Ignition control device and ignition control method for internal combustion engine

1. An ignition control device for an internal combustion engine comprising:

a spark plug that includes a first electrode and a second electrode disposed so as to oppose each other via a gap, and generates a spark discharge in the gap in order to ignite a combustible air-fuel mixture existing in a combustion chamber of the internal combustion engine;

an ignition coil that includes a plurality of sets of a primary coil and a secondary coil, generates a high voltage in the secondary coil by energizing or interrupting a primary current supplied to the primary coil, and applies the generated high voltage to the first electrode; and

a control unit that, in a case where a plurality of the primary coils are driven during a single ignition process, temporarily stops energization of a primary current supplied to a second primary coil when a primary current supplied to a first primary coil is interrupted, and re-energizes the primary current supplied to the second primary coil following the elapse of an energization stoppage period.

2. The ignition control device for an internal combustion engine according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit sets the energization stoppage period, in which energization of the primary current supplied to the second primary coil is temporarily stopped, on the basis of an operating condition of the internal combustion engine.

3. The ignition control device for an internal combustion engine according to claim 2 , wherein the control unit sets the energization stoppage period to be longer than a reference period when the operating condition of the internal combustion engine corresponds to a high pressure condition in which a high voltage is required to generate the spark discharge.

4. The ignition control device for an internal combustion engine according to claim 1 , wherein the ignition coil includes a secondary current detection circuit that detects a current supplied to the secondary coil that is coupled to the first primary coil in which the primary current is interrupted, and

the control unit re-energizes the primary current supplied to the second primary coil on the basis of the current detected by the secondary current detection circuit after interrupting the primary current supplied to the first primary coil.

5. The ignition control device for an internal combustion engine according to claim 1 , wherein the ignition coil includes an ion current detection circuit that detects an ion current that flows in accordance with an amount of ions generated in the combustion chamber when the combustible air-fuel mixture in the combustion chamber is burned by the spark discharge, and

the control unit detects a leakage condition of the spark plug on the basis of the ion current detected by the ion current detection circuit, and sets the energization stoppage period to be longer than a reference period after detecting a leak in the spark plug.

6. The ignition control device for an internal combustion engine according to claim 2 , wherein the ignition coil includes an ion current detection circuit that detects an ion current that flows in accordance with an amount of ions generated in the combustion chamber when the combustible air-fuel mixture in the combustion chamber is burned by the spark discharge, and

the control unit detects a leakage condition of the spark plug on the basis of the ion current detected by the ion current detection circuit, and sets the energization stoppage period to be longer than a reference period after detecting a leak in the spark plug.

7. The ignition control device for an internal combustion engine according to claim 3 , wherein the ignition coil includes an ion current detection circuit that detects an ion current that flows in accordance with an amount of ions generated in the combustion chamber when the combustible air-fuel mixture in the combustion chamber is burned by the spark discharge, and

the control unit detects a leakage condition of the spark plug on the basis of the ion current detected by the ion current detection circuit, and sets the energization stoppage period to be longer than a reference period after detecting a leak in the spark plug.

8. The ignition control device for an internal combustion engine according to claim 4 , wherein the ignition coil includes an ion current detection circuit that detects an ion current that flows in accordance with an amount of ions generated in the combustion chamber when the combustible air-fuel mixture in the combustion chamber is burned by the spark discharge, and

the control unit detects a leakage condition of the spark plug on the basis of the ion current detected by the ion current detection circuit, and sets the energization stoppage period to be longer than a reference period after detecting a leak in the spark plug.

9. The ignition control device for an internal combustion engine according to claim 1 , wherein the ignition coil includes at least one of a secondary current detection circuit that detects a current supplied to the secondary coil that is coupled to the first primary coil in which the primary current is interrupted and an ion current detection circuit that detects an ion current that flows in accordance with an amount of ions generated in the combustion chamber when the combustible air-fuel mixture in the combustion chamber is burned by the spark discharge, and

the control unit detects a spark discharge maintenance condition of the spark plug following interruption of the primary current supplied to the first primary coil on the basis of output from at least one of the secondary current detection circuit and the ion current detection circuit, and having determined that spark discharge maintenance has been interrupted, energizes the primary current supplied to the first primary coil during a following self-ignition stroke, and then sets a period extending to energization of the primary current supplied to the second primary coil to be shorter than a reference time difference and sets the energization stoppage period to be longer than a reference period.

10. The ignition control device for an internal combustion engine according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit sets a re-energization period during which the primary current supplied to the second primary coil is re-energized in accordance with the energization stoppage period.

11. The ignition control device for an internal combustion engine according to claim 2 , wherein the control unit sets a re-energization period during which the primary current supplied to the second primary coil is re-energized in accordance with the energization stoppage period.

12. The ignition control device for an internal combustion engine according to claim 3 , wherein the control unit sets a re-energization period during which the primary current supplied to the second primary coil is re-energized in accordance with the energization stoppage period.

13. The ignition control device for an internal combustion engine according to claim 4 , wherein the control unit sets a re-energization period during which the primary current supplied to the second primary coil is re-energized in accordance with the energization stoppage period.

14. The ignition control device for an internal combustion engine according to claim 5 , wherein the control unit sets a re-energization period during which the primary current supplied to the second primary coil is re-energized in accordance with the energization stoppage period.

15. The ignition control device for an internal combustion engine according to claim 6 , wherein the control unit sets a re-energization period during which the primary current supplied to the second primary coil is re-energized in accordance with the energization stoppage period.

16. The ignition control device for an internal combustion engine according to claim 7 , wherein the control unit sets a re-energization period during which the primary current supplied to the second primary coil is re-energized in accordance with the energization stoppage period.

17. The ignition control device for an internal combustion engine according to claim 8 , wherein the control unit sets a re-energization period during which the primary current supplied to the second primary coil is re-energized in accordance with the energization stoppage period.

18. The ignition control device for an internal combustion engine according to claim 9 , wherein the control unit sets a re-energization period during which the primary current supplied to the second primary coil is re-energized in accordance with the energization stoppage period.

19. An ignition control method for an internal combustion engine, which is realized in an internal combustion engine comprising:

a spark plug that includes a first electrode and a second electrode disposed so as to oppose each other via a gap, and generates a spark discharge in the gap in order to ignite a combustible air-fuel mixture existing in a combustion chamber of the internal combustion engine; and

an ignition coil that includes a plurality of sets of a primary coil and a secondary coil, generates a high voltage in the secondary coil by energizing or interrupting a primary current supplied to the primary coil, and applies the generated high voltage to the first electrode,

wherein the ignition control method is implemented in a case where a plurality of the primary coils are driven during a single ignition process, and comprises the steps of:

temporarily stopping energization of a primary current supplied to a second primary coil when a primary current supplied to a first primary coil is interrupted; and

re-energizing the primary current supplied to the second primary coil following the elapse of an energization stoppage period.