The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Apr. 09, 2002
Filed:
Mar. 20, 2000
John W. Boyer, Westfield, IN (US);
Raymond O. Butler, Jr., Anderson, IN (US);
Scott Birk Kesler, Kokomo, IN (US);
Daniel J. O'Connor, Westfield, IN (US);
Delphi Technologies, Inc., Troy, MI (US);
Abstract
An ignition system for an internal combustion engine includes an ignition coil coupled to a spark plug in a combustion chamber of the engine, and a switch responsive to an ignition control signal for causing a primary current to flow through a primary winding of the ignition coil. A control circuit is configured to generate the ignition control signal so as to produce a plurality of sparks at the spark plug during a combustion event in the cylinder. A combustion detection circuit in sensing relation with the combustion cylinder is configured to generate a combustion detect signal when combustion occurs. The control circuit is further configured to terminate the generation of the ignition control signal during the combustion event in response to the combustion detect signal, thereby terminating multicharge operation when the need for further sparks is no longer present. Unnecessary spark plug wear is avoided.