1. A system, comprising:
an electromagnetic radiation source configured to excite, with electromagnetic radiation having a first source frequency, an object configured to suppress the first source frequency in a responsive emission of electromagnetic radiation from such an object; and
an electromagnetic radiation detector configured to receive a responsive emission of electromagnetic radiation from such an object, and configured to detect a presence of such an object upon determining a presence within the responsive emission of a second or third harmonic of the first source frequency.
2. The system of claim 1, wherein the system is configured to determine a direction of a location of such an object relative to a location of the electromagnetic radiation detector.
3. The system of claim 1, wherein the electromagnetic radiation detector includes a filter configured to attenuate electromagnetic radiation having the first source frequency.
4. The system of claim 1, wherein the electromagnetic radiation detector includes a filter configured to selectively pass a second or third harmonic of the first source frequency.
5. The system of claim 1, wherein the electromagnetic radiation source is configured to emit electromagnetic radiation having the first source frequency in a pulsed cycle, and wherein the electromagnetic radiation detector is configured to determine that a presence of such an object has been detected if the electromagnetic radiation detector determines a presence within the responsive emission of another frequency in the pulsed cycle.
6. The system of claim 1, wherein the electromagnetic radiation source is configured to emit electromagnetic radiation having a power level capable of degrading constituent materials of such an object.
7. A system, comprising:
an electromagnetic radiation source configured to excite, with electromagnetic radiation having first and second source frequencies, an object configured to suppress the first and second source frequencies in a responsive emission of electromagnetic radiation from such an object; and
an electromagnetic radiation detector configured to receive a responsive emission of electromagnetic radiation from such an object, and configured to detect a presence of such an object upon determining a presence within the responsive emission of about a frequency that includes a sum or a difference of the first and second source frequencies, or a multiple of one of the first and second source frequencies, or a combination of the foregoing.
8. The system of claim 7, wherein the electromagnetic radiation detector is configured to detect a second or third harmonic of either or both of the first source frequency and the second source frequency.
9. The system of claim 7, wherein the electromagnetic radiation detector includes a filter configured to attenuate electromagnetic radiation having either or both of the first source frequency and the second source frequency.
10. The system of claim 7, wherein the electromagnetic radiation detector includes a filter configured to selectively pass a frequency about including a sum or a difference of the first and second source frequencies, or a multiple of one of the first and second source frequencies, or a combination of the foregoing.
11. The system of claim 7, wherein the system is configured to determine a direction of a location of such an object relative to a location of the electromagnetic radiation detector.
12. The system of claim 7, wherein the electromagnetic radiation source is configured to emit electromagnetic radiation having the first and second source frequencies in pulsed cycles, and wherein the electromagnetic radiation detector is configured to determine that a presence of such an object has been detected if the electromagnetic radiation detector determines a presence within the responsive emission of another frequency in the pulsed cycle.
13. The system of claim 7, wherein the electromagnetic radiation source is configured to emit electromagnetic radiation having a power level capable of degrading constituent materials of such an object.
14. A method, comprising:
exciting, with electromagnetic radiation having a first source frequency, an object configured to suppress the first source frequency in a responsive emission of electromagnetic radiation from such an object;
receiving a responsive emission of electromagnetic radiation from such an object; and
detecting a presence of such an object upon determining a presence within the responsive emission of a second or third harmonic of the first source frequency.
15. The method of claim 14, wherein detecting the presence of such an object includes determining a direction of a location of such an object relative to a location of the electromagnetic radiation detector.
16. The method of claim 14, wherein detecting the presence of such an object includes determining a presence within the responsive emission of a second or third harmonic of the first source frequency.
17. The method of claim 14, wherein exciting such an object with electromagnetic radiation includes exciting such an object with electromagnetic radiation having the first source frequency in a pulsed cycle, and wherein determining that a presence of such an object has been detected includes determining a presence within the a responsive emission of another frequency in the pulsed cycle.
18. The method of claim 14, wherein exciting such an object with electromagnetic radiation having a first source frequency includes exciting such an object with electromagnetic radiation having a power level capable of degrading constituent materials of such an. object.
19. A method, comprising: exciting, with electromagnetic radiation having first and second source frequencies, an object configured to suppress the first and second source frequencies in a responsive emission of electromagnetic radiation from such an object; receiving a responsive emission of electromagnetic radiation from such an object; and detecting a presence of such an object upon determining a presence within the responsive emission of a frequency that about includes a sum or a difference of the first and second source frequencies, or a multiple of one of the first and second source frequencies, or a combination of the foregoing.
20. The method of claim 19, wherein detecting the presence of such an object includes determining a direction of a location of such an object relative to a location of the electromagnetic radiation detector.
21. The method of claim 19, wherein exciting such an object with electromagnetic radiation includes exciting such an object with electromagnetic radiation having the first and second source frequencies in pulsed cycles, and wherein determining that a presence of such an object has been detected includes determining a presence within the responsive emission of another frequency in the pulsed cycle.
22. The method of claim 19, wherein exciting such an object with electromagnetic radiation having the first and second source frequencies includes exciting such an object with electromagnetic radiation having a power level capable of degrading constituent materials of such an object.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A failure diagnosis apparatus of a fuel vapor purge system, the fuel vapor purge system including a fuel tank that stores fuel for an internal combustion engine, a canister that collects fuel vapor generated in the fuel tank, and an evaporation route that includes the fuel tank, the canister, an evaporation passage for introducing the fuel vapor generated in the fuel tank into the canister, and a purge passage for purging the fuel vapor collected in the canister into an intake passage of the internal combustion engine, the failure diagnosis apparatus comprising a controller that:
controls a pressure difference applying unit to applying a pressure difference between the evaporation route and outside air;
detects a level of an influence of the fuel vapor generated in the fuel tank on failure determination of the evaporation route;
detects both a pressure state obtained when the pressure difference applying unit communicates with a reference orifice communicating with the outside air and a pressure state obtained when the pressure difference applying unit communicates with the evaporation route;
determines whether there is a failure in the evaporation route in view of the level of the influence by comparing the former pressure state with the latter pressure; and
determines whether a leak occurs when a pressure introducing set period does not elapse after the pressure becomes stable, wherein when a pressure difference application time to the evaporation route reaches a predetermined time, the controller determines whether there is a failure in the evaporation route regardless of the determination result that the pressure change in the evaporation route becomes stable.
2. The failure diagnosis apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a cut-off unit, controlled by the controller, for disconnecting the evaporation route from the outside air.
3. The failure diagnosis apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising:
a switch valve for selectively connecting a fresh-air introducing port of the canister to an atmosphere release port and the pressure difference applying unit; and
a bypass passage extending from the pressure difference applying unit to the fresh-air introducing port of the canister so as to bypass the switch valve, and having the reference orifice;
wherein the controller operates the pressure difference applying unit, switches the switch valve to the atmosphere release port, causes a pressure generated by the pressure difference applying unit to pass through the reference orifice of the bypass passage and the switch valve, then releases the pressure to the atmosphere from the atmosphere release port, and calculates the pressure thus released to the atmosphere as a reference value, operates the pressure difference applying unit, switches the switch valve to the pressure difference applying unit, causes a pressure generated by the pressure difference applying unit to pass through the switch valve, then supplies to the evaporation route from the fresh-air introducing port of the canister, and calculates the pressure thus supplied to the evaporation route as a comparative value, and determines whether there is a failure in the evaporation route by comparing the reference value with the comparative value.
4. The failure diagnosis apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the pressure difference applying unit is an electric air pump for supplying or sucking air.
5. The failure diagnosis apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the controller determines when a pressure change in the evaporation route becomes stable, based on a pressure change rate of the evaporation route, and determines a timing of determining whether there is a failure in the evaporation route based on the determination result that the pressure change in the evaporation route becomes stable.
6. The failure diagnosis apparatus according to claim 5, wherein when a pressure difference application time to the evaporation route is less than a predetermined time, the controller determines whether there is a failure in the evaporation route upon determining that the pressure change in the evaporation route becomes stable.
7. The failure diagnosis apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising a pressure sensor, coupled the controller, and the pressure sensor is provided between the pressure difference applying unit and the evaporation route.
8. The failure diagnosis apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:
a switch valve for selectively connecting a fresh-air introducing port of the canister to an atmosphere release port and the pressure difference applying unit;
a bypass passage extending from the pressure difference applying unit to the fresh-air introducing port of the canister so as to bypass the switch valve, and having the reference orifice;
wherein the controller operates the pressure difference applying unit and switching the switch valve to the atmosphere release port, causes a pressure generated by the pressure difference applying unit to pass through the reference orifice of the bypass passage and the switch valve, then releases the pressure to the atmosphere from the atmosphere release port, and the pressure thus released to the atmosphere is calculated as a reference value, by operating the pressure difference applying unit and switching the switch valve to the pressure difference applying unit, a pressure generated by the pressure difference applying unit is caused to pass through the switch valve and is then supplied to the evaporation route from the fresh-air introducing port of the canister, and calculates the pressure thus supplied to the evaporation route as a comparative value; and
determines whether there is a failure in the evaporation route by comparing the reference value with the comparative value.
9. The failure diagnosis apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the controller determines that a pressure change in the evaporation route becomes stable, based on a pressure change rate of the evaporation route, and
determines a timing of determining whether there is a failure in the evaporation route based on the determination result that the pressure change in the evaporation route becomes stable.
10. The failure diagnosis apparatus according to claim 9, wherein when a pressure difference application time to the evaporation route is less than a predetermined time, the controller determines whether there is a failure in the evaporation route upon determining that the pressure change in the evaporation route becomes stable.
11. A failure diagnosis method of a fuel vapor purge system, the fuel vapor purge system including a fuel tank for storing fuel for an internal combustion engine, a canister for collecting fuel vapor generated in the fuel tank, and an evaporation route including the fuel tank, the canister, an evaporation passage for introducing the fuel vapor generated in the fuel tank into the canister, and a purge passage for purging the fuel vapor collected in the canister into an intake passage of the internal combustion engine, the method comprising the steps of:
detecting a level of an influence of the fuel vapor generated in the fuel tank on failure determination of the evaporation route;
detecting a pressure state obtained when a pressure difference applying unit for applying a pressure difference between the evaporation route and outside air communicates with a reference orifice communicating with the outside air;
detecting a pressure state obtained when the pressure difference applying unit communicates with the evaporation route; and
determining whether there is a failure in the evaporation route in view of the level of the influence by comparing the former pressure state with the latter pressure state;
determining whether a leak occurs when a pressure introducing set period does not elapse after the pressure becomes stable,
determining when a pressure difference application time to the evaporation route reaches a predetermined time; and
determining whether there is a failure in the evaporation route regardless of the determination result that the pressure change in the evaporation route becomes table.
12. The failure diagnosis method according to claim 11, further comprising the steps of:
operating the pressure difference applying unit;
switching a switch valve to an atmosphere release port so that a pressure generated by the pressure difference applying unit is caused to pass through the reference orifice of a bypass passage and the switch valve and is then released to atmosphere from the atmosphere release port;
calculating the pressure thus released to the atmosphere as a reference value, the bypass passage being a passage extending from the pressure difference applying unit to a fresh-air introducing port of the canister so as to bypass the switch valve, and having the reference orifice, and the switch valve being a valve for selectively connecting the fresh-air introducing port of the canister to the atmosphere release port and the pressure difference applying unit;
operating the pressure difference applying unit and switching the switch valve to the pressure difference applying unit so that a pressure generated by the pressure difference applying unit is caused to pass through the switch valve and is then supplied to the evaporation route from the fresh-air introducing port of the canister;
calculating the pressure thus supplied to the evaporation route as a comparative value; and
determining whether there is a failure in the evaporation route by comparing the reference value with the comparative value.
13. The failure diagnosis method according to claim 12, further comprising the steps of:
determining when a pressure change in the evaporation route becomes stable, based on a pressure change rate of the evaporation route; and
determining a timing of determining whether there is a failure in the evaporation route, based on the determination result that the pressure change in the evaporation route becomes stable.
14. The failure diagnosis method according to claim 11, further comprising the steps of:
determining when a pressure change in the evaporation route becomes stable, based on a pressure change rate of the evaporation route; and
determining a timing of determining whether there is a failure in the evaporation route, based on the determination result that the pressure change in the evaporation route becomes stable.
15. The failure diagnosis method according to claim 14, further comprising the steps of:
determining when a pressure difference application time to the evaporation route is less than a predetermined time; and
determining whether there is a failure in the evaporation route upon determining that the pressure change in the evaporation route becomes stable.