INJECTOR CONTROL PERFORMANCE DIAGNOSTIC SYSTEMS

• US 20100199752A1
• Filed: 02/06/2009
• Published: 08/12/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/06/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations Incorporated (Motors Liquidation Co. GUC Trust)
• Inventors: Wang, Wenbo, Lucido, Michael J.
• Granted Patent: US 7,856,867 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 73/114.45
• CPC Class Codes: 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
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/20 Output circuits, e.g. for controlling currents in command coils
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/221 relating to the failure of actuators or electrically driven elements
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/266 the computer being backed-up or assisted by another circuit, e.g. analogue

Abstract

A diagnostic system for a fuel injector control system according to the present disclosure includes a plurality of state monitoring modules and a fault determination module. The plurality of state monitoring module monitor a plurality of states of a driver circuit for a fuel injector based on data samples related to the plurality of states. The fault determination module diagnoses a fault in the driver circuit when at least one of the plurality of state monitoring modules receives a predetermined number of data samples indicating an undesired state within a sampling interval.

Claims

1. A diagnostic system for a fuel injector control system, comprising:

a plurality of state monitoring modules that independently monitor a plurality of respective states of a driver circuit for a fuel injector based on data samples related to the plurality of states; and

a fault determination module that diagnoses a fault in the driver circuit when at least one of the plurality of state monitoring modules receives a predetermined number of data samples indicating an undesired state within a sampling interval.

2. The diagnostic system of claim 1 wherein the plurality of states comprise an initialized state, an un-initialized state, a driving state, a non-driving state, and a voltage.

3. The diagnostic system of claim 1 wherein the undesired state includes at least one of an un-initialized state, a non-driving state, and a voltage below a threshold.

4. The diagnostic system of claim 1 wherein the plurality of state monitoring modules comprise an initialization state monitoring module, a driving state monitoring module, and a voltage monitoring module.

5. The diagnostic system of claim 4 wherein the initialization monitoring module diagnoses a fault in initializing the driver circuit when the predetermined number of data samples indicate that the driver circuit is in an un-initialized state.

6. The diagnostic system of claim 4 wherein the driving state monitoring module diagnoses a failed state in driving the fuel injector when the predetermined number of data samples indicate that the driver circuit is in a non-driving state.

7. The diagnostic system of claim 4 wherein the voltage monitoring module diagnoses a fault in boost voltage when the predetermined number of data samples indicate that a voltage of the driver circuit is below a threshold.

8. The diagnostic system of claim 4 wherein the fault determination module diagnoses a fault in the driver circuit when at least one of the initialization monitoring module, the driving state monitoring module, and the voltage monitoring module diagnoses a fault.

9. The diagnostic system of claim 7 wherein the threshold is a desired boost voltage for the fuel injector.

10. A method of diagnosing a fuel injector control system comprising:

independently receiving data samples related to a plurality of states of a driver circuit for a fuel injector at a plurality of respective state monitoring modules; and

diagnosing a fault in the driver circuit when a predetermined number of data samples received at any one of the plurality of respective state monitoring modules indicate an undesired state within a sampling interval.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the plurality of states include an initialized state, an un-initialized state, a driving state, a non-driving state, and a voltage.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein the undesired state includes at least one of the un-initialized state, non-driving state, and a voltage below a threshold.

13. The method of claim 10 further comprising diagnosing a fault in initializing the driver circuit when the predetermined number of data samples indicate that the driver circuit is in an un-initialized state.

14. The method of claim 10 further comprising diagnosing a failed state in driving a solenoid when the predetermined number of data samples indicate that the driver circuit is in a non-driving state.

15. The method of claim 12 further comprising diagnosing a fault in boost voltage when the predetermined number of data samples indicate that a voltage driver circuit is below a threshold.

16. The method of claim 10 further comprising disabling a fuel injector when a fault in the driver circuit is diagnosed.