US 2010/0161150 A1 · APPARATUS FOR CONTROLLING THE ENERGIZING OF A HEATER

Abstract

[Object] To provide a heater energization control apparatus which can detect that a heater has been exchanged. [Means for Solution] When an engine is stopped, a microcomputer of a GCU enters a power save mode. When the microcomputer returns to a normal mode in response to an interruption signal periodically generated from an interruption timer, the microcomputer supplies electricity to a heating resistor for a short time and obtains its resistance (S19). When the resistance is greater than a first reference value, the microcomputer determines that a glow plug is removed from the engine; that is, the glow plug is being exchanged (S29). The microcomputer sets an exchange flag to “1” (S30), and performs calibration for the heating resistor of a new glow plug after the engine is operated next time (S35). Further, since the resistance of the heating resistor changes (increases) with deterioration of the heating resistor with time, the acquired resistance may be stored. When the current resistance becomes smaller than the past resistance, the microcomputer determines that the glow plug has been exchanged.

Claims11

Dependent claims

A heater energization control apparatus for controlling energization of a heater having a heating resistor which generates heat upon supply of electricity thereto, the apparatus comprising:

first resistance acquisition means, operable when an internal combustion engine to which the heater is mounted remains stopped, for supplying electricity to the heating resistor every time a predetermined wait time elapses and for acquiring, as a first resistance, an electricity supply resistance at that time;
and
determination means for determining that the heater has been exchanged, when the first resistance is greater than a predetermined first reference value.

A heater energization control apparatus for controlling energization of a heater having a heating resistor which generates heat upon supply of electricity thereto, the apparatus comprising:

first resistance acquisition means, operable when an internal combustion engine to which the heater is mounted remains stopped, for supplying electricity to the heating resistor and for acquiring, as a first resistance, an electricity supply resistance at that time;
first information acquisition means, operable when the first resistance is acquired, for acquiring information regarding a temperature of an environment in which the heater is used;
correction means for correcting the first resistance on the basis of the information regarding the environmental temperature to thereby obtain a corrected value;
first computation means for computing a difference between a current corrected value obtained by the correction means and a past corrected value previously obtained by the correction means;
determination means for determining that the heater has been exchanged, when the difference is greater than a predetermined second reference value;
and
storage means for storing, as the past corrected value, the current corrected value obtained by the correction means.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Apparatus for controlling the energizing of a heater

Life of this patent

Apparatus for controlling the energizing of a heater

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims11