Patents Examined by Sizo Vilakazi
  • Patent number: 10682896
    Abstract: A method and system of controlling an engine for vehicle interior heating is provided. The method includes performing a first engine control when the engine is not in an engine-on state for vehicle driving, to perform heating control for interior heating at a predetermined range of a reference coolant temperature. Additionally, the method includes performing a second engine control when the engine is in an engine-on state for vehicle driving, to prolong an engine-on time for vehicle driving by setting a minimum value of the range of the reference coolant temperature to a lower value and setting a maximum value of the range of the reference coolant temperature to a higher value and to determine a point of time of engine-off operation based on a real-time lock up time and an average lock up time of an engine clutch for vehicle driving.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2020
    Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Motors Corporation
    Inventors: Myung Seok Lee, Jea Mun Lee, Jung Soo Park, Hong Kee Sim
  • Patent number: 10273898
    Abstract: A controller for an internal combustion engine includes an electronic control unit. The electronic control unit is configured to increase an air amount that is suctioned into a cylinder while maintaining the lean air-fuel ratio as a first torque increasing operation in a case where target torque is increased during the operation at the lean air-fuel ratio such that torque is increased. The electronic control unit is configured to compute limit torque as an upper limit of the torque that can be realized in a case where the lean air-fuel ratio is kept for a certain time from a current time point. The electronic control unit is configured to switch to the operation at the theoretical air-fuel ratio and increase the torque as a second torque increasing operation in a case where the target torque becomes higher than the limit torque during execution of the first torque increasing operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2019
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shigehiro Sugihira, Naoto Kato, Satoshi Yoshizaki
  • Patent number: 10267213
    Abstract: A combustion chamber structure for a spark-ignition internal combustion engine includes a combustion chamber, an ignition plug, and a guide portion. The combustion chamber is configured to produce tumble flow that swirls in an axial direction of a cylinder. The ignition plug is disposed in a central portion of an upper wall of the combustion chamber. The guide portion protrudes from the upper wall of the combustion chamber, and is configured to guide airflow passing through the central portion of the combustion chamber in an intake-exhaust direction of the combustion chamber while dispersing the airflow around the guide portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2019
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Hiroyuki Sakai
  • Patent number: 10240545
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for the estimation of an aircharge into a cylinder used to adjust an engine operating parameter, based on a manifold pressure signal stored in a buffer. In one example, a method may include sampling an intake manifold pressure sensor signal at even increments of time, stamping it with its corresponding crank angle and storing it in a buffer. The closest stored signal to the intake valve closing of a cylinder may be used to calculate its aircharge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2019
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Ross Dykstra Pursifull, Justin Trzeciak, Joseph Norman Ulrey, Thomas G. Leone
  • Patent number: 10227943
    Abstract: In voltage boosting circuit for performing rapid power supply to a plurality of electromagnetic coils that drive fuel-injection electromagnetic valves, an overcurrent from vehicle battery is suppressed, and continuous noise is prevented from being produced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2019
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Eitaro Fukuzumi, Mitsunori Nishida
  • Patent number: 10221787
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for monitoring torque delivery in a variable displacement engine using air flow metered via a throttle body model. During conditions when air flow estimation can be inaccurate, such as at wide open throttle, an induction ratio applied to the engine is constrained to 1.0, even if the operator torque demand is low. VDE degradation is inferred based on the commanded induction ratio relative to an actual induction ratio estimated based on the torque delivery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2019
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Adam Nathan Banker, Amey Y. Karnik, Suzanne Kay Wait, Jeffrey Allen Doering
  • Patent number: 10215111
    Abstract: To provide a controller and a control method for an internal combustion engine capable of estimating the cylinder internal pressure of the combustion cylinder accurately in consideration of the torsional vibration of the crankshaft. A controller for an internal combustion engine includes a torsional torque calculator that calculates a value which has an amplitude of the maximum value of torsional vibration torque calculated based on a crank angle acceleration in the combustion period, and vibrates with a preliminarily set natural angular frequency, as a torsional vibration torque in the combustion period; and a cylinder internal pressure estimator that calculates a combustion gas pressure torque, by use of the equation of motion of the rotation system of the crankshaft, based on the crank angle, the crank angle acceleration, and the torsional vibration torque, and estimates the cylinder internal pressure of the combustion cylinder based on the combustion gas pressure torque.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2019
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Hideki Hagari, Kazuhiro Tokuyama
  • Patent number: 10215123
    Abstract: The engine controlling apparatus includes a selector, a setter, and a controller. The selector selects one of a plurality of injection modes according to the operating condition of an engine, where injection rates of a plurality of injectors or the number of injections performed in one stroke of the engine differs among the injection modes. The setter sets a mode correction amount that reflects an output characteristic of a first sensor corresponding to the injection mode. The controller performs feedback control using both a detection signal from the first sensor and the mode correction amount.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2019
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI JIDOSHA KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Akihiro Tsuchiya, Mitsuhiro Yuasa, Kensuke Kondo, Yuji Sato
  • Patent number: 10215142
    Abstract: The present disclosure describes an injector for an internal combustion engine which includes an injector housing, a piezo-actuator control unit having a first set of terminals, a connecting plug on a head of the injector housing, the connecting plug having a second set of terminals, and an electrical connection between the control unit and the connecting plug within the injector housing. The electrical connection comprises a contact element with conductor tracks integrated into an insulating body. The conductor tracks are connected to the terminals of the control unit and of the connecting plug. A first end of the insulating body abuts the control unit or the connecting plug and a second end is spaced from the connecting plug or the control unit. The contact element includes an elastic device by means of which the insulating body is braced against the component it abuts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2019
    Assignee: CONTINENTAL AUTOMOTIVE GMBH
    Inventors: Emanuel Sanftleben, Martin Ploetz, Martin Simmet, Steffen Kernbach
  • Patent number: 10208723
    Abstract: A fuel rail assembly for gasoline direct injection fuel delivery to an engine. The assembly has a common rail tube. In the tube there are threaded orifices extending laterally. Injector sockets are adapted to mate with the threaded orifices. Each injector socket has a proximal nipple end region connected to the tube and a distal end region through which fuel is delivered to the engine. Screw threads are disposed around the proximal nipple end region. The screw threads include a lead thread that is received by the threaded orifices, thereby forming mechanical connections between the injector sockets and the tube that are adapted to withstand maximum pressures of fuel up to 5000 psi.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2019
    Assignee: HI-VOL PRODUCTS
    Inventor: Paul G. Carey
  • Patent number: 10207711
    Abstract: Methods for controlling vacuum within a brake booster by modifying powertrain operation include determining an intake manifold vacuum in response to actuation of a brake pedal. Increasing the intake manifold vacuum if the brake booster vacuum is less than a desired brake booster vacuum. In some embodiments, the transmission is downshifted to increase engine speed and intake manifold vacuum.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2019
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Douglas Raymond Martin, Dale Scott Crombez, Moses Alexander Fridman
  • Patent number: 10208700
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for direct fuel injection. In one example, a fuel injector system includes an injector needle with an injector pin with a curved fuel channel of non-uniform width around the outer circumference of the injector pin, fluidically connected along the length of the curved fuel channel with a fuel reservoir inside the injector pin. An actuator coupled to the injector needle may sequentially move and position the injector needle to establish fluidic connection between the curved fuel channel and with one or more nozzle holes of the fuel injector at each position, where a duration of the fluidic connection at each position is based on a width of the curved fuel channel, and may determine the volume of fuel being discharged from only those nozzle holes, thereby reducing fuel spray interaction and increasing fuel spray atomization.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2019
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: Xiaogang Zhang
  • Patent number: 10208659
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for reducing turbo lag by directing intake air from an intake manifold to an exhaust manifold. The intake air may be directed via an EGR passage by opening an EGR valve or by may be directed via engine cylinders by increasing positive valve overlap. Amounts of air directed via external EGR and air directed via positive valve overlap are based on engine operating conditions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2019
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: John Eric Rollinger, Adam J. Richards, Robert Andrew Wade, David Bell
  • Patent number: 10202888
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for selectively re-cooling intake air downstream of a charge air cooler. In one example, a system may include a cylinder head defining a plurality of cylinders, the cylinder head including a plurality of inlet ports each fluidically coupled to a respective cylinder, a refrigerant supply, and a refrigerant passage surrounding each inlet port and fluidically coupled to the refrigerant supply, the refrigerant passage shaped to correspond to an outer profile of each inlet port.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2019
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: Christopher Donald Wicks
  • Patent number: 10202907
    Abstract: An adapter assembly connected to a throttle body housing of an electronic throttle control assembly with a connecting feature. The adapter assembly of the present invention provides significantly lower cost assembly, and permits single side molding of the adapter assembly. The adapter assembly also includes alternative features for a captured seal or a void to contain excess thread sealer, and also permits a an anti-rotation feature, or locking tab, that is indexed to the receiving element, where the screw stop angle of the adapter assembly does not have to be controlled to provide a desired tab orientation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2019
    Assignee: Continental Automotive Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Donald Taylor, John Norman Stockbridge
  • Patent number: 10202957
    Abstract: A self-contained starting module for outdoor power equipment that has control circuit and a start button. The starting module includes internal control circuit that can be either microprocessor based or analog. The control circuit receives a start signal from a start button of the starting module. The control circuit monitors for the presence of an enable device and, upon activation of the start button and the presence of the enable device, provides electric power to the electric load of the power equipment. When the start button is depressed for longer than a minimum engagement period, the control circuit initiates operation of the engine. If the start button is pressed for less than the minimum engagement period, the control circuit activates the electric load for an auxiliary period without starting the engine. During engine operation, if the start button is depressed, the operation of the engine is terminated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2019
    Assignee: Briggs & Stratton Corporation
    Inventors: Robert John Koenen, Jason Hansen, Andrew Paskov, Daniel Brueck, Steven J. Weber
  • Patent number: 10202926
    Abstract: Various methods and systems are provided for diagnosing an engine component based on a measured engine speed during an engine shutdown event. As one embodiment, a method for an engine includes measuring an engine speed drop rate, via an engine speed sensor, during an engine shutdown event; and indicating a change in performance of one of the engine speed sensor or an additional engine component in response to the measured engine speed drop rate deviating from a reference engine speed drop rate by a pre-set or pre-defined threshold rate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2019
    Assignee: GE Global Sourcing LLC
    Inventors: Shailesh Nair, Pradheepram Ottikkutti
  • Patent number: 10202927
    Abstract: Methods and systems for controlling combustion performance of an engine during recompression HCCI combustion are provided. The method includes regulating a valve actuation timing and a fuel injection timing to cause a combustion phasing of at least one cylinder of the engine to approach a target combustion phasing, and estimating current combustion state information based on the combustion phasing. The current combustion state information includes at least one of a temperature, a pressure, and a pre-combustion charge composition associated with the at least one cylinder. The method further includes determining a target fuel injection amount, and determining whether the target fuel injection amount would require actuator settings that violate predetermined constraints in order to cause the combustion phasing to approach the target combustion phasing. A fuel injection amount is adjusted when the target fuel injection amount would require actuator settings that violate the predetermined constraints.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2019
    Assignees: Robert Bosch GmbH, The Regents of the University of Michigan
    Inventors: Shyam Jade, Erik Hellstrom, Anna Stefanopoulou, Li Jiang
  • Patent number: 10190553
    Abstract: A pumping unit has a fuel storage tank (2), a piston pump (6) for feeding the fuel to an internal combustion engine (3); a gear pump (7) for feeding the fuel from the storage tank (2) to the piston pump (6), and a hydraulic circuit (46) which connects together the storage tank (2) and the internal combustion engine (3), extends through a pump body (8) of the piston pump (6) so as to lubricate an actuating shaft (36) of the piston pump (6) and has a collection branch (55) for collecting the fuel leaks resulting from the lubrication of said actuating shaft (36); the collection branch (55) being connected to an intake (37a) of the gear pump (7) so as to lubricate an actuating shaft (42) of the gear pump (7) with the fuel from said collection branch (55).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2019
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Giuseppe Ficarella, Nello Medoro
  • Patent number: 10190508
    Abstract: A system for detecting a pre-fill status of a fuel filter in a fuel system includes a monitoring mechanism structured to monitor a fluid property of the fuel system indicative of priming. A control mechanism is coupled with and structured to received data from the monitoring mechanism, and outputs a signal responsive to a time to prime the fuel system that is indicative of a filter pre-fill state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2019
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventor: Martin A. Lehman