Matrix injector driver circuit

• US 6,591,813 B1
• Filed: 11/01/2000
• Issued: 07/15/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/01/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Siemens VDO Automotive Corporation (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: Siemens VDO Automotive Corporation (Siemens AG)
• Inventors: McCoy, John C., Vierling, Lou
• Primary Examiner(s): Kwon, John
• Application Number:
  US09/704,227
• Time in Patent Office: 986 Days
• Field of Search: 123/445, 123/472, 123/476, 123/490, 361/191, 361/172
• US Class Current: 123/490
• 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 2041/2075 Type of transistors or particular use thereof
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2041/2079 the circuit having several coils acting on the same anchor
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2041/2082 the circuit being adapted to distribute current between different actuators or recuperate energy from actuators
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/20 Output circuits, e.g. for controlling currents in command coils
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 7/1877 controlling a plurality of loads
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/693 Switching arrangements with several input- or output-terminals, e.g. multiplexers, distributors logic circuits H03K19/00; code converters H03M5/00, H03M7/00

Abstract

A fuel injector control circuit reduces the number of gates required by arranging high side and low side gates in a matrix. Each coil is selectively activated by activating a unique pair of a high side gate and a low side gate, thus reducing the total number of gates required.

Claims

1. A fuel injector control circuit comprising:

a plurality of coils, including a first coil and a second coil;

a first gate connecting a first end of each of the first and second coils to a power supply;

a second gate selectively connecting a second end of said first coil to ground; and

a third gate selectively connecting a second end of said second coil to ground.

2. The circuit of claim 1 wherein said first coil is activated based upon said first gate and said second gate being closed.

3. The circuit of claim 2 wherein said second coil is activated upon said first gate and said third gate being closed.

4. The circuit of claim 3 wherein said first coil is an open coil for a first fuel injector and said second coil is a close coil for the first fuel injector.

5. A fuel injector control circuit comprising:

a plurality of open coils;

a plurality of close coils, each associated with one of said open coils for controlling a fuel injector;

a plurality of high side gates each selectively connecting at least two of said plurality of coils to a power supply; and

a plurality of low side gates, each selectively connecting at least two of said coils to ground.

6. The circuit of claim 5 wherein each said high side gate selectively connects one of said open coils and an associated one of said close coils to the power supply.

7. The circuit of claim 5 wherein each of said high side gates selectively connects at least two open coils to the power supply.

8. The circuit of claim 5 wherein each of said high side gates connects at least two of said open coils and two of said close coils to the power supply.

9. The circuit of claim 5 wherein each of said high side gates connects at least two of said plurality of open coils to the power supply.

10. The circuit of claim 9 wherein at least one of said high side gates connects at least 4 open coils to the power supply.

11. A method for controlling a plurality of fuel injectors including the steps of:

a) associating each of a plurality of open coils with one of a plurality of high side gates and one of a plurality of low side gates,

b) associating each of a plurality of close coils with one of the plurality of high side gates and one of the plurality of low side gates

c) activating each of said coils based upon activation of a unique pair of one of said high side gates and one of said low side gates.

12. The method of claim 11 further including the step of simultaneously exciting and open coil and an associated close coil.

13. The method of claim 11 further including the step of recovering some energy stored in a magnetic field of each of the plurality coils to the power supply.