Voltage regulator with improved protection and warning system
First Claim
1. A voltage regulator for a generator in a vehicle, said generator comprising a field coil, said voltage regulator comprising:
- (a) a field enable switch;
(b) a field regulating switch responsive to said field enable switch and operative to switch on/off said field coil; and
(c) a processor, including a programming code operable on the processor, coupled with an output of said generator and said field enable and field regulating switches;
wherein said processor is configured to ascertain one or more operating states of said generator and voltage regulator by monitoring the output of said generator and a switching interval of said field regulating switch, and wherein the processor is configured to activate/deactivate said field enable switch in response to said one or more operating states.
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Abstract
This invention discloses a vehicle electrical system voltage regulator with improved electrical protection and warning means that discerns and responds to regulator, generator, or vehicle electrical system operation and malfunctions. The regulator includes monitoring, control, and protection circuits with a phase signal monitor, a field switching circuit that operates the field coil in response to electrical power demands, and a field enable switch in series with the field regulating switch. The phase monitor and protection circuit ascertains and transmits generator rotational motion for use by the monitoring and control circuit in discerning the various operating conditions. The monitoring and control circuit operates on the field switching circuit to meet the electrical power demands and provide multi level fault protection to include field switching circuit reconfiguration to continue operating under various fault conditions. A warning and diagnostic system incorporating visual indicators and communication lines provide descriptive system information for use by the vehicle'"'"'s operator and computer network, respectively.
25 Citations
21 Claims
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1. A voltage regulator for a generator in a vehicle, said generator comprising a field coil, said voltage regulator comprising:
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(a) a field enable switch; (b) a field regulating switch responsive to said field enable switch and operative to switch on/off said field coil; and (c) a processor, including a programming code operable on the processor, coupled with an output of said generator and said field enable and field regulating switches; wherein said processor is configured to ascertain one or more operating states of said generator and voltage regulator by monitoring the output of said generator and a switching interval of said field regulating switch, and wherein the processor is configured to activate/deactivate said field enable switch in response to said one or more operating states. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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4. A voltage regulator for a generator in a vehicle, said generator comprising a field coil, said voltage regulator comprising:
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(a) a field enable switch; (b) a first field regulating switch responsive to said field enable switch and operative to switch on/off said field coil; (c) a second field regulating switch responsive to said field enable switch and operative to switch on/off said field coil; and (d) a processor, including a programming code operable on the processor, coupled with an output of said generator and said field enable, first field regulating, and second field regulating switches; wherein said processor is configured to ascertain one or more operating states of said generator and voltage regulator by monitoring the output of said generator and a switching interval of said first and second field regulating switches, and wherein the processor is configured to activate/deactivate said field enable switches in response to said one or more operating states. - View Dependent Claims (5, 19, 20)
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6. A voltage regulator for a generator in a vehicle, said generator comprising a field coil, said voltage regulator comprising:
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(a) a first field enable switch; (b) a first field regulating switch responsive to said first field enable switch and operative to switch on/off said field coil; (c) a second field enable switch; (d) a second field regulating switch responsive to said second field enable switch and operative to switch on/off said field coil; and (e) a processor, including a programming code operable on the processor, coupled with an output of said generator and said first field enable, second field enable, first field regulating, and second field regulating switches; wherein said processor is configured to ascertain one or more operating states of said generator and voltage regulator by monitoring the output of said generator and a switching interval of said first and second field regulating switches, and wherein the processor is configured to activate/deactivate said first and second field enable switches in response to said one or more operating states. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 21)
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9. A voltage regulator for a generator in a vehicle, said generator comprising a field coil, said voltage regulator comprising:
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(a) a field enable switch; (b) a field regulating switch responsive to said field enable switch and operative to switch on/off said field coil; and (c) a processor, including a programming code operable on the processor, coupled with said field enable and field regulating switches; wherein said processor is configured to monitor a switching interval of said field regulating switch, and to reconfigure the field enable switch to switch on/off said field coil when the field regulating switch fails to switch on/off said field coil at least once within a pre-determined time interval.
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Specification