A control apparatus for an internal combustion engine detects an amount of particulate matter contained in an exhaust gas in an exhaust passage, according to an electrical property across electrodes of a particulate matter sensor disposed in the exhaust passage of the internal combustion engine. The term electrical property here refers to a property that changes with the amount of particulate matter deposited, for example, a current value of when a predetermined voltage is applied. After the internal combustion engine is started and detection of the amount of the particulate matter is completed, an element section of the particulate matter sensor is set to a predetermined temperature range. The particulate matter deposited on the element section is thereby burned and removed. The control apparatus maintains the element section in the predetermined temperature range after burning and removing the particulate matter until the internal combustion engine stops.

A diagnostic device for a sensor 100 provided in an exhaust passage 11 of an internal combustion engine 10 of a vehicle and detecting nitrogen compounds in exhaust gas, the diagnostic device including an offset diagnosis unit 42 which diagnoses, during deceleration of the vehicle in which the internal combustion engine 10 stops fuel injection, an offset amount of a sensor value of the sensor 100 from a zero point based on the sensor value of the sensor value, and a diagnosis prohibition unit 44 which prohibits the diagnosing of the offset amount when a flow rate of the exhaust gas of the internal combustion engine 10 rapidly increases while the offset amount is diagnosed by the offset diagnosis unit 42.

The present description relates generally to methods and systems for detecting thermal aging and blackening in oxygen sensors. Thermal aging and blackening effects may be differentiated based on a monitored change in impedance in each of a pump cell and a Nernst cell of the oxygen sensor following application of an alternating voltage. In response to detection of thermal aging and/or blackening in the oxygen sensor corrective measures may be taken to ensure accurate oxygen estimation using the sensor.

A method for monitoring the operation of a sensor is provided. The method comprises the step of representing the operation of the sensor by: i) storing a plurality of data values, each data value corresponding to the sensor output signal, wherein said step is performed during a time period such that said data values are distributed over a range of possible data values, ii) defining a plurality of discrete intervals within said range of possible data values; and iii) calculating the frequency of the data values within each interval thus forming a sensor representation. The method further comprises the steps of receiving at least one reference sensor representation; and comparing said sensor representation with said at least one reference sensor representation.

The present invention relates to a method for restricting work produced in a combustion chamber, wherein a substance resulting from combustion is reduced by supplying additive comprising a reagent to the exhaust gas stream. The method comprising: determining if a quality of said additive, estimated by means of a first sensor, being subjected to said additive, is below a first quality; determining if signals from a second sensor, being subjected to the exhaust gas stream, indicate insufficient reduction of said at least one substance; determining if a correction of the supply of additive has reached an upper limit; and restricting work produced by combustion only when: said estimated quality of said additive is below said first quality, said correction has reached said upper limit, and said measurement in the exhaust gas stream indicates insufficient reduction.

An engine device including: an intake manifold (67) configured to supply air into a cylinder (77); a gas injector (98) configured to mix fuel gas with air supplied from the intake manifold (67), and supply mixed gas to the cylinder (77); an igniter (79) configured to ignite, in the cylinder (77), premixed fuel obtained by pre-mixing the fuel gas with the air; and a control unit (73) configured to execute a combustion control of a premixed fuel based on the output signal indicative of an output from the engine device. When the air amount is determined to be insufficient and when the output signal is lost, the control unit (73) estimates an output signal based on the fuel gas injection amount from the gas injector (98), and executes the combustion control based on the estimated output signal.

A method to detect and mitigate sensor or actuator degradation in an automobile system includes: collecting a signal data output from at least one device which is outputting the signal data in response to monitored operational parameters of a motor vehicle system; analyzing patterns of the signal data compared to a signal data output from a nominal operating one of the at least one device using an artificial intelligence program; and identifying when the patterns of the signal data exceed a threshold level indicating the at least one sensor or actuator is operating in a degraded condition.

A vehicle includes two accelerator position sensors and an electronic control unit. The two accelerator position sensors are configured to detect accelerator operation amounts. The electronic control unit is configured to perform drive control based on the accelerator operation amounts from the two accelerator position sensors. The electronic control unit is configured to, when failure occurs in one accelerator position sensor out of the two accelerator position sensors, perform the drive control based on the accelerator operation amount from the other accelerator position sensor out of the two accelerator position sensors, the accelerator operation amount being restricted by an accelerator operation amount upper limit that has a tendency of becoming larger as the vehicle speed is larger.

Methods and systems are provided for performing rationality check of a hydrocarbon sensor in an evaporative emission control system. In one example, a method may include sensing fuel vapors vented from a fuel vapor canister to atmosphere via the sensor, and performing sensor rationality check by flowing desorbed hydrocarbons from the fuel vapor canister to an engine via the sensor during purging of the fuel vapor canister.

A method to detect and mitigate sensor degradation in an automobile system includes: collecting output signal data from at least one of a sensor and an actuator which is outputting the signal data related to operational parameters of a vehicle system; placing the sensor or the actuator in communication with a fault box used to purposely corrupt the output signal data; analyzing patterns of the output signal data compared to signal data from a nominal operating sensor or actuator using an artificial intelligence program; identifying when a statistical range of the patterns exceeds a first threshold level; and modifying a control signal to change the operational parameters of the vehicle system.