Granted Patent B2

US 7,536,851 · App. 11/077,527 · Granted May 26, 2009

Abstract

Claims (46)

1. A method of monitoring a condition of a catalyst in a catalytic converter of an internal combustion engine, comprising:

determining whether the engine is operating at idle;

commanding a first air/fuel ratio when the engine is operating at idle;

monitoring a first signal from a first oxygen sensor and a second signal from a second oxygen sensor;

commanding a second air/fuel ratio when the engine is operating at idle;

determining a first time based on said first oxygen sensor reaching a first threshold voltage in response to said commanded first air/fuel ratio;

determining a second time based on said second oxygen sensor reaching a second threshold voltage in response to said commanded second air/fuel ratio;

monitoring said first and second signals to acquire a respective first and second plurality of sample voltages between said first and second times;

calculating a differential area based on said monitoring; and

determining the condition of the catalyst based on the differential area calculation.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein commanding said first air/fuel ratio comprises:

commanding a rich air/fuel mixture.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein monitoring comprises:

monitoring said first signal from said first oxygen sensor located in an exhaust upstream of said catalytic converter; and

monitoring said second signal from said second oxygen sensor located in said exhaust downstream of said catalytic converter.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein monitoring said first signal comprises monitoring a first oxygen content at said first oxygen sensor over a period of time and wherein monitoring said second signal comprises monitoring a second oxygen content at said second oxygen sensor over a period of time.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein commanding said second air/fuel ratio comprises:

commanding a lean air/fuel ratio.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising comparing said differential area to a threshold.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein calculating the differential area includes continuously monitoring both of the first and second signals from the first time to the second time.

8. A control system for monitoring a condition of a catalyst in a catalytic converter of an internal combustion engine, comprising:

a first oxygen sensor located upstream of the catalytic converter that generates a first signal when the engine is operating at idle;

a second oxygen sensor located downstream of the catalytic converter that generates a second signal when the engine is operating at idle; and

a control module that monitors said first and second signals, that determines a first time based on a first threshold voltage attained by said first oxygen sensor in response to said generated first signal, that determines a second time based on a second threshold voltage attained by said second oxygen sensor in response to said generated second signal, that monitors said first and second signals and acquires a respective first and second plurality of sample voltages between said first and second times, that calculates a differential area based on said monitoring, and that determines the condition of the catalyst based on the differential area calculation.

9. The control system of claim 8 wherein the control module continuously monitors both of the first and second signals from the first time to the second time for the differential area calculation.

10. The control system of claim 8 wherein said control module commands a first air/fuel ratio and subsequently commands a second air/fuel ratio.

11. The control system of claim 10 wherein said first air/fuel ratio is rich.

12. The control system of claim 10 wherein said second air/fuel ratio is lean.

13. The control system of claim 11 wherein said first and second oxygen sensors are located in an exhaust.

14. The control system of claim 8 wherein said first and second oxygen sensors communicate a voltage to said control module.

15. The control system of claim 14 wherein said first time occurs during a decreasing voltage communicated from said first oxygen sensor in response to said control module commanding a lean air/fuel ratio.

16. The control system of claim 14 wherein said second time occurs during a decreasing voltage communicated from said second oxygen sensor in response to said control module commanding a lean air/fuel ratio.

17. A method of monitoring a condition of a catalyst in a catalytic converter of an internal combustion engine, comprising:

determining whether the engine is operating at idle;

commanding a rich air/fuel ratio when the engine is operating at idle;

monitoring a first and second signal over a time, said first signal communicated from a first oxygen sensor located upstream of the catalytic converter and said second signal communicated from a second oxygen sensor located downstream of the catalytic converter;

commanding a lean air/fuel ratio when the engine is operating at idle;

determining a first time based on said first oxygen sensor reaching a first threshold voltage in response to said commanded rich air/fuel ratio;

determining a second time based on said second oxygen sensor reaching a second threshold voltage in response to said commanded lean air/fuel ratio;

monitoring said first and second signals to acquire a respective first and second plurality of sample voltages between said first and second times;

calculating a differential area based on said monitoring; and

determining the condition of the catalyst based on the differential area calculation.

18. The method of claim 17 , further comprising:

comparing said differential area to a threshold; and

determining if the catalytic converter has held a charge of oxygen for a sufficient time based on said threshold.

19. The method of claim 17 wherein calculating the differential area includes continuously monitoring both of the first and second signals from the first time to the second time.

Assignments (13)