ENGINE CONTROL DEVICE FOR AN INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE, FEATURING COLLECTIVE ADJUSTMENT OF ENGINE OPERATING PARAMETERS

Abstract

The invention relates to an engine control unit (1, 1) for an internal combustion engine of a fleet vehicle (2, 2) in a vehicle fleet with at least two fleet vehicles (2, 2) with a control unit (3, 3), which is configured for setting control variables based on measured variables according to a control scheme stored in the engine control unit (1, 1); and with a data interface unit (4, 4), which is configured to transmit respective engine operating data sets to/from another engine control unit (1, 1) of a respective drive internal combustion engine of at least one other fleet vehicle (2, 2); wherein the control unit (3, 3) is configured to set the control variables while considering at least one engine operating data set of the other engine control unit(s) (1, 1) received via the data interface unit (4, 4), in order to provide an improved control for the internal combustion engine.

Claims

1.-14. (canceled)

15. An engine control unit for an internal combustion engine of a fleet vehicle in a vehicle fleet with at least two fleet vehicles, the engine control unit comprising: a control unit, which is configured to set control variables on the basis of measured variables according to a control scheme stored in the engine control unit; characterized by a data interface unit, which is configured to transmit respective engine operating data sets to/from another engine control unit of a respective internal combustion engine of at least one other fleet vehicle; and characterized in that the control unit is configured to set the control variables taking into consideration at least one engine operating data set of the other engine control unit(s) received via the data interface unit.

16. The engine control unit according to claim 15, characterized in that the engine operating data sets respectively comprise: at least one measured variable comprising an engine rpm and/or a throttle valve position and/or a fuel injection amount and/or a residual combustion gas amount and/or an ignition timing and/or a valve opening time and valve closing time 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/performance, and/or at least one control variable comprising a throttle valve position and/or a fuel injection amount and/or an ignition timing and/or a valve opening time and valve closing time, and/or at least one control scheme comprising an operating parameter map, and/or at least one environmental parameter characterizing an environment of the engine control unit comprising a geographic position and/or an engine ambient air pressure and/or an engine ambient humidity and/or an engine ambient temperature and/or a fuel quality and/or an internal combustion engine type designation and/or a fleet vehicle type designation and/or a fleet vehicle mass.

17. The engine control unit according to claim 15, characterized by a memory unit which is configured for storing different, transmitted engine operating data sets of one or more engine control units, and a selection unit, which is configured to select at least one engine operating data set from the engine operating data sets stored in the memory unit, on the basis of which the control unit sets the control variables, or to decide that the control variables are set on the basis of measured variables according to the control scheme stored in the engine control unit.

18. The engine control unit according to claim 17, characterized in that the stored engine operating data sets each comprise at least one environmental parameter and other engine operating data, and the selection unit is configured to compare the at least one environmental parameter of the stored engine operating data sets with an environmental parameter correspondingly detected by the engine control unit, and to select the engine operating data set from the stored engine operating data sets according to a comparison result, on the basis of which the control unit sets the control variables.

19. The engine control unit according to claim 18, characterized in that the other engine operating data comprises a control scheme.

20. The engine control unit according to claim 18, characterized in that the selection unit is configured to select an engine operating data set, for which the comparison result yielded the lowest deviation from the environmental parameter detected by the engine control unit, for setting the control variables by the control unit.

21. The engine control unit according to claim 18, characterized by a generation unit configured as part of the selection unit, and which is configured to generate at least one meta engine operating data set from the engine operating data sets stored in the memory unit, wherein, in particular, the engine operating data sets underlying a respective meta engine operating data set each comprise at least one environmental parameter, which each differ from one another by less than a predetermined limit value.

22. The engine control unit or engine control system according to claim 21, characterized in that the generation unit generates the at least one meta engine operating data set from the stored engine operating data sets by means of machine learning, wherein the machine learning in particular optimizes a torque response and/or fuel consumption and/or an exhaust gas composition.

23. The engine control unit according to claim 15, wherein the data interface unit is configured to transmit the engine operating data sets via a fleet server.

24. The engine control unit according to claim 15, characterized in that the data interface unit comprises a wireless fleet-vehicle-to-fleet-vehicle data interface unit, which includes a limited transmission range of less than 10 km.

25. The engine control unit according to claim 24, characterized in that the limited transmission range is less than 5 km.

26. The engine control unit according to claim 24, characterized in that the limited transmission range is less than 2 km.

27. The engine control unit according to claim 24, characterized in that the limited transmission range is less than 1 km.

28. The engine control unit according to claim 15, characterized in that the data interface unit comprises a wireless fleet-vehicle-to-fleet-server data interface unit which is configured to transmit the engine operating data sets via a fleet server.

29. A method for operating an engine control unit of an internal combustion engine of a fleet vehicle in a vehicle fleet with at least two fleet vehicles, the method comprising: transmitting engine operating data sets from the engine control unit to at least one other engine control unit of an internal combustion engine of one other fleet vehicle.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein transmitting the engine operating data sets from the engine control unit to the at least one other engine control unit includes transmission over a wireless local area network.

31. The method of claim 29, wherein transmitting the engine operating data sets from the engine control unit to the at least one other engine control unit includes transmission over a cellular connection.

32. The method of claim 29, wherein transmitting the engine operating data sets from the engine control unit to the at least one other engine control unit includes transmission via a fleet server.

33. A method for operating an engine control unit of an internal combustion engine of a fleet vehicle in a vehicle fleet with at least two fleet vehicles, the method comprising: receiving at least one engine operating data set from at least one other engine control unit of an internal combustion engine of one other fleet vehicle at the engine control unit; setting control variables of the engine control unit while considering at least one of the received engine operating data set(s) of the at least one other engine control unit.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein receiving at least one engine operating data set includes transmitting the at least one engine operating data set via a wireless local area network, a cellular connection, or a fleet server.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0034] FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of engine control units 1, 1 in respective fleet vehicles 2, 2 in accordance with aspects of the disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0035] FIG. 1 shows respective engine control units 1, 1 in respective fleet vehicles 2, 2, which are respectively equipped with an internal combustion engine (not shown) controlled by corresponding engine control unit 1, 1. Each of engine control units 1, 1 has a control unit 3, 3, which is configured to control the respectively assigned internal combustion engine. This is carried out by setting the respective control variables on the basis of measured variables according to a control scheme stored in engine control unit 1, 1, for example, in control unit 3, 3. The control scheme may, for example, be stored in the form of a multi-dimensional map.

[0036] Furthermore, engine control units 1, 1 have a respective data interface unit 4, 4, which is configured to transmit respective engine operating data sets to or from another engine control unit 1, 1 of another fleet vehicle 2, 2. The engine operating data sets may thereby completely or partially comprise the listed respective control variable and/or the listed measured variable and/or the listed control scheme. The engine operating data sets may also additionally comprise corresponding environmental parameters or optimization parameters. Both control units 3, 3 is thereby configured to set the control variable while considering at least one engine operating data set of the other engine control units 1, 1 received via data interface unit 4, 4.

[0037] In the example shown, respective data interface unit 4, 4 are both wireless fleet-vehicle-to-fleet-vehicle data interface units and also wireless fleet-vehicle-to-fleet-server data interface units. Correspondingly, both engine control units 1, 1 may directly transmit or exchange engine operating data sets between one another via a radio connection 5, for example, a wireless local area network (WLAN), and also indirectly transmit the corresponding engine operating data sets via respective cellular connections 6, 6 via a fleet server 7, for example, a cloud.

[0038] The direct exchange via wireless network connection 5 has the advantage that engine control units 1, 1 may set their control comparatively easily. In the present case, first fleet vehicle 2, which at the moment is underway in a low altitude sea level landscape at a high air pressure, may thus adjust for operation of the internal combustion engine under high load in a higher altitude with lower air pressure, as second fleet vehicle 2 has to cope with at the moment. Conversely, engine control unit 1 of second fleet vehicle 2 may already adjust for operation of the internal combustion engine in the lower-lying sea level landscape with higher air pressure.

[0039] A memory unit 8 is already present in fleet server 7, which memory unit is configured for storing different, transmitted engine operating data sets of one or more engine control units 1, 1. In addition, fleet server 7 is also equipped with a selection unit 9, which is configured to select at least one engine operating data set from the engine operating data sets stored in the memory unit, on the basis of which corresponding control unit 1, 1 then sets the control variable. Thus, the stored engine operating data sets present have at least one environmental parameter, in order to assign the engine operating data sets to a respective environment, presently environment 10 or 10 of vehicles 2, 2, namely high pressure environment 10 and low pressure environment 10. Thus, upon a respective request by corresponding fleet vehicles 2, 2, fleet server 7 may select a suitable engine operating data set for respective environment 10, 10 of fleet vehicle 2, 2, and transmit it to engine control unit 1, 1 of respective vehicle 2, 2. In order to respectively select a suitable engine operating data set from the stored engine operating data sets, the environmental parameter respectively associated with the stored engine operating data sets may be compared to an environmental parameter detected by respective engine control unit 1, 1 and transmitted, for example, to fleet server 7. Thus, in the example shown, an engine operating data set may be selected for first fleet vehicle 2, which is initially optimized for operation in high pressure environment 10. Later, when first fleet vehicle 2 is underway in low pressure environment 10, a corresponding engine operating data set, for example, the engine operating data set previously transmitted from second fleet vehicle 2 to fleet server 7, may then be transmitted.

[0040] Provision may also be made here that the stored engine operating data sets are optimized in fleet server 7 with further algorithms, or that optimized engine operating data sets, meta engine operating data sets, are generated from the stored engine operating data sets. For this purpose, a corresponding generation unit 9 may be provided. As the fleet may comprise a plurality of fleet vehicles 2, 2, which in turn are located in a plurality of different environments 10, 10 and may generate a large number of engine operating data sets, a method of machine learning may also be used for generating optimized meta engine operating data sets. The assigned generation unit 8 may thereby be located both in fleet server 7 or also in respective engine control unit 1, 1.