Dual-Circuit Starter System for Engine Reliability
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
The existing starter systems for straddle-type vehicles lack reliability in engine control, leading to potential unintended engine starts due to lack of dual input verification for control operations.
Innovation Solution
A starter system that includes a starter motor, electronic control unit, battery, starter switch, first circuit for starter signal, and second circuit for driving current, where the electronic control unit initiates engine control only when both starter signal and driving current are received, ensuring user intervention is required for engine start.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the electronic control unit starts control operation with only a starter signal, then the ease of operation is improved, but the reliability deteriorates due to potential undesired engine starts
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a second circuit as an intermediary verification mechanism between the starter signal and the engine control operation. This second circuit provides an additional current input that acts as a mediator to confirm the legitimacy of the start command, preventing undesired engine starts while maintaining proper operation flow
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback by requiring confirmation from multiple circuits before executing engine control. The electronic control unit receives feedback from both the first circuit (starter signal) and the second circuit (additional current input), ensuring that the control operation only starts when both conditions are met, thus improving reliability
2Reliability
If dual circuit verification is implemented, then the reliability is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The second circuit is designed to serve multiple functions: it verifies the legitimacy of the start command, provides additional safety verification, and works in conjunction with the first circuit. This multi-functionality justifies the added complexity by providing comprehensive reliability improvement across different operational scenarios
Data Source
AI summary
There is provided a starter system including: a starter motor configured to start an engine rotationally; an electronic control unit configured to control the engine; a battery that supplies a current to the starter motor; a starter switch capable of supplying the current of the battery to the starter motor in response to an operation by a user; a first circuit that supplies a starter signal indicating that the starter switch is operated to the electronic control unit; and a second circuit that supplies a current necessary for driving to the electronic control unit. The electronic control unit starts a control operation of the engine when there are both of the starter signal input from the first circuit and the current input from the second circuit.