Ignition coil control system and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11846262-B2
Application number	US-202117359962-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 28, 2021
Priority date	Feb 26, 2021
Publication date	Dec 19, 2023
Grant date	Dec 19, 2023

Abstract

An ignition coil control system includes: a first ignition coil; a second ignition coil; a spark plug 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 electrode by adjusting an amount and duration of the discharge current of the first ignition coil and the second ignition coil based on a step pulse signal 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;
a second ignition coil;
a spark plug configured to generate spark discharge by a discharge current generated in the first ignition coil and the second ignition coil; and
an ignition controller configured to:
adjust an amount and a duration of the discharge current of the first ignition coil and the second ignition coil based on a step pulse signal including different voltages transmitted from an engine control unit (ECU), and
control the spark discharge of the spark plug based on the adjusted amount and duration of the discharge current,

wherein the ignition controller is further configured to:
charge the first ignition coil with electric energy from a time point at which the step pulse signal is on to a time point at which a size of the step pulse signal is changed; and
charge the second ignition coil with electric energy for a first dwell time when a first delay time elapses from the time point at which the step pulse signal is on.

2. The ignition coil control system of claim 1 , wherein the first dwell time is determined from the time point at which the step pulse signal is on to the time point at which the size of the step pulse signal is changed.

3. The ignition coil control system of claim 1 , wherein the ignition controller is further configured to:
charge the first ignition coil for a second dwell time and then discharge when a second delay time elapses from the time point at which the size of the step pulse signal is changed; and
charge the second ignition coil for the second dwell time and then discharge after discharging the first ignition coil.

4. The ignition coil control system of claim 3 , wherein charging and discharging the first ignition coil and the second ignition coil are repeated until the step pulse signal is off.

5. The ignition coil control system of claim 3 , 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.

6. An ignition coil control system, comprising:
a first ignition coil including a primary coil and a secondary coil;
a first switch configured to selectively electrically connect the primary coil of the first ignition coil;
a second ignition coil including a primary coil and a secondary coil;
a second switch configured to selectively electrically connect the primary coil of the second ignition coil;
a spark plug configured to generate spark discharge by a discharge current generated in the first ignition coil and the second ignition coil; and
an ignition controller configured to control the spark discharge of the spark plug 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 based on a step pulse signal including different voltages transmitted from an engine control unit (ECU),
wherein the ignition controller is further configured to:
charge the first ignition coil by turning on the first switch when the step pulse signal is on; and
charge the second ignition coil for a first dwell time by turning on the second switch when a first delay time elapses from a time point at which the step pulse signal is on.

7. The ignition coil control system of claim 6 , wherein the ignition controller is configured to:
discharge the first ignition coil by turning off the first switch when a size of the step pulse signal is changed;
charge the first ignition coil by turning on the first switch for a second dwell time and then discharge the first ignition coil by turning off the second switch when a second delay time elapses from a time point when the size of the step pulse signal is changed; and
charge the second ignition coil by turning on the second switch for the second dwell time and then discharge the second ignition coil by turning off the second switch after the first ignition coil is discharged.

8. The ignition coil control system of claim 7 , wherein the first dwell time is determined from the time point at which the step pulse signal is on to the time point at which the size of the step pulse signal is changed.

9. The ignition coil control system of claim 7 , wherein the first dwell time is determined as a time period for which the first ignition coil and the second ignition coil are fully charged.

10. The ignition coil control system of claim 7 , wherein the ignition controller is configured to repeat charging and discharging the first ignition coil and the second ignition coil until the step pulse signal is off.

11. The ignition coil control system of claim 7 , 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.

12. An ignition coil control method for an ignition coil control system, where the ignition coil control system includes a spark plug configured to generate 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 ignition coil control method comprising:
receiving, by a controller, a step pulse signal including different voltages;
charging, by the controller, the first ignition coil when the step pulse signal is on;
charging, by the controller, the second ignition coil when a first delay time elapses from a time point at which the step pulse signal is on;
discharging, by the controller, the first ignition coil when a size of the step pulse signal is changed;
discharging, by the controller, the second ignition coil when a first dwell time elapses from a time point at which the second ignition coil is charged;
when a second delay time elapses from the time point at which the step pulse signal is changed, charging, by the controller, the first ignition coil for a second dwell time and then discharging; and
after the first ignition coil is discharged, charging, by the controller, the second ignition coil for the second dwell time and then discharging.

13. The ignition coil control method of claim 12 , wherein the first dwell time is determined from the time point at which the step pulse signal is on to a time point at which the size of the step pulse signal is changed.

14. The ignition coil control method of claim 12 , further comprising:
repeatedly charging and discharging the first ignition coil and the second ignition coil until the step pulse signal is off.

15. The ignition coil control method of claim 12 , 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.

Assignees

• Hyundai Motor Co Ltd
• Kia Corp

Inventors

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

Classifications

• H02J7/90

  Regulation of charging or discharging current or voltage · CPC title

• F02P3/045 Primary

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

• F02P3/05

  for control of the magnitude of the current in the ignition coil (during starting F02P15/12) · CPC title

• F02P9/007

  by supplementary electrical discharge in the pre-ionised electrode interspace of the sparking plug, e.g. plasma jet ignition · CPC title

• F02P13/00

  Sparking plugs structurally combined with other parts of internal-combustion engines ({connection of ignition coil to spark plug connector F02P3/02;} with fuel injectors F02M57/06 {; spark plug connector per se H01T13/04 – H01T13/06; predominant aspects of sparking plug, see H01T13/40 – H01T13/44}) · CPC title