# US 11,309,112 B2 · Solenoid valve drive device

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- Number: US 11,309,112 B2
- Document ID: US11309112B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/973,271
- Filed: 2019-06-11
- Published: 2021-08-12
- Granted: 2022-04-19
- Earliest claimed: 2018-07-03
- Assignees: Hitachi Astemo, Ltd.
- Applicants: Hitachi Automotive Systems, Ltd.
- Inventors: Takuya Katagiri; Takao Fukuda; Yuuji Ishida
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11309112B2

## CPC

- F02D 41/20: Output circuits, e.g. for controlling currents in command coils
- H01F 7/064: {Circuit arrangements for actuating electromagnets (circuit arrangements for obtaining special operating characteristics H01F7/18; driving circuits for electromagnets making use of a switching regulator H01H47/325)}
- F16K 31/0675: {Electromagnet aspects, e.g. electric supply therefor}
- F02D 2041/2003: {using means for creating a boost voltage, i.e. generation or use of a voltage higher than the battery voltage, e.g. to speed up injector opening}
- F02D 2041/2055: {with means for determining actual opening or closing time}
- F02D 2041/2058: {using information of the actual current value}
- F02M 51/061: {using electromagnetic operating means}
- 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)
- H01F: MAGNETS; INDUCTANCES; TRANSFORMERS; SELECTION OF MATERIALS FOR THEIR MAGNETIC PROPERTIES
- F16K: VALVES; TAPS; COCKS; ACTUATING-FLOATS; DEVICES FOR VENTING OR AERATING {(devices for emptying and evacuating the excess liquid in valves or conduits F16L55/07)}
- F02M: SUPPLYING COMBUSTION ENGINES IN GENERAL WITH COMBUSTIBLE MIXTURES OR CONSTITUENTS THEREOF

## Abstract

Provided is a solenoid valve drive device capable of accurately controlling a hysteresis value of a drive current for driving a solenoid valve. The solenoid valve drive device according to the present invention controls a set value of a hysteresis or a time width of the hysteresis based on a difference between an extreme value of the hysteresis in a peak hold period of a drive current and a set value of the extreme value.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A solenoid valve drive device wherein a hysteresis set value or a hysteresis time is set based on a first difference value between an extreme value of a hysteresis value of a solenoid valve current in a peak hold section of the solenoid valve current and a hysteresis set value, the solenoid valve drive device comprising:
a controller configured to:
output an opening/closing command to a first switching element for turning on/off a drive current supplied to the solenoid valve,
generate a hysteresis of the drive current by repeatedly turning on/off the first switching element in a first peak hold period after a current value of the drive current reaches a first current level, and
(i) set extreme values of the hysteresis such that the hysteresis of the drive current falls within a predetermined range from the first current level, or (ii) set a time interval between extreme values of the hysteresis such that the hysteresis of the drive current falls within a predetermined range from the first current level; and
a storage device configured to store set values of the extreme values of the hysteresis and a set value of the time interval between the extreme values of the hysteresis,
wherein the controller is further configured to:
calculate a first gradient of the hysteresis of the drive current using the extreme values of the hysteresis of the drive current and the time interval between the extreme values and calculate a second gradient of the hysteresis using the set values of the extreme values of the hysteresis and the set value of the time interval between the extreme values of the hysteresis, and
set the extreme values of the hysteresis or set the time interval between the extreme values of the hysteresis so that a second difference value between the first gradient and the second gradient falls within a predetermined gradient threshold in a case where the second difference value is not within the predetermined gradient threshold.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The solenoid valve drive device according to claim 1, wherein
the first switching element is configured to supply the drive current to the solenoid valve by supplying a battery voltage to the solenoid valve,
the controller is configured to:
maintain an opened state of the solenoid valve using the battery voltage by turning on/off the first switching element in the first peak hold period after the current value of the drive current reaches a second current level higher than the first current level, and
make a timing at which the solenoid valve transitions from the opened state to a closed state fall within an allowable time after instructing the first switching element to be turned off by making the hysteresis fall within a predetermined range from the first current level in the first peak hold period.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The solenoid valve drive device according to claim 1, wherein
the controller is configured to output an opening/closing command to a second switching element for turning on/off a drive current supplied to the solenoid valve,
the second switching element is configured to open the solenoid valve by supplying a boosted voltage obtained by boosting a battery voltage to the solenoid valve to supply the drive current having a second current level higher than the first current level to the solenoid valve, and
the controller is configured to drive and control the second switching element so that an extreme value of the drive current falls within a predetermined range from the second current level.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The solenoid valve drive device according to claim 3, wherein
the controller is configured to:
generate a hysteresis of the drive current by repeatedly turning on/off the second switching element in a second peak hold period after the current value of the drive current reaches the second current level, and
set extreme values of the hysteresis or set a time interval between the extreme values of the hysteresis so that the hysteresis of the drive current falls within a predetermined range from the second current level.

### Claim 5 (depends on 3)

The solenoid valve drive device according to claim 3, wherein
the controller is configured to:
turn off the second switching element and acquire a measured value of the extreme value of the drive current, when the current value of the drive current reaches the second current level, and
drive and control the second switching element according to the measured value of the extreme value of the drive current so that the extreme value of the drive current falls within a predetermined range from the second current level, when opening the solenoid valve by turning on the second switching element again after turning off the second switching element.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The solenoid valve drive device according to claim 1, wherein
the controller is configured to:
acquire the first difference value between the extreme value of the hysteresis and a set value of the extreme value of the hysteresis by acquiring a difference between a measured value of the drive current and a set value of the drive current, and
repeat the acquisition of the first difference value and repeat the setting of the extreme values of the hysteresis or the setting of the time interval between the extreme values of the hysteresis, until the first difference value becomes equal to or less than a predetermined threshold.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The solenoid valve drive device according to claim 1, wherein
the controller is configured to:
acquire the first difference value between the extreme value of the hysteresis and a set value of the extreme value of the hysteresis by acquiring a difference between a measured value of the drive current and a set value of the drive current, and
repeat the acquisition of the first difference value and repeat the setting of the extreme values of the hysteresis or the setting of the time interval between the extreme values of the hysteresis, while the solenoid valve drive device is activated.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The solenoid valve drive device according to claim 1, wherein
the controller is configured to:
acquire the first difference value between the extreme value of the hysteresis and a set value of the extreme value of the hysteresis by acquiring a difference between a measured value of the drive current and a set value of the drive current, and
repeat the acquisition of the first difference value a predetermined number of times and repeat the setting of the extreme values of the hysteresis or the setting of the time interval between the extreme values of the hysteresis a predetermined number of times.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The solenoid valve drive device according to claim 1, wherein
the controller is configured to:
acquire a first extreme value in the hysteresis of the drive current, and
set the extreme values of the hysteresis or set the time interval between the extreme values of the hysteresis so that a second extreme value in the same hysteresis of the drive current falls within the predetermined range, in a case where the first extreme value does not fall within the predetermined range.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The solenoid valve drive device according to claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to calculate an average value or an execution value of the extreme values of the hysteresis from a first time to a second time, and calculate a difference between the calculated value and the hysteresis set value as the first difference value.