Patent ID: 7819106
Filing Date: 2010-10-26
Classification: F02D

Abstract:
1. An engine control apparatus comprising: an interval measuring means that sequentially measures, based on an operation signal, an interval between a specified-directed change of a level of the operation signal and a next specified-directed change of the level of the operation signal, the operation signal being composed of a regular region and an irregular region repetitively appearing in time during one cycle of an operation of an engine, the level of the operation signal changing in time in a predetermined direction in the regular region thereof every amount of regular operation of the engine, the level of the operation signal changing in time in the predetermined direction in the irregular region thereof with an amount of irregular operation of the engine; a measured-value obtaining means that obtains, every time the level of the operation signal changes in the predetermined direction, the measured value measured by the interval measuring means as an interval between the change of the level and a previous change thereof; a multiplication clock generating means that sets each of the measured values obtained by the measured-value obtaining means as a reference interval and divides, by a predetermined multiplication number, the reference interval so as to generate a multiplication clock having a clock cycle corresponding to a division of the reference interval by the predetermined multiplication number; an operation count means that serves as a counter that counts the multiplication clock generated by the multiplication clock generating means, when operating conditions of the engine during the one cycle are represented with a resolution calculated by dividing the amount of the regular operation by the predetermined multiplication number, each of the operating conditions being associated with a corresponding one of count values of the counter; an irregular-region start detection means to detect, based on the operation signal, that a specified-directed level change in the operation signal is a change generated at a start of the irregular region; an irregular-region end detection means to detect, based on the operation signal, a specified-directed level change in the operation signal is a change generated at an end of the irregular region; a reference fixing means that fixes the reference interval to a predetermined value when it is detected by the irregular-region start detection means that the predetermined-directed level change in the operation signal is the change of the start of the irregular region; and a reference resetting means that resets the reference interval from the predetermined value fixed by the reference fixing means to each of the measured values measured by the interval measuring means when it is detected by the irregular-region end detection means that the predetermined-directed level change in the operation signal is the change of the end of the irregular region, wherein the engine control apparatus is configured to control the operation of the engine based on a corresponding one of the operating conditions specified by each of the count values of the counter.