Ignition coil control system and method thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11560870-B2
Application number	US-202117486422-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 27, 2021
Priority date	Feb 5, 2021
Publication date	Jan 24, 2023
Grant date	Jan 24, 2023

Abstract

An ignition coil control system may include a first ignition coil including a primary coil and a secondary coil; a first switch that selectively electrically-connects the primary coil of the first ignition coil; a second ignition coil including a primary coil and a secondary coil; a second switch that selectively electrically-connects the primary coil of the second ignition coil; a pair of electrodes generating spark discharge by a discharge current generated in the first ignition coil and the second ignition coil; and an ignition controller that controls spark discharge of the pair of electrodes by adjusting an amount and a duration of the discharge current of the first ignition coil and the second ignition coil by turning the first switch and the second switch on or off according to a single pulse signal having a constant voltage including different voltages transmitted from an engine control unit (ECU).

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An ignition coil control system comprising:
a first ignition coil including a primary coil and a secondary coil;
a first switch that selectively electrically-connects the primary coil of the first ignition coil;
a second ignition coil including a primary coil and a secondary coil;
a second switch that selectively electrically-connects the primary coil of the second ignition coil;
a pair of electrodes generating spark discharge by a discharge current generated in the first ignition coil and the second ignition coil; and
an ignition controller that is connected to the first switch and the second switch and is configured to control the spark discharge of the pair of electrodes by adjusting an amount and a duration of the discharge current of the first ignition coil and the second ignition coil by turning the first switch and the second switch on or off according to a single pulse signal having a constant voltage transmitted from an engine control unit (ECU),
wherein the ignition controller is configured for:
charging the first ignition coil by turning on the first switch when the single pulse signal is on;
discharging the first ignition coil by turning off the first switch when a first dwell time elapse;
charging the second ignition coil for the first dwell time by turning on the second switch when a delay time elapses from a time point at which the single pulse signal is on and then discharging the second ignition coil;
charging the first ignition coil by turning on the first switch for a second dwell time after the second ignition coil is discharged and discharging the first ignition coil; and
charging the second ignition coil by turning on the second switch for the second dwell time after the first ignition coil is discharged and discharging the second ignition coil, and
wherein the ignition controller is configured to repeat the charging and the discharging of the first ignition coil and the second ignition coil until the single pulse signal is off, and
wherein after the first ignition coil is initially discharged, a discharging period of the first ignition coil and a discharging period of the second ignition coil overlap.

2. The ignition coil control system of claim 1 , wherein the first dwell time is a time for which the first ignition coil and the second ignition coil are fully charged.

3. A method of controlling an ignition coil control system including a spark plug that generates spark discharge between a center electrode and a ground electrode through a current generated in a first ignition coil and a second ignition coil, the control method comprising:
receiving, by a controller, a single pulse signal having a constant voltage;
charging, by the controller, the first ignition coil when the single pulse signal is on;
charging, by the controller, the second ignition coil when a delay time elapses from a time point at which the single pulse signal is on;
discharging, by the controller, the first ignition coil when a first dwell time elapses from a time point at which the single pulse signal is on;
discharging, by the controller, the second ignition coil when the first dwell time elapses from a time point at which the second ignition coil is charged;
charging, by the controller, the first ignition coil for a second dwell time after the second ignition coil and discharging, by the controller, the first ignition coil; and
charging, by the controller, the second ignition coil for the second dwell time after the first ignition coil is discharged and discharging, by the controller, the second ignition coil,
wherein the charging and the discharging of the first ignition coil and the second ignition coil are repeated until the single pulse signal is off, and
wherein after the first ignition coil is initially discharged, a discharging period of the first ignition coil and a discharging period of the second ignition coil overlap.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the first dwell time is a time for which the first ignition coil and the second ignition coil are fully charged.

Assignees

• Hyundai Motor Co Ltd
• Kia Corp

Inventors

• Sim Kiseon
• Jung Dongwon
• Kim Won Gyu
• Song Jin Oh
• Woo Soo Hyung

Classifications

• F02P15/008 Primary

  Reserve ignition systems; Redundancy of some ignition devices · CPC title

• F02P3/0453 Primary

  Opening or closing the primary coil circuit with semiconductor devices · CPC title

• F02P15/08

  having multiple-spark ignition, i.e. ignition occurring simultaneously at different places in one engine cylinder or in two or more separate engine cylinders · CPC title

• F02P3/045 Primary

  for control of the dwell or anti dwell time · CPC title

• F02P15/10

  having continuous electric sparks · CPC title