Siemens Aktiengesellschaft

Continental Automotive Gmbh

Siemens Vdo Automotive Corporation

Bombardier Primove Gmbh

Vdo Automotive Ag

Continental Automotive Systems Us, Inc.

Stephan Bolz

Günter Lugert

Martin Götzenberger

Rainer Knorr

Markus Amtmann

Martin Goetzenberger

J&uuml;rgen R&ouml;ssler

Achim Reuther

Harald Schmauβ

Sven-Michael Eisen

Carsten Götte

Robert Czainski

Alfons Fisch

Johannes Beer

Dieter Sass

Roger Rouphael

Mark Elliott

Thomas Haug

Gerhard Fischer

Simon Makar

Sven Eisen

Tudor-Ion Gamulescu

Dariusch Akhavan

Gerhard Göser

Günter Lugent

Mauricio Eduardo Hernandez-Distancia

Herbert Lacher

Carsten GÖTTE

Larry Hiltunen

An inductive power transfer unit includes a winding unit for inductive power transfer during a power transfer operation, a flux guide, and an antenna. The antenna is arranged with the flux guide for generating or receiving an antenna signal during an auxiliary operation, wherein a compensation winding is arranged, such that the compensation winding compensates for an induced voltage and/or induced current in the antenna guide during the power transfer operation.

Voltage and current compensation in an inductive power transfer unit

A circuit configuration for inductively heating at least one fuel injection valve includes a power-transistor full-bridge circuit which acts as a driver for operating a series resonant circuit at an alternating voltage at or near the resonant frequency. The series resonant circuit includes a heater coil on which the resulting voltage can be significantly higher than the supply voltage. The power that can be fed to the heater coil can be modified or controlled by changing the frequency or the duty factor of the control signals of the switching elements of the bridge circuit. A fuel injection valve and methods for operating the circuit configuration are also provided.

Circuit arrangement for inductively heating at least one fuel injector valve, and fuel injector arrangement comprising such a circuit arrangement

A circuit configuration for inductively heating a fuel injector, includes an injection valve heater coil having connections forming first and second nodes, a capacitor connected parallel to the heater coil, a first inductor connected between a positive pole of a supply voltage and the first node, a second inductor connected between the positive pole of the supply voltage and the second node, a first controllable switching element connected between the first node and a negative pole of the supply voltage, a second controllable switching element connected between the second node and the negative pole of the supply voltage, and a control unit connected to control inputs of the switching elements for applying a switch-on level to the control inputs when the voltage at the respective node connected to a switching element becomes 0 and for dimensioning a switch-on duration of the switching element according to a preset heating power.

Circuit arrangement for inductively heating a fuel injector valve

An apparatus operates at least one light-emitting diode in the form of a laser diode. The light-emitting diode is interconnected in series with the load section of a controllable semiconductor element and a current measuring resistor between a first supply voltage terminal and a second supply voltage terminal. The supply voltage terminals are the output connections of a voltage-regulating circuit in the form of a DC voltage boost converter which provides a supply voltage), and wherein a current-regulating circuit is provided for the current through the at least one light-emitting diode, whose actuator is the controllable semiconductor element.

Apparatus for operating at least one light-emitting diode in the form of a laser diode

A method for determining the quantity of fuel flowing through a fuel injector. The fuel injector has an electric heating device for heating the fuel and a temperature-measuring device for measuring the temperature of the heated fuel. The method includes (a) applying a predetermined electrical heating power to the electric heating device, (b) measuring an increase in the temperature of the fuel as a consequence of the heating power, and (c) determining the quantity of fuel flowing through the fuel injector on the basis of the applied electrical heating power and the measured increase in the temperature. A method for equalizing the fuel feed at at least two cylinders of an internal combustion engine utilizes the method for determining the quantity of fuel flowing through a fuel injector. An engine controller and a computer program carry out the specified methods.

Determination of the quantity of fuel flowing through a fuel injector based on the heating of the fuel by means of an electric heating device

An actuator unit for injecting fuel into a combustion chamber of an internal combustion engine includes an electrically conductive excitation winding, a ferromagnetic circuit having a ferromagnetic return, and a moveable armature. The armature is held in an idle position by a holding force of a spring element. A current flowing through the excitation winding produces (a) a magnetic holding force acting on the armature in the same direction as the spring holding force provided by the spring element, and (b) a magnetic motive force acting on the armature in the opposite direction as the magnetic holding force and spring holding force. The armature can be moved to a working position in which the armature adjoins the ferromagnetic return by increasing the current through the excitation winding above a predetermined value that results in the magnetic motive force exceeding the magnetic holding force combined with the spring holding force.

Actuator unit, in particular for injecting a fuel into a combustion chamber of an internal combustion engine

An ignition device for an internal combustion engine includes an ignition coil designed as a transformer, the secondary winding thereof being designed to connect to a spark plug, an actuatable switch element connected in series with the primary winding of the ignition coil, and a controller connected to the primary winding of the ignition coil and the control input of the switching element. The controller has a voltage converter which provides a supply voltage for the ignition coil at the output thereof and which can be connected to a motor vehicle electrical system voltage, a controllable changeover switch for applying the supply voltage at either positive or negative polarity to the series circuit of the primary winding of the ignition coil and the switching element, depending on a control signal, and a control circuit which generates the control signal based on a phase of the ignition process.

Ignition device for an internal combustion engine and method for operating an ignition device for an internal combustion engine

A method is disclosed for operating an ignition device for an internal combustion engine, said device having an ignition coil designed as a transformer, an igniter plug connected to the ignition coil secondary winding, a controllable switching element connected in series to the ignition coil primary winding and a control unit connected to the ignition coil primary winding and the control input of the switching element, wherein the control unit provides a supply voltage for the ignition coil and a control signal for the switching element depending upon the flows through the ignition coil primary and secondary winding and the voltage between the connection point of the ignition coil primary winding to the switching element and the negative terminal of the supply voltage, to provide an adjustable alternating current for the igniter plug, to provide a targeted supply of power distributed over the ignition time interval.

Method for operating an ignition device for an internal combustion engine and ignition device for an internal combustion engine for carrying out the method

An ignition apparatus has an ignition transformer that has a primary winding and a secondary winding. The transformer has a first primary winding connection for connection to a first supply voltage potential and a second primary winding connection for connection to a second supply voltage potential via a controllable switching element. Accordingly a first capacitor is connected up between the first primary winding connection and the second supply voltage potential and a second capacitor is connected up between the second primary winding connection and the second supply voltage potential.

Ignition apparatus

A circuit arrangement detects a maximum in a profile of a measurement signal. The circuit arrangement has an operational amplifier with a non-inverting input connected to a reference potential and an output connected to an inverting input via a first resistor. The first resistor has an input connection, to which the measurement signal is applied and which is connected to the inverting input of the operational amplifier via a series circuit containing a capacitor and a second resistor. The connection point between the capacitor and the second resistor is connected to the negative supply potential of the operational amplifier via a third resistor and a first, reverse-biased diode. The connection point between the third resistor and the first diode is connected to the output of the operational amplifier via a second, forward-biased diode. The reference potential is a positive potential.

Circuit arrrangement for detecting a maximum in the profile of a measurement signal

A method is provided for operating an ignition device for an internal combustion engine, which ignition device includes an ignition coil configured as a transformer, a spark plug connected to the secondary winding of the ignition coil, an actuable switching element connected in series to the primary winding of the ignition coil, and a control unit connected to the control input of the switching element, wherein the control unit provides an adjustable supply voltage for the ignition coil and an actuating signal for the switching element as a function of the currents through the primary and the secondary windings of the ignition coil and the voltage between the connecting point of the primary winding of the ignition coil to the switching element and the negative terminal of the supply voltage, as a result of which firstly operation of the spark plug by way of alternating current is possible and secondly regulation of said current is possible, which leads to more reliable ignition with a lower wear of the spark plugs.

Method for operating an ignition device for an internal combustion engine, and ignition device for an internal combustion engine for carrying out the method

A method for determining a closing time of a valve having a coil drive, in particular a direct injection valve for an engine of a motor vehicle, has the steps: (a) switching off a current flow through a coil (L_inj) of the coil drive, so that the coil (L_inj) is depowered, (b) capturing a time curve () of a voltage induced in the non-powered coil (L_inj), wherein the induced voltage is generated by decaying eddy currents in a magnetic circuit of the coil drive and by a motion of the armature relative to the coil (L_inj), (c) evaluating the captured time curve () of the voltage induced in the coil (L_inj), and (d) determining the closing time based on the evaluated time curve (). A corresponding device and a computer program for determining the closing time of a valve with a coil drive can be provided accordingly.

Determining the closing time of a fuel injection valve based on evaluating the actuation voltage

A circuit arrangement determines the closing instant of a valve with a coil that actuates an armature. The circuit has a voltage divider with at least three resistors connected to a measuring node of the coil and to ground. The first resistor is highly resistant in comparison with the other resistors of the voltage divider. A differential amplifier has its output connected to its inverting input via a fourth resistor and its non-inverting input receives a voltage from the voltage divider that represents the current in the coil. A parallel circuit of a capacitor and a resistor is connected between the inverting input and ground. A controllable switching element has a controlled path between the first resistor and the parallel circuit, and a control connection connected to the positive supply potential of the differential amplifier.

Circuit arrangement for determining the closing instant of a valve with a coil which actuates an armature

A device for controlling an injection valve actuator for an internal combustion engine has a voltage source, the voltage of which is high compared to the voltage of a vehicle battery and which is connected to the actuator by way of at least one controllable switch. A switching controller can be connected to the vehicle battery at the input end and it is connected to the voltage source at the output end to generate the high voltage from the voltage of the vehicle battery. The switching controller is designed in such a way that the high voltage of the voltage source is regulated to a higher value as the temperature increases.

Device for controlling an injection valve actuator for an internal combustion engine

An onboard power supply, contains a starter power supply having a high-power load, particularly a starter and a first energy storage, particularly a double-layer capacitor. The onboard power supply further has an intermediate power supply with a second energy storage, particularly a rechargeable lithium polymer battery and a load power supply with at least one electric load. The starter power supply is electrically coupled to the intermediate power supply via a first voltage converter. The intermediate power supply is electrically coupled to the load power supply via a second voltage converter, and the onboard power supply has a controller, which controls or regulates the electric voltage in the intermediate power supply in dependence on a parameter of the second energy storage.

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Pfatter, Germany

Stephan Bolz