The systems and methods described herein provide an approach for cam phase angle control where an axial or rotational position of an actuator of a cam phaser has a direct relationship to the phase angle of the cam shaft, allowing for accurate cam phasing without the need for cam shaft or crank shaft position sensors. Providing phase angle adjustability without the need for crank shaft or cam shaft position sensors enables control of phase angle solely by sensing the axial or rotational position of the actuator of the cam phaser.

An electromechanical camshaft phaser (3) comprises a setting gear (4) and an electric motor (5), which is controlled by means of an electric-motor control unit (6). Data concerning the operation of the electric motor (5) including position changes of its motor shaft are transferred via a data bus (8) from the electric-motor control unit (6) to an engine control unit (7) of the internal combustion engine (1) comprising the camshaft phaser (3). In addition, recurring time signals are transferred from the electric-motor control unit (6) to the engine control unit (7) via a separate line (9), by which harder real-time requirements are met than by the data bus (8). The time signals are used to generate a time difference signal in the engine control unit (7) by comparison with the data received by the engine control unit (7), which time difference signal is fed back to the electric-motor control unit (6) via the data bus (8) and is used there to synchronize the electric-motor control unit (6) with the engine control unit (7).

The present disclosure relates to internal combustion engines and the teachings thereof may be embodied in methods for controlling an internal combustion engine. The method may include: measuring the actual camshaft position using a camshaft sensor, measuring the actual rail pressure using a rail pressure sensor, calculating, for each of the plurality of cylinders, a phase correction value depending at least in part on the measured actual rail pressure and a mass of fuel to be injected, calculating, for each cylinder, a corrected actual camshaft position based at least in part on the measured actual camshaft position and the respective phase correction value, and adjusting the camshaft position using a camshaft adjuster based on one or more of the corrected actual camshaft positions.

A method is disclosed for controlling an internal combustion engine having a first adjustable camshaft for the actuating of first valve elements of the internal combustion engine. An effect of an actuation at least of a first valve element by the first camshaft on this valve element is detected. An actual position of the first camshaft and/or of a crankshaft driving the latter is detected on the basis of this detecting of the effect. An adjustment of the first camshaft is calibrated on the basis of a first deviation between this detected actual position and a predetermined required position.

A vehicle includes an engine having a combustion chamber with an inlet and an outlet. Valves and valve actuators regulate open and closing of the inlet and the outlet. A plasma ignition source initiates ignition in the combustion chamber. A controller is in communication with the inlet valve actuator and outlet valve actuator. The controller is configured to detect a transition from a first combustion mode of the engine to a second combustion mode of the engine. The controller is also configured to change at least one of an opening time, a closing time, and an open duration of the first valve in response to detecting the transition.

The present invention relates to a control device and to a control method for a vehicle drive mechanism including a moving body having a movability range regulated by two stoppers, and a sensor which senses a position of the moving body. The control device of the present invention learns an output of the sensor corresponding to a contact state of a high-rigidity stopper, and limits, to a lower level, an operation variable of the actuator for moving the moving body toward a low-rigidity stopper along with an increase in an amount of change in the output of the sensor from the contact state of the high-rigidity stopper. Then, the control device learns the output of the sensor corresponding to the contact state of the low-rigidity stopper, and controls the actuator based on the output of the sensor learned at both the stopper positions.

A control device and a control method for variable valve timing mechanism according to the present invention obtains a first measurement of a rotational phase based on a rotational angle of the motor, obtains a second measurement of the rotational phase based on a relative relationship between a rotational angle of the crankshaft and a rotational angle of the camshaft, calibrates the first measurement based on the second measurement, obtains a derivative term proportional to a rate of change in a deviation between the first measurement and a target value, reduces change in derivative term when calibrating the first measurement based on the second measurement, and controls the motor based on a manipulated variable including the derivative term.

A continuously variable valve duration (CVVD) system includes a controller configured to determine whether a learning value existing in the CVVD system is required to be verified during one of a hardware abnormality, a learning value abnormality, and a motor voltage abnormality. In particular, the controller performs a learning value verification control using a rotation detection value and switches from a learning value verification control to a re-learning control when re-learning is required.

A continuously variable valve duration (CVVD) system includes a controller configured to determine whether a learning value existing in the CVVD system is required to be verified during one of a hardware abnormality, a learning value abnormality, and a motor voltage abnormality. In particular, the controller performs a learning value verification control using a rotation detection value and switches from a learning value verification control to a re-learning control when re-learning is required.

An electromechanical camshaft phaser (3) comprises a setting gear (4) and an electric motor (5), which is controlled by means of an electric-motor control unit (6). Data concerning the operation of the electric motor (5) including position changes of its motor shaft are transferred via a data bus (8) from the electric-motor control unit (6) to an engine control unit (7) of the internal combustion engine (1) comprising the camshaft phaser (3). In addition, recurring time signals are transferred from the electric-motor control unit (6) to the engine control unit (7) via a separate line (9), by which harder real-time requirements are met than by the data bus (8). The time signals are used to generate a time difference signal in the engine control unit (7) by comparison with the data received by the engine control unit (7), which time difference signal is fed back to the electric-motor control unit (6) via the data bus (8) and is used there to synchronize the electric-motor control unit (6) with the engine control unit (7).