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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 7418956 | Ignition apparatus for an internet combustion engine An ignition apparatus for an internal combustion engine can be produced at low cost and small size by preventing the generation of a spark at a spark plug due to a turn-on voltage with a simple ignition coil construction having no energy loss. The apparatus include ... | 09/02/2008 |
| 7363175 | Query based electronic battery tester An electronic battery tester for testing a storage battery provides a test output indicative of a condition of the battery. Electronic measurement circuitry provides a measurement output related to a condition of the battery. The battery condition is determined base... | 04/22/2008 |
| 7347195 | Method and device for controlling the current in a spark plug The present invention relates to a method of controlling the spark current in a spark plug (8), comprising a voltage source (1; 14), an ignition system (2) connected to the voltage source, and a spark plug (8) connected to the ignition sy... | 03/25/2008 |
| 7348687 | Driving circuit for an ignition element of a passenger protection system Driving circuit for an ignition element of a passenger protection system The present invention relates to a driving circuit for an ignition element of a passenger protection system which has the following features: at least ... | 03/25/2008 |
| 7336462 | Alternator and starter tester protection apparatus and method An method and apparatus testing an alternator and/or starter assembly including a power source for energizing the alternator and/or starter, a computer processor for monitoring electrical current supplied to energize the alternator and/or starter wherein the compute... | 02/26/2008 |
| 7328100 | Coil failure detection system for general-purpose engine In a failure detection system of coils that produce outputs in response to rotation of a crankshaft of a general-purpose engine (including a power coil that produces an output indicative of the engine speed), the outputs produced by the coils are inputted to determi... | 02/05/2008 |
| 7319304 | Shunt connection to a PCB of an energy management system employed in an automotive vehicle A method of coupling a shunt to a printed circuit board (PCB) of an energy management system is provided. The method includes coupling flexible electrical connectors to the shunt and soldering the flexible electrical connectors to connection points on the PCB of the... | 01/15/2008 |
| 7300041 | Vertical alternator holding apparatus and method for alternator testing An apparatus for supporting an alternator for testing uses a supporting pin mounted to extend in a first direction relative to the alternator. A first holding pin extends in a second direction relative to the alternator, and has two ends with a first end having a bo... | 11/27/2007 |
| 7295936 | Electronic battery tester with relative test output An electronic battery tester for testing a storage battery determines a condition of the battery. The condition is a relative condition and is a function of a dynamic parameter of the battery and an empirical input variable. ... | 11/13/2007 |
| 7267115 | Ignition apparatus for an internal combustion engine The ignition apparatus includes an electronic control unit and an igniter. The igniter detects ions resulting from ignition, and sends an ion current output signal to the electronic control unit. The igniter has a waveform shaping circuit and an ion current detectin... | 09/11/2007 |
| 7251571 | Methods of diagnosing open-secondary winding of an ignition coil using the ionization current signal In a first embodiment, the present invention is a method of detecting an open secondary winding, including the steps of enabling an integrator, resetting the integrator, detecting an ionization current, integrating the ionization current over a spark window, compari... | 07/31/2007 |
| 7246015 | Alternator tester An alternator tester is provided for testing an alternator of a vehicle while the alternator is coupled to the vehicle. A sensor is configured to couple to the vehicle and sense a signal related to operation of the alternator. A memory contains data related to opera... | 07/17/2007 |
| 7242195 | Integral spark detector in fitting which supports igniter in gas turbine engine A system for detecting spark in an igniter for a gas turbine engine. An igniter generates a plasma, or spark, somewhat similar to an automotive spark plug. In the invention, an inductive pick-up is positioned adjacent the igniter, to detect current pulses in the ign... | 07/10/2007 |
| 7216191 | System for programmed control of signal input and output to and from cable conductors An input/output module for implementing directions from a controller for sending and receiving signals to and from devices. The input/output module includes a microprocessor for communication with, and receiving programming from the controller. The input/output modu... | 05/08/2007 |
| 7212911 | Alternator and starter tester apparatus and method An alternator and starter tester system is provided that includes a protective hood or cover, a controller connecting an LCD touch-screen, an alternator main harness connector, a starter harness self-test connector, a barcode connector, USB host and USB function con... | 05/01/2007 |
| 7191084 | Method and apparatus for gas turbine engine ignition systems A method for testing an igniter coupled within a gas turbine engine, wherein the gas turbine engine includes a combustor, a pressure transducer coupled to the combustor, and a spark detector. The method includes operating the gas turbine engine, monitoring the opera... | 03/13/2007 |
| 7164271 | Ion current detecting device in internal combustion engine An ion current detecting device includes an ion current detecting unit which detects ion current based on combustion ion generated after an ignition which is performed in a combustion chamber and an amplifier unit which amplifies ion current detected by the ion curr... | 01/16/2007 |
| 7156082 | Controlling spark for an engine with controllable valves A system and method to control spark in a cylinder of a multi-cylinder engine. Spark can be controlled in a cylinder while reducing the possibility of producing a spark at a spark plug coupled to an ignition coil. ... | 01/02/2007 |
| 7137385 | Device to provide a regulated power supply for in-cylinder ionization detection by using the ignition coli fly back energy and two-stage regulation This feature of the present invention comprises a method and apparatus that provides a regulated power supply for in-cylinder ionization detection by harvesting the excess ignition coil leakage and magnetizing energy immediately following the turn off of the ignitio... | 11/21/2006 |
| 7131436 | Engine ignition system having noise protection circuit An ignition system for an internal combustion engine is connected to an ignition coil and to a circuit for providing an ignition signal. The ignition system includes a switch circuit connected to the ignition coil that switches on or off current supplied to the igni... | 11/07/2006 |
| 7126341 | Automotive vehicle electrical system diagnostic device An automotive vehicle electrical system diagnostic apparatus includes first and second electrical connections configured to electrically couple to an electrical system of an automotive vehicle which includes a battery. Digital samples are obtained during operation o... | 10/24/2006 |
| 7123020 | System and method of fault detection in a warm air furnace A fault detection system and method for a warm air furnace is provided. A sensing circuit connected to an AC power source measures a level of current consumption during several points in the warm air furnace operating sequence. The measured level of current consumpt... | 10/17/2006 |
| 7106070 | Broad-band low-inductance cables for making Kelvin connections to electrochemical cells and batteries A broad-band technique for reducing the distributed inductance of a four-conductor Kelvin cable is disclosed. A special inductance-canceling cable section is connected in tandem with the cable section contacting the cell/battery. Connections between the two cable se... | 09/12/2006 |
| 7095601 | High energy primary spark ignition system for a gas turbine engine An exciter circuit for a gas turbine engine delivers a first single high-energy spark followed by subsequent sparks of relatively lower energy to ensures start reliability by specifically clearing ice build-up at the ignition plugs. ... | 08/22/2006 |
| 7095234 | Device for triggering ignition circuits A device for triggering ignition circuits is provided, a coupling being provided between a positive output stage and negative output stage of different pairs. Each positive and each negative output stage is assigned a diagnostic unit and a drive circuit. ... | 08/22/2006 |
| 7095306 | Ignition coil having rigid mounting structure An ignition coil includes a cylindrical portion that includes a primary coil and a secondary coil, which are coaxially wound. The cylindrical portion can be inserted into a plughole of an engine. The cylindrical portion has a tip end in an axial direction thereof. T... | 08/22/2006 |
| 7069921 | Control circuit for capacitor discharge ignition system A capacitor discharge ignition (CDI) system for a light-duty spark ignition combustion engine includes an analog control circuit having a charging circuit, a trigger circuit and a shutdown circuit. In response to activation of a kill-switch, the shutdown circuit cau... | 07/04/2006 |
| 7063079 | Device for reducing the part count and package size of an in-cylinder ionization detection system by integrating the ionization detection circuit and ignition coil driver into a single package Two embodiments of an integrated ionization detection circuit and ignition coil driver, an ASIC and a single electronic package, are disclosed. The apparatuses reduce the cost and complexity of an in-cylinder ionization detection system by combining like functionali... | 06/20/2006 |
| 7061245 | Coil-on plug capacitive sensors and passive coil-on plug diagnostic system incorporating same A capacitive sensor for a coil-on plug ignition testing apparatus includes a first portion of the capacitive sensor and a second portion of the capacitive sensor, at least one of which has a substantially planar base, and each of which has one or more engagement mem... | 06/13/2006 |
| 7055372 | Method of detecting cylinder ID using in-cylinder ionization for spark detection following partial coil charging The present feature of the invention comprises a method and apparatus for determining cylinder ID. When a cylinder is compressed, the resistance increases across the spark plug gap. Thus, if a spark coil is only partially charged before activation of the spark, the ... | 06/06/2006 |
| 7053623 | Spark ignition system with diagnostic capabilities An ignition and diagnostic system (10) for an internal combustion engine includes a sparking device (12) through which a low voltage diagnostic device (54) monitors a sensing feature, for example spark gap (30) conditions, during spark in... | 05/30/2006 |
| 7034541 | Query based electronic battery tester An electronic battery tester for testing a storage battery provides a test output indicative of a condition of the battery. Electronic measurement circuitry provides a measurement output related to a condition of the battery. The battery condition is determined base... | 04/25/2006 |
| 7015698 | Sensor for detection of spark in igniter in gas turbine engine An igniter for a gas turbine engine. An igniter generates a plasma, or spark, somewhat similar to an automotive spark plug. In the invention, an inductive pick-up is used to detect current which produces the spark, the thereby infer the presence of spark. Further, t... | 03/21/2006 |
| 7009400 | Universal capacitive adapter for engine diagnostics A capacitive sensor for an ignition testing apparatus includes a substrate bearing a sensor metallization and a ground metallization, an output lead, a mounting device integrated with the substrate and configured to permit the substrate to be releasably mounted to a... | 03/07/2006 |
| 7005855 | Device to provide a regulated power supply for in-cylinder ionization detection by using the ignition coil fly back energy and two-stage regulation The present invention is directed to a dual charge rate power supply circuit and method for ionization detection. The circuit includes a first diode, first and second capacitors, and first and second current paths. The first diode includes an anode operably connecte... | 02/28/2006 |
| 7003410 | Electronic battery tester with relative test output An electronic battery tester for testing a storage battery determines a condition of the battery. The condition is a relative condition and is a function of a dynamic parameter of the battery and an empirical input variable. ... | 02/21/2006 |
| 7002351 | Variable compensation circuit for capacitive adapters A variable compensation circuit for capacitive adapters is provided and includes an input connector for receiving a signal output from a capacitive adapter positioned within an electric near field emitted from a component of an engine ignition system, an output conn... | 02/21/2006 |
| 7003411 | Electronic battery tester with network communication An electronic battery tester for testing a storage battery includes test circuitry configured to provide a battery test output related to a condition of the battery. A memory stores a battery tester address of the battery tester, and communication circuitry transmit... | 02/21/2006 |
| 6998847 | Electronic battery tester with data bus for removable module An electronic battery tester is provided for testing storage batteries. Battery test circuitry is configured to couple to the storage battery and measure a condition of the battery. A removable module is configured to couple to the battery tester to add increased fu... | 02/14/2006 |
| 6998846 | Ignition diagnosis using ionization signal The present feature of the invention is generally directed to a subsystem of an ignition diagnostics and feedback control system using ionization current feedback. It utilizes the ionization signal from an ionization detection circuit to monitor ignition parameters,... | 02/14/2006 |
