Method and circuit for emulating a trumpet contact breaker

• US 6,175,297 B1
• Filed: 06/08/1998
• Issued: 01/16/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 06/09/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: STMicroelectronics SRL (STMicroelectronics NV)
• Original Assignee: STMicroelectronics SRL (STMicroelectronics NV)
• Inventors: Scollo, Rosario
• Primary Examiner(s): Swarthout, Brent A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): GOINS, DAVETTA WOODS
• Application Number:
  US09/093,578
• Time in Patent Office: 953 Days
• Field of Search: 340/384.7, 340/384.1, 340/388.1, 340/392.1, 340/384.73, 340/463, 340/576, 340/438, 307/10.1, 307/117
• US Class Current: 340/384.7
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 9/15 Self-interrupting arrangements

Abstract

A method and circuit for emulating a contact breaker in trumpets having an inductor coil powered from a battery through a power driver device. The method includes obtaining the derivative of the current value flowing through the inductor of the trumpet coil, sensing a change in the slope of this derivative, and turning off a circuit portion of the driver device upon a negative slope being sensed. The circuit portion is turned back on with a transient of predetermined duration.

Claims

1. A method for emulating a contact breaker in a trumpet comprising an inductor coil powered from a battery through a power driver device, the method comprising the steps of:

obtaining a derivative of a current value flowing through the inductor coil of a trumpet;

sensing a change in a slope of said derivative, and turning off a circuit portion of the driver device upon a negative slope being sensed; and

turning said circuit portion back on after a transient period of a predetermined duration.

2. A method according to claim 1 wherein an electronic circuit is arranged to drive said circuit portion upon said negative derivative being sensed.

3. A method according to claim 2 wherein said electronic circuit is self-regulated for a resonant frequency of the trumpet.

4. A method according to claim 2, further comprising the step of cutting off the current supply to the inductor through said circuit portion after the current has reached a maximum value and begins to fall.

5. An electronic circuit for emulating a contact breaker in trumpets that include an inductor coil powered from a battery through a power driver device, the electronic circuit comprising:

a sense circuit portion adapted to sense a current value flowing through the inductor coil of a trumpet;

a shunter circuit for measuring a derivative of said current value, the shunter circuit having a comparator circuit associated therewith; and

a control circuit adapted to control a circuit portion of the driver device upon a detection of a negative value of said derivative.

6. A circuit according to claim 5 wherein said shunter circuit comprises an operational amplifier being fed back to its inverting input and having an output connected to and adapted to control said control circuit.

7. A circuit according to claim 5 wherein said sense circuit portion comprises a transistor through which said inductor current flows.

8. A circuit according to claim 5 wherein said shunter circuit is powered from the positive pole of said battery through a series of protection components.

9. A circuit according to claim 5 wherein said sense circuit portion comprises an operational amplifier receiving, on one of its inputs, a voltage signal picked up from one terminal of a power transistor.

10. A self-protected low-emission electronic device for driving a trumpet comprising a coil powered from a battery through a user'"'"'s control pushbutton, the device being included in an electrical connection between one terminal of the coil and said battery, and comprising a protection circuit portion connected between the battery and the trumpet and a bridge structure constructed of power components.

11. A method for operating a trumpet having an inductor and a driver circuit providing current to the inductor from a power source, the method comprising:

providing current to the inductor;

generating a current signal indicating the current provided to the inductor;

generating a derivative of the current signal;

terminating the current provided to the inductor when the derivative of the current signal is negative; and

providing current to the inductor following a selected period of delay after the derivative of the current signal becomes positive.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

sensing a first derivative of the current signal;

providing current from the inductor to the power source when the first derivative is negative;

sensing the first derivative when it is positive; and

providing current to the inductor from the power source following the selected period of delay after the positive first derivative is sensed.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising the step of regulating the driver circuit to a resonant frequency of the trumpet through circuitry in the driver circuit.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising the steps of:

generating the current signal by directing current from the inductor to a sensing impedance;

inverting the current signal in an inverter circuit;

amplifying the inverted current signal in a clipper circuit and generating a control signal in the clipper circuit in response to the inverted current signal; and

coupling the inductor to the power source through the driver circuit in response to the control signal.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising the step of limiting the selected period of delay to a period of time in which an amplifier in the clipper circuit is saturated after the derivative of the current signal becomes positive.

16. A circuit for providing current to an inductive coil in a trumpet, the circuit comprising:

a power source;

a driver circuit coupled between the coil and the power source, the driver circuit being structured to couple the coil to the power source to provide current to the coil based on a control signal;

a sensing circuit coupled to receive current from the coil and being structured to generate a current signal indicating the current in the coil; and

a control circuit coupled to receive the current signal and being structured to generate a derivative of the current signal and generate the control signal in response to the derivative of the current signal.

17. The circuit of claim 16 wherein the power source comprises a battery.

18. The circuit of claim 16 wherein the sensing circuit comprises an impedance coupled to receive current from the coil.

19. The circuit of claim 16 wherein the control circuit comprises:

an inverter circuit coupled to the sensing circuit to receive the current signal and being structured to invert the current signal; and

a shunt circuit including an amplifier coupled to receive the inverted current signal, the shunt circuit being structured to generate the control signal in response to the inverted current signal.

20. The circuit of claim 19 wherein the control circuit is structured to generate the control signal to direct the driver circuit to couple the coil to receive current from the power source when the derivative of the current signal is positive and to couple the coil to provide current to the power source when the derivative of the current signal is negative.