# US 11,028,814 B2 · Semiconductor device for internal combustion engine ignition > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,028,814 B2 - Document ID: US11028814B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/973,982 - Filed: 2018-05-08 - Published: 2019-01-03 - Granted: 2021-06-08 - Earliest claimed: 2017-06-30 - Assignees: Fuji Electric Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Fuji Electric Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Hideki Miura - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11028814B2 ## CPC - F02P 3/0554: {using digital techniques (F02P3/0558 takes precedence)} - F02P 3/051: {Opening or closing the primary coil circuit with semiconductor devices} - H01F 38/12: Ignition, e.g. for IC engines - H01T 15/00: Circuits specially adapted for spark gaps, e.g. ignition circuits (ignition circuits for internal-combustion engines F02P; electric spark ignition for combustion apparatus F23Q; protection circuits using spark gaps H02H9/06) - H03K 17/0828: {in composite switches} - F02P 3/0552: {Opening or closing the primary coil circuit with semiconductor devices} - F02P 9/007: {by supplementary electrical discharge in the pre-ionised electrode interspace of the sparking plug, e.g. plasma jet ignition} - H03K 2017/0806: {against excessive temperature} - 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) - H01F: MAGNETS; INDUCTANCES; TRANSFORMERS; SELECTION OF MATERIALS FOR THEIR MAGNETIC PROPERTIES - H01T: SPARK GAPS; OVERVOLTAGE ARRESTERS USING SPARK GAPS; SPARKING PLUGS; CORONA DEVICES; GENERATING IONS TO BE INTRODUCED INTO NON-ENCLOSED GASES (overvoltage protection circuits H02H) - H03K: PULSE TECHNIQUE (measuring pulse characteristics G01R; modulating sinusoidal oscillations with pulses H03C; transmission of digital information H04L; discriminator circuits detecting phase difference between two signals by counting or integrating cycles of oscillation H03D3/04; automatic control, starting, synchronisation or stabilisation of generators of electronic oscillations or pulses where the type of generator is irrelevant or unspecified H03L; coding, decoding or code conversion, in general H03M) ## Abstract A semiconductor device for internal combustion engine ignition includes: a power semiconductor switching device that switches ON and OFF in accordance with a control signal provided by an external control circuit for causing a spark plug to produce sparks via an ignition coil and an external power source; an auxiliary voltage circuit that generates and applies an auxiliary voltage responsive to a collector voltage of the power semiconductor switching device to the gate of the power semiconductor switching device; and a constant current circuit that regulates current from the auxiliary voltage circuit to the gate of the power semiconductor switching device when a high-voltage surge originating from the external power source is applied to the auxiliary voltage circuit via a primary winding of the ignition coil. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A semiconductor device for internal combustion engine ignition, comprising: a power semiconductor switching device that switches ON and OFF in accordance with a control signal provided by an external control circuit for causing a spark plug to produce sparks, the power semiconductor switching device including a collector to which a primary winding of an ignition coil is to be connected and a gate to which the control signal is to be inputted; an auxiliary voltage circuit that generates and applies an auxiliary voltage responsive to a collector voltage of the power semiconductor switching device to the gate of the power semiconductor switching device; and a constant current circuit that is interposed between the auxiliary voltage circuit and the gate of the power semiconductor switching device and that limits current flowing through the constant current circuit from the auxiliary voltage circuit to the gate of the power semiconductor switching device so as to regulate the current even if a high-voltage surge originating from an external power source connected to the primary winding is applied to the auxiliary voltage circuit via the primary winding. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The semiconductor device according to claim 1, further comprising: an overheating detection circuit that detects a temperature of the power semiconductor switching device; and a semiconductor switch connected between the gate of the power semiconductor switching device and ground, the semiconductor switch switching ON upon receiving an overheating detection signal from the overheating detection circuit so as to ground the gate of the power semiconductor switching device. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The semiconductor device according to claim 2, wherein the constant current circuit limits the current flowing from the auxiliary voltage circuit to the gate of the power semiconductor switching device to less than a maximum allowable current prescribed for the semiconductor switch. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The semiconductor device according to claim 2, wherein the overheating detection circuit includes a diode for detecting the temperature of the power semiconductor switching device and an inverter for outputting the overheating detection signal. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the auxiliary voltage circuit includes a normally-on power semiconductor device. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the constant current circuit includes a power semiconductor device and a negative-feedback differential amplifier that has an output terminal connected to the gate of the power semiconductor device. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the semiconductor device is formed on a single chip.