Adaptive ECU Trigger Wheel Tooth Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing Engine Control Units (ECUs) face synchronization issues and vehicle stalling due to irregularities in the trigger wheel tooth configuration, such as non-uniform spacing and width, which are not effectively addressed by current plausibility checks.
Innovation Solution
The ECU is adapted to detect and learn the actual dimensions of the trigger wheel, including tooth width and gap, during production, and stores this data in a table to set dynamic time ranges for tooth detection, preventing false errors and ensuring accurate engine position management even with irregularities.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a fixed plausibility check with predetermined time ranges is used, then the ECU can perform synchronization validation, but false errors occur due to trigger wheel manufacturing tolerances and irregularities
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic plausibility checks where the time ranges for tooth detection are adjusted based on actual trigger wheel measurements. The ECU learns the specific tooth positions and spacing of each trigger wheel during initial operation and adapts the plausibility validation thresholds accordingly, transforming the static check into a dynamic, adaptive system that accommodates manufacturing variations.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the parameters of the plausibility check by using measured tooth positions and spacing variations to dynamically adjust the acceptable time range for each tooth detection. Instead of using fixed predetermined ranges, the system modifies the validation parameters based on actual hardware characteristics, allowing accurate detection despite manufacturing tolerances.
2Reliability
If the plausibility check uses predetermined minimum and maximum tooth time ranges, then synchronization can be validated, but vehicle stalling occurs due to trigger wheel irregularities exceeding tolerance specifications
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary measurement and learning of the trigger wheel's actual tooth positions and spacing during initial operation or calibration phase. This preliminary action captures the specific irregularities of each trigger wheel before normal operation begins, allowing the plausibility check to be pre-configured with accurate reference data that prevents false stalling events.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements a feedback mechanism where the ECU continuously monitors actual tooth detection times and compares them against the learned reference values. When deviations occur within acceptable ranges based on measured irregularities, the system adjusts its validation thresholds dynamically, preventing false stalling while maintaining synchronization integrity.
3Manufacturing precision
If the ECU uses fixed tolerance specifications for trigger wheel teeth, then manufacturing quality can be enforced, but production variations cause plausibility check failures and synchronization loss
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies local quality by treating each trigger wheel as a unique component with its own specific tooth positions and spacing characteristics. Instead of enforcing a single fixed tolerance specification, the ECU learns and adapts to the local variations of each individual trigger wheel, allowing manufacturing precision to be validated while accommodating natural production variations.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the validation parameters from fixed predetermined values to dynamic values based on actual trigger wheel measurements. The ECU stores learned tooth position data and uses these measured parameters to adjust the plausibility check thresholds, enabling the system to adapt to production variations while maintaining quality enforcement.
Data Source
AI summary
An Engine Control Unit (ECU) for adapting to irregularities in a trigger wheel includes a memory element that stores a table with data of dimensions of the trigger wheel. The ECU is configured to (i) use a position sensor to detect a tooth and a corresponding tooth number, and (ii) set a time range for detection of a subsequent tooth with reference to the data in the memory element. The ECU is further configured to (iii) prevent errors due to irregularities in the trigger wheel in order to reinforce the ECU or an Engine Position Management System (EPMS) by adapting to a profile of each tooth of the trigger wheel, and in order to avoid an error in a plausibility check of the position sensor due to irregularities in the trigger wheel.