Image processing-based methodology for optimizing automotive ignition timing

Modern fuel-injected automobiles use an electronic engine control unit (ECU) that is programmed to ignite the air-fuel mixture in a way that maximizes the torque (TQ) and power output of the engine without compromising its reliability. The ECU achieves this by reading a base value from the primary ignition map (PIM) and then manipulating various other parameters to come up with the final solution. Each input into the final solution comes from a so-called map, which is a 3-D image that represents a set of all the possible values that each parameter can take on. In this paper, we develop a robust methodology using image processing techniques to optimize the PIM for automobiles. The techniques are used to compare, combine, manipulate, and reconstruct various maps. Experiments show that the process yields a gain of about 7 hp and a TQ of 15 ft · lb measured at the wheels.