Patents Examined by Sherman D Manley
  • Patent number: 11781516
    Abstract: To prolong a lifetime of a starter battery, a starting system (5) for an internal combustion engine (3) includes: a starter battery (22) constituted of a lithium-ion battery and configured to supply electric power to a starter motor (21); and a controller (51) configured to drive the starter motor (21) by the electric power from the starter battery (22) to perform cranking operations of the engine (3) intermittently, wherein the controller (51) is configured to prohibit the cranking operations for a first time interval before the cranking operations are performed a prescribed number of times within a prescribed time window, and to prohibit the cranking operations for a second time interval longer than the first time interval right after the cranking operations are performed the prescribed number of times within the prescribed time window.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2023
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Norio Kaneko, Akihiro Kimura, Takashi Hashizume, Daisuke Nojiri, Koji Kuriyagawa
  • Patent number: 11780592
    Abstract: An environmental control system is provided including a ram air circuit having a ram air duct and at least one heat exchanger arranged within the ram air duct. The ram air duct is curved about a ram axis. A compression device includes a compressor and at least one turbine operably coupled by a shaft rotatable about a shaft axis. The ram axis is arranged coaxially with the shaft axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2023
    Assignee: HAMILTON SUNDSTRAND CORPORATION
    Inventor: Donald E. Army
  • Patent number: 11772498
    Abstract: A vehicle includes a power source, a requested driving force calculator, and an actual driving force calculator, and a driving controller. The requested driving force calculator calculates a requested driving force on the basis of a driving operation. The actual driving force calculator calculates an actual driving force following the requested driving force, while limiting a rate of change in the actual driving force. The driving controller controls the power source to output the actual driving force calculated. The actual driving force calculator changes the rate of change in the actual driving force, on the basis of a difference between the requested driving force and the actual driving force, and a lapsed time of limiting the rate of change in the actual driving force.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2023
    Assignee: SUBARU CORPORATION
    Inventors: Chihiro Oguro, Motohiro Tanaka
  • Patent number: 11767928
    Abstract: A solenoid valve having an explosion-proof structure, a fuel feeding system, and a method of manufacturing the solenoid valve having an explosion-proof structure are provided. The solenoid valve having an explosion-proof structure includes: a body including a channel through which a fluid flows; a housing connected to the body and having one surface opened; a solenoid assembly arranged inside the housing and electrically connected to a controller; an armature, at least a portion of which is arranged in the channel and which opens or closes the channel by moving relative to the solenoid assembly by a magnetic field generated by the solenoid assembly; and a cover plate arranged on the one surface of the housing to face the armature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2022
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2023
    Assignees: HANWHA AEROSPACE CO., LTD., LUMIR INC.
    Inventors: Young Wan Kim, Joon Won Lee, Myeong Ryong Nam, Min Seock Kim
  • Patent number: 11764642
    Abstract: A powertrain assembly comprises a motor assembly having a motor housing with a rotor assembly at least partially axially aligned with a stator and disposed within an interior portion of the motor housing. A motor shaft is coupled to the rotor assembly. The rotor assembly is configured to rotate within the interior portion of the motor housing. A gear system having a ring gear is disposed within the stator and at least partially axially aligned with the stator. The gear system further includes first and second gears. The first gear is configured to drive the second gear within the interior portion of the ring gear. An output shaft is operably coupled to the second gear and extending outwardly from the interior portion of the motor housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2023
    Assignee: Big Jon Sports, Inc.
    Inventor: Mark Oliver
  • Patent number: 11761415
    Abstract: An ignition coil unit includes: an ignition circuit including a primary coil and a secondary coil; a power generator including a generator coil; a controller configured to control an ignition timing of the ignition circuit by an input signal generated by an induced voltage of the generator coil; and a sensor configured to input load information to the controller. The controller includes a memory configured to store working time information which corresponds to operating information based on the input information and the load information, as matrix data composed of the operating information, the load information and time data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2023
    Assignees: OPPAMA INDUSTRY CO., LTD., YAMABIKO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takuo Yoshizaki, Atsushi Hoshino, Yuichi Tsuyuki, Kousuke Watanabe
  • Patent number: 11738873
    Abstract: An aircraft environmental control system includes a bleed air input and a RAM air input, heat exchanger means for receiving bleed air from the bleed air input and RAM air from the RAM air input and using the RAM air to cool the bleed air, and ejector arranged to receive bleed air from the bleed air input at a nozzle shaped to reduce the pressure of the received bleed air such as to create a low pressure area in the ejector. The ejector has a port arranged such that ambient air is drawn into the ejector due to the low pressure area in the ejector. The ambient air is mixed with bleed air to provide mixed air that is further pressurised and conditioned and combined with the cooled bleed air provided to the aircraft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2023
    Assignee: UNITED TECHNOLOGIES RESEARCH CENTRE IRELAND, LIMITED
    Inventors: Yonghua Zhu, Catherine Thibaud
  • Patent number: 11739716
    Abstract: A supplemental fuel system includes a supplemental fuel tank, an electronic valve, a voltage sensor, and a controller. The supplemental fuel tank is configured to store a supplemental fuel configured to supplement a primary fuel used by an engine. The electronic valve is configured to be positioned between the supplemental fuel tank and an air supply system for the engine. The voltage sensor is configured to acquire voltage data from a power supply indicative of a voltage of the power supply. The power supply is configured to receive power from an alternator driven by the engine. The controller is configured to control the electronic valve such that the electronic valve is (i) closed in response to the voltage being less than a voltage threshold and (ii) open or openable in response to the voltage being greater than the voltage threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2023
    Assignee: American CNG, LLC
    Inventor: Matt Matsukawa
  • Patent number: 11731607
    Abstract: A control method for a hybrid vehicle is provided. The hybrid vehicle includes an electric motor (13) that drives the vehicle to travel, a generator (12) that supplies power to the electric motor (13), and an engine (11) that drives the generator (12). The control method includes: when bringing the electric motor (13) into a regenerative state, operating the generator to drive the engine (11) in a state in which fuel supply to the engine (11) is cut, thereby executing, in accordance with required deceleration, the motoring control for consuming the output power of the electric motor (13); and when increasing the rotational speed of the engine (11) due to an increase in the required deceleration upon execution of the motoring control, setting the rotational speed of the engine (11) such that the change rate of the rotational speed of the engine (11) increases as the consumed power by the motoring control increases.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2023
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tomohiro Ariyoshi, Satomi Eto
  • Patent number: 11719211
    Abstract: A engine starting method is carried out to start an engine of a vehicle. The vehicle includes a first hub, a second hub, and a damper. The damper connects the first hub and the second hub in a power transmission path between the engine and a generator capable of power generation and powered travel. The engine starting method determines whether or not the engine needs to be started, begins to crank the engine via the generator when the engine needs to be started, performs a first ignition when torque fluctuation caused by torsion in the first hub and the second hub is in a range of being absorbable by the damper during the cranking, and suppresses engine torque generated by the first ignition below engine torque generated by second and subsequent ignitions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2023
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Makoto Ogata, Masayuki Ootani, Yoshihiro Terai, Tsukasa Ichiba
  • Patent number: 11721234
    Abstract: In accordance with an exemplary embodiment, a method is provided for training a trainee using an autonomous vehicle, the method including: measuring, via one or more sensors, one or more manual inputs from the trainee with respect to controlling the autonomous vehicle; determining, via a processor using an autonomous driving algorithm stored in a memory of the autonomous vehicle, one or more recommended actions for the autonomous vehicle; comparing, via the processor, the one or more manual inputs from the trainee with the one or more recommended actions for the autonomous vehicle, generating a comparison; and determining, via the processor, a score for the trainee based on the comparison between the one or more manual inputs from the trainee with the one or more recommended actions for the autonomous vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2023
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Russell A. Patenaude, Ryan M. Edwards
  • Patent number: 11718183
    Abstract: A method for controlling a tone of an electric vehicle (EV) based on motor vibration may include: calculating an order component from a vibration signal of an EV motor of an electric vehicle, extracting a first order component with the greatest linearity for motor output torque among the calculated order component, then calculating an order frequency by transforming revolutions per minute (RPM) of the EV motor into frequency, setting an EV mode tone by applying a vibration level of the first order component to a level of the order frequency to be output and rearranging the order component, and outputting the set EV mode tone, and may apply an LMS filter algorithm, FFT/IFFT transforms, and an order tracking algorithm in extracting the first order component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2023
    Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Motors Corporation
    Inventors: Dong-Chul Lee, In-Soo Jung
  • Patent number: 11708811
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for restarting an engine following an engine idle-stop. In one example, a method may include, prior to an engine restart following an idle-stop, adjusting a spark ignition timing based on an estimation of a fuel-air equivalence ratio (phi) and an estimation of a cylinder turbulence. Optimal spark ignition timing based on estimated phi and cylinder turbulence during engine restart may result in stabilized combustion and a torque output sufficient to at least partially relieve demand on the starting device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2023
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: David Ord, Brad VanDerWege, Joseph Thomas
  • Patent number: 11707989
    Abstract: A method for protecting an electric machine of a motor vehicle, In the method, a switch-on frequency for the electric machine is ascertained as a function of operating parameters of the motor vehicle stored in a control unit. The switch-on frequency is compared to a predefinable first threshold value. At least one further threshold value is preset. The electric machine is switched on in the event a control variance exceeds the at least one further threshold value. In the event the switch-on frequency exceeds the first predefinable threshold value, the at least one further threshold value is adapted in such a way that the switch-on frequency of the electric machine is limited.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2023
    Assignee: ROBERT BOSCH GMBH
    Inventors: Martin Brandt, Michael Baeuerle
  • Patent number: 11702212
    Abstract: An aircraft environmental control system includes means for mixing and conditioning bleed air from a bleed air input and recirculation air from an aircraft interior to provide mixed, conditioned air to the aircraft interior. The system also includes a first contaminant removal device and a second contaminant removal device arranged in a path of at least part of the recirculation air, prior to the means for mixing and conditioning, and a valve (SV1) arranged to alternate flow of recirculation air through the first and second contaminant removal devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2023
    Assignee: HAMILTON SUNDSTRAND CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yonghua Zhu, Catherine Thibaud
  • Patent number: 11698036
    Abstract: Methods and systems are presented for operating a refueling valve of an evaporative emissions system. The methods and systems may attempt to reactivate a refueling valve that has stuck due to the refueling valve being exposed to liquid fuel. In one example, a voltage that is applied to the refueling valve may be increased to reactivate the refueling valve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2023
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Aed Dudar, Dennis S. Yang, Jeevagan Natarajan
  • Patent number: 11679683
    Abstract: A method for implementing virtual internal combustion engine vibration in an electric vehicle includes collecting operation variable information for determining a torque instruction and implementing the virtual internal combustion engine vibration, determining a virtual internal combustion engine vibration characteristic based on the collected operation variable information, determining a vibration torque instruction having the determined virtual internal combustion engine vibration characteristic, correcting the vibration torque instruction by correcting the determined virtual internal combustion engine vibration characteristic of the vibration torque instruction and/or a value of the vibration torque instruction, based on a basic motor torque instruction determined by the collected operation variable information and preset backlash occurring area information, determining a final motor torque instruction using the basic motor torque instruction and the corrected vibration torque instruction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2023
    Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Motors Corporation
    Inventors: Ji Won Oh, Dong Chul Park, Jeong Soo Eo, Tae Kun Yun
  • Patent number: 11679772
    Abstract: A drive control system is provided, which is mounted on a vehicle configured to travel by operation of a driver. The drive control system includes an actuator configured to output a driving force for the vehicle to travel, an output sensor configured to detect a driving force requested by the operation of the driver, and a control device configured to control operation of the actuator based on the requested driving force detected by the output sensor. The control device sets a target output value by adding a given delay time to a requested output value set corresponding to the requested driving force, and controls the actuator so as to output the target output value based on a response characteristic of the actuator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2023
    Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Kazuo Sasaki, Kazuki Kawamoto
  • Patent number: 11674458
    Abstract: An electronic throttle body with an improved structure includes a throttle body. A plurality of vertically through airflow channels are provided on the throttle body, and a butterfly valve controlling a vent flow and a fuel atomizing ring configured to atomize fuel are arranged in each airflow channel. Centers of one or more butterfly valves are connected in series through rotating shafts to implement linked flipping, the rotating shafts are arranged parallel to each other, a drive gear is fixedly mounted to one end of each rotating shaft extending out of the throttle body coaxially, and the rotating shafts rotate synchronously through a servo driving apparatus. The servo driving apparatus and electrically controlled sprays respond synchronously, thereby improving the combustion efficiency of fuel in an engine. When the engine is idle, butterfly valves are directly driven through the servo driving apparatus to accurately control an air inflow of the engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2022
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2023
    Assignee: GUANGDONG HUAKONG AUTO TECH CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Hongjun Ma
  • Patent number: 11674460
    Abstract: A vehicle includes a fuel tank, a primary canister, a secondary canister, a first valve, a second valve, a third valve, a heater, and a controller. The primary and secondary canisters are in fluid communication with the fuel tank and are configured to receive and store evaporated fuel from the fuel tank. The first valve is disposed between the fuel tank and the primary canister. The second valve is disposed between the secondary canister and ambient surroundings. The third valve is disposed between the primary canister and an engine. The heater is configured to heat the primary and secondary canisters. The controller is programmed to (i) activate the heater to heat the primary and secondary canisters and (ii) purge the evaporated fuel from the primary and secondary canisters after heating the primary and secondary canisters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2022
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2023
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: Aed M. Dudar