# US 11,441,506 B2 · Method for controlling the duty cycle of a signal enabling the current control of a conversion module of a converter

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- Number: US 11,441,506 B2
- Document ID: US11441506B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/254,650
- Filed: 2019-06-20
- Published: 2021-05-20
- Granted: 2022-09-13
- Earliest claimed: 2018-06-22
- Assignees: Vitesco Technologies GmbH
- Applicants: Vitesco Technologies GmbH
- Inventors: Stéphane Saint-Macary
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11441506B2

## CPC

- F02D 41/20: Output circuits, e.g. for controlling currents in command coils
- H02M 3/156: with automatic control of output voltage or current, e.g. switching regulators
- 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 2041/2006: {by using a boost capacitor}
- F02D 2041/201: {by using a boost inductance}
- F02D 2041/2017: {using means for creating a boost current or using reference switching}
- F02D 2041/2027: {Control of the current by pulse width modulation or duty cycle control}
- F02D 2041/2065: {the control being related to the coil temperature}
- H02M 1/0035: {using burst mode control}
- Y02B 70/10: Technologies improving the efficiency by using switched-mode power supplies [SMPS], i.e. efficient power electronics conversion e.g. power factor correction or reduction of losses in power supplies or efficient standby modes
- 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)
- H02M: APPARATUS FOR CONVERSION BETWEEN AC AND AC, BETWEEN AC AND DC, OR BETWEEN DC AND DC, AND FOR USE WITH MAINS OR SIMILAR POWER SUPPLY SYSTEMS; CONVERSION OF DC OR AC INPUT POWER INTO SURGE OUTPUT POWER; CONTROL OR REGULATION THEREOF (transformers H01F; dynamo-electric converters H02K47/00; controlling transformers, reactors or choke coils, control or regulation of electric motors, generators or dynamo-electric converters H02P)
- Y02B: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO BUILDINGS, e.g. HOUSING, HOUSE APPLIANCES OR RELATED END-USER APPLICATIONS

## Abstract

Disclosed is a method for regulating the duty cycle of a controlled current signal of a conversion module of a voltage converter including a step of measuring, by the microcontroller, the duty cycle of the envelope of the controlled current signal, and when the value of the duty cycle is below a predetermined threshold, a step of controlling, by the microcontroller, the current control module to decrease the amplitude of the control signal and that the duty cycle of the envelope of the controlled current signal thus tends toward a predetermined threshold, or when the value of the duty cycle is higher than the predetermined threshold, a step of controlling, by the microcontroller, the current control module so the current control module increases the amplitude of the controlled current signal and that the duty cycle of the envelope of the controlled current signal thus tends toward the predetermined threshold.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method for regulating a duty cycle of a controlled current signal (Imes) of a conversion module (310-1) of a DC-to-DC voltage converter (310) of a control computer (30) for controlling a combustion engine (20) of a motor vehicle (1), said combustion engine (20) comprising fuel injectors (210), said control computer (30) comprising a microcontroller (300), the DC-to-DC voltage converter (310) and a control module (320) for controlling the fuel injectors (210), said DC-to-DC voltage converter (310) comprising:
the conversion module (310-1), configured to convert a DC voltage delivered by a power supply battery (10) of the motor vehicle (1) into a DC output voltage (Vs) of higher value delivered to the control module (320) for controlling the fuel injectors (210) by generating the controlled current signal (Imes),
a current control module (310-2) configured to control said controlled current signal (Imes) of the conversion module (310-1), said controlled current signal (Imes) exhibiting an alternation of phases of peaks of positive amplitude, allowing the conversion module (310-1) to be controlled so that it delivers power allowing a target output voltage of the DC-to-DC voltage converter (310) to be reached, and of phases of rest during which the value of said controlled current signal (Imes) is zero, thus defining the envelope of the controlled current signal (Imes), a peak phase followed by a consecutive rest phase constituting a cycle and the ratio of the duration of a peak phase to the duration of the corresponding cycle constituting the duty cycle of the envelope of the controlled current signal (Imes) at a given time,
said method comprising:
a step (E1) of measuring, by means of the microcontroller (300), the duty cycle of the envelope of the controlled current signal (Imes),
when the value of the duty cycle is lower than a predetermined threshold, a step (E2A) of controlling, by means of the microcontroller (300), the current control module (310-2) so that said current control module (310-2) decreases the amplitude of the controlled current signal (Imes) and that the duty cycle of the envelope of said controlled current signal (Imes) thus tends toward said predetermined threshold,
when the value of the duty cycle is higher than said predetermined threshold, a step (E2B) of controlling, by means of the microcontroller (300), the current control module (310-2) so that said current control module (310-2) increases the amplitude of the controlled current signal (Imes) and that the duty cycle of the envelope of said controlled current signal (Imes) thus tends toward said predetermined threshold.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the microcontroller (300) provides the current control module (310-2) with a predetermined amplitude value to be reached for the controlled current signal (Imes).

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the value of the duty cycle is between 70 and 95%.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The method as claimed in claim 3, wherein the value of the duty cycle is between 85 and 90%.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the value of the duty cycle is between 70 and 95%.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The method as claimed in claim 5, wherein the value of the duty cycle is between 85 and 90%.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The method as claimed in claim 6, wherein the value of the duty cycle is about 90%.

### Claim 8

A control computer (30) for controlling a combustion engine (20) of a motor vehicle (1), said combustion engine (20) comprising fuel injectors (210), said control computer (30) comprising a microcontroller (300), a DC-to-DC voltage converter (310) and a control module (320) for controlling the fuel injectors (210), said DC-to-DC voltage converter (310) comprising:
a conversion module (310-1), configured to convert a DC voltage delivered by a power supply battery (10) of the motor vehicle (1) into a DC output voltage (Vs) of higher value delivered to the control module (320) for controlling the fuel injectors (210) by generating a current signal (Imes),
a current control module (310-2) configured to control said current signal (Imes) of the conversion module (310-1), said “controlled” current signal (Imes) exhibiting an alternation of phases of peaks of positive amplitude, allowing the conversion module (310-1) to be controlled so that it delivers power allowing a target output voltage of the DC-to-DC voltage converter (310) to be reached, and of phases of rest during which the value of said controlled current signal (Imes) is zero, thus defining the envelope of the controlled current signal (Imes), a peak phase followed by a consecutive rest phase constituting a cycle and the ratio of the duration of a peak phase to the duration of the corresponding cycle constituting the duty cycle of the envelope of the controlled current signal (Imes) at a given time,
wherein said control computer (30) being characterized in that the microcontroller (300) is configured:
to measure the duty cycle of the envelope of the controlled current signal (Imes),
when the value of the duty cycle is lower than a predetermined threshold, to control the current control module (310-2) so that said current control module (310-2) decreases the amplitude of the controlled current signal (Imes) and that the duty cycle of the envelope of said controlled current signal thus tends toward said predetermined threshold,
when the value of the duty cycle is higher than said predetermined threshold, to control the current control module (310-2) so that said current control module (310-2) increases the amplitude of the controlled current signal (Imes) and that the duty cycle of the envelope of said controlled current signal (Imes) thus tends toward said predetermined threshold.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The control computer (30) as claimed in claim 8, wherein the microcontroller (300) is configured to provide the current control module (310-2) with a predetermined amplitude value to be reached for the controlled current signal (Imes).

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The control computer (30) as claimed in claim 9, wherein the value of the duty cycle is between 70 and 95%.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The control computer (30) as claimed in claim 10, wherein the value of the duty cycle is between 85 and 90%.

### Claim 12 (depends on 8)

The control computer (30) as claimed in claim 8, wherein the value of the duty cycle is between 70 and 95%.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The control computer (30) as claimed in claim 12, wherein the value of the duty cycle is between 85 and 90%.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The control computer (30) as claimed in claim 13, wherein the value of the duty cycle is about 90%.