Crankshaft-Synchronous Sensor Sampling for Lower ECU Load
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional engine control units face significant computational and storage loads due to the need to detect and process a large number of analog sensor signals at fixed scan rates, which is exacerbated at low engine rotation speeds, and this is compounded by the limitations of existing analog/digital converters.
Innovation Solution
An engine control unit with means to detect the angle position of a crankshaft and convert it to an electronic trigger signal, allowing for adaptive detection and conversion of analog signals based on the trigger signal, thereby reducing the load on the processor and storage by synchronizing data collection with the actual operating state of the engine.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If analog sensor signals are detected continuously at fixed scan rates, then measurement data coverage is improved, but processor and storage load increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements periodic sampling of analog sensor signals synchronized with the crankshaft rotation cycle. Instead of continuous fixed-rate sampling, the system samples signals at specific intervals corresponding to crankshaft positions (e.g., every 6° or 15°), reducing the total number of samples while maintaining measurement coverage across the operating cycle
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adapts the sampling rate and number of samples based on the detected crankshaft rotation speed. At higher rotation speeds, fewer samples are taken per cycle, while at lower speeds, more samples are captured, optimizing the balance between measurement precision and processing load across varying operating conditions
2Measurement precision
If the number of samples per sensor, cylinder and segment increases, then measurement accuracy is improved, but storage requirements increase enormously
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and processes only the essential measurement data points corresponding to critical crankshaft positions and segments. By selectively sampling at representative positions rather than continuously, the system maintains measurement accuracy for control-critical parameters while dramatically reducing the volume of data requiring storage and processing
3Measurement precision
If analog signals are converted to digital signals at high rates, then signal fidelity is improved, but computational overhead increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies partial action by performing analog-to-digital conversion only on the essential sampled signals at reduced rates, rather than continuously converting all sensor inputs. This selective conversion approach maintains sufficient signal fidelity for control decisions while significantly reducing the computational burden of digital signal processing
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach reduces the computational and storage load by ensuring that data is collected only at relevant crankshaft angle positions, improving accuracy and maintaining a consistent load across varying rotation speeds without increasing processor load, even at high speeds.
Implementation Method 1
Typical sensor disks for four-cylinder engines have 60 teeth for example (or 58 after deducting the two 'gaps ', corresponding to a total of 120 teeth for a complete 720° degree cycle, in other words one tooth per 6° angle position. As a tooth of the sensor disk approaches an induction coil of the sensor, the magnetic field in the coil changes, causing a current to be induced in the coil.
Data Source
AI summary
Synchronization of the angle position of the crankshaft of a motor vehicle with the internal clock of a engine control device is often imprecise and complicated and is often fraught with difficulties, particularly with regard to the detection and processing of external sensor signals. The invention relates to a engine control device wherein the angle position of the crankshaft is initially detected and converted into an electronic trigger signal in a trigger converter. The electronic trigger signal controls the detection and the analog-to-digital conversion of an analog signal, particularly an analog sensor signal. Control occurs in such a way that data can only be detected when a specific trigger signal is present or that data can only be continuously detected and processed when a specific trigger signal is present.