# US 10,309,366 B2 · Engine control device > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,309,366 B2 - Document ID: US10309366B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/741,526 - Filed: 2016-07-01 - Published: 2018-07-12 - Granted: 2019-06-04 - Earliest claimed: 2015-07-15 - Assignees: Hitachi Automotive Systems, Ltd. - Applicants: Hitachi Automotive Systems, Ltd. - Inventors: Masashi Seimiya; Yoshihiko Akagi - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10309366B2 ## CPC - F02P 3/0442: {using digital techniques (F02P3/0456, F02P3/053, F02P3/0554, F02P3/0558 take precedence)} - F02P 3/05: for control of the magnitude of the current in the ignition coil (during starting F02P15/12) - F02P 3/00: Other installations - F02P 5/1516: {with means relating to exhaust gas recirculation, e.g. turbo} - F02P 9/007: {by supplementary electrical discharge in the pre-ionised electrode interspace of the sparking plug, e.g. plasma jet ignition} - F02P 15/02: Arrangements having two or more sparking plugs - F02P 15/10: having continuous electric sparks - F02P 17/12: Testing characteristics of the spark, ignition voltage or current (testing of sparking plugs H01T13/60) - Y02T 10/40: Engine management systems - F02P: IGNITION, OTHER THAN COMPRESSION IGNITION, FOR INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINES; TESTING OF IGNITION TIMING IN COMPRESSION-IGNITION ENGINES ({anti-pollution means for internal-combustion engines F02B17/00}; specially adapted for rotary-piston or oscillating-piston engines F02B53/12; {ignition of gas turbine plants F02C7/26; ignition of jet propulsion plants F02K9/95; starting of combustion engines F02N9/00}; ignition of combustion apparatus in general, glowing plugs F23Q; measuring of physical variables in general G01; controlling in general G05; data processing in general G06; electrical components in general see Section H; {ignition coils H01F38/12}; sparking plugs H01T13/00) - Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION ## Abstract Provided is an engine control device which can suppress a shortage of output terminals of the control unit and an increase of costs even in a multiple-cylinder internal combustion engine equipped with ignition energy supply units of two systems. An engine control device controls a multiple-cylinder engine in which ignition energy supply units of two systems are provided for every cylinder. A signal is transmitted through a common signal line to a plurality of ignition energy supply units of one system among the ignition energy supply units of the two systems to control the ignition energy supply units of the one system. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An engine control device which controls a multiple-cylinder engine in which ignition energy supply units of two systems are provided for every cylinder, wherein a signal is transmitted through a common signal line to a plurality of ignition energy supply units of one system among the ignition energy supply units of the two systems to control the ignition energy supply units of the one system. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The engine control device according to claim 1, wherein the ignition energy supply units of the two systems are configured to overlap a discharge of the ignition energy supply units of the one system and a discharge of the ignition energy supply units of the other system to be output. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The engine control device according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of ignition energy supply units having received a signal through the common signal line determine an ignition cylinder using an ignition signal of the ignition energy supply units of the other system. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The engine control device according to claim 3, wherein the ignition signal of the ignition energy supply units of the other system to be used for determining the ignition cylinder is an ignition signal of the ignition energy supply units of the other system belonging to the same cylinder as that of the ignition energy supply units of the one system. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The engine control device according to claim 3, wherein the ignition signal of the ignition energy supply units of the other system to be used for determining the ignition cylinder is an ignition signal of the ignition energy supply units of the other system belonging to a cylinder which ignites right before the ignition cylinder. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) The engine control device according to claim 4, wherein a signal to be transmitted through the command signal line is turned on at the same time as, or after, a time when the ignition signal of the ignition energy supply units of the other system is turned on. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The engine control device according to claim 1, wherein one side of the common signal line is connected to the engine control device, the other side is branched in the middle thereof, and the branched signal lines are each connected to the plurality of ignition energy supply units of the one system. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The engine control device according to claim 1, wherein the ignition energy supply units of the two systems are each configured by coils, and a coil of the one system and a coil of the other system are disposed in series, and wherein the common signal line is connected to a coil of a system which is disposed on a side near the engine control device among the ignition energy supply units of the two systems. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The engine control device according to claim 1, wherein the ignition energy supply units of the two systems are each configured by coils, and a coil of the one system and a coil of the other system are disposed in series, and wherein one side of the common signal line is connected to the engine control device, the other side is branched in the middle thereof, and the branched signal lines are each connected to a control circuit which is provided in correspondence with the coils of the one system among the ignition energy supply units of the two systems. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The engine control device according to claim 1, wherein the ignition energy supply units of the two systems are each configured by coils, and a coil of the one system and a coil of the other system are disposed in parallel, and wherein the common signal line is connected to a control circuit which is provided in correspondence with each coil of the one system among the ignition energy supply units of the two systems. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The engine control device according to claim 1, wherein an energizing time of the ignition energy supply unit is controlled by the common signal line. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The engine control device according to claim 1, wherein the ignition energy supply units of the two systems are configured by a discharge unit of an overlap discharge type which is provided with a coil and a boosting circuit to extend time for a spark discharge, and wherein the common signal line is connected to the discharge unit among the ignition energy supply units of the two systems. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The engine control device according to claim 1, wherein a discharge time of the ignition energy supply units is controlled by the common signal line. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The engine control device according to claim 1, wherein a discharge allowance of the ignition energy supply units is controlled by the common signal line. ### Claim 15 An engine control device which controls a multiple-cylinder engine in which ignition energy supply units of two systems are provided for every cylinder, wherein a signal is received through a common signal line from a plurality of ignition energy supply units of one system among the ignition energy supply units of the two systems to detect an abnormality of the plurality of ignition energy supply units of the one system. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The engine control device according to claim 15, wherein an ignition energy supply unit to which the command signal line is connected is stopped in a case where an abnormality is detected. ### Claim 17 An engine control system, comprising: ignition energy supply units of two systems which are provided for every cylinder of a multiple-cylinder engine; and, an engine control device which controls the ignition energy supply units of the two systems, wherein the engine control device transmits a signal through a command signal line to a plurality of ignition energy supply units of one system among the ignition energy supply units of the two systems to control the plurality of ignition energy supply units of the one system. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The engine control system according to claim 17, wherein the ignition energy supply units of the two systems are configured to overlap a discharge of the ignition energy supply units of the one system and a discharge of the ignition energy supply units of the other system to be output. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The engine control system according to claim 17, wherein one side of the common signal line is connected to the engine control device, the other side is branched in the middle thereof, and the branched signal lines are each connected to the plurality of ignition energy supply units of the one system.