Patents Examined by Scott A Reinbold
  • Patent number: 11111894
    Abstract: Systems and methods for operating an engine that may be automatically stopped and started without a human driver providing input to a device that has a sole function of stopping and starting the engine are presented. In one example, automatic engine starting is inhibited responsive to output of vehicle sensors that may be indicative of service being performed on a vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2021
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Aed Dudar, Mahmoud Ghannam
  • Patent number: 11105273
    Abstract: A system and a method for automatically controlling an exhaust brake of a vehicle may automatically operate an exhaust brake by automatically recognizing a downhill condition during vehicle traveling. The system and method may automatically operating the exhaust brake by determining whether a current vehicle speed is equal to or greater than a speed limit of a speed limit device together with automatically recognizing a downhill condition, thereby achieving safe traveling together with providing traveling convenience of a driver upon downhill traveling.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2021
    Assignees: HYUNDAI MOTOR COMPANY, KIA MOTORS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Jung Hoon Jin
  • Patent number: 11072234
    Abstract: A straddled vehicle includes a vehicle body frame supporting a front wheel and a rear wheel, a seat fixed to the vehicle body frame, an engine, a fuel tank, and a canister to adsorb vaporized gas generated by evaporation of a fuel inside the fuel tank. The engine includes a crankshaft that rotates around a crank axis extending in the left-right direction and located lower than the seat. The fuel tank is located farther forward than the seat and higher than the engine. The canister is connected to the fuel tank through a gas pipe. The canister is located farther forward than the crank axis and lower than the fuel tank.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 27, 2021
    Assignee: YAMAHA HATSUDOKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kazunari Takata, Yasuo Miyake
  • Patent number: 11073112
    Abstract: An evaporative emission control system for a vehicle includes an engine, a fuel tank connected to the engine and a reversible purge pump connected between the fuel tank and the engine. Fuel vapor generated in the fuel tank is supplied to the engine. The purge pump is operable in a first direction to supply the fuel vapor from the fuel tank to the engine and a second direction to supply air to the fuel tank. A purge control valve is connected between the reversible purge pump and the engine to control a flow of the fuel vapor to the engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 27, 2021
    Assignee: NISSAN NORTH AMERICA, INC.
    Inventors: Kyle Shinaberry, Mike Taylor
  • Patent number: 11059514
    Abstract: An input torque fundamental component computation circuit includes: a torque command value computation circuit that computes a torque command value corresponding to a target value for steering torque that is to be input by a driver for drive torque obtained by adding the steering torque to an input torque fundamental component; and a torque F/B control circuit that computes the input torque fundamental component through execution of torque feedback control for causing the steering torque to follow the torque command value. A target steering angle computation circuit computes a target steering angle on the basis of the input torque fundamental component. A steering-side control circuit computes target reaction force torque on the basis of execution of angle feedback control for causing a steering angle to follow a target steering angle. The torque command value computation circuit computes the torque command value in consideration of the grip state amount.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2021
    Assignee: JTEKT CORPORATION
    Inventor: Takashi Kodera
  • Patent number: 11047319
    Abstract: The method for calculating the fuel injection amount of a fuel vapor dual purge system may include the steps of calculating, by a controller, volumetric efficiency of a combustion chamber, determining, by the controller, a fuel vapor detection delay time at which the fuel vapor is detected in a surge tank according to the calculated volumetric efficiency of a combustion chamber, calculating, by the controller, a time at which the fuel vapor is injected into the combustion chamber based on the determined fuel vapor detection delay time, and calculating, by the controller, a fuel vapor total injection amount at the time at which the fuel vapor is injected into the combustion chamber. The method may be performed in a turbocharger operation section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2021
    Assignees: HYUNDAI MOTOR COMPANY, KIA MOTORS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hyeon A Lee, Kyungwook Choi, Kyu Sup Kim, Tae Kwang Eom
  • Patent number: 11041391
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine includes a combustor. A turbine section is in fluid communication with the combustor. The turbine section includes a first vane stage aft of the combustor. A plurality of vane cooling passages extending through a forward flange of the first vane stage to the radial inner surface for communicating cooling airflow into the core flow path forward of the leading edge. A seal assembly is disposed between the combustor and the forward flange of the vane stage. The seal includes a plurality of circumferentially spaced apart slots and a plurality of seal cooling passages that extend from the radially outer surface to the radially inner surface at each of the plurality of circumferentially spaced apart slots.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2021
    Assignee: Raytheon Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Steven D. Porter, Shawn M. McMahon, Kevin Zacchera, Noah Wadsworth, Christopher Whitfield, Sean D. Bradshaw, Dennis M. Moura, David Bitzko, Alex J. Schneider
  • Patent number: 11015464
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine includes a combustor. A turbine section is in fluid communication with the combustor. The turbine section includes a first vane stage aft of the combustor. A seal assembly is disposed between the combustor and the first vane stage. The seal assembly includes a first plurality of openings and the first vane stage includes a second plurality of openings communicating cooling airflow into a gap between an aft end of the combustor and the first vane stage. A first vane stage assembly and a method are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2021
    Assignee: Raytheon Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Steven D. Porter, Shawn M. McMahon, Kevin Zacchera, Noah Wadsworth, Christopher Whitfield, Sean D. Bradshaw, Dennis M. Moura
  • Patent number: 11008957
    Abstract: A fuel system for an internal combustion engine includes a nozzle, a fuel pump, a spill valve assembly, and a pumping control unit. The spill valve assembly includes a first spill valve and a second spill valve fluidly in parallel between a plunger cavity in the fuel pump and a low pressure space. A pumping control unit commands closing of the first spill valve and then the second spill valve to adjust the spill valve assembly to start pressurization in the fuel pump, and commands opening the first spill valve to end pressurization in the fuel pump. A pumping duration is determined based on a timing of the commanded closing of the second spill valve and a timing of the commanded opening of the first spill valve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2021
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Dana Coldren, Sana Mahmood
  • Patent number: 11008961
    Abstract: A control arithmetic unit uses a control storage area to compute a target control amount for combustion of an internal combustion engine according to a user required torque. A monitoring arithmetic unit uses a monitoring storage area to perform computation and to monitor presence or absence of a torque anomaly state in which an estimated torque is deviated from an engine required torque by a predetermined amount or more. The monitoring arithmetic unit computes the estimated torque by using a blow through state amount. The blow through state amount is a quantity of intake air blowing through out of an exhaust port in an intake stroke of the internal combustion engine, a degree to which intake air blows through out of the exhaust port, or an in-cylinder air quantity which is a quantity of air filled into a combustion chamber of the internal combustion engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2021
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Yusaku Suzuki
  • Patent number: 11007873
    Abstract: An engine control method for the straddle-type vehicle including a non-driving wheel state determination step of determining whether a front wheel of the straddle-type vehicle is in a substantially stopped state, a driving wheel state determination step of determining whether a rear wheel of the straddle-type vehicle is in a substantially rotating state, and an engine stop control step of performing an engine stop control of the straddle-type vehicle. In the engine stop control step, the engine stop control of the straddle-type vehicle is performed when it is determined that the front wheel is in the substantially stopped state in the non-driving wheel state determination step, and the rear wheel is in the substantially rotating state in the driving wheel state determination step.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2021
    Assignee: SUZUKI MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takashi Suzuki, Hiromi Deguchi
  • Patent number: 11002177
    Abstract: An internal combustion engine includes low and high pressure turbochargers connected in series. An engine cylinder has an intake valve that fluidly connects a main chamber of the engine cylinder with an outlet of the high pressure compressor through an intake passage. An exhaust gas recirculation passage is fluidly interconnected between exhaust and intake conduits. A pre-chamber encloses a spark plug and is fluidly open with the main chamber of the engine cylinder. A first fluid path extends from the intake passage directly to the pre-chamber, and a second fluid path extends from the intermediate passage directly to the pre-chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2021
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Jaswinder Singh, Martin L. Willi, Patrick J. Seiler, Michael Bardell
  • Patent number: 10989152
    Abstract: Various systems and methods are provided for exhaust gas recirculation. In one example, an exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) system includes an EGR passage coupling an engine exhaust system to an engine intake system, an EGR cooler positioned in the EGR passage, a recirculation passage coupling an outlet of the EGR cooler to an inlet of the EGR cooler, an EGR cooler recirculation valve positioned in the recirculation passage and controllable to change a flow of exhaust gas though the recirculation passage, and a controller configured to adjust a position of the EGR cooler recirculation valve based on a temperature at the inlet of the EGR cooler.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2021
    Assignee: TRANSPORTATION IP HOLDINGS, LLC
    Inventor: Balaji Hosadurgam Ravindranath
  • Patent number: 10982642
    Abstract: Aspects of the disclosure are directed to controller for an internal combustion engine. The controller can, in each combustion cycle that composes a change cycle, calculate an average of control amounts from a first combustion cycle to an nth (1<=n<=N) combustion cycle and calculate an error of the average with respect to an average of a reference normal population. Further, the controller can set both a positive threshold and a negative threshold based on a standard error of the reference normal population in the case where the number of data is n. Subsequently, the controller can change the operation amount to make the error approach the positive threshold or the negative threshold when the error exceeds neither the positive threshold nor the negative threshold at any combustion cycle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2021
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shigeyuki Urano, Kota Sata
  • Patent number: 10982656
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a wind turbine comprising a lightning protection system comprising a waveguide interconnecting a communication device and a signal-carrying structure. In other aspects, the present invention relates to the use of a waveguide in a lightning protection system of a wind turbine, a power splitter and its use in a lightning protection system of a wind turbine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2021
    Assignee: LM WP PATENT HOLDING A/S
    Inventors: Knud Møller Andersen, Ole Kiel Jensen, Richard Baker, Lars Bo Hansen
  • Patent number: 10947924
    Abstract: An internal combustion engine has a cylinder head defining an exhaust valve guide bore with a side wall and an end wall, and an exhaust valve stem passage extending between an exhaust port and the end wall of the bore. A diameter of the passage is less than a diameter of the bore. An exhaust gas valve guide is positioned in the bore and spaced apart from the end wall to form an air gap therebetween.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2021
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Ian Cattermole, Paul Thomas Reinhart
  • Patent number: 10941745
    Abstract: In at least some implementations, an auxiliary power supply in an ignition system for a light-duty combustion engine includes a first auxiliary winding and a second auxiliary winding coupled in parallel with the first auxiliary winding such that both windings are arranged to provide power to an auxiliary load. The first auxiliary winding may include a greater number of turns than the second auxiliary winding. A ratio of the number of turns in the first auxiliary winding to the number of turns in the second auxiliary winding may be between 1.5:1 and 10:1, the first auxiliary coil and the second auxiliary coil may have between 50 and 2,000 turns, and the first auxiliary coil and the second auxiliary coil are formed from wire between 25 and 45 gauge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2021
    Assignee: Walbro LLC
    Inventors: Martin N. Andersson, Cyrus M. Healy
  • Patent number: 10920692
    Abstract: An active canister purge system according to the present disclosure includes a canister that traps fuel vapor generated in a fuel tank, a purge control valve that purges the fuel vapor trapped in the canister to an intake system of an engine, a purge pump disposed downstream of the purge control valve, a differential pressure measurement device that measures a differential pressure of the purge control valve, and a controller that determines a target purge flow rate of the fuel vapor trapped in the canister, sets a target differential pressure corresponding to the target purge flow rate, and adjusts an RPM of the purge pump such that an actual differential pressure of the purge control valve, which is measured by the differential pressure measurement device, reaches the target differential pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2021
    Assignees: HYUNDAI MOTOR COMPANY, KIA MOTORS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Choo Saeng Choi
  • Patent number: 10914279
    Abstract: In starting of an internal combustion engine, among a plurality of combustions of the internal combustion engine when it is assumed that an ignition timing is set to a predetermined reference ignition timing, a preceding ignition timing, which is the ignition timing for a preceding combustion through which a peak of a rotation speed of the internal combustion engine is likely to enter a predetermined resonance rotation speed range where resonance of the conveyance dependent on vibration of the internal combustion engine is induced, is set further on a delay angle side than the reference ignition timing, and a later ignition timing, which is the ignition timing for a later combustion after the preceding combustion, is set further on an advance angle side than the set preceding ignition timing so that the peak of the rotation speed of the internal combustion engine exceeds the resonance rotation speed range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2021
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Tensho Kobayashi
  • Patent number: 10914252
    Abstract: An EGR apparatus includes an EGR passage to allow part of exhaust gas discharged from an engine to an exhaust passage to flow as EGR gas into an intake passage; an EGR valve to regulate an EGR flow rate in the EGR passage; various sensors for detecting an engine running state; and an ECU to control the EGR valve based on the detected running state to diagnose abnormality in the EGR valve. The ECU calculates a reference intake pressure according the detected engine rotation speed and load by reference to a reference intake pressure map showing a relationship of the reference intake pressure to engine rotation speed, and engine load, and determine whether or not the EGR valve has abnormality in opening/closing by comparing the reference intake pressure with the detected intake pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2021
    Assignee: AISAN KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Mamoru Yoshioka