Method and device for controlling the cut-off of a motor vehicle starter
First Claim
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1. A method of controlling cut-off of a motor vehicle starter comprising:
- producing a signal representing a power supply voltage of the starter;
detecting a plurality of fluctuations in said signal;
generating, for each said fluctuation, a monitoring period based upon a period of time which elapsed before the occurrence of a peak in said signal during a prior fluctuation; and
stopping the starter in the absence of a peak during the monitoring period.
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Abstract
Interruption of the power supply to a motor vehicle starter, so as to cut off the starter, is controlled automatically by detecting the fluctuations in the power supply voltage of the starter, and by then interrupting the power supply when these fluctuations disappear. For each new fluctuation in the power supply voltage, a monitoring period is generated. The duration of this monitoring period is such that the latter terminates substantially after the occurrence of a peak in the fluctuation, and the power supply is interrupted when no peak has been detected in the last monitoring period.
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Citations
16 Claims
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1. A method of controlling cut-off of a motor vehicle starter comprising:
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producing a signal representing a power supply voltage of the starter; detecting a plurality of fluctuations in said signal; generating, for each said fluctuation, a monitoring period based upon a period of time which elapsed before the occurrence of a peak in said signal during a prior fluctuation; and stopping the starter in the absence of a peak during the monitoring period. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 11)
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7. A device for controlling cut-off of a motor vehicle starter having a power supply, the device comprising:
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a voltage sensor connected to said power supply configured to receive a signal representing the power supply voltage of the starter, and to detect a plurality of fluctuations in said signal; a signal processor in communication with the sensor adapted to generate a monitoring period for each said fluctuation and to monitor said signal during each said monitoring period, the duration of each said monitoring period being based upon a period of time which elapsed before the occurrence of a peak in a prior fluctuation; and an actuator associated with the signal processor configured to interrupt said power supply, when there is an absence of a peak during said monitoring period. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10)
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12. A device comprising:
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a voltage sensor configured to measure a power supply voltage supplied to a motor vehicle starter so as to detect a plurality of fluctuations in said voltage; a controller associated with the sensor and adapted to generate a monitoring period for each said fluctuation and to monitor said voltage during said monitoring period, the duration of each said monitoring period being based upon a period of time which elapsed before the occurrence of a peak in a prior fluctuation; and a switch associated with the controller, adapted to interrupt supply of said voltage to the starter when a peak is not detected during said monitoring period.
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13. A method for cutting off power to a starter based upon a signal representing a power supply voltage supplied to a starter, the method comprising:
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(a) monitoring the signal for a pre-determined period of time to determine when a peak has occurred; (b) generating a monitoring period based upon the period of time which elapsed before the occurrence of a peak in the signal; (c) monitoring the signal for a period of time equal to the monitoring period; (d) determining whether a peak has occurred during the monitoring period; (e) repeating steps (b) through (d) until a peak is not detected during the monitoring period; and (f) interrupting the supply of voltage to the starter.
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14. A device comprising
means for generating a signal representing a power supply voltage supplied to a starter; -
means for generating a monitoring period based upon the period of time which elapsed before the occurrence of a peak in the signal; means for determining whether a peak has occurred during the monitoring period; and means for interrupting the supply of voltage to the starter when no peak has occurred. - View Dependent Claims (15)
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16. A motor vehicle comprising:
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an internal combustion engine; a starter associated with the engine and adapted to start the engine; a battery adapted to selectively supply voltage to the starter; a device for controlling cut-off of the starter having (1) a voltage sensor configured to measure the voltage supplied to the starter, and to detect a plurality of fluctuations in the voltage, (2) a signal processor in communication with the sensor adapted to generate a monitoring period for each said fluctuation and to monitor the voltage during each said monitoring period, the duration of each said monitoring period being based upon a period of time which elapsed before the occurrence of a peak in a prior fluctuation, and (3) an actuator associated with the signal processor configured to interrupt said power supply, when there is an absence of a peak during said monitoring period.
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Specification