Abstract: A device for supplying power to an inductive load, including an H-bridge switching structure, the switching structure being designed to drive a current in the inductive load through a first control output and a second control output, an anomaly detector designed to generate an item of anomaly detection information about the detection of an anomaly at the switching structure, the anomaly detector including a first voltage generator, a second voltage generator, a first current measuring device, a second current measuring device designed to measure a current at the output of the second voltage generator, a third current measuring device, a fourth current measuring device, a fifth current measuring device and a sixth current measuring device, the current measuring devices being designed to respectively measure the currents of the switches.

Abstract: A semiconductor chip with functions implemented thereon in circuitry has a first region, in which a first group of safety-relevant base functions are implemented in circuitry, and a second region, which is separated from the first region using technological safety measures and in which a first group of monitoring functions that monitor the base functions are implemented in circuitry. It also contains a third region, which is formed on the semiconductor chip and is separated from the other regions using technological safety measures and in which a second group of monitoring functions that monitor the base functions are implemented in circuitry.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method for detecting a short-circuit in an H-bridge electronic circuit, including: activating a current source on a first test branch; taking a first potential measurement of one of the output terminals; activating, if the first potential measurement is substantially different from the potential of the power supply terminal to which the first test branch is connected, a current source on a second, diametrically opposite test branch; taking a second potential measurement of each output terminal; and signalling the detection of a localized short-circuit in the output terminal having the potential resulting from the second potential measurement that is closest to the potential resulting from the first potential measurement.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method for triggering the switching of a switching transistor of a quasi-resonant DC-to-DC voltage converter to the on state. The method includes the steps of phase-shifting the drain voltage of the transistor by a predetermined temporal phase-shift value that corresponds to the difference between the duration of a quarter of the period of the damped sinusoidal oscillation generated when the transistor is switched off and the period of time that elapses between the command to switch the transistor to the on state and the transistor actually conducting, and, when the phase-shifted voltage is equal to the reference voltage, triggering the command to switch the transistor to the on state such that the transistor starts conducting at the time when the value of the drain voltage is at a minimum.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method for controlling a DC/DC voltage converter for controlling the current of at least one fuel injector of an internal combustion engine of a motor vehicle, the vehicle including a supply battery and the converter including a coil and a switch. The method includes the steps of measuring the value of the voltage delivered by the battery, of determining a threshold value of the current passing through the coil from the measured value of the voltage and from a predetermined curve of the current as a function of the voltage, and of actuating the opening of the switch when the current passing through the coil reaches the determined threshold value of the current in order to regulate the power of the converter.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method for controlling a fuel injector provided with a solenoid for actuating a needle which opens the injector and with a spring for returning the needle to the closed position. The solenoid is supplied with power by a controller including a first potential and a second potential, a first diode and a second diode, a first transistor, a second and a third transistor which is controlled so as to generate various currents using the potentials.

Abstract: Method for controlling a fuel injector with a solenoid actuating a needle opening the injector and a spring returning the needle to the closed position. A controller, powering the solenoid, provides a first potential connected to a first transistor's drain, the source of the first transistor connected to the first diode's anode, the cathode of the first diode connected to a second diode's cathode, to a first connector of the solenoid and to the source of a second transistor. The drain of a second transistor is connected to a second potential, the second diode's anode being connected to ground, the second potential being connected to ground via a capacitance and to the cathode of a third diode, the third diode's anode being connected to a second connector of the solenoid and to the drain of a third transistor, the source of the third transistor being connected to ground.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method for controlling a module for driving a transistor of a DC-DC voltage converter allowing at least one fuel injector of a motor-vehicle internal combustion engine to be controlled. The method includes a step of measuring the amplitude of the current flowing through that of the first switch or of the second switch that is in the on state, a step of determining the electric charge transported by the current, and a step of interrupting the operation of the drive module when the determined electric charge is higher than a preset maximum electric-charge threshold.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method for controlling a DC-DC voltage converter for current-driving at least one fuel injector of a motor vehicle internal combustion engine. The method notably includes the steps of determining a time referred to as the “recovery” time at which the output voltage crosses the predefined high voltage threshold, of determining a time referred to as the “drop” time, corresponding to the start of injection, at which the output voltage decreases below the predefined high voltage threshold, and of calculating the time elapsed between the recovery time and the drop time.

Abstract: A method for estimating the aging of an electronic component, characterized in that it includes the following steps: —compiling a thermal specification of the electronic component in order to determine a reference lifetime, —determining a reference temperature quantity, —measuring the actual temperature of the electronic component in operation, —determining an actual temperature quantity, —determining an equivalent operating time at the actual temperature, —transposing this equivalent operating time to the reference temperature to obtain a transposed operating time, —summing the transposed operating times to obtain a consumed lifetime comparable to the reference lifetime.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method for triggering the switching of a switching transistor of a quasi-resonant DC-to-DC voltage converter to the on state. The method includes the steps of phase-shifting the drain voltage of the transistor by a predetermined temporal phase-shift value that corresponds to the difference between the duration of a quarter of the period of the damped sinusoidal oscillation generated when the transistor is switched off and the period of time that elapses between the command to switch the transistor to the on state and the transistor actually conducting, and, when the phase-shifted voltage is equal to the reference voltage, triggering the command to switch the transistor to the on state such that the transistor starts conducting at the time when the value of the drain voltage is at a minimum.

Abstract: Method for controlling a fuel injector with a solenoid actuating a needle opening the injector and a spring returning the needle to the closed position. A controller, powering the solenoid, provides a first potential connected to a first transistor's drain, the source of the first transistor connected to the first diode's anode, the cathode of the first diode connected to a second diode's cathode, to a first connector of the solenoid and to the source of a second transistor. The drain of a second transistor is connected to a second potential, the second diode's anode being connected to ground, the second potential being connected to ground via a capacitance and to the cathode of a third diode, the third diode's anode being connected to a second connector of the solenoid and to the drain of a third transistor, the source of the third transistor being connected to ground.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method for controlling a fuel injector provided with a solenoid for actuating a needle which opens the injector and with a spring for returning the needle to the closed position. The solenoid is supplied with power by a controller including a first potential and a second potential, a first diode and a second diode, a first transistor, a second and a third transistor which is controlled so as to generate various currents using the potentials.

Abstract: A device for supplying power to an inductive load, including an H-bridge switching structure, the switching structure being designed to drive a current in the inductive load through a first control output and a second control output, an anomaly detector designed to generate an item of anomaly detection information about the detection of an anomaly at the switching structure, the anomaly detector including a first voltage generator, a second voltage generator, a first current measuring device, a second current measuring device designed to measure a current at the output of the second voltage generator, a third current measuring device, a fourth current measuring device, a fifth current measuring device and a sixth current measuring device, the current measuring devices being designed to respectively measure the currents of the switches.

Abstract: A method for supplying power to an inductive load (12) using an H-bridge (2) power supply structure, comprising a first block B1 of steps for detecting an anomaly using a “DIAG ON” diagnostic method, a second block B2 of steps for detecting an anomaly using a “DIAG OFF” diagnostic method, and finally a third block B3 of steps for discriminating the detected anomaly and for confirming a short circuit at the inductive load (12) anomaly.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method for controlling a DC/DC voltage converter for controlling the current of at least one fuel injector of an internal combustion engine of a motor vehicle, the vehicle including a supply battery and the converter including a coil and a switch. The method includes the steps of measuring the value of the voltage delivered by the battery, of determining a threshold value of the current passing through the coil from the measured value of the voltage and from a predetermined curve of the current as a function of the voltage, and of actuating the opening of the switch when the current passing through the coil reaches the determined threshold value of the current in order to regulate the power of the converter.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method for controlling a DC-DC voltage converter for current-driving at least one fuel injector of a motor vehicle internal combustion engine. The method notably includes the steps of determining a time referred to as the “recovery” time at which the output voltage crosses the predefined high voltage threshold, of determining a time referred to as the “drop” time, corresponding to the start of injection, at which the output voltage decreases below the predefined high voltage threshold, and of calculating the time elapsed between the recovery time and the drop time.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method for controlling a module for driving a transistor of a DC-DC voltage converter allowing at least one fuel injector of a motor-vehicle internal combustion engine to be controlled. The method includes a step of measuring the amplitude of the current flowing through that of the first switch or of the second switch that is in the on state, a step of determining the electric charge transported by the current, and a step of interrupting the operation of the drive module when the determined electric charge is higher than a preset maximum electric-charge threshold.

Abstract: A method making it possible to diagnose whether an open load or a load is indeed present in a system including a resistive or inductive load controlled by a control transistor. The method envisages measuring the intensity of the current in the branch formed by the closed control transistor and the load, then, successively, comparing it with a positive threshold, comparing it with a negative threshold and lastly comparing its positive or negative variation over a timeframe ?t with respect to a reference slope to determine whether a load is indeed present or else an open-load situation is present. The present invention is in particular intended for use in the automotive field, to allow the reliable diagnosis of the presence or absence of an open-load situation.

Abstract: An H-bridge device and an associated method for controlling an H-bridge, driving a load such as a DC current electric motor, configured to prevent any reversal of polarity in the load in an unloading phase of said load, without having to limit use of the pulse generator supplying said H-bridge in terms of duty cycle. The H-bridge device includes independent comparators and independent slope control at each of the switches of the H-bridge. Furthermore, according to one aspect, the device includes ‘push-pull’ drivers imposing the potential VBAT/2 at the connection points OUT0, OUT1, on either side of the load, in order to limit electromagnetic interference.