In at least some implementations, a control and communication system for a light-duty combustion engine includes a circuit card, an ignition circuit carried by the circuit card and configured to control an ignition timing of the engine, and a short range wireless communication circuit carried by the circuit card. The communication circuit may include a Bluetooth Low Energy antenna. The ignition circuit may include an ignition capacitor that when drained induces an ignition pulse adapted to fire a spark plug. The system may further include a microprocessor that is coupled to and controls the ignition and communication circuits, and/or a clocking circuit adapted to provide a clocking frequency associated with the timing of the ignition circuit and associated with the communication circuit via a short range wireless communication protocol. The clocking circuit may include a crystal oscillator.

In at least some implementations, a control and communication system for a light-duty combustion engine includes a circuit card, an ignition circuit carried by the circuit card and configured to control an ignition timing of the engine, and a short range wireless communication circuit carried by the circuit card. The communication circuit may include a Bluetooth Low Energy antenna. The ignition circuit may include an ignition capacitor that when drained induces an ignition pulse adapted to fire a spark plug. The system may further include a microprocessor that is coupled to and controls the ignition and communication circuits, and/or a clocking circuit adapted to provide a clocking frequency associated with the timing of the ignition circuit and associated with the communication circuit via a short range wireless communication protocol. The clocking circuit may include a crystal oscillator.

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.

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.

In at least some implementations, a control and communication system for a light-duty combustion engine includes a circuit card, an ignition circuit carried by the circuit card and configured to control an ignition timing of the engine, and a short range wireless communication circuit carried by the circuit card. The communication circuit may include a Bluetooth Low Energy antenna. The ignition circuit may include an ignition capacitor that when drained induces an ignition pulse adapted to fire a spark plug. The system may further include a microprocessor that is coupled to and controls the ignition and communication circuits, and/or a clocking circuit adapted to provide a clocking frequency associated with the timing of the ignition circuit and associated with the communication circuit via a short range wireless communication protocol. The clocking circuit may include a crystal oscillator.

An internal combustion engine according to the present invention has an ignition control device. When a rotational speed of the internal combustion engine increases beyond a predetermined rotational over speed, the ignition control device advances an ignition timing of the ignition plug to a first BTDC angle where proper combustion is performed. Further, the ignition control device performs a misfire stroke or strokes of the ignition plug in one rotation or rotations of the crankshaft after the proper combustion is performed by activating the ignition plug at the first BTDC angle.

An internal combustion engine according to the present invention has an ignition control device. When a rotational speed of the internal combustion engine increases beyond a predetermined rotational over speed, the ignition control device advances an ignition timing of the ignition plug to a first BTDC angle where proper combustion is performed. Further, the ignition control device performs a misfire stroke or strokes of the ignition plug in one rotation or rotations of the crankshaft after the proper combustion is performed by activating the ignition plug at the first BTDC angle.

An internal combustion engine includes an engine block including a cylinder, a piston positioned within the cylinder, a crankshaft configured to be driven by the piston, a fuel supply system for supplying an air-fuel mixture to the cylinder, an ignition system, an electric starting system including a starter motor, and an ultracapacitor mounted on the engine, the ultracapacitor configured to power the starter motor to start the engine. A related garden tool is also disclosed.

An internal combustion engine includes an engine block including a cylinder, a piston positioned within the cylinder, a crankshaft configured to be driven by the piston, a fuel supply system for supplying an air-fuel mixture to the cylinder, an ignition system, an electric starting system including a starter motor, and an ultracapacitor mounted on the engine, the ultracapacitor configured to power the starter motor to start the engine. A related garden tool is also disclosed.

An internal combustion engine includes an engine block including a cylinder, a piston positioned within the cylinder, a crankshaft configured to be driven by the piston, a fuel supply system for supplying an air-fuel mixture to the cylinder, an ignition system, an electric starting system including a starter motor, and an ultracapacitor mounted on the engine, the ultracapacitor configured to power the starter motor to start the engine. A related garden tool is also disclosed.