Patents Examined by John Kwon
  • Patent number: 11613338
    Abstract: A first method of protecting an engine and a transmission of a marine vessel during gear shifts and a second method of programming one or more Shift Protection Sequences (SPS) are disclosed. The first method includes receiving a Shift Request (SR) and activating a SPS from among a plurality of enabled SPS. The second method includes configuring a Shift Protection Type (SPT); enabling and configuring a plurality of required and SPS variables; and, optionally, enabling and configuring a plurality of optional SPS variables. The SPT may be a Basic Shift Protection (BSP), which includes time-based SPS; or the SPT may be an Advanced Shift Protection (ASP), which includes alternate time-based and operating-variable based SPS. The SPS of the ASP may be incrementally programmed and added to the BSP.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2023
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Merritt P. Callaghan, Cameron S. Gandy, Brian P. Neathery
  • Patent number: 11603806
    Abstract: Sensor delivering detection information in the form of a variation of a current, including a sensitive portion adapted to detecting the passage of a mobile target, an electronic module able to control and shape signals coming from the sensitive portion, an embedded intelligence module adapted, inter alia, to receive information from an electronic computer and to process and generate information intended for the electronic computer, characterized in that the sensor includes a random-number generation module able to generate a random number.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2023
    Assignee: VITESCO TECHNOLOGIES GMBH
    Inventors: Jacques Rocher, Yannick Leroy, Benjamin Marconato
  • Patent number: 11603808
    Abstract: An engine management system and method may include a control system and method for controlling an internal combustion engine. The internal combustion engine may be a direct-injection engine using a Sonex Controlled Auto-Ignition (“SCAI”) combustion path. The control system and method may utilize fuel injection pressure, timing of start and end of injection, management of turbo airflow, fuel supplied, and other factors to provide reduced emissions and improved performance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2023
    Assignee: SONEX RESEARCH, INC
    Inventor: Andrew Pouring
  • Patent number: 11598274
    Abstract: An engine intake system includes: a port partition disposed to divide an intake port of a cylinder head into an upper portion and a lower portion; a first intake manifold configured to supply air, which flows from an air cleaner through a charger and an intercooler, to one of the upper portion and the lower portion of the port partition; a second intake manifold configured to supply the air, which flows from the air cleaner while bypassing the charger and the intercooler, to the other of the upper portion and the lower portion of the port partition; and a bypass valve disposed and configured to pass and block the air flowing into the second intake manifold from the air cleaner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2023
    Assignees: HYUNDAI MOTOR COMPANY, KIA CORPORATION
    Inventor: Il Suk Yang
  • Patent number: 11598282
    Abstract: An optimum engine configuration is determined, based on a predicted required power, for a seafaring vessel having a plurality of thrust engines. The predicted required power is determined by inputting vessel operational data, environmental data, and voyage data to a required power model. At least some of the vessel operational data and environmental data is received from a plurality of sensors positioned onboard the vessel. The optimum engine configuration is selected from a plurality of candidate engine configurations. Each candidate engine configuration includes a specified number of thrust engines running and a specified power output level of each thrust engine. The optimum engine configuration is selected based on a candidate total predicted fuel consumption of each candidate engine configuration. The candidate total predicted fuel consumption amount is determined as a sum of the engine-specific predicted fuel consumptions determined for each running thrust engine of that candidate engine configuration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2023
    Assignee: Atlantic Towing Limited
    Inventor: Andrew William Josselyn
  • Patent number: 11598306
    Abstract: A battery pack has a battery connection assembly for connecting to an electric motor with at least one lithium-based rechargeable cell therein and associated means for turning the at least one lithium-based rechargeable cell ON or OFF. The battery pack is configured to store a reserve within the at least one lithium-based rechargeable cell that is sufficient to start the engine electric motor. The battery pack can be activated by the associated means for turning the at least one lithium-based rechargeable cell ON or OFF to access the reserve to start the engine electric motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2023
    Inventor: Martin Koebler
  • Patent number: 11597380
    Abstract: A control device for a vehicle drive unit is configured to control, based on an operating state of a vehicle, a vehicle drive unit having one or more power sources. The control device includes a processor and a storage device. The storage device is configured to store a vehicle front-rear acceleration prediction model being a machine learning model that receives as an input a command torque and outputs predicted acceleration. The processor is configured to: execute a predicted acceleration calculation process using the vehicle front-rear acceleration prediction model; and execute a command torque calculation process to calculate the command torque that minimizes an evaluation function. The evaluation function minimizes a deviation of the predicted acceleration with respect to a target vehicle front-rear acceleration according to a target torque based on the operating state while reducing a deviation of the command torque with respect to the target torque.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2023
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Kohei Honda
  • Patent number: 11591979
    Abstract: A method for synchronizing an internal combustion engine includes: a) a first step of acquiring, by the camshaft sensor, signals corresponding to at least five cam edges x; b) a second step of determining the value, from the camshaft signal, of a first, second and third actual ratio; c) a third step of establishing, for each actual value ratio obtained in b), a list of possible cam edges x by comparing the values of the first, second and third actual ratios, respectively, with a tolerance window corresponding to a value of a first, second or third theoretical ratio for a given cam edge x, each weighted by a tolerance factor k; and d) a fourth step of determining the cam edge x seen by the camshaft sensor, the cam edge actually seen by the sensor corresponding to the cam edge x common to the three lists established in c).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2023
    Assignee: VITESCO TECHNOLOGIES GMBH
    Inventors: Stéphane Eloy, Fabien Joseph
  • Patent number: 11591990
    Abstract: The present description provides low DBL bleed emission performance properties that allows the design of evaporative fuel emission control systems that are simpler and more compact than those possible by prior art by inclusion of a vent-side volume comprising a parallel passage adsorbent such as a carbon honeycomb with narrow channel width and low cell pitch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2023
    Assignee: INGEVITY SOUTH CAROLINA, LLC
    Inventors: Stephan Charles Cronin, Marta Leon Garcia, Laurence H. Hiltzik, Eyma Y. Marrero-Alfonso, Erik W. Versen, James R. Miller, Roger S. Williams
  • Patent number: 11591951
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide a pre-combustion chamber assembly, comprising (a) a body, having a cylindrical end portion having a step-wise increase in diameter forming a sealing surface for sealing to an engine; (b) a tip, with a hollow shaft in fluid communication with a combustion region of the tip, where the shaft has a first shaft diameter that allows the shaft to be slid over a portion of the body; (c) a gasket mounted about the body and resting against the sealing surface, wherein the gasket comprises a wire wound washer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2023
    Inventor: Tracy Northington
  • Patent number: 11586160
    Abstract: Methods and systems for reducing substrate particle scratching using machine learning are provided. A machine learning model is trained to predict process recipe settings for a substrate temperature control process to be performed for a current substrate at a manufacturing system. First training data and second training data are generated for the machine learning model. The first training data includes historical data associated with prior process recipe settings for a prior substrate temperature control process performed for a prior substrate at a prior process chamber. The second training data is associated with a historical scratch profile of one or more surfaces of the prior substrate after performance of the prior substrate temperature control process according to the prior process recipe settings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2023
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Kartik B Shah, Satish Radhakrishnan, Karthik Ramanathan, Karthikeyan Balaraman, Adolph Miller Allen, Xinyuan Chong, Mitrabhanu Sahu, Wenjing Xu, Michael Sterling Jackson, Weize Hu, Feng Chen
  • Patent number: 11585306
    Abstract: An injection control device includes an injector and a detection unit. The injector includes: an injection hole; a movable part; a seat portion; a valve housing; a magnetic field application unit; and a detection sensor. The movable part opens and closes the injection hole by reciprocal movement. The seat portion when seated by the movable part closes the injection hole, and when the movable part lifted therefrom opens the injection hole. The valve housing accommodates the movable part in a reciprocally movable manner. The magnetic field application unit is installed on an outer circumference of the valve housing and applies a magnetic field to the movable part and the valve housing. The detection sensor outputs a detection signal according to a size of a distance between the valve housing and the movable part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2023
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Masashi Inaba
  • Patent number: 11585303
    Abstract: A dual-fuel internal combustion engine includes: cylinders for combusting a first liquid fuel having a first ignitability in a first operating mode, and a second liquid fuel having a second lesser ignitability, in a second operating mode; a main injection system including a main injector for each cylinder, for feeding the first liquid fuel to the respective cylinders in the first operating mode and for feeding the second liquid fuel to the respective cylinders in the second operating mode; and a pilot injection system including a pilot injector for each cylinder, via which the first liquid fuel can is feedable to the respective cylinders in the second operating mode for igniting the second liquid fuel. The main and pilot injection systems are coupled such that in the second operating mode the first liquid fuel, is feedable to the respective main injector as a working fluid and/or a barrier fluid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2023
    Assignee: MAN ENERGY SOLUTIONS SE
    Inventors: Johann Wloka, Ludwig Maier, Thomas Klaua
  • Patent number: 11585727
    Abstract: A method for diagnosing the dynamics of a sensor in the fresh air or exhaust gas tract of internal combustion engines, as well as a computer program, a computer program product and a corresponding vehicle. It is provided that a corresponding sensor for measuring a pressure signal in the fresh air or exhaust gas tract of an internal combustion engine of a vehicle, which is coupled with a control and computing unit, is checked with respect to its dynamic characteristics. Measured values of differing frequency ranges are measured, these being used as the basis for a calculation of a characteristic. After the calculation, the characteristic is compared with a threshold value stored in a user-defined manner in the control and computing unit. If the calculated characteristic deviates from the threshold value, at least one triggering signal is triggered, so that an impaired sensor dynamic of the sensor is displayed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2023
    Assignee: Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Johannes Forst, Michael Mazur, Fabian Berski
  • Patent number: 11585284
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for re-combustion of exhaust in a cylinder of a multi-cylinder engine in order to increase the temperature of the exhaust for enhancing catalytic conversion within the multi-cylinder engine. In one example, a method may include expelling combusted gases from the cylinder into an intake manifold via an intake valve during an exhaust stroke, in order to rebreathe in the combusted gases from the intake manifold via the intake valve in a subsequent intake stroke.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2023
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Eric Matthew Kurtz, Jason Brian Martz, Daniel Joseph Styles, Joshua Zachary Fried
  • Patent number: 11578670
    Abstract: A mass-flow throttle for highly accurate control of the gaseous supplies (fuel and/or air) to the combustion chambers for a large engine in response to instantaneous demand signals from the engine's ECM, especially for large (i.e., 30 liters or greater in size) spark-ignited internal combustion engines fueled by natural gas. With a unitary block assembly and a throttle blade driven by a non-articulated rotary actuator shaft, in combination with tight control circuitry including multiple pressure sensors as well as sensors for temperature and throttle position, the same basic throttle concepts are innovatively suited to be used for both MFG and MFA throttles in industrial applications, to achieve highly accurate mass-flow control even despite pressure fluctuations while operating in non-choked flow.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2023
    Assignee: EControls, LLC
    Inventors: Justin H Sanders, Kennon Guglielmo, Michael T. Hambidge, Timothy J. Westerdale
  • Patent number: 11578649
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to a charging system, which includes a crankshaft chamber, two cylinder chambers, a crankshaft connecting rod mechanism, two pistons, an intake pipe, two draft tubes, and a rotating rod control mechanism. The crankshaft connecting rod mechanism is installed in the crankshaft chamber. Each piston is received in the cylinder chambers and connected with the crankshaft connecting rod mechanism. The intake pipe only communicates with the crankshaft chamber. One end of each draft tube only communicates with the crankshaft chamber and another end only communicates with each cylinder chamber. The check valve is installed in the crankshaft chamber. The rotating rod control mechanism includes a rotating rod and a sealing block fixedly connected and rotating with the rotating rod. The sealing block blocks and seals a joint between the crankshaft chamber and each draft tube.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2023
    Inventor: Chia-Chun Cheng
  • Patent number: 11578676
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for diagnosing degradation and/or alteration in an evaporative emission control system of a vehicle. In one example, a method may include, during a refueling, monitoring a fuel tank pressure and a fuel fill level, and detecting a presence or an absence of a fuel vapor canister of the EVAP system based on a change in fuel tank pressure with an increase in fuel level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2023
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: Aed Dudar
  • Patent number: 11578647
    Abstract: Embodiments are directed toward an engine. In some embodiments, the engine includes a water pump and a balancer shaft. In some embodiments, the water pump has a plain bearing. In some embodiments, plain bearing is supplied with pressurized oil. In some embodiments, the balancer shaft drives the water pump as well as cam shafts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2023
    Assignee: Arctic Cat Inc.
    Inventors: Eberhard Wizgall, Dominik Hermann
  • Patent number: 11566572
    Abstract: In a method for operating an internal combustion engine of a motor vehicle having an automatic transmission, a torque generated by the internal combustion engine is reduced as a function of an operating state of a drive train of the motor vehicle. As a function of an excess of combustion air occurring when the torque is reduced and supplied to the internal combustion engine by an exhaust gas turbocharger, fuel combustion efficiency in at least one combustion chamber of the internal combustion engine, which is related to the torque generated by the combustion chamber, is reduced. The combustion efficiency is reduced by at least one late post-injection of fuel into the at least one combustion chamber of the internal combustion engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2023
    Assignee: Daimler AG
    Inventors: Michael Schaber, Stephan Baumgartner, Goetz Schneider, Naser Rouholamin