AUXILIARY ENGINE CONTROL UNIT, IN PARTICULAR AN ADAPTIVE AUXILIARY ENGINE CONTROL UNIT, FOR USE WITH A MAIN ENGINE CONTROL UNIT OR AN INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE, IN PARTICULAR AN INTERNAL COMBUSION ENGINE OF A VEHICLE

Abstract

An auxiliary engine control unit for use with a main engine control unit for an internal combustion engine of a vehicle may have an input signal interface unit. The input signal interface unit may be configured to intercept at least one engine control output signal of the main engine control unit. The auxiliary engine control unit may also have a control unit which is configured to change the intercepted engine control output signal according to a control scheme stored in the control unit. The auxiliary engine control unit may also have an output signal interface unit which is configured to output the engine control output signal, changed by the control unit, to the internal combustion engine to be controlled in order to achieve an improved control of the internal combustion engine.

Claims

1-11. (canceled)

12. An auxiliary engine control unit for use with a main engine control unit for an internal combustion engine of a vehicle, comprising: an input signal interface unit, which is configured to intercept at least one engine control output signal of the main engine control unit; a control unit which is configured to change the intercepted engine control output signal according to a control scheme stored in the control unit; and an output signal interface unit which is configured to output the engine control output signal, changed by the control unit, to the internal combustion engine to be controlled.

13. The auxiliary engine control unit according to claim 12, wherein the at least one engine control output signal of the main engine control unit is respectively present in the form of a voltage.

14. The auxiliary engine control unit according to claim 12, wherein the at least one engine control output signal of the main engine control unit represents a throttle valve position and/or a starting time for an injection process and/or a duration of the injection process and/or an ignition timing and/or a valve opening and closing time and/or a turbocharger charge specification.

15. The auxiliary engine control unit according to claim 12, wherein the change comprises a change of an amplitude value of the engine control output signal, in particular a change of a voltage maximum value and/or a change of a time characteristic of the engine control output signal, in particular a change of a time characteristic for a voltage maximum value.

16. The auxiliary engine control unit according to claim 15, wherein the control unit is configured, when the change of the time characteristic comprises a temporal advancement of a voltage maximum value, to output the changed engine control output signal to the internal combustion engine in form of the accelerated voltage maximum value only in a subsequent, in particular, in the next operating cycle of the internal combustion engine.

17. The auxiliary engine control unit according to claim 12, wherein the control unit is configured to change the intercepted engine control output signal at most by a predetermined limit amount, in particular by a limit amount specifically predetermined for the respective engine control output signal.

18. The auxiliary engine control unit according to claim 12, wherein the input signal interface unit is configured for tapping at least one engine control input signal of the main engine control unit and the stored control scheme is functionally dependent on the intercepted engine control input signal, wherein the engine control input signal represents, in particular, an engine rpm and/or a throttle valve position and/or a start time of an injection process and/or a duration of the injection process and/or a residual combustion gas amount and/or an ignition timing and/or a valve opening and valve closing time and/or turbocharger charge specification and/or an engine temperature and/or an intake-side gas mixture pressure and/or a pressure in the combustion chamber and/or an exhaust-side gas mixture pressure and/or an engine torque and/or an engine mileage.

19. The auxiliary engine control unit according to claim 12, wherein the input signal interface unit is configured for tapping at least one additional sensor signal, which may be provided wirelessly and/or hardwired from one additional sensor of the internal combustion engine and/or of the vehicle and/or of a surroundings of the vehicle to the auxiliary engine control unit.

20. The auxiliary engine control unit according to claim 12, wherein the control unit is an adaptive control unit which is configured to adapt the stored control scheme on the basis of the signals output via the output signal interface unit and/or received via the input signal interface unit according to a predetermined learning algorithm, in particular to optimize the stored control scheme with respect to one or more predetermined optimization parameters, in particular a torque response and/or fuel consumption and/or an exhaust gas composition.

21. An engine control system or the internal combustion engine with the main engine control unit and with the auxiliary engine control unit according to claim 12.

22. A vehicle with an auxiliary engine control unit according to claim 12.

23. A method for controlling an internal combustion engine of a vehicle coupled to a main engine control unit via an auxiliary engine control unit, with the method steps: intercepting at least one engine control output signal of the main engine control unit; changing the intercepted engine control output signal according to a predetermined control scheme; and outputting the changed engine control output signal to the internal combustion engine and thus controlling the internal combustion engine.

Description

[0023] The subject matter according to the invention will be explained in greater detail on the basis of the schematic drawings shown in following FIGURES, without wishing to be limited to the specific embodiments shown here.

[0024] FIG. 1 thereby shows a schematic depiction of one exemplary embodiment of an auxiliary engine control unit with a main engine control unit and an internal combustion engine in a vehicle.

[0025] An auxiliary engine control unit 1 with a main engine control unit 2 and an internal combustion engine 3 of a vehicle (not shown) is shown in FIG. 1. Main engine control unit 2 is thus presently coupled to internal combustion engine 3 via auxiliary engine control unit 1. Auxiliary engine control unit 1 thereby has an input signal interface unit 4, which is configured to intercept an engine control output signal 5 of main engine control unit 2, in this case, an ignition timing t. Furthermore, auxiliary engine control unit 1 also has a control unit 6 which is configured to change intercepted engine control output signal 5 according to a predetermined control scheme stored in control unit 6. Finally, auxiliary engine control unit 1 also has an output signal interface unit 7 which is configured to output engine control output signal 5′, presently a delayed ignition timing t′ changed by control unit 6, to internal combustion engine 3 to be controlled.

[0026] In the example shown, input signal interface unit 4 is also configured to tap at least one engine control input signal 8 of main engine control unit 2, presently an engine speed rpm, wherein the control scheme stored in control unit 6 is functionally dependent on intercepted engine control input signal 8. Furthermore, input signal interface unit 4 is also presently configured to tap at least one additional sensor signal 9 from an additional sensor 10, which is presently assigned to internal combustion engine 3. The stored control scheme correspondingly also presently functionally depends on intercepted additional sensor signal 9, in this case, pressure P.

[0027] In the example shown, engine control output signal 5 represents an ignition timing t, i.e., a voltage peak which generates an ignition spark at timing t according to main control unit 2. This engine control output signal 5 is, as made clear by the crossed out dashed arrow, is now no longer directly forwarded to internal combustion engine 3, but rather is intercepted instead by auxiliary engine control unit 1 through input signal interface unit 4 and modified by control unit 6. In the present case, a voltage maximum value, the peak, of engine control output signal 5 is delayed by a predetermined time Δt so that, using changed engine control output signal 5′ subsequently output via output signal interface unit 7, an ignition at delayed relative timing t′ is generated in internal combustion engine 3.

[0028] In the example shown, intercepted engine control input signal 8 comprises an engine speed rpm and additional sensor signal 9 comprises a pressure P in the combustion chamber, so that the changing of engine control output signal 5 by control unit 6 may be carried out particularly precisely. A particularly effective feedback for a learning algorithm in control unit 6 may be achieved using the intercepted engine control input signal and additional sensor signal 9, so that the control of internal combustion engine 3 may be particularly effectively improved again using an adaptive control unit 6.