An electrode wear amount predicting system of a spark plug, includes: at least one ignition coil that includes a primary coil and a secondary coil; a spark plug that generates a spark discharge by a discharge current generated by the ignition coil and includes a center electrode and a ground electrode; a sensing portion measuring a current applied to the primary coil; and a controller that determines a wear state of the center electrode and the ground electrode according to an amount of the current applied to the primary coil detected by the sensing portion when an electrode wear amount predicting condition is satisfied.

An integrated circuit for controlling an ignition system including a coil. The integrated circuit includes a transistor configured to control a current flowing through the coil, a first line coupled to a control electrode of the transistor, a second line coupled to an electrode of the transistor on the ground side thereof, a control circuit configured to control on and off of the transistor based on a voltage level of the first line, and a Zener diode having a cathode coupled to the first line and an anode coupled to the second line. The Zener diode has such a capacitance that, when a first signal, and a second signal of a higher frequency, are inputted to the first line, the control circuit controls the on and off of the transistor in response to the first signal irrespective of the second signal.

An internal combustion engine control apparatus includes: an ignition coil including a primary coil and a secondary coil that are magnetically coupled to each other; a first switch element for turning on and off a current to the primary coil; and a spark plug, for igniting an air-fuel mixture in an internal combustion engine by using a spark discharge caused by switching the first switch element from the ON state to the OFF state. The internal combustion engine control apparatus is configured to: determine occurrence of one of an abnormality in a discharge voltage and a misfire of the spark plug, when the calculated time duration in which a voltage of the primary coil after the switching of the first switch element from the ON state to the OFF state is above a predetermined comparison reference voltage does not fall within an allowable range.

An electrode wear amount predicting system of a spark plug, includes: at least one ignition coil that includes a primary coil and a secondary coil; a spark plug that generates a spark discharge by a discharge current generated by the ignition coil and includes a center electrode and a ground electrode; a sensing portion measuring a current applied to the primary coil; and a controller that determines a wear state of the center electrode and the ground electrode according to an amount of the current applied to the primary coil detected by the sensing portion when an electrode wear amount predicting condition is satisfied.

The present invention is provided to suppress the power consumption, the calorific value, and the volume of an ignition device in an internal combustion engine while suppressing failures in igniting fuel by an ignition plug. To achieve this, a control device 1 for the internal combustion engine includes an ignition control unit that controls energization of an ignition coil 300 that gives electric energy to an ignition plug 200 that discharges in a cylinder 150 of an internal combustion engine 100 to ignite fuel. The ignition control unit controls energization of the ignition coil 300 so that first electric energy is released from the ignition coil 300 while second electric energy is released as electric energy superposed on the first electric energy, the second electric energy changing based on a gas state around the ignition plug 200.

An electronic circuit (101) for controlling a spark of a spark plug (SP1) in a capacitor discharge ignition system (100) for a combustion engine. The electronic circuit (101) comprises an ignition coil (110) dimensioned and configured to provide current to the spark plug (SP1), an ignition capacitor (C1) dimensioned and configured to supply energy to the primary winding (L1), an voltage source (130) dimensioned and configured to supply energy to at least one of the ignition capacitor (C1) and the primary winding (L1), a first switch (SW1) connected to the first primary terminal (TL1) and the first source terminal (TS1), a second switch (SW2) connected to the second capacitor terminal (TC2) and the second source terminal (TS2), and a third switch (SW3) connected to the second capacitor terminal (TC2) and the first source terminal (TS1). A capacitor discharge ignition system (100) including the electronic circuit (101) and a combustion engine including the capacitor discharge ignition system (100).

The present invention is provided to suppress the power consumption, the calorific value, and the volume of an ignition device in an internal combustion engine while suppressing failures in igniting fuel by an ignition plug. To achieve this, a control device 1 for the internal combustion engine includes an ignition control unit that controls energization of an ignition coil 300 that gives electric energy to an ignition plug 200 that discharges in a cylinder 150 of an internal combustion engine 100 to ignite fuel. The ignition control unit controls energization of the ignition coil 300 so that first electric energy is released from the ignition coil 300 while second electric energy is released as electric energy superposed on the first electric energy, the second electric energy changing based on a gas state around the ignition plug 200.

There is provided an ignition apparatus that makes it possible that after a spark discharge starts, a secondary current is reduced so that a plug is suppressed from being consumed. The ignition apparatus is provided with an ignition coil including a primary coil, a secondary coil, and a tertiary coil, a first switching circuit for performing on/off-switching of energization of the primary coil from a power source, a second switching circuit for performing on/off-switching of energization of the tertiary coil, and a controller that performs on/off-control of the first switching circuit so as to generate a secondary current in the secondary coil, thereby causing a spark discharge in an ignition plug, and then turns on the second switching circuit so as to reduce the secondary current through a change in flux in the tertiary coil.

An electronic circuit (101) for controlling a spark of a spark plug (SP1) in a capacitor discharge ignition system (100) for a combustion engine. The electronic circuit (101) comprises an ignition coil (110) dimensioned and configured to provide current to the spark plug (SP1), an ignition capacitor (C1) dimensioned and configured to supply energy to the primary winding (L1), an voltage source (130) dimensioned and configured to supply energy to at least one of the ignition capacitor (C1) and the primary winding (L1), a first switch (SW1) connected to the first primary terminal (TL1) and the first source terminal (TS1), a second switch (SW2) connected to the second capacitor terminal (TC2) and the second source terminal (TS2), and a third switch (SW3) connected to the second capacitor terminal (TC2) and the first source terminal (TS1). A capacitor discharge ignition system (100) including the electronic circuit (101) and a combustion engine including the capacitor discharge ignition system (100).

The present disclosure provides a control device having versatility and extensibility of a load driving circuit. A control device includes a processor and an IC, in which the IC includes: a communication circuit that transmits a control signal from the processor; a first drive circuit that drives a first load; a second drive circuit that drives a second load and is provided outside the IC separately from the first drive circuit; and a third drive circuit that controls the second drive circuit, the processor transmits channel information corresponding to the number of switches of the second drive circuit to the IC, and the communication circuit changes the number of channels of the third drive circuit on the basis of the channel information.