional signal, and
in a first configuration phase, unaware of a logical assignment to the camshaft phasers,

supplying, in a second configuration phase, a crankshaft angle signal to a first camshaft control unit in the first network topology via the first network topology, wherein the first camshaft control unit assigns its logical assignment to a first camshaft of the plurality of camshafts via the crankshaft signal with a simultaneous absence of the additional signal, and preventing, via the first camshaft control unit, forwarding of the crankshaft angle signal until the logical assignment to the first camshaft has been made, forwarding or replicating the crankshaft angle signal via the first network topology after the logical assignment to the first camshaft has been made, and sending an additional signal which contains information about their the logical assignment.

7 . The method according to claim 6 , wherein the crankshaft angle signal is supplied to a subsequent camshaft control unit in the first network topology via the first network topology after a logical assignment of a preceding camshaft control unit is completed and the subsequent camshaft control unit carries out its logical assignment to a respective camshaft of the plurality of camshafts via the crankshaft signal as a function of the additional signal present.

8 . The method according to claim 6 , wherein the respective logical assignment is stored in an internal memory of the respective camshaft control unit.

9 . The method according to claim 6 , wherein camshaft angles of the plurality of camshafts are controlled by the camshaft control units only after the second configuration phase has been completed.

10 . The method according to claim 6 , wherein the internal combustion engine has an engine control unit, and a logical assignment or a logical reassignment of the camshaft control units can be achieved by an individual instruction to the engine control unit.

11 . A camshaft phaser system configured for an internal combustion engine, the camshaft phaser system comprising:
a plurality of camshaft phasers configured to adjust a plurality of camshafts via a crankshaft angle signal, a first network topology configured to connect the plurality of camshaft phasers to one another in line and, via the first network topology, the crankshaft angle signal is transmitted in unprocessed, amplified, or processed form, wherein:
in a first state, the plurality of camshaft phasers are configured to suppress forwarding of the crankshaft angle signal, and
in a second state, the camshaft phasers are configured to forward or replicate the crankshaft angle signal and send an additional signal.

12 . The camshaft phaser system according to claim 11 , wherein the additional signal is sent via a second network topology physically separate from the first network topology.

13 . The camshaft phaser system according to claim 12 , wherein the second network topology is a CAN bus.

14 . The camshaft phaser system according to claim 11 , wherein each of the plurality of camshaft phasers further comprises a camshaft control unit.

15 . The camshaft phaser system according to claim 14 , wherein each of the plurality of camshaft phasers further comprises an electric motor.

16 . The camshaft phaser system according to claim 15 , wherein each of the plurality of camshaft phasers further comprises a harmonic drive.

17 . The camshaft phaser system according to claim 16 , wherein each of the plurality of camshaft phasers further comprises a data memory.

18 . The camshaft phaser system according to claim 15 , wherein at least two of the plurality of camshaft phasers are configured as identical parts in hardware and software.

19 . The camshaft phaser system according to claim 11 , wherein:
each camshaft control unit has a data memory configured to store information as to which one of the plurality of camshafts it is logically assigned to, the first state is defined by a state of indeterminate logical assignment of each camshaft control unit to one of the plurality of camshafts, the second state is defined by a state of determined logical assignment of each camshaft control unit to one of the plurality of camshafts, and the additional si

Assignees

• Schaeffler Technologies Ag

Inventors

• Karbacher Christian
• Thoelke Andreas
• Pedersen Gerulf
• Onwuegbulam Ikechukwu Martins

Classifications

• F02D2041/281

  between sensors and control unit · CPC title

• F01L13/0015

  for optimising engine performances by modifying valve lift according to various working parameters, e.g. rotational speed, load, torque · CPC title

• F01L1/344

  changing the angular relationship between crankshaft and camshaft, e.g. using helicoidal gear · CPC title

• F01L1/047 Primary

  Camshafts · CPC title

• F02D41/009

  using means for generating position or synchronisation signals · CPC title