Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 30
Claim 1
Independent Claim
344 words
Controlled trigger signal generating system to provide a trigger signal to trigger an event in dependence on rotation of the shaft (100) of an engine, particularly for generation of a trigger signal used in internal combustion engines to trigger an ignition or fuel injection event in dependence on rotation of the crankshaft of the engine, comprising a first counter (12, 12') counting to a first predetermined count state; a frequency controllable oscillator (16) generating pulses and connected to the first counter (12, 12'), so that said first counter will count pulses from the oscillator to said first predetermined count state; signal generator means (10) coupled to the shaft (100) of the engine and providing (a) a count start signal, and (b) an angular shaft rotation termination signal, representative of rotation of the shaft (10) through a predetermined angle after generation of the count start signal, said count start signal being connected to said first counter (12) to cause said first counter to commence counting; means (18, 20) connected to said first counter (12, 12') and providing said trigger signal when the counter has reached said first predetermined count state; a second counter (13) connected to said frequency controllable oscillator (16) so that said second counter will count pulses from the oscillator (16) said count start signal being connected to the second counter to cause the second counter to count, and said termination signal being connected to said second counter to control the second counter to stop counting, to control the count duration of said second counter by said angular shaft rotation signals so that the counter will count during the interval when the shaft (10) turns through said predetermined angle; and a phase locked loop circuit, of which said frequency controllable oscillator (16) and said second counter (13) are parts, so that the time when said first counter (12, 12') will have reached said predetermined count state will be controlled in dependence on the frequency of the controllable oscillator (16) and hence the time interval during rotation of the shaft through said predetermined angle.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
344 words
Controlled trigger signal generating system to provide a trigger signal to trigger an event in dependence on rotation of the shaft (100) of an engine, particularly for generation of a trigger signal used in internal combustion engines to trigger an ignition or fuel injection event in dependence on rotation of the crankshaft of the engine, comprising a first counter (12, 12') counting to a first predetermined count state; a frequency controllable oscillator (16) generating pulses and connected to the first counter (12, 12'), so that said first counter will count pulses from the oscillator to said first predetermined count state; signal generator means (10) coupled to the shaft (100) of the engine and providing (a) a count start signal, and (b) an angular shaft rotation termination signal, representative of rotation of the shaft (10) through a predetermined angle after generation of the count start signal, said count start signal being connected to said first counter (12) to cause said first counter to commence counting; means (18, 20) connected to said first counter (12, 12') and providing said trigger signal when the counter has reached said first predetermined count state; a second counter (13) connected to said frequency controllable oscillator (16) so that said second counter will count pulses from the oscillator (16) said count start signal being connected to the second counter to cause the second counter to count, and said termination signal being connected to said second counter to control the second counter to stop counting, to control the count duration of said second counter by said angular shaft rotation signals so that the counter will count during the interval when the shaft (10) turns through said predetermined angle; and a phase locked loop circuit, of which said frequency controllable oscillator (16) and said second counter (13) are parts, so that the time when said first counter (12, 12') will have reached said predetermined count state will be controlled in dependence on the frequency of the controllable oscillator (16) and hence the time interval during rotation of the shaft through said predetermined angle.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
106 words
System according the claim 1, wherein the phase locked loop includes a source of reference numbers (15); said frequency controllable oscillator (16), said second counter (13) and a comparator (15), the comparator being connected to compare the reference number from said source (15) and the count state of the second counter (13), said comparator (14) providing an output signal when a predetermined comparison relationship exists, said output signal being connected to control the frequency of the frequency controllable osciallator (16) so that said oscillator (16), said second counter (13) said reference number source (15) and said comparator (14) will, together, form a closed phase locked loop.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
17 words
System according to claim 2, wherein the frequency controllable oscillator is a voltage controlled oscillator (VCO) (16).
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
75 words
System according to claim 2, wherein the signal generator means (10) includes a segmental element (101, 101') extending over a predetermined circumferential angle of the shaft (100), coupled to the shaft and rotating therewith; and a fixed pickup (102) coupled to the segmental element to provide said count start signal and said termination signal, the interval between said signals being determined by the time duration of the rotation of the shaft through said predetermined angle.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
44 words
System according to claim 2, wherein the frequency controllable oscillator is a voltage controlled oscillator (16), and the phase locked loop further comprises a frequency divider stage (17) connected to the output of the voltage controlled oscillator (16) to divide the output frequency thereof.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
71 words
System according to claim 1, wherein the trigger signal generation means (18, 20) connected to the first counter (12, 12') includes a comparator (18) and means (19) entering a number into said comparator (18), said first predetermined count state being controlled by the number entered into said comparator, the trigger signal being generated when the number in the comparator and the count state of said first counter have a predetermined relationship.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
53 words
System according to claim 1, wherein (FIG. 2, 3) the first counter (12') is a reverse, or countdown counter; and means (19; 24, 32) are provided entering a number into said down, or reverse counter (12') to cause said counter to count downwardly, or reversely until said first predetermined count state is reached.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
24 words
System according to claim 6, wherein said means entering a number into the comparator comprises means providing a number representative of a fixed value.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
21 words
System according to claim 7, wherein said means providing a number to the down counter comprises means providing a fixed value.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
25 words
System according to claim 6, wherein said means providing said number to the comparator comprises means (19) providing a number controlled by an external parameter.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
25 words
System according to claim 10, wherein said means providing said number comprises a storage means providing said number in dependence on an externally controlled parameter.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
25 words
System according to claim 7, wherein said means providing said number to the comparator comprises means (19) providing a number controlled by an external parameter.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
25 words
System according to claim 12, wherein said means providing said number comprises a storage means providing said number in dependence on an externally controlled parameter.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
54 words
System according to claim 1, further comprising means (19; 24, 31) connected to said first counter (12, 12') to modify the stages through which said first counter counts said count stage modifying means (19; 24, 32) including storage means controlling modification of the counts through said count stages in accordance with an external parameter.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
33 words
System according to claim 14, wherein said count stage modifying means comprises a third counter (24), and means (26, 29) controlling the count of said third counter in dependence on external operating parameters.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
71 words
System according to claim 15, wherein the count state controlling means of said third counter (26, 29) comprises a second oscillator (29) and a gate (26), the gate being connected to and controlled by said signal generating means to pass signals from said oscillator (29) in the interval between said start signal and said termination signal, whereby the third counter will count a number of representative of speed of the engine.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
22 words
System according to claim 16, further comprising a frequency divider stage (17) connected between the second oscillator (29) and the third counter.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
38 words
System according to claim 17, wherein the frequency divider stage (27) is a controllable frequency divider stage, the frequency division ratio of said controllable frequency divider being controlled by the frequency of said first frequency controllable oscillator (16).
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
38 words
System according to claim 17, wherein the frequency divider stage (27) is a controllable frequency divider stage, and the frequency division ratio of said frequency divider stage is controlled by the count state of the third counter (24).
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
33 words
System according to claim 16, wherein said second oscillator (29) is a variable frequency oscillator, a frequency of said second oscillator being controlled by the frequency of said first frequency controllable oscillator (16).
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
35 words
System according to claim 16, wherein the second oscillator is a variable frequency oscillator (29), the frequency of oscillations of the second oscillator (29) being controlled by the count state of said third counter (24).
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
33 words
System according to claim 21, wherein the frequency of the second oscillator is controlled by the final count state of the third counter (24) during a counting cycle of the third counter (24).
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
40 words
System according to claim 16, further including a Read-Only Memory (ROM) (32) connected between the third counter (24) and the first counter (12), the storage positions of said ROM (32) being addressable by the output from said third counter (24).
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
20 words
System according to claim 1, wherein said at first predetermined count state of the first counter (12, 12') is adjustable.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
57 words
System according to claim 24, further comprising a number generator (19; 24; 32) controlled by operating parameters of the engine, said number generator providing a count number the value of which is controlled by said parameters and applied to the first counter and forming said first predetermined count to, or from which said first counter will count.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
39 words
Automotive system comprising the control signal generating system of claim 1 wherein said means connected to said first counter and providing said trigger signal includes a trigger signal utilization stage (20) connected to the ignition system of the engine.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
57 words
System according to claim 26, further comprising a number generator (19; 24, 32) controlled by operating parameters of the engine, said number generator providing a count number the value of which is controlled by said parameters and applied to the first counter and forming said first predetermined count to, or from which said first counter will count.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
40 words
Automotive fuel injection system comprising the control signal generating system of claim 1 and wherein the means connected to the first counter includes a trigger utilization stage (20) connected to a fuel injection system to inject fuel to the engine.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
57 words
System according to claim 28, further comprising a number generator (19; 24, 32) controlled by operating parameters of the engine, said number generator providing a count number the value of which is controlled by said parameters and applied to the first counter and forming said first predetermined count to, or from which said first counter will count.