A method for checking electrodes of a spark gap of an ignition system for a combustion chamber of an internal combustion engine with an externally provided ignition includes generating a spark at the spark gap in an operating state without ignition of an ignitable mixture in the combustion chamber; ascertaining a parameter or characteristic function representing the spark current, the spark voltage, and/or the spark duration; comparing the parameter or the characteristic function to a reference; adapting an energy for a voltage buildup for a further spark generation for the mixture ignition and/or for maintaining an ignition spark for the mixture ignition, in particular for a future ignition process, as a function of a difference between the parameter or the characteristic function and the reference.

It is possible to adjust electromagnetic energy introduced from a low-voltage side of a primary winding 20 of an ignition coil 2 after start discharging to a spark plug 1 from the ignition coil 2 in the correct proportion by threshold-determining either one or both of a primary voltage V1 applied to a primary side of the ignition coil 2 and a secondary current I2 flowing in a secondary side of the ignition coil 2, and by opening and closing a discharging switch 32 disposed between an auxiliary power supply 3 including an energy storage coil 330 and a low-voltage side terminal 201 of the ignition coil 2.

In at least some implementations, a method of operating an ignition system for a combustion engine includes charging an energy storage device during at least a portion of the time when the engine is operating, permitting the level of energy stored on the charge storage device to decrease over time after the engine ceases to operate, determining the energy level on the energy storage device when the engine is restarted after having ceased operating, and setting at least one engine operational parameter as a function of the determined energy level. In at least some implementations, the at least one engine operational parameter may include one or more of: richness of a fuel and air mixture to be delivered to the engine, ignition timing, desired engine idle speed.

A barrier-discharge-type ignition apparatus that can accurately determine the application voltage, of a barrier ignition plug, that causes a non-ignition discharge to occur. In the barrier-discharge-type ignition apparatus, in a combustion assist control, the voltage difference between the one-period-prior application voltage and the present-period application voltage in the AC period is calculated based on an application voltage detected by a voltage detection circuit; then, it is determined whether or not a discharge exists in the barrier ignition plug, based on the comparison between the voltage difference and a preliminarily set discharge determination threshold value.

In at least some implementations, a method of operating an ignition system for a combustion engine includes charging an energy storage device during at least a portion of the time when the engine is operating, permitting the level of energy stored on the charge storage device to decrease over time after the engine ceases to operate, determining the energy level on the energy storage device when the engine is restarted after having ceased operating, and setting at least one engine operational parameter as a function of the determined energy level. In at least some implementations, the at least one engine operational parameter may include one or more of: richness of a fuel and air mixture to be delivered to the engine, ignition timing, desired engine idle speed.

The subject matter of this specification can be embodied in, among other things, a method that includes receiving a collection of measurements of electric current amplitude in a primary winding of an engine ignition system having the primary winding and a spark plug, identifying an ignition start time, identifying an inflection point based on the plurality of measurements, determining an inflection point time representative of a time at which the identified inflection point occurred, determining a spark start time based on an amount of time between the ignition start time and the inflection point time, and providing a signal indicative of the spark start time.

An ignition device for an internal combustion engine with a charging coil, in particular disposed on a yoke core, with a starter wheel to induce a charging voltage in the charging coil by its rotation, with a first energy store which is connected to the charging coil via a rectifier, as well as with an electrical load which for its power supply, in particular during the starting process of the internal combustion engine is connected to a second energy store, wherein the second energy store is connected to the first energy store via a voltage converter. Furthermore, the invention relates to an internal combustion engine with such an ignition device and a method for its operation.

A capacitive ignition system for an internal combustion engine includes a voltage converter which has two primary terminals and two secondary terminals a primary voltage source has two voltage source terminals (A+, A) which are connected in each instance to one of the primary terminals so that a primary circuit is formed; a switch which is incorporated within the primary circuit and a controller so that the switch can be closed and opened; a first control device constructed to actuate the controller in accordance with an ignition pattern for closing and/or opening; an electrical capacitance (C1, C2) within the primary circuit; and a second control device (25) constructed to maintain constant a voltage rise at the secondary terminals, which occurs in order to reach the ignition voltage, as the ignition energy requirement of an ignition device connected to the secondary terminals changes.

In an ignition control apparatus, a control unit controls switching elements so as to supply a primary current to the other end side of a primary winding opposite to one end thereof connected to a DC power source by discharging (which is performed by turning on a second switching element stored energy from a capacitor during ignition discharge (which is started by turning off a first switching element. In particular, the control unit controls the second switching element or the third switching element so as to provide variability to the amount of stored energy discharged from the capacitor according to an operating state of an internal combustion engine.

In an ignition control apparatus, a control unit controls switching elements so as to supply a primary current to the other end side of a primary winding opposite to one end thereof connected to a DC power source by discharging (which is performed by turning on a second switching element stored energy from a capacitor during ignition discharge (which is started by turning off a first switching element. In particular, the control unit controls the second switching element or the third switching element so as to provide variability to the amount of stored energy discharged from the capacitor according to an operating state of an internal combustion engine.