Disclosed is a method for determining the state of rotation of a camshaft of a vehicle engine, notable in that the method for determining the state of rotation of the camshaft determines that the state of rotation of the camshaft is in the process of stalling, corresponding to an intermediate state of rotation, when the time elapsed since the last detection of a camshaft wheel tooth-front by the sensor exceeds Tcam_cal, Tcam_cal being defined as the theoretical length of time needed for the camshaft wheel to cover an angular distance equal to the maximum angular distance separating two successive camshaft wheel tooth-fronts at a camshaft rotational speed corresponding to a predetermined low engine speed higher than the minimum engine speed tolerated by the engine.

A continuously variable valve timing (CVVT) control device is provided. The CVVT control device includes an engine controlling unit (ECU) configured to output an actual phase angle and a target phase angle of an intake valve or an exhaust valve. The CVVT control device further includes an intellectual motor controller configured to receive the actual phase angle and the target phase angle from the ECU through digital communication in a vehicle. A driving current is generated for adjusting an output torque of a motor based on a phase deviation between the received actual phase angle and target phase angle.

A control device for an internal combustion engine includes an ECU. The internal combustion engine includes an oil pump, a crankshaft, a camshaft, and a variable valve timing mechanism. The ECU is configured to: calculate a required engine torque, which is an engine torque requested by a driver, based on accelerator operation amount information; calculate a future target phase of the variable valve timing mechanism based on a rotational speed of the internal combustion engine and the required engine torque; calculate an anticipated deviation that is a difference between the future target phase and a current actual phase; and control a discharge amount of oil from the oil pump based on the anticipated deviation.

The invention relates to an improved system of electro-mechanical hydraulic valve lifters for piston engine automobiles that increases fuel economy and reduces fuel emissions. The electro-mechanical hydraulic valve lifters contain that enclose a magnetorheological fluid chamber, containing magnetorheological fluid. A control module manages voltage sent to the magnetorheological fluid in the magnetorheological fluid chamber. The control module introduces various amounts of magnetic flux to the magnetorheological fluid in the magnetorheological fluid chamber. The magnetorheological fluid's viscosity changes based on the amount of magnetic flux applied to it from the electromagnets and, along with the magnetorheological fluid chamber spring, controls how much an intake and exhaust port of the spark plug engine opens to control the amount of fuel used and exhaust let out of the engine.

A motor driver for driving a motor in a valve timing controller of an internal combustion engine, including an Electronic Driver Unit (EDU) that, upon receiving a target rotation cycle as the instructed rotation cycle, instructs a rotation controller to (i) calculate a duty value of a Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) signal for driving the motor based on an instructed rotation cycle and an actual rotation cycle and (ii) output a calculation result of the duty value to a motor drive unit, with the rotation controller outputting, to the motor drive unit, an instruction signal that rotates the motor forward along an actual rotation direction, when the calculation result takes a positive value as a duty ratio of the PWM signal, establishing an accurate motor rotation speed control together with an improved responsiveness.

A method is disclosed for adaptively controlling an engine system of a motor vehicle comprising the steps of evaluating the outputs from angular position sensors associated with inlet and exhaust camshafts of an engine of the engine system to establish whether differences between the currently measured positions and previously saved positions are the result of elongation of an endless drive used to drive the camshafts or due to some other reason. If it is confirmed that the differences are due to elongation of the endless drive then the measured values of angular position are used in the control of a number of engine functions.

An apparatus (10) and method for controlling an angular position of a camshaft (12) in an internal combustion engine having a camshaft phaser (14) for controllably varying the phase relationship between a crankshaft of the internal combustion engine and the camshaft (12). The camshaft phaser (14) can be actuated by an electric motor (16) having an actuator shaft (18) operating through a gear reduction drive train (20) having a stationary adjusting member (22) which rotates when a phase change adjustment is desired. A sensor (30) can generate a signal corresponding to an angular position of the stationary adjusting member (22) of the gear reduction drive train (20). An engine control unit (40) can adjust a position of the camshaft (12) through operation of the electric motor (16) for rotating the stationary adjusting member (22) based on the generated signal corresponding to the angular position of the stationary adjusting member (22).

It is intended to, when abnormality in either one of two rotation detection sections with different detection frequencies occurs, quickly and highly accurately detect the abnormality to favorably deal with abnormality occurring during low engine rotation. It is determined that abnormality is present in the rotation phase detection section, when an absolute value of difference between an actual VTC angle detected by a rotation phase detection section and an integrated value of a VTC change angle detected by motor rotation sensor 201 with the higher detection frequency than the frequency of detection of the actual VTC angle by the rotation phase detection section is equal to or greater than a predetermined value.

A valve timing control device for an internal combustion engine; a driving rotation member to which a rotational force is transmitted from a crank shaft; a driven rotation member arranged to rotate as a unit with a cam shaft; and a fixing member disposed between an axial one end portion of the cam shaft and the driven rotation member, the driven rotation member including a first recessed portion formed at a position to confront the axial one end portion of the cam shaft, and the fixing member including a second recessed portion which is formed at a position to confront the axial one end portion of the cam shaft, and in which the one end portion of the cam shaft is mounted from an axial direction, and a raised portion mounted in the first recessed portion.

An engine has a cylinder head defining an intake port with a roof defining first and second valve guide bores upstream of first and second siamesed intake valve seats for a cylinder. The head has first and second asymmetric fairings extending outwardly from the roof and positioned directly upstream of respective bores. Each fairing has an inner wall intersecting an outer wall along an upstream edge and an inclined planar roof wall extending between the inner and outer walls. A method of forming the cylinder head and engine is also provided by milling the fairings from a roof preform formed with the intake port of the head.