Matrix injector driver circuit

• US 6,591,815 B2
• Filed: 10/12/2001
• 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:
  US09/976,981
• Publication Number:
  US 20020043251A1
• Time in Patent Office: 641 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 plurality of open coils and a plurality of close coils;

a plurality of first gates each selectively connecting more than one of said plurality of open coils and more than one of said plurality of close coils to a power supply; and

a plurality of second gates selectively connecting said plurality of coils to ground.

2. The circuit of claim 1 wherein each of said plurality of second gates selectively connects more than one of said plurality of said coils to ground.

3. The circuit of claim 2 wherein each of said plurality of second gates selectively connects more than one of said plurality of open coils to ground or more than one of said plurality of close coils to ground.

4. The circuit of claim 1 each of said plurality of second gates selectively connects at least four of said coils to ground.

5. The circuit of claim 4 wherein at least one of said plurality of second gates selectively connects at least four of said open coils to ground.

6. The circuit of claim 5 wherein at least one of said plurality of second gates selectively connects at least four of said close coils to ground.

7. A fuel injector control circuit comprising:

a plurality of coils including a plurality of open coils and a plurality of close coils;

a plurality of high side gates each selectively connecting more than one open coil and

more than one close coil to a power supply;

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

8. The circuit of claim 7 wherein each said low side gate selectively connects at least four coils to ground.

9. The circuit of claim 8 wherein a first half of said low side gates selectively connects at least four open coils to ground.

10. The circuit of claim 9 wherein a second half of said low side gates selectively connects at least four close coils to ground.

11. The circuit of claim 7 wherein said plurality of high side gates is equal in number to said plurality of low side gates.

12. The circuit of claim 11 wherein each of said plurality of low side gates selectively connects one fourth of the plurality of coils to ground.

13. 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 two 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; and

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.