Patents Examined by Sherman D Manley
  • Patent number: 11661915
    Abstract: A system for starting an engine of a vehicle has a fuel injector injecting fuel into a closed intake port to form an air fuel mixture. The system also includes an actuator rotating a crankshaft in a first direction to open the intake port by moving a piston within a cylinder coupled to the crankshaft. A combustion chamber defines between the cylinder and the port receiving the air fuel mixture through the intake port. The actuator rotates the crankshaft in a second direction to close the intake port. A spark plug ignites the air fuel mixture to start the engine. The engine also includes many other disclosed features.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2023
    Assignee: Polaris Industries Inc.
    Inventors: Stephen J. Crain, Trevor F. Rhodes
  • Patent number: 11661081
    Abstract: A control device for an automated driving vehicle has a first automated driving mode in which the automated driving vehicle, receiving a permission notice from an operations management controller, travels, according to automatic operation, along a controlled route managed by the operations management controller, in accordance with a traveling schedule provided from the operations management controller; and a second automated driving mode in which the automated driving vehicle travels, without a permission notice from the operations management controller, along a non-controlled route that is not managed by the operations management controller, according to automatic operation. The first automated driving mode and the second automated driving mode are switchable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2023
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hirohito Ide, Yuchi Yamanouchi
  • Patent number: 11654777
    Abstract: The electric vehicle according to the present disclosure is configured to be able to select a traveling mode between an MT mode in which an electric motor is controlled with torque characteristics like an MT vehicle having a manual transmission and an internal combustion engine, and an EV mode in which the electric motor is controlled with normal torque characteristics. When the selection of the travelling mode is changed by a driver, the controller of the electric vehicle determines whether a control mode can be switched, based on a condition in which the electric vehicle is placed, and switches the control mode in accordance with the determination result.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2023
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Akiko Nishimine, Yoichiro Isami, Yoshio Itou, Hiroyuki Amano, Tatsuya Imamura, Hiroaki Ebuchi, Hiroaki Kodera
  • Patent number: 11648502
    Abstract: A cylindrical filter device of the present invention includes a wavy filter screen, a sealing device, and a connecting device. The wavy filter screen includes a first flexible side strip, a second flexible side strip opposite to the first flexible side strip, and a plurality of wavy structures disposed between the first flexible side strip and the second flexible side strip. The wavy filter screen wraps to form a cylindrical structure with respect to an axis. The opposite ends of the cylindrical structure are respectively wrapped to form a first opening and a second opening by the first flexible side strip and the second flexible side strip. The sealing device is disposed at the first opening and has a first groove. The first flexible side strip is able to engage with the first groove with its elasticity and makes the first opening be sealed by the sealing device. The connecting device is disposed at the second opening. The connecting device has a second groove and a port.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2023
    Assignee: GREENFILTEC LTD.
    Inventor: Yi-Hui Yu
  • Patent number: 11643988
    Abstract: An engine system, includes a bypass line branched from an intake line upstream of an intercooler and joining the intake line downstream of the intercooler; a condensed water separation line branched from the intake line upstream of the intercooler and joining the intake line upstream of the intercooler; a condensed water separation module provided in the condensed water separation line and configured to separate condensed water contained in a mixture flowing through the condensed water separation line; and a four-way valve provided in the intake line between a compressor and the intercooler, and selectively operated so that the mixture of the outside air and the recirculation gas introduced to the upstream of the intercooler passes through the intercooler, flows through the bypass line, or flows through the condensed water separation line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2023
    Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Corporation
    Inventor: Jonghyuck Kim
  • Patent number: 11639694
    Abstract: A vehicle control system includes an accelerator sensor which detects an accelerator opening, a target acceleration setting unit which sets a target acceleration of a vehicle based on the detected accelerator opening, a target torque setting unit which sets a target torque of a drive source based on the set target acceleration, and a drive source controller which controls the drive source to generate the set target torque. In a case where the target acceleration at a time when the accelerator opening is increased is set as a depression-increasing target acceleration and the target acceleration at a time when the accelerator opening is decreased is set as a pedal-returning target acceleration, under the same condition of the accelerator opening, the target acceleration setting unit sets the target acceleration such that the pedal-returning target acceleration becomes lower than the depression-increasing target acceleration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2023
    Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Takefumi Takada, Yuki Ishiyama
  • Patent number: 11635348
    Abstract: A method for detecting damage to a bearing of an engine using a knocking sensor includes a data storing step, which stores a vibration signal output from the knocking sensor in a data storing unit, a by-frequency amplitude calculating step, which performs Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) for the vibration signal and calculates an amplitude for each frequency, a detection frequency integrating step, which obtains a detection frequency integration value by adding all amplitudes of detection frequencies, a noise determining step, which determines whether the vibration signal is the vibration signal irrelevant to damage to the bearing by determining whether exclusion frequencies correspond to a preset condition, a counter increasing step, which increases a damage counter, when the detection frequency integration value is greater than a preset damage threshold, and a damage confirming step, which confirms damage to the bearing, when the damage counter equals or exceeds a preset confirmation counter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2023
    Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Corporation
    Inventors: Jung-Suk Han, Chang-Jin Oh
  • Patent number: 11628939
    Abstract: An environmental control system of a vehicle includes a ram air circuit including a ram air shell having a ram air heat exchanger positioned therein, a dehumidification system arranged in fluid communication with the ram air circuit, a first compression device arranged in fluid communication with the dehumidification system, the first compression device including a first compressor, and a second compression device arranged in fluid communication with the ram air circuit. The second compression device includes a second compressor. A first medium is provided to the first compressor and to the second compressor in series.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2023
    Assignee: HAMILTON SUNDSTRAND CORPORATION
    Inventors: Aiden Coutin, Tony Ho
  • Patent number: 11629870
    Abstract: An environmental control system of a vehicle including a first inlet for providing a first medium, a second inlet for providing a second medium, a compression device arranged in fluid communication with the first inlet, and an expansion device separate from the compression device. The expansion device is arranged in fluid communication with the second inlet. Energy extracted from the second medium within the expansion device is provided to one or more loads of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2023
    Assignee: HAMILTON SUNDSTRAND CORPORATION
    Inventor: Aiden Coutin
  • Patent number: 11628818
    Abstract: A method and system for operating a vehicle that includes an automatic transmission with a torque converter clutch is described. In one example, the method includes predicting a time that the torque converter clutch will open so that stopping rotation of the engine may be requested before the torque converter clutch is opened. The stopping rotation of the engine is requested to conserve fuel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2023
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Yanan Zhao, Christopher John Teslak, Stuart N. Ford, Ralph Wayne Cunningham, Judhajit Roy, Chenliu Stephen Lu, Girish Gokul Chennupalli
  • Patent number: 11623627
    Abstract: A vehicle includes a powertrain and a controller. The powertrain has an engine and an electric machine that are each configured to generate power within the powertrain to propel the vehicle. The controller is programmed to, generate a powertrain power output profile required to propel the vehicle over a predetermined route based on navigation data. The controller is further programmed to, in response to the electric machine operating to propel the vehicle over the predetermined route while the engine is shutdown and an upcoming increase in the powertrain power output profile to a value that is greater than a threshold, initiate an engine start at a predetermined time period before the upcoming increase in the powertrain power output profile.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2023
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Walter Joseph Ortmann, Naginder Gogna
  • Patent number: 11618313
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for a hybrid vehicle. In one example, a system comprises a first magnetic transmission configured to output power from a rotor shaft to a coolant pump and a second magnetic transmission configured to output power from the rotor shaft to an air-conditioner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2023
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Rainer Kiehn, Georg Louven, Krystian Dylong, Christoph Niederhut
  • Patent number: 11621617
    Abstract: The invention relates to a stator (2) comprising an annular body (4) having a side face (6) from which a plurality of radial teeth (8) extend, said teeth being angularly spaced in such a way as to define slots (10), and a plurality of conductive needles (15A, 15B), each conductive needle comprising two conductive segments (16A, 16B, 16C, 16D) connected by an elbow connector (18), the conductive segments being stacked one above the other in the slots (10) so as to form N layers which are parallel or substantially parallel to the side face (6) of the annular body. Each conductive needle (15A, 15B) comprises a conductive segment present in two separate slots, with one conductive segment present in a slot E in such a way as to occupy a layer (Ci) and another conductive segment present in a slot E+P in such a way as to occupy a layer (Ci+2), P being a pitch that is predetermined in a first direction of orientation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2023
    Assignee: Valeo Equipements Electriques Moteur
    Inventors: Vincent Ramet, Jean Duquesne, Stéphane De Clercq, Julien Pauwels, Laurent Delassus, Humberto Menezes
  • Patent number: 11614062
    Abstract: An electric starting system is provided for an engine. The electric starting system may include a self-contained housing configured to be mounted between an engine and a tool driven by the engine. The electric starting system may also include an electric motor mounted to the housing, the electric motor configured rotationally engage an output shaft of the engine to effectuate starting of the engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2023
    Assignee: FNA Group, Inc.
    Inventors: Gus Alexander, Chris Alexander, Richard J. Gilpatrick, Joshua Skrzypchak, Shawn M. Mulkins, Robert E. Dowd
  • Patent number: 11598300
    Abstract: Operating an engine includes injecting a first charge of liquid fuel using a first set of nozzle outlets in a fuel injector, and injecting a second charge of liquid fuel using a second set of nozzle outlets in a fuel injector. The first charge is autoignited in a first engine cycle, and the second charge is autoignited in a second engine cycle, and may be used to pilot ignite a charge of gaseous fuel. Operating the engine further includes limiting errors in targeting of the second charge of liquid fuel caused by transitioning the engine from a first combination to a second combination of speed, load, and boost, by varying an injection pressure of the liquid fuel from the first engine cycle to the second engine cycle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2023
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Jonathan W. Anders, Bobby John, Robert Campion
  • Patent number: 11588365
    Abstract: A stator includes multiple coils. The coils include multiple outer coils arranged on the base side of teeth and multiple inner coils arranged on the tip side of the teeth. The outer coils and the inner coils are alternately arranged along the circumferential direction of a stator core. Each coil winding of the outer coils is formed in a non-fixed state, and each coil winding of inner coils is formed in a fixed state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2023
    Assignee: FANUC CORPORATION
    Inventor: Tatsuya Senoo
  • Patent number: 11586985
    Abstract: A vehicle control apparatus for controlling a vehicle through a control program using at least one parameter. The at least one parameter is corrected by respective at least one correction value that is obtained after start of execution of a learning operation. The vehicle control apparatus includes: a learning-data storage portion configured to store, as learning data, the at least one correction value obtained after the start of the execution of the learning operation; and a learning-data rewrite portion configured, when the control program is updated, to execute a rewriting operation for rewriting the at least one correction value as the learning data from a pre-update correction value to a post-update correction value, such that the post-update correction value has the same sign as the pre-update correction value, and an absolute value of the post-update correction value is smaller than an absolute value of the pre-update correction value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2023
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Atsushi Tabata, Koichi Okuda, Tooru Matsubara, Hiromasa Tatsushiro, Kota Fujii, Yuuki Makino
  • Patent number: 11578688
    Abstract: In at least some implementations, a fuel metering valve, includes a bobbin defining a passage and having one or more voids in the surface of the bobbin that defines the passage, aa wire coil around the bobbin and an armature. The armature is received within the passage in the bobbin and movable relative to the bobbin from a first position to a second position when electricity is supplied to the wire coil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2023
    Assignee: Walbro LLC
    Inventors: Takashi Abei, Katsuaki Hamataka, Takashi Horikawa, Tomoya Kawada, Dairoku Suzuki, Jun Takano
  • Patent number: 11572847
    Abstract: An internal combustion engine with at least one combustion chamber, at least one fuel delivery line for the delivery of fuel to at least one combustion chamber, and at least one differential pressure control valve for controlling the pressure in the at least one fuel delivery line. The at least one differential pressure control valve is configured to perform a valve opening or valve closing movement based on a pressure difference between the at least one fuel delivery line and a reference volume having a reference pressure. The internal combustion engine further includes at least one pressure relief valve, separate from the at least one differential pressure control valve, and configured to open to cause a pressure relief in the reference volume and a decrease in the reference pressure if a drop occurs in the power to be performed by the internal combustion engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2023
    Assignee: Innio Jenbacher GmbH & Co OG
    Inventors: Alexander Mairhofer, Johannes Huber, Josef Thalhauser, Matthias Grotz, Michael Franz Litzlfellner, Alexander Gasteiger, Michael Perktold
  • Patent number: 11566561
    Abstract: A vehicle includes an engine having a crankshaft, an electric machine having a shaft, and a front end accessory drive (FEAD). The FEAD includes a multi-speed pulley assembly mounted to one of the crankshaft and the shaft, a pulley mounted to the other of the crankshaft and the shaft, and a tension member trained around the multi-speed pulley assembly and the pulley. The multi-speed pulley assembly is configured to establish a low speed ratio between the shaft and the crankshaft and a high speed ratio between the shaft and the crankshaft. A vehicle controller is programmed to, in switch between the high speed ratio and the low speed ratio to optimize operating conditions of the FEAD.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2023
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: George Aristidis Papaioannou, Timothy Vaughn, Nicholas Dahlin, John Edward Brevick