Ignition system open secondary detection
AssigneeFairchild Semiconductor Corporation
InventorsJames Edward Gillberg, Jack Edward Wojslawowicz
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Abstract
This document discusses, among other things, a system and method for detecting an open secondary condition in a secondary coil of an ignition coil using a control signal received from a control input of a switch configured to control the flow of current to a primary coil of the ignition coil. In an example, the flow of current in the primary coil of the ignition coil can be controlled using an insulated gate bipolar junction transistor (IGBT), and the open secondary condition in the secondary coil of the ignition coil can be detected using a received gate voltage of the IGBT.
Claims29
A system comprising:
- a switch configured to receive a control signal and to control a flow of current to a primary coil of an ignition coil using the received control signal;
- a controller configured to provide the control signal to the control input of the switch to control the flow of current in the primary coil of the ignition coil;
- and
- an open secondary detection circuit configured to receive the control signal from the control input of the switch and to detect an open secondary condition in a secondary coil of the ignition coil if the received control signal remains above an open secondary threshold for a predetermined time threshold.
A system comprising:
- an insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) including a gate, a collector, and an emitter, the IGBT configured to receive a voltage at the gate and to control a flow of current to a primary coil of an ignition coil using the received gate voltage;
- a controller configured to provide a voltage to the gate of the IGBT to control the flow of current in the primary coil of the ignition coil;
- and
- an open secondary detection circuit configured to receive a voltage from the gate of the IGBT, to detect an open secondary condition in a secondary coil of the ignition coil using the received gate voltage, and to provide an open secondary signal to the controller if the open secondary condition is detected.
An apparatus comprising:
- an open secondary detection circuit configured to receive a gate voltage of an insulated gate bipolar junction transistor (IGBT) configured to control a flow of current to a primary coil of an ignition coil, the open secondary detection circuit configured to detect an open secondary condition in a secondary coil of the ignition coil if the received gate voltage remains above an open secondary threshold for a predetermined time threshold.
A method comprising:
- receiving a gate voltage of an insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) configured to control a flow of current to a primary coil of an ignition coil;
- and
- detecting an open secondary condition in a secondary coil of the ignition coil if the received gate voltage remains above an open secondary threshold for a predetermined time threshold.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.