Claims
- 1. A system for controlling ignition energy of an internal combustion engine, comprising:
- an ignition coil having a primary coil coupled to a secondary coil, said primary coil responsive to a control voltage to induce a spark voltage across said secondary coil;
- means responsive to a shunting signal for electrically shorting said primary coil; and
- a control computer producing said shunting signal after said spark voltage is induced across said secondary coil, said primary coil thereafter absorbing said spark voltage and accordingly reducing a duration of said spark voltage induced across said secondary coil.
- 2. The system of claim 1 further including means for sensing said spark voltage and producing a spark voltage signal corresponding thereto;
- and wherein said control computer is responsive to said spark voltage signal to control production of said shunting signal.
- 3. The system of claim 2 wherein said spark voltage signal defines a breakdown voltage;
- and wherein said control computer is operable to produce said shunting signal within a first time period after said voltage signal exhibits said breakdown voltage.
- 4. The system of claim 3 further including an ignition plug having first and second electrodes connected across said secondary coil and defining a spark gap therebetween;
- wherein said breakdown voltage of said spark voltage is operable to ionize said spark gap and produce a discharge current between said first and second electrodes.
- 5. The system of claim 4 further including a resistor connected across said spark gap and sized to limit said discharge current below a first threshold current within a second time period after said voltage signal exhibits said breakdown voltage.
- 6. The system of claim 5 wherein said resistor is a variable resistor responsive to a resistor control signal to vary a value of said resistor;
- and wherein said control computer is responsive to said spark voltage signal to produce said resistor control signal as a function thereof to thereby control said variable resistor to a suitable resistance value for limiting said discharge current below said first threshold current within said second time period after said voltage signal exhibits said breakdown voltage.
- 7. The system of claim 6 further including:
- a supply voltage; and
- means responsive to an ignition control signal for connecting said supply voltage across said primary coil to thereby produce said control voltage there across.
- 8. The system of claim 7 wherein said control computer is operable to produce said ignition control signal.
- 9. The system of claim 1 further including an ignition plug having first and second electrodes connected across said secondary coil and defining a spark gap therebetween;
- wherein said spark voltage is operable to ionize said spark gap and produce a discharge current between said first and second electrodes.
- 10. The system of claim 9 further including a resistor connected across said spark gap and sized to limit said discharge current below a first threshold current within a first time period after said spark voltage ionizes said spark gap.
- 11. The system of claim 10 wherein said resistor is a variable resistor responsive to a resistor control signal to vary a value of said resistor;
- and wherein said control computer is operable to produce said resistor control signal as a function of said spark voltage to thereby control said variable resistor to a suitable resistance value for limiting said discharge current below said first threshold current within said first time period after said spark voltage ionizes said spark gap.
- 12. The system of claim 11 further including means responsive to said spark voltage for producing a spark voltage signal corresponding thereto;
- and wherein said control computer is responsive to said spark voltage signal to produce said shunting signal and said resistor control signal as functions thereof.
- 13. The system of claim 11 further including:
- a supply voltage; and
- means responsive to an ignition control signal for connecting said supply voltage across said primary coil to thereby produce said control voltage there across.
- 14. The system of claim 13 wherein said control computer is operable to produce said ignition control signal.
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED U.S. APPLICATION
The present invention is a continuation-in-part of co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/063,142, filed Apr. 20, 1998 and entitled CONTROLLED ENERGY IGNITION SYSTEM FOR AN INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE.
US Referenced Citations (26)
Continuation in Parts (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
063142 |
Apr 1998 |
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