Patents by Inventor Bryan J. Williams

Bryan J. Williams has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20240159280
    Abstract: A vehicle includes a transmission that performs a method of operating a clutch of a vehicle. The vehicle includes the clutch, an actuator device and a processor. The actuator device includes a piston movable to operate the clutch. The processor is configured to receive a pressure signal indicative of a selected fluid pressure for operating the clutch, determine a position for the piston in the actuator device from the pressure signal, and move the piston to the position to operate the clutch at the selected fluid pressure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 10, 2022
    Publication date: May 16, 2024
    Inventors: Dongxu Li, Michael Ding, Bryan John Williams, Chunhao J. Lee, Zhen J. Zhang
  • Patent number: 7912617
    Abstract: A method for controlling trapped air in a clutch of an automatic clutch-to-clutch transmission includes, calculating a pulse on time based on a clutch volume and adaptive convergence. A pulse off time is calculated based on a temperature of transmission fluid. A pulse number is calculated based on the temperature of transmission fluid. A maximum pressure is commanded to the clutch based on the pulse on time and a minimum pressure is then commanded to the clutch based on the pulse off time. A pulse counter is incremented when the pulse off time expires. The steps of commanding maximum pressure, then commanding minimum pressure, and incrementing the pulse counter are repeated until the pulse counter equals a desired pulse number.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2011
    Inventors: David W. Wright, Bryan J. Williams, Scott R. Verna
  • Patent number: 6959239
    Abstract: A control system that generates one of a normal mode and a hot mode signal to control operation of a transmission includes a calculator that calculates a predicted temperature of a torque converter and a comparator that compares the predicted temperature to a threshold temperature. A timer generates one of the normal mode and the hot mode signals based on the predicted temperature and the threshold temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2005
    Assignee: General Motors Corporation
    Inventors: Bryan J. Williams, Jeffrey R. Kelly, David J. Varda, Scott G. Shockley