# US 10,865,727 B2 · Device for controlling at least one switchable valve > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,865,727 B2 - Document ID: US10865727B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/518,454 - Filed: 2015-09-24 - Published: 2017-10-26 - Granted: 2020-12-15 - Earliest claimed: 2014-10-21 - Assignees: Robert Bosch GmbH - Applicants: Robert Bosch GmbH - Inventors: Stephan Jahn; Juergen Graner; Haris Hamedovic; Christian Steinbrecher; Bastian Reineke; Wolfgang Fischer; Andreas Rupp - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10865727B2 ## CPC - F02D 41/34: with means for controlling injection timing or duration - F02D 41/20: Output circuits, e.g. for controlling currents in command coils - F02D 41/2438: {Active learning methods} - F02D 41/2467: {for injectors} - F02D 41/26: using computer, e.g. microprocessor - G05B 15/02: electric - F02D 2041/2037: {for preventing bouncing of the valve needle} - F02D 2041/2055: {with means for determining actual opening or closing time} - F02D 2041/2058: {using information of the actual current value} - F02D 2200/021: Engine temperature - F02D 2200/0406: Intake manifold pressure - F02D 2200/0602: Fuel pressure - F02D 2200/0606: Fuel temperature - F02D 2200/0618: Actual fuel injection timing or delay, e.g. determined from fuel pressure drop - F02M 61/10: Other injectors with elongated valve bodies, i.e. of needle-valve type - F02D: CONTROLLING COMBUSTION ENGINES (vehicle fittings, acting on a single sub-unit only, for automatically controlling vehicle speed B60K31/00; conjoint control of vehicle sub-units of different type or different function, road vehicle drive control systems for purposes other than the control of a single sub-unit B60W) - G05B: CONTROL OR REGULATING SYSTEMS IN GENERAL; FUNCTIONAL ELEMENTS OF SUCH SYSTEMS; MONITORING OR TESTING ARRANGEMENTS FOR SUCH SYSTEMS OR ELEMENTS (systems for controlling or regulating non-electric variables G05D; systems for regulating electric or magnetic variables G05F; control devices or systems insofar as characterised by mechanical features only G05G) - F02M: SUPPLYING COMBUSTION ENGINES IN GENERAL WITH COMBUSTIBLE MIXTURES OR CONSTITUENTS THEREOF ## Abstract A method for controlling at least one switchable valve, a brake impulse that slows down the valve movement being produced during the controlling of the at least one valve. At least one parameter of the brake impulse determines the position and/or the duration of the brake impulse. A parameter is modified, and the reaction of a measurement quantity or of a characteristic feature derived from the measurement quantity is evaluated. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for controlling at least one switchable valve, comprising the following steps: producing, during controlling of the valve for each of a plurality of first injections, a brake impulse that slows down a valve movement of the valve, a parameter of the brake impulse determining a position of the brake impulse within a control signal that controls the valve for each of the first injections, wherein the valve movement is a valve opening movement or a valve closing movement; wherein during the producing step, the parameter which determines the position of the brake impulse within the control signal is incrementally modified from injection to injection of the first injection to incrementally change the position of the brake impulse within the control signal from injection to injection of the first injections; measuring, at or after an end of each of the brake impulses, current flowing through the valve to provide respective measured quantities, each respective measured quantity of the respective measured quantities corresponding to a measurement of the current flowing through the valve at or after a different one of the brake impulses; based on a curve formed using the respective measured quantities, determining a modified parameter, the modified parameter determining a modified position, within control signals of the valve for second injections subsequent to the first injections, of a modified brake impulse within the control signals which slows down the valve movement of the valve; and producing within the control signals for the second injections, the modified brake impulse at the modified position, using the modified parameter. ### Claim 2 A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium on which is stored a computer program for controlling at least one switchable valve, the computer program, when executed by a controller, causing the controller to perform the following steps: producing, during controlling of the valve for each of a plurality of first injections, a brake impulse that slows down a valve movement of the valve, a parameter of the brake impulse determining a position of the brake impulse within a control signal that controls the valve for each of the first injections, wherein the valve movement is a valve opening movement or a valve closing movement; wherein during the producing step, the parameter which determines the position of the brake impulse within the control signal is incrementally modified from injection to injection of the first injection to incrementally change the position of the brake impulse within the control signal from injection to injection of the first injections; measuring, at or after an end of each of the brake impulses, current flowing through the valve to provide respective measured quantities, each respective measured quantity of the respective measured quantities corresponding to a measurement of the current flowing through the valve at or after a different one of the brake impulses; based on a curve formed using the respective measured quantities, determining a modified parameter, the modified parameter determining a modified position, within control signals of the valve for second injections subsequent to the first injections, of a modified brake impulse within the control signals which slows down the valve movement of the valve; and producing within the control signals for the second injections, the modified brake impulse at the modified position, using the modified parameter. ### Claim 3 A control device designed to control at least one switchable valve, the control device configured to: produce, during controlling of the valve for each of a plurality of first injections, a brake impulse that slows down a valve movement of the valve, a parameter of the brake impulse determining a position of the brake impulse within a control signal that controls the valve for each of the first injections, wherein the valve movement is a valve opening movement or a valve closing movement; wherein during the producing, the parameter which determines the position of the brake impulse within the control signal is incrementally modified from injection to injection of the first injection to incrementally change the position of the brake impulse within the control signal from injection to injection of the first injections; measure, at or after an end of each of the brake impulses, current flowing through the valve to provide respective measured quantities, each respective measured quantity of the respective measured quantities corresponding to a measurement of the current flowing through the valve at or after a different one of the brake impulses; based on a curve formed using the respective measured quantities, determine a modified parameter, the modified parameter determining a modified position, within control signals of the valve for second injections subsequent to the first injections, of a modified brake impulse within the control signals which slows down the valve movement of the valve; and produce within the control signals for the second injections, the modified brake impulse at the modified position, using the modified parameter. ### Claim 4 A method for controlling at least one switchable valve, comprising the following steps: producing, during controlling of the valve for each of a plurality of first injections, a brake impulse that slows down a valve closing movement of the valve, a parameter of the brake impulse determining a position of the brake impulse within a control signal that controls the valve for each of the first injections; wherein during the producing step, the parameter which determines the position of the brake impulse within the control signal is incrementally modified from injection to injection of the first injections to incrementally change the position of the brake impulse with the control signal from injection to injection of the first injections; measuring, at an end of each of the brake impulses, current flowing through the valve to provide respective measured quantities, each respective measured quantity of the respective measured quantities corresponding to a measurement of the current flowing through the valve at or after a different one of the brake impulses; based on a curve formed using the respective measured quantities, determining a modified parameter, the modified parameter determining a modified position, within control signals of the valve for second injections subsequent to the first injections, of a modified brake impulse within the control signals which slows down the valve closing movement of the valve; and producing within the control signals for the second injections, the modified brake impulse at the modified position, using the modified parameter. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The method as recited in claim 4, wherein a local maximum of the curve formed using the respective measured quantities is used to determine the modified parameter. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The method as recited in claim 5, wherein the curve is a curve of the respective measured quantities versus corresponding brake impulse positions, a value of the parameter which determined the position of a specific one of the brake impulses within the control signal is used as the modified parameter, the specific one of the brake impulses being the brake impulse which corresponds to the local maximum of the curve formed using all of the respective measured quantities. ### Claim 7 (depends on 4) The method as recited in claim 4, wherein the modified brake impulse is modified in terms of its position with the control signals. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the valve movement is the valve opening movement, and wherein a local minimum of the curve formed using all of the respective measured quantities is used to determine the modified parameter. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the valve movement is the valve closing movement, and wherein a local maximum of the curve formed using all of the respective measured quantities is used to determine the modified parameter. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The method as recited in claim 8, wherein a value of the parameter which determined the position of a specific one of the brake impulses within the control signal is used as the modified parameter, the specific one of the brake impulses being the brake impulse which corresponds to the local minimum of the curve formed using the respective measured quantities. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the modified brake impulse is modified in terms of its position within the control signals. ### Claim 12 (depends on 2) The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium as recited in claim 2, wherein the valve movement is the valve opening movement, and wherein a local minimum of the curve formed using the respective measured quantities is used to determine the modified parameter. ### Claim 13 (depends on 2) The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium as recited in claim 2, wherein the valve movement is the valve closing movement, and wherein a local maximum of the curve formed using the respective measured quantities is used to determine the modified parameter. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium as recited in claim 12, wherein a value of the parameter which determined the position of a specific one of the brake impulses within the control signal is used as the modified parameter, the specific one of the brake impulses being the brake impulse which corresponds to the local minimum of the curve formed using the respective measured quantities. ### Claim 15 (depends on 2) The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium as recited in claim 2, wherein the modified brake impulse is modified in terms of its position within the control signals. ### Claim 16 (depends on 3) The control device as recited in claim 3, wherein the valve movement is the valve opening movement, and wherein a local minimum of the curve formed using the respective measured quantities is used to determine the modified parameter. ### Claim 17 (depends on 3) The control device as recited in claim 3, wherein the valve movement is the valve closing movement, and wherein a local maximum of the curve formed using the respective measured quantities is used to determine the modified parameter. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The control device as recited in claim 16, wherein a value of the parameter which determined the position of a specific one of the brake impulses within the control signal is used as the modified parameter, the specific one of the brake impulses being the brake impulse which corresponds to the local minimum of the curve formed using all of the respective measured quantities. ### Claim 19 (depends on 3) The control device as recited in claim 3, wherein the modified brake impulse is modified in terms of its position within the control signals. ### Claim 20 (depends on 4) The method as recited in claim 4, wherein the curve is a curve of the respective measured quantities versus corresponding brake impulse positions, and the modified parameter has a value that is the same as a specific one of the corresponding brake impulse positions that corresponds to the local maximum of the curve.