Method for estimating the angular position of a crankshaft for accelerating the starting of an internal combustion engine

1. A method, to be executed by a computer device, for estimating the angular position of a crankshaft of a 4-stroke internal combustion engine prior to synchronization of the engine, said engine comprising at least one cylinder comprising a piston configured to move between a top dead center and a bottom dead center, the movement of the piston driving the crankshaft and a plurality of camshafts provided with a number n of targets (CAM_i) secured respectively to n camshafts of said plurality of camshafts, each target defining a plurality of events over one revolution of the camshaft to which the target is secured, the crankshaft being provided with a securely-attached target (CRK) comprising a plurality of standard teeth and at least one reference tooth which define a plurality of events over one crankshaft revolution, the estimating method comprising:

determining a precision to be achieved in estimating a range of plausible positions (Pos_Crk) of the crankshaft prior to synchronization,

then estimating a range of plausible positions (Pos_Crk) of the crankshaft prior to synchronization, at a given moment, from events detected on said n camshaft targets, correlated with events detected on the crankshaft target, as corresponding to the shortest angular window that is common to all the members of rank i using the following formula:

Pos_Crk

⁢

_est

=

⋂

i

=

1

i

=

n

⁢

⁢

_

⁢

⁢

CAM

⁢

List_event

⁢

_plaus

⁢

_CAM

⁢

_i

+

Dist_ang

⁢

_CRK

⁢

_since

⁢

_last

⁢

_event

⁢

_CAM

⁢

_i

+

Tolerances_i

where:

Pos_Crk_est = range of plausible positions of the crankshaft at the given moment,

List_event_plaus_CAM_i = all of the plausible events of the rank i camshaft target (CAM_i) at the given moment,

Dist_ang_CRK_since_last_event_CAM_i=angular distance covered by the crankshaft, determined by all of the detected events of the crankshaft target (CRK) since the last event detected on the rank i camshaft target (CAM_i), at the given moment,

Tolerances_i = angular window of possible positions of the crankshaft, resulting from the angular tolerance on the detection of an event on the rank i camshaft target (CAM_i) and the crankshaft target (CRK), and

n_CAM = number of camshaft targets (CAM_i) used in the engine; and

repeating said estimate of a range of plausible positions of the crankshaft prior to synchronization, at a later moment, until said precision that is to be achieved in estimating a range of plausible positions of the crankshaft prior to synchronization is obtained.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the movement of the piston drives the crankshaft and at least one first and one second camshaft which are respectively provided with a first securely attached target (CAM_ 1 ) and a second securely attached target (CAM_ 2 ),

the method further comprising the following steps:

at a first event (evt_ 1 ) detected on one of the first (CAM_ 1 ) and second (CAM_ 2 ) camshaft targets, recording the events detected on the crankshaft target (CRK) from the setting-in-rotation thereof, defining a first correlation (CAM_i-CRK 1 ) assigned to said first event,

eliminating the events on said one of the first (CAM_ 1 ) and second (CAM_ 2 ) camshaft targets which from the first correlation (CAM_i-CRK 1 ) cannot be plausible, and determining a first set of ranges of plausible positions of the crankshaft as being made up of a first set of events that remain plausible on said one of the first (CAM_ 1 ) and second (CAM_ 2 ) camshaft targets at the end of the first event detected,

at a second event (evt_ 2 ), subsequent to the first event (evt_ 1 ), detected on one of the first (CAM_ 1 ) and second (CAM_ 2 ) camshaft targets, recording the events detected on the crankshaft target (CRK) between said first (evt_ 1 ) and second (evt_ 2 ) events detected, defining a second correlation (CAM_i-CRK 2 ) assigned to said second event,

eliminating the events on said one of the first (CAM_ 1 ) and second (CAM_ 2 ) camshaft targets which from said second correlation (CAM_i-CRK 2 ) cannot be plausible, and determining a second set of ranges of plausible positions of the crankshaft as being made up of a second set of events that remain plausible on said one of the first (CAM_ 1 ) and second (CAM_ 2 ) camshaft targets at the end of the second event (evt_ 2 ) detected,

determining a third set of ranges of plausible positions of the crankshaft as being made up of the ranges of plausible positions that are common to said first and second sets of events that remain plausible on the first (CAM_ 1 ) and/or second (CAM_ 2 ) camshaft targets at the end of the first (evt_ 1 ) and second (evt_ 2 ) events detected,

determining a fourth set of ranges of plausible positions of the crankshaft as being made up of said third set of ranges of plausible positions of the crankshaft from which have been eliminated those positions that are not plausible at the end of a first correlation (CAM_i-CAM_i 1 ) between, on the one hand, said first (evt_ 1 ) and second (evt_ 2 ) events detected on one and/or the other of the camshaft targets and, on the other hand, the angular distance given by the events detected on the target (CRK) between these said first (evt_ 1 ) and second (evt_ 2 ) events detected on one and/or the other of the camshaft targets (CAM_i), and

repeating the preceding steps until an nth set of ranges of plausible positions of the crankshaft containing a single plausible range of crankshaft positions (Pos_Crk) is obtained.

3. The method as claimed in claim 2 , further comprising determining an intermediate set of ranges of plausible positions of the crankshaft, at a current position thereof, between two successive events of the first (CAM_ 1 ) and/or second (CAM_ 2 ) camshaft targets, from a correlation (CAM_i-CRK 3 ) between the last event detected on one of the camshaft targets (CAM_ 1 , CAM_ 2 ) and said current position of the crankshaft, taking into consideration the crankshaft target (CRK) events detected between said last event and said current position of the crankshaft.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said plurality of events for a target (CAM_i) which is determined over one revolution of a camshaft takes into account a selective parameter of distance to the axis of the target, for a surface connecting two successive distinct fronts of the target.

5. The method as claimed in claim 4 , wherein a record is made of the situation of the n camshaft targets (CAM_i) at the time the crankshaft is set in rotation.

6. A method for the accelerated starting of an internal combustion engine, the method comprising:

the method of estimating the angular position of a crankshaft of a 4-stroke internal combustion engine prior to synchronization of the engine as claimed in claim 1 ; and

after the precision is obtained in the angular position estimating method, injecting fuel before synchronization is complete.

7. A device for estimating the angular position of a crankshaft of a 4-stroke internal combustion engine prior to synchronization of the engine, said engine comprising at least one cylinder comprising a piston that can move between a top dead center and a bottom dead center, the movement of the piston driving the crankshaft and a plurality of camshafts, the device comprising:

a number n of targets (CAM_i) respectively secured to n camshafts of said plurality of camshafts, each target defining a plurality of events over one revolution of the camshaft to which the target is secured;

a target (CRK) secured to the crankshaft, comprising a plurality of standard teeth and at least one reference tooth which define a plurality of events over one crankshaft revolution; and

an engine control unit configured to implement the method as claimed in claim 1 .

8. The device as claimed in claim 7 , further comprising fuel injection means,

wherein the engine control unit further comprises an accelerated starting system configured to cause accelerated starting of an internal combustion engine including injecting the fuel before synchronization is complete.

9. The method as claimed in claim 2 , wherein said plurality of events for a target (CAM_i) which is determined over one revolution of a camshaft takes into account a selective parameter of distance to the axis of the target, for a surface connecting two successive distinct fronts of the target.

10. The method as claimed in claim 3 , wherein said plurality of events for a target (CAM_i) which is determined over one revolution of a camshaft takes into account a selective parameter of distance to the axis of the target, for a surface connecting two successive distinct fronts of the target.

11. The method as claimed in claim 9 , wherein a record is made of the situation of the n camshaft targets (CAM_i) at the time the crankshaft is set in rotation.

12. The method as claimed in claim 10 , wherein a record is made of the situation of the n camshaft targets (CAM_i) at the time the crankshaft is set in rotation.

13. A method for the accelerated starting of an internal combustion engine, the method comprising:

the method of estimating the angular position of a crankshaft of a 4-stroke internal combustion engine prior to synchronization of the engine as claimed in claim 2 ; and

after the precision is obtained in the angular position estimating method, injecting fuel before synchronization is complete.

14. A method for the accelerated starting of an internal combustion engine, the method comprising:

the method of estimating the angular position of a crankshaft of a 4-stroke internal combustion engine prior to synchronization of the engine as claimed in claim 3 ; and

after the precision is obtained in the angular position estimating method, injecting fuel before synchronization is complete.

15. A method for the accelerated starting of an internal combustion engine, the method comprising:

the method of estimating the angular position of a crankshaft of a 4-stroke internal combustion engine prior to synchronization of the engine as claimed in claim 4 ; and

after the precision is obtained in the angular position estimating method, injecting fuel before synchronization is complete.

16. A method for the accelerated starting of an internal combustion engine, the method comprising:

the method of estimating the angular position of a crankshaft of a 4-stroke internal combustion engine prior to synchronization of the engine as claimed in claim 5 ; and

after the precision is obtained in the angular position estimating method, injecting fuel before synchronization is complete.