Patents by Inventor Christopher Harold Knieper

Christopher Harold Knieper 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).

  • Patent number: 9964022
    Abstract: A system includes a coolant management module that, determines whether an engine of a vehicle is off, determines, in response to a determination that the engine is off, whether a heater associated with the engine is on, receives one of a plurality of engine coolant temperature (ECT) measurements and a respective location associated with the received ECT measurement, and communicates the respective location and an instruction to direct engine coolant flow from the respective location to one of the heater and engine. The system also includes a coolant control module that selectively actuates one or more coolant control valves based on the respective location and the instruction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2018
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Eugene V. Gonze, Yue-Ming Chen, Vijay Ramappan, Christopher Harold Knieper
  • Publication number: 20160281584
    Abstract: A system includes a coolant management module that, determines whether an engine of a vehicle is off, determines, in response to a determination that the engine is off, whether a heater associated with the engine is on, receives one of a plurality of engine coolant temperature (ECT) measurements and a respective location associated with the received ECT measurement, and communicates the respective location and an instruction to direct engine coolant flow from the respective location to one of the heater and engine. The system also includes a coolant control module that selectively actuates one or more coolant control valves based on the respective location and the instruction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 26, 2015
    Publication date: September 29, 2016
    Inventors: Eugene V. GONZE, Yue-Ming Chen, Vijay Ramappan, Christopher Harold Knieper
  • Patent number: 9086026
    Abstract: A system according to the principles of the present disclosure includes a pump control module, an actuator control module, and a torque reserve module. The pump control module switches a water pump between on and off. The water pump circulates coolant through an engine when the water pump is on. The actuator control module controls a first actuator of the engine based on a first torque request and that controls a second actuator of the engine based on a second torque request. The torque reserve module adjusts a torque reserve before the water pump is switched on or off based on a change in engine load expected when the water pump is switched on or off. The torque reserve is a difference between the first torque request and the second torque request.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2015
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Stephen Paul Levijoki, Christopher Harold Knieper
  • Patent number: 8900095
    Abstract: A method of commanding a synchronous gear shift begins by receiving a request to shift from a third gear to a first gear, and skipping a second gear having a gear ratio between the gear ratio of the first gear and the gear ratio of the third gear. Subsequently the method includes: reducing a torque command to a predetermined value; opening a clutch disposed on the input shaft of the transmission to decouple the transmission from the engine; transitioning the engine from a torque-control mode into a speed-control mode; commanding the engine to rotate at a speed dictated by the motion of the vehicle and the gear ratio of the first gear; closing the clutch to couple the transmission and the engine; and transitioning the engine back into the torque-control mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2014
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Christopher E. Whitney, Christopher Harold Knieper, Ronald W. Van Diepen, Ning Jin, Matthew D. Whitton
  • Publication number: 20140172273
    Abstract: A system according to the principles of the present disclosure includes a pump control module, an actuator control module, and a torque reserve module. The pump control module switches a water pump between on and off. The water pump circulates coolant through an engine when the water pump is on. The actuator control module controls a first actuator of the engine based on a first torque request and that controls a second actuator of the engine based on a second torque request. The torque reserve module adjusts a torque reserve before the water pump is switched on or off based on a change in engine load expected when the water pump is switched on or off.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 13, 2012
    Publication date: June 19, 2014
    Applicant: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Stephen Paul Levijoki, Christopher Harold Knieper
  • Publication number: 20130310219
    Abstract: A method of commanding a synchronous gear shift begins by receiving a request to shift from a third gear to a first gear, and skipping a second gear having a gear ratio between the gear ratio of the first gear and the gear ratio of the third gear. Subsequently the method includes: reducing a torque command to a predetermined value; opening a clutch disposed on the input shaft of the transmission to decouple the transmission from the engine; transitioning the engine from a torque-control mode into a speed-control mode; commanding the engine to rotate at a speed dictated by the motion of the vehicle and the gear ratio of the first gear; closing the clutch to couple the transmission and the engine; and transitioning the engine back into the torque-control mode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 16, 2013
    Publication date: November 21, 2013
    Applicant: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Christopher E. Whitney, Christopher Harold Knieper, Ronald W. Van Diepen, Ning Jin, Matthew D. Whitton