Method and device for monitoring an actuator device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9523323-B2
Application number	US-201314403983-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 31, 2013
Priority date	May 31, 2012
Publication date	Dec 20, 2016
Grant date	Dec 20, 2016

Abstract

A method for assessing the status of an electromechanical actuator device is disclosed. The actuator device is provided for actuating control element apparatuses in an internal combustion engine for a motor vehicle. This actuator device has an activation apparatus and a stator apparatus as well as at least one electrical coil apparatus. The actuator device can be changed over from a first operating state into a second operating state. During the changeover, activation power is fed to the coil apparatus by a control line apparatus. In the method, the activation power is fed to the actuator device, the feeding of the activation power is reduced, and the control line apparatus is monitored and an actuator assessment characteristic variable is determined from the data acquired in the process. Furthermore, the actuator assessment characteristic variable is assessed by a comparison variable which is based on the fed-in activation power.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of assessing the status of an electromechanical actuator apparatus for a valve control, wherein the actuator apparatus is configured to control a plurality of control element devices in an internal combustion engine in a motor vehicle, the method comprising:
supplying, by a control line device, an actuating power to the actuator apparatus;
reducing, by the control line device, the supply of the actuating power;
monitoring, by an electrical measuring device, the control line device and determining, by the electrical measuring device, an actuator assessment parameter and a discard signal of the actuator apparatus from data acquired by the monitoring;
assessing, by a control unit device, the actuator assessment parameter using a comparative value based on the supplied actuating power; and
assessing, by the control unit device, whether the discard signal was determined.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the actuating power is reduced in the manner such that a stator device and an actuating device of the actuator apparatus do not substantially move relative to each other.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the reducing comprises interrupting the supply of the actuating power, and wherein the actuator apparatus is galvanically isolated from a power source which supplies the actuating power.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein to discharge a coil power from a coil device, the control line device is controlled by the control unit device such that the coil power discharges to an electrical load and the control line device is thereby monitored by the electrical measuring device.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the measuring device determines at least one electrical variable during the monitoring of the control line device.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein a voltage and/or a current is determined during the monitoring of the control line device by the electrical measuring device, and wherein a temporal profile of the electrical variable is determined during the monitoring by the electrical measuring device.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the determination of the actuator assessment parameter is based on the numerical summation and/or integration of the temporal profile of the electrical variable.

8. An actuator monitoring apparatus for a valve control, the apparatus comprising:
a CPU including a control unit device having a computing unit and a data storage device;
a power control device configured to regulate a power flow;
a measuring device configured to measure an electrical parameter; and
a stator device and an actuating device, wherein the actuating device is movable relative to the stator device,
wherein the actuator monitoring apparatus has first and second operating states,
wherein the operating states differ by the different positions of the stator device and the actuating device relative to one another,
wherein the actuator monitoring apparatus is further configured to i) receive an actuating power, ii) reduce the supply of the actuating power, iii) monitor a control line device and determine an actuator assessment parameter and a discard signal of the actuator apparatus from data acquired by the monitoring; iv) assess the actuator assessment parameter using a comparative value based on the supplied actuating power; and v) assess whether the discard signal was determined.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the power control device comprises a switching device configured to interrupt the flow of power toward an electrical coil device.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 , further comprising a current conduction device configured to regulate the flow of the power from the coil device to an electrical load.

11. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a method for assessing the status of an electromechanical actuator apparatus for a valve control, wherein the actuator apparatus is configured to control a plurality of control element devices in an internal combustion engine in a motor vehicle, the method comprising:
supplying, by a control line device, an actuating power to the actuator apparatus;
reducing, by the control line device, the supply of the actuating power;
monitoring, b an electrical measuring device, the control line device and determining, by device, an actuator assessment parameter and a discard signal of the actuator apparatus from data acquired by the monitoring;
assessing, by a control unit device, the actuator assessment parameter using a comparative value based on the supplied actuating power; and
assessing, by the control unit device, whether the discard signal was determined.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein a measurement by the electrical measuring device for determining the discard signal is time-controlled.

13. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein a measurement for determining the discard signal is time-controlled.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11 , wherein a measurement by the electrical measuring device for determining the discard signal is time-controlled.

Assignees

• Avl Deutschland Gmbh
• Avl List Gmbh

Inventors

• Nestoriuc Max

Classifications

• F02D2041/2058

  using information of the actual current value · CPC title

• H01F7/1844

  Monitoring or fail-safe circuits (for relays H01H47/002) · CPC title

• Y02T10/40

  Engine management systems · CPC title

• F02D41/20 Primary

  Output circuits, e.g. for controlling currents in command coils · CPC title

• F02D41/221 Primary

  relating to the failure of actuators or electrically driven elements · CPC title