IP Library Granted Patent US 7,950,273
Granted Patent B2
US 7,950,273 · App. 12/118,016 · Granted May 31, 2011

Engine misfire and rough road detection systems and methods

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 7,950,273
App. No.
12/118,016
Granted
May 31, 2011
Kind
B2
Abstract

An engine misfire system comprises a rough road detection module and a misfire detection module. The rough road detection module selectively generates a rough road indicator based upon a transmission output speed of a vehicle. The misfire detection module selectively diagnoses engine misfire and selectively generates a misfire indicator based on diagnosed engine misfire and the rough road indicator.

Claims (92)

1. An engine misfire system comprising:

a rough road detection module that selectively generates a rough road indicator based upon a transmission output speed of a vehicle; and

a misfire detection module that selectively diagnoses engine misfire and that selectively generates a misfire indicator based on diagnosed engine misfire and said rough road indicator,

wherein said rough road detection module disables generation of said rough road indicator when at least one of a gear shift is occurring and said transmission output speed is less than a predetermined speed, and

wherein said rough road detection module disables generation of said rough road indicator while a torque converter clutch transitions between a first state and a second state.

2. The engine misfire system of claim 1 wherein said rough road detection module disables generation of said rough road indicator when a transmission of said vehicle is in one of park and neutral.

3. The engine misfire system of claim 1 wherein said rough road detection module disables generation of said rough road indicator when an engine load transitions across a load threshold.

4. The engine misfire system of claim 1 wherein said rough road detection module selectively performs a statistical analysis of derivatives of said transmission output speed and disables performance of said statistical analysis when generation of said rough road indicator is disabled.

5. The engine misfire system of claim 4 wherein performance of said statistical analysis remains disabled for a period of time after generation of said rough road indicator is reenabled.

6. The engine misfire system of claim 4 wherein said rough road detection module generates a statistical value for one of said derivative values based upon said one of said derivative values and a result of said statistical analysis, and

wherein said rough road detection module generates said rough road indicator based upon a comparison of said statistical value with a predetermined rough road value.

7. The engine misfire system of claim 6 wherein said result of said statistical analysis is an average of said derivative values, and

wherein said statistical value is generated based on a magnitude of a difference of said one of said derivative values and said result of said statistical analysis.

8. An engine misfire system comprising:

a rough road detection module that selectively generates a rough road indicator based upon a transmission output speed of a vehicle; and

a misfire detection module that selectively diagnoses engine misfire and that selectively generates a misfire indicator based on diagnosed engine misfire and said rough road indicator,

wherein said misfire detection module selectively disables generation of said misfire indicator when said rough road indicator is generated during a period of time, and

wherein said misfire detection module enables generation of said misfire indicator when said rough road indicator is generated during said period and at least one of an abusive misfire and a periodic misfire is detected during said period.

9. The engine misfire system of claim 8 wherein said misfire detection module detects said periodic misfire when more than a first predetermined number of engine misfires are diagnosed within a cylinder during said period.

10. The engine misfire system of claim 8 wherein said misfire detection module detects said abusive misfire when more than a second predetermined number of engine misfires are diagnosed during said period.

11. An engine misfire system comprising:

a rough road detection module in a vehicle that selectively generates a rough road indicator and that disables generation of said rough road indicator when at least one of a gear shift is occurring and a speed of said vehicle is less than a predetermined speed; and

a misfire detection module that selectively diagnoses engine misfire and that selectively generates a misfire indicator based on diagnosed engine misfire and said rough road indicator,

wherein said rough road detection module disables generation of said rough road indicator while a torque converter clutch transitions between a first state and a second state.

12. The engine misfire system of claim 11 wherein said speed is a transmission output speed of said vehicle.

13. The engine misfire system of claim 11 wherein said rough road detection module disables generation of said rough road indicator when a transmission of said vehicle is in one of park and neutral.

14. The engine misfire system of claim 11 wherein said rough road detection module disables generation of said rough road indicator when an engine load transitions across a load threshold.

15. The engine misfire system of claim 11 wherein said rough road detection module selectively performs a statistical analysis of derivative values of said speed and disables performance of said statistical analysis when generation of said rough road indicator is disabled.

16. The engine misfire system of claim 15 wherein performance of said statistical analysis remains disabled for a period of time after generation of said rough road indicator is reenabled.

17. The engine misfire system of claim 15 wherein said rough road detection module generates a statistical value for one of said derivative values based upon said one of said derivative values and a result of said statistical analysis, and

wherein said rough road detection module generates said rough road indicator based upon a comparison of said statistical value with a predetermined rough road value.

18. The engine misfire system of claim 17 wherein said result of said statistical analysis is an average of said derivative values, and

wherein said statistical value is generated based on a magnitude of a difference of said one of said derivative values and said result of said statistical analysis.

19. An engine misfire system comprising:

a rough road detection module in a vehicle that selectively generates a rough road indicator and that disables generation of said rough road indicator when at least one of a gear shift is occurring and a speed of said vehicle is less than a predetermined speed; and

a misfire detection module that selectively diagnoses engine misfire and that selectively generates a misfire indicator based on diagnosed engine misfire and said rough road indicator,

wherein said misfire detection module selectively disables generation of said misfire indicator when said rough road indicator is generated during a period of time, and

wherein said misfire detection module enables generation of said misfire indicator when said rough road indicator is generated during said period and at least one of an abusive misfire and a periodic misfire is detected during said period.

20. The engine misfire system of claim 19 wherein said misfire detection module detects said periodic misfire when more than a first predetermined number of engine misfires are diagnosed within a cylinder during said period.

21. The engine misfire system of claim 19 wherein said misfire detection module detects said abusive misfire when more than a second predetermined number of engine misfires are diagnosed during said period.

22. A method comprising:

selectively generating a rough road indicator based upon a transmission output speed of a vehicle;

selectively diagnosing engine misfire;

selectively generating a misfire indicator based on diagnosed engine misfire and said rough road indicator;

disabling generation of said rough road indicator when at least one of a gear shift is occurring and said transmission output speed is less than a predetermined speed; and

disabling generation of said rough road indicator while a torque converter clutch transitions between a first state and a second state.

23. The method of claim 22 further comprising disabling generation of said rough road indicator when a transmission of said vehicle is in one of park and neutral.

24. The method of claim 22 further comprising disabling generation of said rough road indicator when an engine load transitions across a load threshold.

25. The method of claim 22 further comprising:

selectively performing a statistical analysis of derivatives of said transmission output speed; and

disabling performance of said statistical analysis when generation of said rough road indicator is disabled.

26. The method of claim 25 wherein performance of said statistical analysis remains disabled for a period of time after generation of said rough road indicator is reenabled.

27. The method of claim 25 further comprising:

generating a statistical value for one of said derivative values based upon said one of said derivative values and a result of said statistical analysis; and

generating said rough road indicator based upon a comparison of said statistical value with a predetermined rough road value.

28. The method of claim 27 wherein said result of said statistical analysis is an average of said derivative values, and

wherein said statistical value is generated based on a magnitude of a difference of said one of said derivative values and said result of said statistical analysis.

29. A method comprising:

selectively generating a rough road indicator based upon a transmission output speed of a vehicle;

selectively diagnosing engine misfire;

selectively generating a misfire indicator based on diagnosed engine misfire and said rough road indicator;

selectively disabling generation of said misfire indicator when said rough road indicator is generated during a period of time; and

enabling generation of said misfire indicator when said rough road indicator is generated during said period and at least one of an abusive misfire and a periodic misfire is detected during said period.

30. The method of claim 29 further comprising detecting said periodic misfire when more than a first predetermined number of engine misfires are diagnosed within a cylinder during said period.

31. The method of claim 29 further comprising detecting said abusive misfire when more than a second predetermined number of engine misfires are diagnosed during said period.

32. A method comprising:

selectively generating a rough road indicator;

disabling generation of said rough road indicator when at least one of a gear shift is occurring and a speed of a vehicle is less than a predetermined speed;

selectively diagnosing engine misfire;

selectively generating a misfire indicator based on diagnosed engine misfire and said rough road indicator; and

disabling generation of said rough road indicator while a torque converter clutch transitions between a first state and a second state.

33. The method of claim 32 wherein said speed is a transmission output speed of said vehicle.

34. The method of claim 32 further comprising disabling generation of said rough road indicator when a transmission of said vehicle is in one of park and neutral.

35. The method of claim 32 further comprising disabling generation of said rough road indicator when an engine load transitions across a load threshold.

36. The method of claim 32 further comprising:

selectively performing a statistical analysis of derivative values of said speed; and

disabling performance of said statistical analysis when generation of said rough road indicator is disabled.

37. The method of claim 36 wherein performance of said statistical analysis remains disabled for a period of time after generation of said rough road indicator is reenabled.

38. The method of claim 36 further comprising:

generating a statistical value for one of said derivative values based upon said one of said derivative values and a result of said statistical analysis; and

generating said rough road indicator based upon a comparison of said statistical value with a predetermined rough road value.

39. The method of claim 38 wherein said result of said statistical analysis is an average of said derivative values, and

wherein said statistical value is generated based on a magnitude of a difference of said one of said derivative values and said result of said statistical analysis.

40. A method comprising:

selectively generating a rough road indicator;

disabling generation of said rough road indicator when at least one of a gear shift is occurring and a speed of a vehicle is less than a predetermined speed;

selectively diagnosing engine misfire;

selectively generating a misfire indicator based on diagnosed engine misfire and said rough road indicator;

selectively disabling generation of said misfire indicator when said rough road indicator is generated during a period of time; and

enabling generation of said misfire indicator when said rough road indicator is generated during said period and at least one of an abusive misfire and a periodic misfire is detected during said period.

41. The method of claim 40 further comprising detecting said periodic misfire when more than a first predetermined number of engine misfires are diagnosed within a cylinder during said period.

42. The method of claim 40 further comprising detecting said abusive misfire when more than a second predetermined number of engine misfires are diagnosed during said period.

Assignments (13)
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Nov 7, 2014
From: WILMINGTON TRUST COMPANY
To: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
Reel/Frame 034384/0758 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Feb 10, 2011
From: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS, INC.
To: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
Reel/Frame 025781/0211 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Nov 8, 2010
From: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS, INC.
To: WILMINGTON TRUST COMPANY
Reel/Frame 025324/0475 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Nov 5, 2010
From: UAW RETIREE MEDICAL BENEFITS TRUST
To: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS, INC.
Reel/Frame 025315/0001 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Nov 4, 2010
From: UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY
To: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS, INC.
Reel/Frame 025245/0780 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Aug 28, 2009
From: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS, INC.
To: UAW RETIREE MEDICAL BENEFITS TRUST
Reel/Frame 023162/0187 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Aug 27, 2009
From: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS, INC.
To: UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY
Reel/Frame 023156/0215 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Aug 21, 2009
From: CITICORP USA, INC. AS AGENT FOR BANK PRIORITY SECURED PARTIES; CITICORP USA, INC. AS AGENT FOR HEDGE PRIORITY SECURED PARTIES
To: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS, INC.
Reel/Frame 023155/0880 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Aug 20, 2009
From: UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY
To: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS, INC.
Reel/Frame 023124/0670 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Apr 16, 2009
From: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS, INC.
To: CITICORP USA, INC. AS AGENT FOR BANK PRIORITY SECURED PARTIES; CITICORP USA, INC. AS AGENT FOR HEDGE PRIORITY SECURED PARTIES
Reel/Frame 022554/0479 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Feb 4, 2009
From: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS, INC.
To: UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY
Reel/Frame 022201/0448 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Feb 3, 2009
From: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS, INC.
To: UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY
Reel/Frame 022201/0363 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 9, 2008
From: ASSAF, TAMEEM K.; NAIK, SANJEEV M.; MATHEWS, DAVID S.
To: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS, INC.
Reel/Frame 020926/0700 →