Patent ID: 8884198

Claim:
A heated fuel injector driver circuit assembly comprising: an inductor, configured to provide a time varying magnetic field to a heating element, wherein the heating element is within a fuel flow and separate from the inductor; a monitor that senses energy supplied to the inductor and provides a first output voltage value, the energy supplied to the inductor being provided by an oscillator coupled to said inductor; a converter that converts a frequency that changes responsive to changes in temperature of the heating element into a second output voltage value; a computational engine that combines the first output voltage value and the second output voltage value to obtain a scaled voltage value; an error amplifier that combines the scaled voltage value with a target value to obtain an error value; a comparator that compares the error value to a periodic waveform to adjust power provided to the inductor to maintain a desired temperature of the heating element; wherein the monitor comprises a current-sense resistor that monitors current supplied to the inductor and wherein the oscillator comprises a synthetic power inductor, configured to change an output frequency of the oscillator and thereby control the energy that is provided to the inductor; and wherein the heating element is a fuel injector valve, the fuel injector valve being coupled to an armature, the armature being coupled to a driver coil.