Patent ID: 6687553
Filing Date: 2004-02-03
Classification: F16D,F16H,H01F,Y10T

Abstract:
A method of controlling a proportional solenoid having a single coil, the method including the steps of:providing a control signal having a predetermined number of control/stepped levels; providing a full gain range between a minimum gain and a maximum gain for selectively powering the solenoid at any one of a preset number of gain levels within the full gain range; selectively reducing the full gain range to a partial gain range less than the full gain range for selectively powering the solenoid at any one of a present number of gain levels within the partial gain range; selecting one of the full gain range in a first mode or the partial gain range in a second mode; and producing a power signal to the coil based on the control signal, the power signal being either one of the preset number of gain levels in the full range in the first mode or one of the preset number of gains in the partial gain range, whereby the preset number of gains is the same in the first mode and second mode, so that the gain levels in the second mode provide a higher resolution than in the first mode.