CHASSIS MOUNT MULTI-INPUT H-BRIDGE ELECTRICAL HARNESS

• US 20140000576A1
• Filed: 04/29/2013
• Published: 01/02/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Continental Automotive Systems, Inc. (Continental AG)
• Original Assignee: Continental Automotive Systems, Inc. (Continental AG)
• Inventors: Weldon, Craig Andrew, Bogl, Richard, Watson, Bernie D., Koen, David, Boucher, William J
• Application Number:
  US13/872,509
• Publication Number:
  US 20140000576A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 123/704
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2041/2027 Control of the current by pulse width modulation or duty cycle control
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2041/2072 Bridge circuits, i.e. the load being placed in the diagonal of a bridge to be controlled in both directions
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/00 Electrical control of supply of combustible mixture or its constituents F02D43/00 takes precedence ; control of engine starters F02N11/08, electrical control of engine ignition timing F02P5/145
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/20 Output circuits, e.g. for controlling currents in command coils
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/266 the computer being backed-up or assisted by another circuit, e.g. analogue
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 8/005 of linear motors

Abstract

An integrated H-bridge electrical harness for controlling an actuator, such as a stepper motor, where the harness includes a signal converter in electrical communication with an ECU, a driver in electrical communication with the signal converter, and a plurality of connectors. At least one of the connectors provides a connection with the ECU, and another of the connectors provides a connection with an actuator. The signal converter receives a first type of signal (such as a pulse width modulated signal) from the ECU, and converts the first type of signal to a second type of signal, and the signal converter sends the second type of signal to the driver. The driver sends a third type of signal (such as a double square wave signal) to the actuator to control the actuator.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

an H-bridge electrical harness for controlling an actuator, including;

a signal converter in electrical communication with an engine control unit (ECU); and

a driver in electrical communication with the signal converter;

wherein the signal converter receives a first type of signal from the ECU, and converts the first type of signal to a second type of signal, and the signal converter sends the second type of signal to the driver, and the driver sends a third type of signal(s) to an actuator to control the actuator.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of connectors, at least one of the plurality of connectors providing a connection between the H-bridge electrical harness and the ECU, and another of the plurality of connectors providing a connection between the H-bridge electrical harness and the actuator.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, the signal converter further comprising an Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC) signal converter.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, the driver further comprising an H-bridge driver.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, the first type of signal further comprising a CAN bus signal being one selected from the group consisting of CAN, RS485, PWM, LIN Linear Voltage, and combinations thereof.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, the first type of signal further comprising a pulse width modulated signal.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, the second type of signal further comprising a conversion signal.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, the actuator further comprising a digital linear actuator.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, the digital linear actuator further comprising an idle air control valve having a throttle body, the H-bridge electrical harness mounted to the throttle body.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, the digital linear actuator further comprising a stepper motor.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, the third type of signal further comprising a double square wave signal, and the double wave signal is sent to the stepper motor to control the operation of the stepper motor.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, the driver further comprising a chopper driver.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, the double square wave signal further comprising a double chopper signal.

14. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the digital linear actuator is connected to linkage for providing remote control over a throttle.

15. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the H-bridge electrical harness is mounted on the chassis of a vehicle.

16. An H-bridge electrical harness for controlling an actuator, comprising:

a signal converter in electrical communication with an engine control unit (ECU);

a driver in electrical communication with the signal converter and a digital linear actuator; and

a plurality of connectors, at least one of the plurality of connectors providing a connection with the ECU, and another of the plurality of connectors providing a connection with a digital linear actuator;

wherein the signal converter receives a first type of signal from the ECU, and converts the first type of signal to a second type of signal, and the signal converter sends the second type of signal to the driver, and the driver sends a third type of signal to the digital linear actuator to control the digital linear actuator.

17. The H-bridge electrical harness for controlling an actuator of claim 16, the signal converter further comprising an Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC) signal converter.

18. The H-bridge electrical harness for controlling an actuator of claim 16, the driver further comprising an H-bridge driver.

19. The H-bridge electrical harness for controlling an actuator of claim 16, the first type of signal further comprising a CAN bus signal being one selected from the group consisting of CAN, RS485, PWM, LIN Linear Voltage, and combinations thereof.

20. The H-bridge electrical harness for controlling an actuator of claim 16, the first type of signal further comprising a pulse width modulated signal, the second type of signal further comprising a conversion signal.

21. The H-bridge electrical harness for controlling an actuator claim 20, the digital linear actuator further comprising a stepper motor.

22. The H-bridge electrical harness for controlling an actuator of claim 21, the third type of signal further comprising a double square wave signal, and the double wave signal is sent to the stepper motor to control the operation of the stepper motor.

23. The H-bridge electrical harness for controlling an actuator of claim 22, the driver further comprising a chopper driver.

24. The H-bridge electrical harness for controlling an actuator of claim 23, the double square wave signal further comprising a double chopper signal.

25. The H-bridge electrical harness for controlling an actuator of claim 16, the digital linear actuator further comprising an idle air control valve having a throttle body, the H-bridge electrical harness mounted to the throttle body.

26. The H-bridge electrical harness for controlling an actuator of claim 16, wherein the digital linear actuator is connected to linkage for providing remote control over a throttle.

27. The H-bridge electrical harness for controlling an actuator of claim 16, wherein the H-bridge electrical harness is mounted on the chassis of a vehicle.

28. A system for transmitting a signal from an engine controller to a digital linear actuator, comprising:

an engine control unit for sending a pulse width modulated signal;

an H-bridge electrical harness having a signal converter and an H-bridge driver, the H-bridge electrical harness in electrical communication with the engine control unit such that the signal converter receives the pulse width modulated signal from the engine control unit; and

a digital linear actuator in electrical communication with the H-bridge electrical harness;

wherein the signal converter converts the pulse width modulated of signal to a conversion signal, sends the conversion signal to the H-bridge driver such that the H-bridge driver then sends a double square wave signal to the digital linear actuator to control the digital linear actuator.

29. The system for transmitting a signal from an engine controller to a digital linear actuator of claim 28, the H-bridge electrical harness further comprising a plurality of connectors, one of the of the plurality of connectors providing a connection with the engine control unit, and another of the plurality of connectors providing a connection with the actuator.

30. The system for transmitting a signal from an engine controller to a digital linear actuator of claim 28, the signal converter further comprising an Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC) signal converter.

31. The system for transmitting a signal from an engine controller to a digital linear actuator of claim 28, further comprising the H-bridge electrical harness being mounted on the chassis of a vehicle.

32. The system for transmitting a signal from an engine controller to a digital linear actuator of claim 31, the digital linear actuator further comprising an idle air control valve having a throttle body, the H-bridge electrical harness mounted to the throttle body.

33. The system for transmitting a signal from an engine controller to a digital linear actuator of claim 28, the digital linear actuator further comprising a stepper motor.