초록 ▼

A comparator compares the total intake air amount accumulated by an accumulator with a reference value obtained via a selector. If the total intake air amount is smaller than the reference value, the CSS control is determined as being abnormal and a CSS-abnormality signal is output. If the number of

A comparator compares the total intake air amount accumulated by an accumulator with a reference value obtained via a selector. If the total intake air amount is smaller than the reference value, the CSS control is determined as being abnormal and a CSS-abnormality signal is output. If the number of times an atmospheric pressure learning value has been updated is equal to or larger than a threshold that is set large enough to determine that the accuracy of the calculated atmospheric pressure learning value is sufficiently high, a reference value is output from a characteristic storage to the comparator. Conversely, if the number of times the atmospheric pressure learning value has been updated is smaller than the threshold, an initial reference value is output from an initial reference value storage to the comparator.

대표청구항 ▼

What is claimed is: 1. A monitoring apparatus for monitoring an operation state of an internal combustion engine, comprising: an atmospheric pressure obtaining portion that obtains an atmospheric pressure; a learning value calculating portion that calculates an atmospheric pressure learning value b

What is claimed is: 1. A monitoring apparatus for monitoring an operation state of an internal combustion engine, comprising: an atmospheric pressure obtaining portion that obtains an atmospheric pressure; a learning value calculating portion that calculates an atmospheric pressure learning value based on a record of the atmospheric pressure obtained by the atmospheric pressure obtaining portion; an air amount accumulating portion that accumulates the amount of air drawn into the internal combustion engine for a predetermined period of time from a start of the internal combustion engine; an abnormality determination portion that determines the operation state of the internal combustion engine as being abnormal when the accumulated air amount is smaller than a predetermined reference value corresponding to the atmospheric pressure learning value; wherein the reference value is set in accordance with the atmospheric pressure learning value a comparing portion that compares the number of times the atmospheric pressure learning value has been updated, which corresponds to the degree of learning that the learning value calculating portion has performed for the atmospheric pressure learning value, by the learning value calculating portion with a predetermined threshold, and a reference value setting portion that sets the reference value to a value corresponding to the atmospheric pressure learning value, which is calculated by the learning value calculating portion, when the number of times the atmospheric pressure learning value has been updated by the learning value calculating portion is equal to or larger than the predetermined threshold, and the degree of learning that the learning value calculating portion has performed for the atmospheric pressure learning value. 2. The monitoring apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a comparing portion that compares the number of times the atmospheric pressure learning value has been updated, which corresponds to the degree of learning that the learning value calculating portion has performed for the atmospheric pressure learning value, by the learning value calculating portion with a predetermined threshold, and a reference value setting portion that sets the reference value to a value corresponding to an initial value of the atmospheric pressure learning value, which has been set in advance by the learning value calculating portion, when the number of times the atmospheric pressure learning value has been updated by the learning value calculating portion is smaller than the predetermined threshold. 3. The monitoring apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the internal combustion engine includes a throttle mechanism that controls the flow rate of air drawn into the internal combustion engine, and the atmospheric pressure obtaining portion calculates the atmospheric pressure based on the degree of opening of the throttle mechanism and the flow rate of air drawn into the internal combustion engine. 4. The monitoring apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the atmospheric pressure obtaining portion is an atmospheric pressure sensor adapted to detect the atmospheric pressure. 5. The monitoring apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the air amount accumulating portion starts accumulating the amount of air drawn into the internal combustion engine from a start of the internal combustion engine. 6. The monitoring apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the internal combustion engine runs by combusting gasoline. 7. The monitoring apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the air amount accumulating portion suspends the accumulation of the amount of air drawn into the internal combustion engine while the internal combustion engine is being raced. 8. A monitoring apparatus for monitoring an operation state of an internal combustion engine, comprising: an atmospheric pressure obtaining portion that obtains an atmospheric pressure; a learning value calculating portion that calculates an atmospheric pressure learning value based on a record of the atmospheric pressure obtained by the atmospheric pressure obtaining portion; an air amount accumulating portion that accumulates the amount of air drawn into the internal combustion engine for a predetermined period of time from a start of the internal combustion engine; an abnormality determination portion that determines the operation state of the internal combustion engine as being abnormal when the accumulated air amount is smaller than a predetermined reference value corresponding to the atmospheric pressure learning value; a comparing portion that compares the number of times the atmospheric pressure learning value has been updated, which corresponds to the degree of learning that the learning value calculating portion has performed for the atmospheric pressure learning value, by the learning value calculating portion with a predetermined threshold; and an invalidating portion that invalidates the abnormality determination function of the abnormality determination portion when the number of times the atmospheric pressure learning value has been updated by the learning value calculating portion is smaller than the predetermined threshold ; and a reference value setting portion that sets the reference value to a value corresponding to the atmospheric pressure learning value, which is calculated by the learning value calculating portion, when the number of times the atmospheric pressure learning value has been updated by the learning value calculating portion is equal to or larger than the predetermined threshold. 9. The monitoring apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the internal combustion engine includes a throttle mechanism that controls the flow rate of air drawn into the internal combustion engine, and the atmospheric pressure obtaining portion calculates the atmospheric pressure based on the degree of opening of the throttle mechanism and the flow rate of air drawn into the internal combustion engine. 10. The monitoring apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the atmospheric pressure obtaining portion is an atmospheric pressure sensor adapted to detect the atmospheric pressure. 11. The monitoring apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the air amount accumulating portion starts accumulating the amount of air drawn into the internal combustion engine from a start of the internal combustion engine. 12. The monitoring apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the internal combustion engine runs by combusting gasoline. 13. The monitoring apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the air amount accumulating portion suspends the accumulation of the amount of air drawn into the internal combustion engine while the internal combustion engine is being raced. 14. A method for monitoring an operation state of an internal combustion engine, comprising: obtaining an atmospheric pressure; calculating an atmospheric pressure learning value based on a record of the obtained atmospheric pressure; accumulating the amount of air drawn into the internal combustion engine for a predetermined period of time from a start of the internal combustion engine; determining the operation state of the internal combustion engine as being abnormal when the accumulated air amount is smaller than a predetermined reference value corresponding to the atmospheric pressure learning value; setting the reference value in accordance with the atmospheric pressure learning value and the degree of learning that has performed for the atmospheric pressure learning value comparing the number of times the atmospheric pressure learning value has been updated, which corresponds to the degree of learning that has performed for the atmospheric pressure learning value, with a predetermined threshold, and setting the reference value to a value corresponding to the calculated atmospheric pressure learning value when the number of times the atmospheric pressure learning value has been updated is equal to or larger than the predetermined threshold. 15. The method according to claim 14, further comprising: comparing the number of times the atmospheric pressure learning value has been updated by the learning value calculating portion with a predetermined threshold, and setting the reference value to a value corresponding to an initial value of the atmospheric pressure learning value, which has been set in advance, when the number of times the atmospheric pressure learning value has been updated is smaller than the predetermined threshold. 16. The method according to claim 14, wherein the internal combustion engine includes a throttle mechanism that controls the flow rate of air drawn into the internal combustion engine, and the atmospheric pressure is calculated based on the degree of opening of the throttle mechanism and the flow rate of air drawn into the internal combustion engine. 17. The method according to claim 14, wherein the accumulation of the amount of air drawn into the internal combustion engine is started from a start of the internal combustion engine. 18. The method apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the accumulation of the amount of air drawn into the internal combustion engine is suspended while the internal combustion engine is being raced. 19. A method for monitoring an operation state of an internal combustion engine, comprising: obtaining an atmospheric pressure; calculating an atmospheric pressure learning value based on a record of the obtained atmospheric pressure; accumulating the amount of air drawn into the internal combustion engine for a predetermined period of time from a start of the internal combustion engine; determining the operation state of the internal combustion engine as being abnormal when the accumulated air amount is smaller than a predetermined reference value corresponding to the atmospheric pressure learning value, comparing the number of times the atmospheric pressure learning value has been updated, which corresponds to the degree of learning that has performed for the atmospheric pressure learning value, with a predetermined threshold; invalidating the abnormality determination when the number of times the atmospheric pressure learning value has been updated is smaller than the predetermined threshold; and setting the reference value to a value corresponding to the calculated atmospheric pressure learning value when the number of times the atmospheric pressure learning value has been updated is equal to or larger than the predetermined threshold. 20. The method according to claim 19, wherein the internal combustion engine includes a throttle mechanism that controls the flow rate of air drawn into the internal combustion engine, and the atmospheric pressure is calculated based on the degree of opening of the throttle mechanism and the flow rate of air drawn into the internal combustion engine. 21. The method according to claim 19, wherein the accumulation of the amount of air drawn into the internal combustion engine is started from a start of the internal combustion engine. 22. The method apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the accumulation of the amount of air drawn into the internal combustion engine is suspended while the internal combustion engine is being raced.