Electronic Control Unit Bypassing Physical Quantity Mediation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electronic control units for internal combustion engines face increased arithmetic operation loads during urgent operations like fail-safe conditions and specific conditions such as startup or OBD, due to the need to convert and mediate demand values between torque, efficiency, and air-fuel ratio, which hinders quick processing.
Innovation Solution
An electronic control unit with a hierarchical structure that bypasses the physical quantity mediation level for certain demands, allowing direct transmission and mediation of controlled variables, reducing arithmetic operation loads by prioritizing and aggregating demands at the controlled variable mediation level.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If demand values are converted to physical quantities (torque, efficiency, air-fuel ratio) and mediated through the physical quantity mediation level, then fundamental function demands are balanced, but arithmetic operation load increases during urgent operations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the control system into two distinct mediation paths: a full mediation path for normal operations (through physical quantity mediation level) and a direct path for urgent operations (bypassing physical quantity mediation). This segmentation allows the system to apply different processing depths based on operational urgency, reducing arithmetic load during critical events while maintaining balanced control during normal operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts the mediation path based on operational conditions. During urgent operations (fail-safe, part protection), the system switches to direct controlled variable mediation, bypassing physical quantity conversion. During normal operations, it uses the full physical quantity mediation path to maintain balanced fundamental function demands. This dynamic adaptation resolves the contradiction between processing speed and control quality.
2Adaptability or versatility
If demand values are converted to physical quantities and mediated, then comprehensive control is achieved, but extra arithmetic operation load occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies different levels of mediation quality to different operational contexts. For urgent operations requiring simple responses (throttle control during fail-safe), direct controlled variable mediation is applied. For normal operations requiring balanced fundamental functions, full physical quantity mediation is applied. This local differentiation of mediation quality reduces overall arithmetic complexity while maintaining comprehensive control where needed.
3Stability of the object's composition
If all demands go through physical quantity mediation level, then unified control is achieved, but processing time increases for urgent demands
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the control flow into two parallel paths: a complete mediation path for non-urgent demands and a direct path for urgent demands. The direct path bypasses the physical quantity mediation level and sends controlled variables directly to the controlled variable mediation level, significantly reducing processing time for urgent operations while maintaining unified control through the overall hierarchical structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the urgent demand processing from the full mediation sequence by creating a bypass path. Urgent demands are taken out of the standard physical quantity mediation flow and processed directly at the controlled variable mediation level, eliminating unnecessary conversion steps and reducing processing time while maintaining control unity.
Data Source
AI summary
An electronic control unit of the present invention includes: a demand generation level that generates and outputs a demand value concerning various kinds of functions; a physical quantity mediation level that aggregates and mediates the demand value for each predetermined physical quantity; and a controlled variable setting level that sets a controlled variable of the actuator based on the mediated demand value and transmits a signal in a single direction from a higher level to a lower level. A controlled variable mediation level that aggregates and mediates demand values expressed with controlled variables of the actuators set on the controlled variable setting level and a demand value transmitted from the demand generation level not through the physical quantity mediation level, together with demand values mediated by the physical quantity mediation level is provided below the controlled variable setting level.