Matrix injector driver circuit

• US 6,591,814 B2
• Filed: 10/11/2001
• 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:
  US09/975,045
• Publication Number:
  US 20020035987A1
• Time in Patent Office: 642 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 open coil for a first fuel injector and an associated first close coil for the first fuel injector;

a first gate connecting a first end of each of the first open coil and first close coil to a power supply;

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

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

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

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

4. The circuit of claim 1 wherein said plurality of coils further includes a second open coil and a second close coil, both for a second fuel injector, said second gate selectively connecting said second open coil to ground, said third gate selectively connecting said second close coil to ground.

5. A fuel injector control circuit comprising:

a plurality of high side gates each selectively connecting a different single open coil and a different single close coil to a power supply;

a plurality of low side gates, each selectively connecting at least two of said coils to ground, including a first low side gate selectively connecting at least two of said close coils to ground, and a second low side gate selectively connecting at least two of said open coils to ground.

6. The circuit of claim 5 wherein each said low side gate selectively connects at least four coils to ground.

7. The circuit of claim 6 wherein a first half of said low side gates selectively connects at least four open coils to ground.

8. The circuit of claim 7 wherein a second half of said low side gates selectively connects at least four close coils to ground.

9. The circuit of claim 5 wherein said plurality of high side gates is twice as many as said plurality of low side gates.

10. The circuit of claim 9 wherein each of said plurality of low side gates selectively connects one fourth of the plurality of coils to ground.

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

a) associating each of a plurality of pairs of coils with each of a plurality of fuel injectors, each said pair comprising an open coil and a close coil;

b) selectively connecting each of the pair of coils to a power source with one of a plurality of high side gates;

c) selectively connecting at least two of said open coils to ground with a first low side gate;

d) selectively connecting at least two of said close coils to ground with a second low side gate;

e) 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.