An ignition exciter high frequency switching converter, ignition assembly, and method of operating the same, include a high frequency switching converter operably by way of a control circuit having a timing mechanism, to operate the high frequency switching converter in discontinuous conduction mode to charge a tank capacitor for igniting an igniter.

An electronic device for controlling an ignition coil of an internal combustion engine includes a high voltage switch, a driving unit and a control unit. The driving unit controls the closure of the switch during charging energy in the primary winding and the opening of the switch during transferring energy from the primary winding to a secondary winding. A current measuring circuit is connected in series to a second terminal of the secondary winding to detect current generated on the secondary winding during the charging step and generate a signal representative of the detected current. The control unit receives the signal representative of the current detected by the measuring circuit, compares a relevant value of such signal with a predefined first reference value and activates a mode for detecting a soiling of the spark plug when the relevant value of the signal exceeds said predefined first reference value.

An electronic device for controlling an ignition coil of an internal combustion engine includes a high voltage switch, a driving unit and a control unit. The driving unit controls the closure of the switch during charging energy in the primary winding and the opening of the switch during transferring energy from the primary winding to a secondary winding. A current measuring circuit is connected in series to a second terminal of the secondary winding to detect current generated on the secondary winding during the charging step and generate a signal representative of the detected current. The control unit receives the signal representative of the current detected by the measuring circuit, compares a relevant value of such signal with a predefined first reference value and activates a mode for detecting a soiling of the spark plug when the relevant value of the signal exceeds said predefined first reference value.

A method for self-diagnosing an ignition coil of an engine of a vehicle, which self-diagnoses an error of the ignition coil supplying voltage to a spark plug includes generating, by a self-diagnosis signal generating device included in the ignition coil, a fault flag signal by monitoring a discharge time of secondary current which flows on a secondary coil of the ignition coil, and generating, by a controller, a diagnostic trouble code (DTC) according to a duration of the fault flag signal.

A method for self-diagnosing an ignition coil of an engine of a vehicle, which self-diagnoses an error of the ignition coil supplying voltage to a spark plug includes generating, by a self-diagnosis signal generating device included in the ignition coil, a fault flag signal by monitoring a discharge time of secondary current which flows on a secondary coil of the ignition coil, and generating, by a controller, a diagnostic trouble code (DTC) according to a duration of the fault flag signal.

An ignition control system performs discharge generation control, in which a discharge spark is generated, once or a plurality of times during a single combustion cycle. The ignition control system successively calculates an approximate energy density based on a secondary current and a discharge path length. During a predetermined period after blocking of a primary current is performed during a single combustion cycle, the ignition control system calculates an integrated value by integrating the discharge path length at this time, based on the approximate energy density being greater than a predetermined value. The ignition control system performs the discharge generation control again based on the calculated integrated value being less than a first threshold.

A first clamp circuit (4) clamps a voltage between a gate and a first terminal of a switching device (Q1) to equal to or lower than a first clamp voltage. A control circuit (2) controls the switching device (Q1) and includes a driving unit (5) driving the switching device (Q1), an abnormality detecting unit (9) stopping the driving unit (5) upon detection of an abnormality in operation, and a second clamp circuit (10). The second clamp circuit (10) clamps the voltage between the gate and the first terminal to equal to or lower than a second clamp voltage which is lower than the first clamp voltage when the abnormality detecting unit (9) stops the driving unit (5).

A method of controlling an engine is provided, which includes the steps of injecting main fuel by a fuel injector during an intake stroke or a compression stroke, providing a mixture gas containing fuel and air inside a cylinder, applying by an ignition device a high voltage between electrodes of a spark plug at a timing when the mixture gas is not ignited, detecting a parameter related to a current value of an electric-discharge channel generated between the electrodes, determining by a controller whether the detected parameter is within a range between a first threshold and a second threshold to determine a flowing state of a vortex inside the cylinder, operating the spark plug to carry out a supplemental ignition when the parameter is determined to be outside the range, and igniting the mixture gas by operation of the spark plug after the supplemental ignition.

The objective is to provide an internal-combustion-engine controller that can diagnose a smolder state in a subsidiary combustion chamber of a subsidiary-chamber-type internal combustion engine at low cost and in real time and that can perform control so as to securely produce a spark discharge. The controller controls an internal combustion engine in which a fuel-air mixture in the main combustion chamber is ignited with combustion gas to be injected through an orifice provided in a subsidiary combustion chamber; the controller includes an ignition plug and a detection probe arranged in the subsidiary combustion chamber, an ignition coil, a fuel injector, a smolder detector, and a smolder diagnosis device, and controls at least one of the ignition coil and the fuel injector in accordance with a diagnostic result in the smolder diagnosis device.

A method of controlling an engine is provided, the method including the steps of injecting main fuel by a fuel injector during an intake stroke or a compression stroke, providing a mixture gas containing fuel and air inside a cylinder, applying by an ignition device a high voltage between electrodes of a spark plug at a timing when the mixture gas is not ignited, detecting a parameter related to a current value of an electric-discharge channel generated between the electrodes, determining whether the detected parameter is within a range between a first threshold and a second threshold to determine a flowing state of a vortex inside the cylinder, injecting supplemental fuel by the fuel injector after the main fuel injection when the parameter is determined to be outside the range, and igniting the mixture gas by the ignition device using the spark plug after the supplemental fuel injection.