Patents by Inventor Eric Blaine Ferch

Eric Blaine Ferch 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: 6078859
    Abstract: A system and method for controlling vehicle speed include mutually exclusive closed loop controllers for vehicle speed and acceleration which control vehicle speed by requesting an appropriate wheel torque. The system and method compute, in real time, the wheel torque required to maintain steady vehicle speed or steady acceleration depending on the particular mode of operation. The active closed loop controller acts upon vehicle speed or acceleration errors to output a desired torque request.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 1997
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2000
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Marek Jareslaw Jastrzebski, Michael John Cullen, Eric Blaine Ferch, Stephen Alan De La Salle
  • Patent number: 6039023
    Abstract: An air control method for an internal combustion engine having air assist injectors and an electronically controlled throttle maximizes airflow through the injectors while maintaining a range of authority for the electronically controlled throttle. This method maximizes the benefits of fuel atomization while maintaining a desired engine speed in the presence of disturbances.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 1998
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2000
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael John Cullen, John Phillip Tonkin, Eric Blaine Ferch
  • Patent number: 5671141
    Abstract: A computer program architecture for a motor vehicle on-board diagnostic system includes a plurality of monitor modules for monitoring vehicle systems or components and issuing a malfunction subroutine call to a diagnostic executive upon detecting a system or component malfunction. The executive includes a plurality of software objects or modules for carrying out malfunction indicator light control and fault code storage strategies. A diagnostic scheduler module implemented as a finite state machine, controls and coordinates the sequence of the test to be run by the monitor modules as well as on-demand self tests. A malfunction indicator light (MIL) control module implements four distinct light control strategies through finite machines for illuminating and extinguishing the light and for storing and erasing fault codes under predetermined conditions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 1993
    Date of Patent: September 23, 1997
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Paul Frederick Smith, John Frederick Armitage, Eric Blaine Ferch