Patents by Inventor John O. Rice

John O. Rice 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: 4245605
    Abstract: A system for increasing the amount of fuel injected into an internal combustion engine in response to an increase in the manifold absolute pressure greater than a predetermined amount and greater than a predetermined rate. The amount of enrichment is equal to a first value determined by the engine coolant temperature increased by a factor that has an initial value determined by the rate of increase in the manifold absolute pressure and that is varied toward unity at a rate determined by engine temperature. The duration of acceleration enrichment is determined by the amount of change in the manifold absolute pressure and the engine coolant temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 1979
    Date of Patent: January 20, 1981
    Assignee: General Motors Corporation
    Inventors: John O. Rice, Gary P. McCarbery
  • Patent number: 4235204
    Abstract: A motor vehicle combustion engine has exhaust apparatus including a sensor for sensing exhaust content therein and fuel control apparatus determining fuel supply to the engine in accordance with an engine operating condition and a trimming factor which is a function of the engine operating condition, the values of the trimming factor corresponding to different values of the engine operating condition being chosen to help maintain a predetermined exhaust content. The engine and fuel apparatus are characterized by a transport delay between the time a change is initiated in fuel supply and the time a resulting change in exhaust content can be sensed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 1979
    Date of Patent: November 25, 1980
    Assignee: General Motors Corporation
    Inventor: John O. Rice
  • Patent number: 4122811
    Abstract: A digital closed loop fuel control system for an internal combustion engine having a zirconia sensor which provides a signal changing abruptly between first and second values as the air/fuel ratio varies through a stoichiometric ratio. The output of the zirconia sensor is sampled at constant frequency sampling intervals and an up/down counter is set in one of its counting modes as a function of whether the air/fuel ratio is less than or greater than the stoichiometric ratio. During each sampling interval, a first number of clock pulses from a clock pulse generator are coupled to the up/down counter when the air/fuel ratio is greater than a stoichiometric ratio and a second number of the clock pulses are coupled to the up/down counter when the air/fuel ratio is less than the stoichiometric ratio.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 1977
    Date of Patent: October 31, 1978
    Assignee: General Motors Corporation
    Inventors: Lauren L. Bowler, John O. Rice