Gm Global Technolgoy Operations, Inc.

Daimlerchrysler Corporation

Other

Timothy P Philippart

Mikhail Zarkhin

Vasil Germanski

Mark J Stachew

Douglas R Verner

Timothy Karnjate

Michael R Grimes

S M Nayeem Hasan

Matthew R Malik

Philip C Lundberg

Scott Joseph Chynoweth

Christopher G Benson

Zhe Xie

Scott T Feldmann

Etsuko Muraji Stewart

Robert G Rudzewicz

Robert J Horner

Zhong Li

Shawn L Boozer

Steven Mark Bezdek

S M N Hasan

Dimitri Karatsinides

Sm Nayeem Hasan

Dino Bortolin

Roger A Moon

Christina Cramer

Stonewall J Craig

Martha A Crisler

Daniel B Ciesinski

Steven Zechiel

Sam Barakat

A first high side switch is configured to connect and disconnect a first reference potential to and from a first node, the first node configured to be electrically connected to a second node and a first end of a first inductor coil of a fuel injector of a cylinder and a first end of a second inductor coil of an oil control valve of the cylinder. A second high side switch is configured to connect and disconnect a second reference potential to and from the second node. A first low side switch is configured to connect and disconnect a ground reference potential to and from a second end of the second inductor coil of the oil control valve. A second low side switch is configured to connect and disconnect the ground reference potential to and from a second end of the first inductor coil of the fuel injector.

Combination oil control valve and fuel injector driver

A circuit for compensating for low battery voltage available to power a load includes a power source, an inductor electrically coupled to the power source, a first switch configured to control current flow from the power source to the inductor, and a first diode connecting a first supply rail to the inductor. The circuit also includes a second switch configured to electrically connect the anode of a second diode to the inductor, with the cathode of the second diode connected to a second supply rail. A controller is configured to cycle the first and second switches to achieve a desired voltage values at the first and second supply rails. The second supply rail is electrically connected to the load. The controller is configured to enable the second switch to switch to a closed state only when the voltage at the power source is below a first predetermined threshold voltage.

Stabilizing power supply voltage to a load during auto start

A method for controlling a vehicle transmission includes electrically connecting a Transmission or Powertrain Control Unit (TCU or PCU) to the vehicle transmission, the TCU or PCU controlling operation of the transmission and having switchable power on a high side, and switchable ground on a low side of a plurality of solenoids in a shared functional grouping configuration, proportionally controlling an amount of current through a load such as a solenoid via controlling an amount of time current is being sunk through the solenoid to ground and controlling an amount of time current is provided via an adaptable recirculation path in the TCU or PCU, the recirculation path minimizing current decay when the solenoid is driven in an OFF state. The TCU or PCU having a single hardware layout, but being electronically adaptable to control a plurality of transmission types and solenoid architectures based on any desired functional solenoid grouping.

Method to control a solenoid's current recirculation path to enable a specific ECU design to be applied to multiple transmission architectures

A method is provided for operating a three step camshaft system during engine position sensor fault conditions. The three step camshaft has multiple cam actuators each having an actuator pin. The method includes: disposing multiple camshaft barrels on a camshaft, each barrel having a slot receiving the actuator pin of a cam actuator during camshaft barrel rotation axially displacing each camshaft barrel to a high lift lobe position, a low lift lobe position and an active fuel management (AFM) lobe position; determining if an engine position sensor is in a fault condition; identifying if the fault condition occurs simultaneously with any of the camshaft barrels positioned in the AFM lobe position; energizing selected cam actuators in communication with the camshaft barrels positioned in the AFM lobe position to axially displace the camshaft barrel away from the AFM lobe position and to the low lift lobe position.

Three step cam defaulting strategy for engine position sensors

A method of noise filtering a sliding camshaft actuator pin position output signal includes determining an actual pin position output signal period of a sliding camshaft actuator that occurs within a predetermined output signal period measurement window and establishing a pin position output signal filter window based on the actual pin position output signal period. Thereafter, the actual pin position output signal period from the sliding camshaft actuator is monitored by a control module and signals that occur outside of the pin position output signal filter window are rejected accordingly to prevent responding to false triggers.

Method of noise filtering a sliding camshaft actuator pin position output signal

A method of determining a sliding camshaft actuator pin position based on engine crankshaft angle includes commanding a sliding camshaft actuator to perform a valve step shift, and monitoring an actuator's pin position during the valve step shift command. At least one crank angle is measured when the actuator pin position reaches or exceeds at least one predetermined pin position threshold and at least one remedial action is performed when the actuator pin position does not correlate to the at least one measured crank angle.

Determining sliding camshaft actuator pin position based on engine crankshaft angle

A circuit for connecting a voltage source to a load is provided. The circuit may include a Vbatt node configured to be connected to a voltage source and a diode electrically connected with the Vbatt node. A battery isolation switch module is electrically connected with the diode, the diode being arranged in series between the battery isolation switch module and the Vbatt node. A capacitor bank is electrically connected with the battery isolation switch module and to ground. The capacitor bank is configured to be further connected with a microprocessor power supply. A high side driver may be configured to receive power from the voltage source. The diode is configured to isolate the capacitor bank and the power supply. The diode is arranged to prevent current from flowing back through the diode from the battery isolation switch module and the capacitor bank to the Vbatt node or HSD output.

Minimize bulk capacitance and prevent controller resets due to the voltage drop associated with a fault condition

A pre-charge circuit is disclosed for a vehicle including a battery and a load. The pre-charge circuit includes a time delay circuit configured to, in response to receiving power from the battery, generate a first voltage. The first voltage increases from a first value toward a second value. The pre-charge circuit includes a switch control circuit configured to, in response to the first voltage, provide a second voltage that follows the first voltage. The pre-charge circuit includes a switching circuit configured to selectively connect the battery to the load based on the second voltage and disconnect the load from the battery in response to the second voltage reaching a predetermined threshold value. The pre-charge circuit includes an output circuit configured to restrict an amount of power and inrush current that is provided from the battery to the load through the switching circuit.

Self turn-on and turn-off pre-charge circuit to limit bulk capacitor inrush current

A system according to the principles of the present disclosure includes a first solenoid control module, a fault diagnostic module, and a second solenoid control module. The first solenoid control module controls a plurality of solenoids to shift gears in a transmission. The fault diagnostic module diagnosis a fault in a transmission control system based on an operating parameter of the transmission control system. The second solenoid control module selectively controls the plurality of solenoids to shift gears in the transmission when a fault in the transmission control system is diagnosed.

System and method for controlling a transmission when a fault is diagnosed in a transmission control system

A starter relay connects a battery with a starter motor of an engine when in a closed state and disconnects the starter motor from the battery when in an open state. A switching device provides current to the starter relay when in a closed state and disables current flow to the starter relay when in an open state. For an engine startup event, a switch control module: transitions the switching device to the closed state for a first predetermined period; transitions the switching device to the open state for a second predetermined period after the first predetermined period; and transitions the switching device to the closed state for a third period after the second predetermined period. The starter relay remains in the open state during the first predetermined period and transitions to the closed state when the switching device is in the closed state for the third period.

Driver output encoding systems and methods

A control module includes an input module configured to operate in a normal operating state and a fault diagnosis state. The input module receives an input signal from a circuit module and generates a voltage based on the input signal. In the normal operating state, a fault diagnostic module determines whether the voltage is in a first range or a second range. The first range and the second range indicate that a fault is detected in the circuit module. The fault diagnostic module determines that the detected fault is a first fault type if the voltage is in the first range, transitions the input module from the normal operating state to the fault diagnosis state if the voltage is in the second range, and determines whether the detected fault is a second fault type or a third fault type based on the voltage in the fault diagnosis state.

System and method of using flexible ECU inputs to specifically determine the type of electrical fault on an input

An electrolytic capacitor reformation system for a vehicle includes an electrolytic capacitor, a motor driver module, a switching device, a resistor, and a switching control module. The electrolytic capacitor receives power from a battery of the vehicle. The motor driver module receives power from the electrolytic capacitor and drives an electric motor of the vehicle. The switching device and the resistor are connected in series in a current path between the battery and the electrolytic capacitor. The resistor limits current flow through the current path. The switching control module selectively transitions the switching device to a closed state to reform the electrolytic capacitor.

Electrolytic capacitor reformation systems and methods

A stepper motor assembly includes a unipolar winding stepper motor, four drivers, and a transmission control module. The stepper motor has four coil parts. Each driver has a transistor connected to one of the coil parts. Each driver is operable to drive a phase of the stepper motor, where first and second phases are opposites of each other and third and fourth phases are opposites of each other. The transmission control module houses the four transistors. A transmission is also disclosed that includes the disclosed stepper motor assembly.

Stepper motor with common solenoid current driver

A method includes: receiving M solenoids, each marked with a unique one of M identifiers, where M is an integer greater than one; receiving M lookup tables associated with respective ones of the M identifiers, wherein each of the M lookup tables establishes a relationship between input current and output pressure for only one of the M solenoids; assembling a transmission with a selected one of the M solenoids; selecting one of the M lookup tables based on one of the M identifiers marked on the selected one of the M solenoids; storing the selected one of the M lookup tables in memory of a transmission control module of a vehicle that is assembled with the transmission; and controlling output pressure of the selected one of the M solenoids based on the selected one of the M lookup tables and the input current using the transmission control module.

Transmission systems and methods

A diagnostic system for a vehicle comprises a diagnostic module, a control module, and a hardware interface module. The diagnostic module selectively diagnoses a fault in one or more of components that are integrated within a housing. The control module receives a request for testing of the diagnostic module and retrieves predetermined fault data corresponding to the fault. The hardware interface module receives component data for the diagnosis and the predetermined fault data, disables provision of the component data to the diagnostic module, and provides the predetermined fault data to the diagnostic module for the diagnosis.

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Orion, MI, United States of America

Timothy P Philippart