Method and device for stopping the starter of a motor vehicle once the engine of the vehicle has started
First Claim
1. A method of controlling cut-off of a motor vehicle starter, comprising the steps of supplying electrical power to the said starter, taking a signal corresponding to a parameter of the said power, the parameter being selected from power supply voltage and power supply current, detecting successive waves defined by a varying amplitude of the said parameter, and stopping the starter when the said waves disappear, the method further comprising, at each new wave, generating a monitoring period having a duration which decreases as the frequency of the said waves increases, and detecting the absence of any said new wave in the final said monitoring period, the starter being stopped in response to the said absence of a wave.
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Abstract
A starter for a motor vehicle engine is equipped with a device for cutting off the operation of the starter as soon as the engine is running by itself. The device detects the voltage or current waves in the power supply to the starter, and stops the starter when these waves disappear. At each new wave in the power supply signal, a monitoring period is generated, having a duration which decreases as the frequency of the waves increases, the starter being stopped when no new wave is detected in the last monitoring period.
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Citations
9 Claims
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1. A method of controlling cut-off of a motor vehicle starter, comprising the steps of supplying electrical power to the said starter, taking a signal corresponding to a parameter of the said power, the parameter being selected from power supply voltage and power supply current, detecting successive waves defined by a varying amplitude of the said parameter, and stopping the starter when the said waves disappear, the method further comprising, at each new wave, generating a monitoring period having a duration which decreases as the frequency of the said waves increases, and detecting the absence of any said new wave in the final said monitoring period, the starter being stopped in response to the said absence of a wave.
- 2. A device for controlling cut-off of a motor vehicle starter, comprising means for detecting waves defined by a variation in amplitude of a signal corresponding to a parameter of the electrical power supplied to the starter, the said parameter being selected from power supply voltage and power supply current, together with means for commanding stopping of the starter once said waves are absent, wherein the device further includes means for generating, at each new said wave, a monitoring period having a duration which decreases as the frequency of the said waves increases, the means for stopping the starter being responsive to the absence of a said new wave in the final said monitoring period, whereby to stop the starter in response to the said absence.
Specification