Engine Control Adaptive Monitoring via Impact Value Aggregation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing engine control systems struggle to accurately monitor the impact of multiple adaptives on fuel richness, leading to potential overconsumption or increased polluting emissions, and fail to account for interactions between adaptives, resulting in false detections and inadequate compliance with emission regulations.

Innovation Solution

A process implemented in engine control that calculates individual and global impact values of adaptives on fuel richness for the current engine operating point, taking into account interactions between adaptives, and compares these values to predefined thresholds to issue alert signals for potential excessive corrections.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If independent monitoring of each adaptive is performed using experience-based limit values, then the monitoring process is simple, but the precision of detecting actual richness deviations and emission risks is insufficient

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveprecision of detecting richness deviation impactVSAvoidcomplexity of monitoring process
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the monitoring approach by distinguishing between individual adaptive values and their collective impact on richness. Instead of treating all adaptives uniformly, it calculates individual impact values for each adaptive separately, then aggregates them to determine overall richness deviation. This segmentation enables precise tracking of each adaptive's contribution while maintaining a systematic monitoring framework.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces an intermediary calculation step that computes the impact value of each adaptive on richness before comparing against thresholds. This intermediary impact value serves as a mediator between the raw adaptive data and the final diagnostic decision, enabling more accurate assessment of actual richness deviation while filtering out irrelevant variations.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If monitoring focuses on individual adaptive values beyond experience-based limits, then the monitoring method is straightforward, but false detections increase due to ignoring interactions between adaptives

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvereliability of fault detectionVSAvoidcomplexity of analyzing adaptive interactions
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges the monitoring of multiple adaptives by calculating their collective impact on richness. Instead of evaluating each adaptive in isolation, it combines their individual impact values to assess the overall effect on fuel injection. This merging approach captures interactions between adaptives and reduces false detections caused by evaluating them separately.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the monitoring parameter from raw adaptive values to impact values that directly reflect their effect on richness. By transforming the data representation and considering the combined impact of multiple adaptives on the richness parameter, the system achieves more reliable fault detection that accounts for adaptive interactions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Ease of manufacture

If monitoring uses fixed experience-based threshold values, then the implementation is simple, but compliance with emission regulations cannot be ensured across different operating points

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveease of implementing monitoring systemVSAvoidadaptability to different engine operating points
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces dynamic adaptivity into the monitoring system by allowing threshold values to vary according to engine operating conditions. Instead of using fixed thresholds, the system adapts its monitoring criteria based on the current operating point, enabling effective detection across diverse operating scenarios while maintaining regulatory compliance.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the threshold parameter from fixed experience-based values to dynamic values that depend on engine operating conditions. This parameter transformation enables the monitoring system to adapt to different operating points while maintaining simplicity in implementation through predefined adaptive threshold curves.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

4Stability of the object's composition

If constant adaptives are monitored using fixed limits, then the monitoring is consistent, but the varying impact on richness across different operating points is not captured

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveconsistency of monitoring approachVSAvoidprecision of assessing richness impact
Core Design Contradiction:
Stability of the object's compositionVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies partial monitoring by focusing specifically on the impact of adaptives on richness rather than monitoring all possible effects. For constant adaptives, it calculates their partial impact value at each operating point, which may be zero or negligible at certain conditions. This selective approach maintains consistency while improving precision by only monitoring when the adaptive actually affects richness.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #16Partial or excessive action

Data Source

PatentEP4348025B1Method of monitoring adaptation values in an engine control device
Publication Date: 2025.04.23 STELLANTIS AUTO SAS
  • EP4348025B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4348025B1 patent drawing

AI summary

The invention relates to a method, implemented in an engine control device of a vehicle, of monitoring a plurality of adaptation values of at least one parameter, the method comprising the following steps: - calculating (10), for each adaptation value, an individual impact value indicating the impact of said adaptation value on the at least one parameter for a current operating point of the engine; - calculating (12) an overall impact value of the impact all the adaptation values have on said at least one parameter for the current operating point of the engine; - comparing (14) the calculated overall impact value with at least one predefined overall impact threshold value; and - transmitting (16), depending on the result of the comparison (14), an alert signal to a device of the vehicle.