Patents Examined by Willis Wolfe, Jr.
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Patent number: 8078386Abstract: A method of controlling fuel supplied to an engine is provided. In one example, a cylinder includes port and direct fuel injection. The method includes supplying a second fuel type from a second tank to the direct injector and supplying a first fuel type from a first tank to the port injector; and responsive to mis-fueling, supplying the first fuel type from the first tank to the direct injector. In response to receiving an indication of a mis-fuel, the direct fuel injector may be supplied with the second type of fuel from the second fuel storage tank. By supplying at least some fuel to the direct injector from a different source, fuel may be supplied to the DI fuel injector at various conditions to cool the DI fuel injector. In this way, overheating of the DI fuel injector may be reduced.Type: GrantFiled: January 11, 2011Date of Patent: December 13, 2011Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLCInventors: Robert Albert Stein, Kevin Durand Byrd
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Patent number: 8078384Abstract: Systems and methods for controlling an internal combustion engine include determining presence of charge dilution and selecting a spark restrike mode to provide multiple spark events during a single combustion cycle. Charge dilution may be determined based on commanded air/fuel ratio and exhaust gas recirculation, for example. Multiple spark events may be controlled using time-based restrike or current-based restrike in response to one or more operating parameters or conditions.Type: GrantFiled: June 25, 2010Date of Patent: December 13, 2011Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLCInventors: Christopher Paul Glugla, Garlan J. Huberts, Gopichandra Surnilla, Michael Damian Czekala
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Patent number: 8074629Abstract: A method of operating an engine is provided. The engine includes operating a cylinder with net exhaust flow from the exhaust manifold, through the cylinder, to the intake manifold. Concurrently, another cylinder may operate to carry out combustion with net flow from the intake to the exhaust. In this way, exhaust in the intake manifold may be adjusted by varying valve operation of the first cylinder.Type: GrantFiled: September 14, 2010Date of Patent: December 13, 2011Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLCInventor: Vincent J. Winstead
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Patent number: 8069837Abstract: An intake control device for an internal combustion engine includes an intake air induction duct, a housing, a valve, and a gasket. The housing is received in a receiving chamber of the intake air induction duct. The valve is received in the housing for opening and closing an intake passage defined in the housing. The gasket is mounted on one of (a) a position between the intake air induction duct and the attachment surface, and (b) a position between the housing and a wall surface of the receiving chamber. The housing opposes the attachment surface and is spaced from the attachment surface by a predetermined clearance. The gasket has an elastic deformation portion that is positioned between the housing and the attachment surface.Type: GrantFiled: August 22, 2008Date of Patent: December 6, 2011Assignee: Denso CorporationInventors: Ryo Sano, Masato Ueshima
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Patent number: 8073610Abstract: An internal combustion engine is controlled to achieve a preferred temperature of the exhaust aftertreatment system and to minimize a total engine energy loss. A transmission is controlled to achieve a torque output based upon the preferred engine operation.Type: GrantFiled: September 19, 2008Date of Patent: December 6, 2011Assignees: GM Global Technology Operations LLC, Daimler AG, Chrysler LLC, Bayerische Motoren Werke AktiengesellschaftInventors: Anthony H. Heap, John L. Lahti
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Patent number: 8065992Abstract: A valve arrangement is provided for an exhaust gas recirculation device of an internal-combustion engine. The engine has at least one inlet and at least one outlet. The recirculation device includes an inlet on the internal-combustion engine outlet side, an outlet on the internal-combustion engine inlet side, and several, particularly two flow paths extending between the inlet and the outlet and being parallel at least in areas. The valve arrangement has a first control element and a second control element for automatically regulating/controlling fluid flow flowing between the inlet and the outlet and automatically regulating/controlling the distribution of this fluid flow between the several flow paths. A common actuator is provided for operating the first control element as well as the second control element.Type: GrantFiled: July 7, 2010Date of Patent: November 29, 2011Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke AktiengesellschaftInventors: Gernot Tschaler, Andreas Nabecker
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Patent number: 8068971Abstract: The invention concerns a procedure for determining the composition of a fuel mixture from a first fuel and a second fuel or for determining the quality of a fuel for operating a combustion engine with at least one cylinder pressure sensor in at least one cylinder of the combustion engine for determining the pressure history during a combustion process and a cylinder pressure based motor regulation for regulating the load and the combustion situation of the combustion engine. It is thereby provided that the determination of the composition of the fuel mixture or the quality of the fuel takes place with the aid of regulator information of the cylinder-pressure-based motor regulation. The procedure enables the continuing determination of the composition of the fuel mixture and the quality of the fuel at cylinder-pressure-based motor regulations without additional components as for example an ethanol sensor.Type: GrantFiled: December 4, 2008Date of Patent: November 29, 2011Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbHInventors: Haris Hamedovic, Axel Loeffler, Wolfgang Fischer, Roland Karrelmeyer, Gerald Graf
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Patent number: 8065991Abstract: A working gas circulation engine includes a combustion chamber that can expand a working gas, which has a specific heat ratio higher than that of the air, with the combustion between an oxidizing agent and a fuel; a circulation path that can allow the working gas to circulate from a suction side to an exhaust side of the combustion chamber and can supply the same again to the combustion chamber; a feed means that can feed the gas in a pressure-reduction target section, which is the section whose pressure is to be reduced, to the outside, and a control means that operates the feed means for feeding the gas in the pressure-reduction target section, when the pressure in the pressure-reduction target section is higher than a predetermined pressure that is set in advance.Type: GrantFiled: March 11, 2009Date of Patent: November 29, 2011Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Rentaro Kuroki, Daisaku Sawada, Akira Kato
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Patent number: 8061334Abstract: A device for recycling and cooling exhaust gas of an internal combustion engine is disclosed, comprising a first exhaust-gas heat exchanger and a second exhaust-gas heat exchanger, wherein the first and second exhaust gas heat exchangers are combined in a structural unit and form a module.Type: GrantFiled: June 20, 2006Date of Patent: November 22, 2011Assignee: Behr GmbH & Co. KGInventors: Jochen Eitel, Markus Flik, Peter Geskes, Thomas Heckenberger, Dieter Heinle, Jens Ruckwied, Andreas Thumm
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Patent number: 8065070Abstract: An electrical power system for an engine powered at least in part by a battery having a battery voltage and including a fuel injector and at least one ionization sensor includes at least one common power supply connected to the fuel injector and the ionization sensor and supplying a voltage higher than the battery voltage for operation of the fuel injector and the ionization sensor at least during an ionization sensing period after spark discharge.Type: GrantFiled: December 20, 2010Date of Patent: November 22, 2011Assignee: Ford Global Technologies LLCInventors: Michael Damian Czekala, Ross Dykstra Pursifull
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Patent number: 8060291Abstract: After power supply from a backup power source to a volatile memory is restored from temporary suspension, a remaining data determining section determines whether data of change history remaining in the volatile memory is data that has been stored immediately before the suspension of the power supply. When it is determined that the data remaining in the volatile memory is not the data that has been stored immediately before suspension of the power supply, a reference value learning section moves an actuator to a limit position, assigns the reference value to an initial value, and clears the change history. When suspension of the power supply from the backup power source reoccurs before completion of the reference value learning by the reference value learning section, a control section invalidates the determination of the remaining data determining section and performs the reference value learning, after the power supply is restored.Type: GrantFiled: April 14, 2008Date of Patent: November 15, 2011Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Naohide Fuwa, Seiko Tamada, Keisuke Ohnishi
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Patent number: 8060293Abstract: Systems and methods for controlling an internal combustion engine include adjusting fuel delivered to a cylinder during a transient event by an amount indexed by number of combustion events after detecting the transient event. A base fueling parameter may be adjusted by an adaptive correction value indexed by combustion events after the transient event is detected, with the adaptive value determined using air/fuel ratio difference of previous combustion events during similar transient operating conditions associated with the same combustion event index number. Ionization sensor signal characteristics may be used to determine actual air/fuel ratios used to determine the air/fuel ratio difference and corresponding adaptive correction values. The adaptive values may be modified in response to a vehicle refueling event based on an amount of added fuel relative to existing fuel in the vehicle fuel tank.Type: GrantFiled: June 16, 2009Date of Patent: November 15, 2011Assignee: Ford Global Technologies LLCInventors: Daniel Lawrence Meyer, Christopher Paul Glugla, Mrdjan J. Jankovic, Davorin D. Hrovat
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Patent number: 8056544Abstract: A method for operating an internal combustion engine Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) system that includes producing an EGR valve position signal to decrease the amount of exhaust gas passed to the EGR cooler when a processor determines the EGR cooler efficiency is less than the predetermined level and producing an EGR coolant valve position signal to decrease the amount of coolant passed to the EGR cooler when such processor determines the EGR cooler efficiency is less than the predetermined level. The processor produced EGR valve and the EGR coolant valve position signals result in regeneration within the cooler, returning the effectiveness of the cooler to a near “clean” condition.Type: GrantFiled: August 27, 2008Date of Patent: November 15, 2011Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLCInventors: Timothy Webb, Jeffrey B. Schneyer, Kevin R. Murphy, Christopher Oberski, Peter Mitchell Lyon
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Patent number: 8056545Abstract: An integrated engine cover and exhaust gas recirculation cooler for an internal combustion engine includes a cover for enclosing a portion of an engine and an EGR cooler having a housing formed as one piece with the cover. The EGR cooler includes at least one cooler section located within the housing and EGR and bypass valves for controlling the flow of exhaust gases either though the cooler or around the cooler.Type: GrantFiled: January 6, 2009Date of Patent: November 15, 2011Assignee: Ford Global TechnologiesInventors: Larry Phillip Feist, Patrick Brian Morgan
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Patent number: 8055431Abstract: A driving amount controller for reducing the response delay or erroneous deviation in the control of a driving amount of a controlled system, for example, in the control of the opening of a throttle valve. When a target opening DTHR is varied starting from the condition where the throttle valve is stopped, an ECU 20 on a vehicle calculates an output of a motor necessary for a starting operation of the motor, and outputs a control signal Sc obtained through compensation of a deficiency.Type: GrantFiled: March 27, 2008Date of Patent: November 8, 2011Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.Inventors: Yukihiro Asada, Makoto Tsuyuguchi, Toru Takeda
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Patent number: 8051839Abstract: A method of operating a fuel injector including a piezoelectric actuator having a stack of piezoelectric elements, and wherein in use the injector communicates with a fuel rail, the method comprises: applying a discharge current to the actuator for a discharge period so as to discharge the stack from a first differential voltage level across the stack to a second differential voltage level across the stack; maintaining the second differential voltage level for a period of time; and applying a charge current to the actuator for a charge period so as to charge the stack from the second differential voltage level to a third differential voltage level; wherein the third differential voltage level is selected in dependence on at least two engine parameters, the at least two engine parameters selected from: rail pressure; the electric pulse time; and the piezoelectric stack temperature.Type: GrantFiled: September 11, 2008Date of Patent: November 8, 2011Assignee: Delphi Technologies Holdings S.arlInventors: Peter J. Spadafora, Daniel Jeremy Hopley, Adrian R. Tolliday
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Applying the law of conservation of energy to the analysis and design of internal combustion engines
Patent number: 8051827Abstract: A method for designing internal combustion engines can include selecting a compression ratio that produces a compression temperature just below the autoignition temperature of a fuel/air mixture, selecting a fuel equivalence ratio that produces a combustion temperature below the threshold temperature at which NOx formation or autoignition of the mixture occurs, and selecting an expansion ratio greater than the compression ratio.Type: GrantFiled: November 19, 2010Date of Patent: November 8, 2011Inventors: Pao Chi Pien, Paul Shih-Hsi Pien -
Patent number: 8051836Abstract: An internal combustion engine (1) is provided with an in-cylinder pressure sensor (15) for detecting an in-cylinder pressure in a combustion chamber (3) and an ECU (20). The ECU 20 calculates a heat release quantity parameter showing a combustion state based upon a detected in-cylinder pressure, calculates a combustion delay based upon the detected in-cylinder pressure, and determines fuel property based upon a comparison between a calculated heat release quantity parameter and the calculated combustion delay; and a heat release quantity parameter and a combustion delay corresponding to reference fuel.Type: GrantFiled: February 28, 2008Date of Patent: November 8, 2011Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki KaishaInventor: Hidenori Moriya
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Patent number: 8055437Abstract: A method and system for estimating CO2 produced by an internal combustion engine disposed in a vehicle and transmitting the CO2 produced to a display device within the vehicle are disclosed. Estimated CO2 produced is based on amount of fuel consumed and fuel composition, e.g., alcohol content in a gasoline-alcohol blend. The amount of fuel consumed is computed based on fuel pulse width commanded to fuel injectors disposed in the engine, the pressure drop across the fuel injectors, and fuel injector nozzle cross-section. Instantaneous CO2 produced and/or average CO2 produced can be computed and displayed. Instantaneous CO2 produced is averaged over a short interval with the display updated regularly. Average CO2 produced is averaged over a typically longer interval, being reset, in one embodiment, by an operator of the vehicle depressing a reset button.Type: GrantFiled: March 17, 2009Date of Patent: November 8, 2011Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLCInventors: John Proietty, Diana D. Brehob
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Patent number: 8051843Abstract: Exhaust gas inlets for introducing exhaust gas from an EGR pipe, on the right bank side, and exhaust gas inlets for introducing exhaust gas from the EGR pipe, on the left bank side, are both formed in low-pressure regions. The exhaust gas inlets are formed at positions where the pressure of the intake air flowing through branch pipes on the right bank side and the pressure of the intake air flowing through branch pipes on the left bank side are both low and substantially equal. Accordingly, exhaust gas is introduced evenly into cylinders in the right and left banks. These inlets are not formed at positions in a common intake passage from which branch paths branch off, that is, positions upstream of a surge tank. Accordingly, the response to introduction of exhaust gas is not deteriorated but is maintained.Type: GrantFiled: January 6, 2009Date of Patent: November 8, 2011Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki KaishaInventor: Junichi Matsudaira