METHOD FOR CAM-SHAFT PHASE SHIFTING CONTROL USING CAM REACTION FORCE

1 . A camshaft phase shifting device comprising:

a coaxially arranged three-shaft gear system, having an input shaft receiving a driving torque from an engine, an output shaft transferring said driving torque to a cam shaft, and a control shaft, said control shaft configured to adjust a phase angle between said input shaft and said output shaft;

a controller operatively coupled to said control shaft, said controller responsive to at least one input signal to generate a torque command to regulate activation torque delivered to said control shaft from an electro-magnetic source of torque to overcome a frictional torque on said control shaft locking the phase angle of said input shaft relative to said output shaft; and

wherein said generated torque command is selected to regulate said activation torque delivered to said control shaft from said electro-magnetic source of torque such that the effective activation torque reflected on said cam shaft is less than a maximum reaction torque on said output shaft from said cam shaft, but greater than a difference between a maximum effective frictional torque as seen from cam shaft and said maximum reaction torque.

2 . The camshaft phase shifting device of claim 1 wherein said controller operates with a torque-time based control structure.

3 . The camshaft phase shifting device of claim 1 wherein said at least one input signal is selected from a set of input signals including, but not limited to, a cam shaft phase angle differential (error) signal, an engine speed signal, a torque load signal, an angular position signal of said cam shaft; and a relative speed signal between said input and output shafts.

4 . The camshaft phase shifting device of claim 1 wherein said electromagnetic source of torque is an electric machine configured to exert said activation torque on said control shaft, said electric machine regulated by a torque command from said controller.

5 . The camshaft phase shifting device of claim 1 wherein said torque command includes a feed-forward component to compensate for anticipated disturbances in system torques.

6 . The camshaft phase shifting device of claim 1 wherein said torque command includes a feedback component to compensate for impulses (sudden changes) in said input signal.

7 . The camshaft phase shifting device of claim 1 wherein said control shaft includes a friction self-locking mechanism configured to phase-lock said input shaft and said output shaft with said frictional torque in the absence of any activation torque from said electro-magnetic source of torque, said frictional self-locking mechanism transmitting said driving torque from said input shaft to said output shaft; and

wherein an application of said activation torque to said frictional self-locking mechanism selectively unlocks said phase angle of said input shaft relative to said output shaft.

8 . The camshaft phase shifting device of claim 1 wherein said controller includes a PID compensator to generate a torque adjustment signal in response to said at least one input signal, said PID compensator consisting of a proportional-and-derivative controller; and

wherein said controller further includes a signal amplitude and timing control logic for receiving said torque adjustment signal and for generating said torque command to regulate activation torque delivered to said control shaft from said electro-magnetic source of torque.

9 . The camshaft phase shifting device of claim 8 wherein said controller further includes a feed forward processing branch, said feed forward processing branch configured to evaluate anticipated torque disturbances and to generate a feed forward signal component for combination with said torque adjustment signal prior to generation of said torque command by said amplitude and timing control logic.

10 . The camshaft phase shifting device of claim 1 wherein said reaction torque is cyclical, and wherein an amplitude of said torque command regulates said adjustment to said phase angle between said input shaft and said output shaft during a single reaction torque cycle.

11 . The camshaft phase shifting device of claim 1 wherein a duration of said torque command regulates a total adjustment to said phase angle between said input shaft and said output shaft.

12 . The camshaft phase shifting device of claim 1 wherein said phase angle adjustment accelerates in response to a combination of said effective activation torque and said reaction torque exceeding said maximum effective frictional torque;

wherein said phase angle adjustment decelerates in response to said effective activation torque being less than a combination of said reaction torque and said maximum effective frictional torque; and

wherein said phase angle adjustment remains unchanged (dwells) in response to a combination of said effective activation torque and said effective frictional torque equaling said reaction torque.

13 . A method for torque-time controlled alteration of a camshaft phase angle for a camshaft driven though a camshaft phase shifting device having an input shaft receiving a driving torque, an output shaft delivering the driving torque, and a frictional locking control shaft for adjusting the phase angle between the input shaft and the output shaft, comprising:

regulating an activation torque applied to the control shaft to overcome a frictional locking torque to enable a phase angle adjustment between the input shaft and the output shaft, effective activation torque as seen from the cam shaft regulated to be less than a maximum cyclical reaction torque on the output shaft from the cam shaft, but greater than a difference between a maximum effective frictional torque locking said control shaft and said maximum cyclical reaction torque.

14 . The method of claim 13 for torque-time controlled alteration of a camshaft phase angle wherein said step of regulating said activation torque applied to the control shaft is responsive to at least one input signal selected from a set of input signals including, but not limited to, a cam shaft phase angle error signal, a torque load signal, an angular position signal of the cam shaft, and a relative speed signal between the input and output shafts.