Voltage regulator with improved protection and warning system
First Claim
1. A vehicle electrical system, comprising:
- (a) a generator including a field coil; and
(b) a voltage regulator, comprising;
(i) a field switching (FS) circuit coupled with said generator field coil; and
(ii) a monitor/control/protection (MCP) circuit coupled with an output of said generator and FS circuit;
wherein said MCP circuit is configured to ascertain one or more operating states of said generator and voltage regulator by monitoring said generator output and FS circuit, and wherein the MCP circuit is configured to activate/deactivate said field coil, via said FS circuit, in response to said one or more operating states.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
This invention discloses a vehicle electrical system voltage regulator with improved electrical protection and warning means that discerns and responds to regulator, generator, or vehicle electrical system operation and malfunctions. The regulator includes monitoring, control, and protection circuits with a phase signal monitor, a field switching circuit that operates the field coil in response to electrical power demands, and a field enable switch in series with the field regulating switch. The phase monitor and protection circuit ascertains and transmits generator rotational motion for use by the monitoring and control circuit in discerning the various operating conditions. The monitoring and control circuit operates on the field switching circuit to meet the electrical power demands and provide multi level fault protection to include field switching circuit reconfiguration to continue operating under various fault conditions. A warning and diagnostic system incorporating visual indicators and communication lines provide descriptive system information for use by the vehicle'"'"'s operator and computer network, respectively.
32 Citations
79 Claims
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1. A vehicle electrical system, comprising:
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(a) a generator including a field coil; and
(b) a voltage regulator, comprising;
(i) a field switching (FS) circuit coupled with said generator field coil; and
(ii) a monitor/control/protection (MCP) circuit coupled with an output of said generator and FS circuit;
wherein said MCP circuit is configured to ascertain one or more operating states of said generator and voltage regulator by monitoring said generator output and FS circuit, and wherein the MCP circuit is configured to activate/deactivate said field coil, via said FS circuit, in response to said one or more operating states. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A vehicle electrical system, comprising:
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(a) a generator including a field coil; and
(b) a voltage regulator, comprising;
(i) a field switching (FS) circuit coupled with said generator field coil; and
(ii) a monitor/control/protection (MCP) circuit coupled with said FS circuit;
wherein said MCP circuit is configured to monitor said FS circuit, and to reconfigure a protective component of the FS circuit to function as an operative component of the FS circuit when the operative component fails to function properly. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24)
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25. A vehicle electrical system, comprising:
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(a) a generator including a field coil; and
(b) a voltage regulator, comprising;
(i) a field switching (FS) circuit coupled with said generator field coil; and
(ii) a monitor/control/protection (MCP) circuit coupled with said FS circuit;
wherein said MCP circuit is configured to monitor said FS circuit, and to reconfigure a protective component of the FS circuit to switch on/off said field coil when an operative component of the FS circuit fails to switch on/off said field coil.
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26. A voltage regulator for a generator in a vehicle, said generator comprising a field coil, said voltage regulator comprising:
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(a) a field enable switch;
(b) a field regulating switch responsive to said field enable switch and operative to switch on/off said field coil; and
(c) a monitor/control/protection (MCP) circuit coupled with an output of said generator and said field enable and field regulating switches;
wherein said MCP circuit is configured to ascertain one or more operating states of said generator and voltage regulator by monitoring the output of said generator and a switching interval of said field regulating switch, and wherein the MCP circuit is configured to activate/deactivate said field enable switch in response to said one or more operating states. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38)
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39. A voltage regulator for a generator in a vehicle, said generator comprising a field coil, said voltage regulator comprising:
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(a) a field enable switch;
(b) a field regulating switch responsive to said field enable switch and operative to switch on/off said field coil; and
(c) a processor, including a programming code operable on the processor, coupled with an output of said generator and said field enable and field regulating switches;
wherein said processor is configured to ascertain one or more operating states of said generator and voltage regulator by monitoring the output of said generator and a switching interval of said field regulating switch, and wherein the processor is configured to activate/deactivate said field enable switch in response to said one or more operating states. - View Dependent Claims (40, 41)
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42. A voltage regulator for a generator in a vehicle, said generator comprising a field coil, said voltage regulator comprising:
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(a) a field enable switch;
(b) a first field regulating switch responsive to said field enable switch and operative to switch on/off said field coil;
(c) a second field regulating switch responsive to said field enable switch and operative to switch on/off said field coil; and
(d) a processor, including a programming code operable on the processor, coupled with an output of said generator and said field enable, first field regulating, and second field regulating switches;
wherein said processor is configured to ascertain one or more operating states of said generator and voltage regulator by monitoring the output of said generator and a switching interval of said first and second field regulating switches, and wherein the processor is configured to activate/deactivate said field enable switches in response to said one or more operating states. - View Dependent Claims (43)
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44. A voltage regulator for a generator in a vehicle, said generator comprising a field coil, said voltage regulator comprising:
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(a) a first field enable switch;
(b) a first field regulating switch responsive to said first field enable switch and operative to switch on/off said field coil;
(c) a second field enable switch;
(d) a second field regulating switch responsive to said second field enable switch and operative to switch on/off said field coil; and
(e) a processor, including a programming code operable on the processor, coupled with an output of said generator and said first field enable, second field enable, first field regulating, and second field regulating switches;
wherein said processor is configured to ascertain one or more operating states of said generator and voltage regulator by monitoring the output of said generator and a switching interval of said first and second field regulating switches, and wherein the processor is configured to activate/deactivate said first and second field enable switches in response to said one or more operating states. - View Dependent Claims (45, 46)
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47. A voltage regulator for a generator in a vehicle, said generator comprising a field coil, said voltage regulator comprising:
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(a) a field enable switch;
(b) a field regulating switch responsive to said field enable switch and operative to switch on/off said field coil; and
(c) a processor, including a programming code operable on the processor, coupled with said field enable and field regulating switches;
wherein said processor is configured to monitor a switching interval of said field regulating switch, and to reconfigure the field enable switch to switch on/off said field coil when the field regulating switch fails to switch on/off said field coil at least once within a pre-determined time interval.
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48. A method for controlling a generator including a voltage regulator in a vehicle, said generator comprising a field coil and said voltage regulator comprising a field switching (FS) circuit coupled with said generator field coil, said method comprising:
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(a) monitoring an output of said generator;
(b) monitoring said FS circuit;
(c) ascertaining one or more operating states of said generator and voltage regulator via steps (a) and (b); and
(d) activating/deactivating said field coil via said FS circuit in response to said one or more operating states. - View Dependent Claims (49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61)
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62. A method for controlling a generator including a voltage regulator in a vehicle, said generator comprising a field coil and said voltage regulator comprising a field switching (FS) circuit coupled with said generator field coil, said method comprising:
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(a) monitoring said FS circuit; and
(b) reconfiguring a protective component of the FS circuit to function as an operative component of the FS circuit when the operative component fails to function properly.
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63. A method for controlling a generator including a voltage regulator in a vehicle, said generator comprising a field coil and said voltage regulator comprising a field switching (FS) circuit coupled with said generator field coil, said method comprising:
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(a) monitoring said FS circuit; and
(b) reconfiguring a protective component of the FS circuit to switch on/off said field coil when an operative component of the FS circuit fails to switch on/off said field coil.
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64. A method for controlling a generator including a voltage regulator in a vehicle, said generator comprising a field coil and said voltage regulator comprising a field enable switch and a field regulating switch responsive to said field enable switch and operative to switch on/off said field coil, said method comprising:
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(a) monitoring an output of said generator;
(b) monitoring a switching interval of said field regulating switch;
(c) ascertaining one or more operating states of said generator and voltage regulator via steps (a) and (b); and
(d) activating/deactivating said field coil via said field enable switch in response to said one or more operating states. - View Dependent Claims (65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73)
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74. A method for controlling a generator including a voltage regulator in a vehicle, said generator comprising a field coil and said voltage regulator comprising a field enable switch, a first field regulating switch responsive to said field enable switch and operative to switch on/off said field coil, and a second field regulating switch responsive to said field enable switch and operative to switch on/off said field coil, said method comprising:
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(a) monitoring an output of said generator;
(b) monitoring a switching interval of said first and second field regulating switches;
(c) ascertaining one or more operating states of said generator and voltage regulator via steps (a) and (b); and
(d) activating/deactivating said field coil via said field enable switches in response to said one or more operating states. - View Dependent Claims (75)
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76. A method for controlling a generator including a voltage regulator in a vehicle, said generator comprising a field coil and said voltage regulator comprising a first field enable switch, a first field regulating switch responsive to said first field enable switch and operative to switch on/off said field coil, a second field enable switch, and a second field regulating switch responsive to said first field enable switch and operative to switch on/off said field coil, said method comprising:
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(a) monitoring an output of said generator;
(b) monitoring a switching interval of said first and second field regulating switches;
(c) ascertaining one or more operating states of said generator and voltage regulator via steps (a) and (b); and
(d) activating/deactivating said field coil via said first and second field enable switches in response to said one or more operating states. - View Dependent Claims (77, 78)
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79. A method for controlling a generator including a voltage regulator in a vehicle, said generator comprising a field coil and said voltage regulator comprising a field enable switch and a field regulating switch responsive to said field enable switch and operative to switch on/off said field coil, said method comprising:
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(a) monitoring a switching interval of said field regulating switch; and
(b) reconfiguring the field enable switch to switch on/off said field coil when the field regulating switch fails to switch on/off said field coil at least once within a pre-determined time interval.
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Specification