Injector control performance diagnostic systems

• US 7,856,867 B2
• Filed: 02/06/2009
• Issued: 12/28/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/06/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations Incorporated (Motors Liquidation Co. GUC Trust)
• Inventors: Wang, Wenbo, Lucido, Michael J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kirkland, III; Freddie
• Application Number:
  US12/366,955
• Publication Number:
  US 20100199752A1
• Time in Patent Office: 690 Days
• Field of Search: 731/144.5, 731/145.8, 731/147.7
• US Class Current: 73/114.45
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2041/2003 using means for creating a boost voltage, i.e. generation or use of a voltage higher than the battery voltage, e.g. to speed up injector opening
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/20 Output circuits, e.g. for controlling currents in command coils
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/221 relating to the failure of actuators or electrically driven elements
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/266 the computer being backed-up or assisted by another circuit, e.g. analogue

Abstract

A diagnostic system for a fuel injector control system according to the present disclosure includes a plurality of state monitoring modules and a fault determination module. The plurality of state monitoring module monitor a plurality of states of a driver circuit for a fuel injector based on data samples related to the plurality of states. The fault determination module diagnoses a fault in the driver circuit when at least one of the plurality of state monitoring modules receives a predetermined number of data samples indicating an undesired state within a sampling interval.

Claims

1. A diagnostic system for a fuel injector control system, comprising:

an initialization state monitoring module that determines whether a driver circuit for a solenoid is in an initialized state or an un-initialized state in a first sampling interval, and that generates a first fault signal when a first number of times that the driver circuit is in the un-initialized state reaches a first predetermined number;

a driving state monitoring module that determines whether the driver circuit for the solenoid is in a driving state or a non-driving state in a second sampling interval, and that generates a second fault signal when a second number of times that the driver circuit is in the non-driving state reaches a second predetermined number;

a voltage monitoring module that determines whether a voltage level of the driver circuit for the solenoid is less than a desired boost voltage in a third sampling interval, and that generates a third fault signal when a third number of times that the voltage level is less than the desired boost voltage reaches a third predetermined number,

wherein the first fault signal, the second fault signal, and the third fault signal are independent signals; and

a fault determination module that communicates with the initialization state monitoring module, the driving state monitoring module, and the voltage monitoring module, and that diagnoses a fault in the driver circuit for the solenoid in response to any one of the first fault signal, the second fault signal, and the third fault signal.

2. The diagnostic system of claim 1 further comprising a solenoid control module that initializes the driver circuit for the solenoid to charge the driver circuit to the desired boost voltage and to enter the initialized state.

3. The diagnostic system of claim 2 wherein the driving state is after the initialized state.

4. The diagnostic system of claim 1 wherein at least one of the initialization state monitoring module, the driving state monitoring module, and the voltage monitoring module includes a counter that counts one of the first number of times, the second number of times, and the third number of times, respectively.

5. The diagnostic system of claim 1 wherein the desired boost voltage corresponds to a boost voltage for a fuel injector associated with the solenoid.

6. The diagnostic system of claim 1 wherein the diagnostic system disables at least one of an engine and a fuel injector associated with the solenoid in response to at least one of the first fault signal, the second fault signal, and the third fault signal.

7. A diagnostic method for a fuel injector control system, the method comprising:

determining whether a driver circuit for a solenoid is in an initialized state or an un-initialized state in a first sampling interval;

generating a first fault signal when a first number of times that the driver circuit is in the un-initialized state reaches a first predetermined number;

determining whether the driver circuit for the solenoid is in a driving state or a non-driving state in a second sampling interval;

generating a second fault signal when a second number of times that the driver circuit is in the non-driving state reaches a second predetermined number;

determining whether a voltage level of the driver circuit for the solenoid is less than a desired boost voltage in a third sampling interval;

generating a third fault signal when a third number of times that the voltage level is less than the desired boost voltage reaches a third predetermined number,

wherein the first fault signal, the second fault signal, and the third fault signal are independent signals; and

diagnosing a fault in the driver circuit for the solenoid in response to any one of the first fault signal, the second fault signal, and the third fault signal.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising initializing the driver circuit for the solenoid to charge the driver circuit to the desired boost voltage and to enter the initialized state.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the driving state is after the initialized state.

10. The method of claim 7 further comprising counting at least one of the first number of times, the second number of times, and the third number of times with a counter.

11. The method of claim 7 wherein the desired boost voltage corresponds to a boost voltage for a fuel injector associated with the solenoid.

12. The method of claim 7 further comprising disabling at least one of an engine and a fuel injector associated with the solenoid in response to at least one of the first fault signal, the second fault signal, and the third fault signal.