Patents by Inventor Kim Ford

Kim Ford 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: 10280857
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for regenerating a lean NOx trap. In one example, a method may include, responsive to an indication to regenerate a lean NOx trap (LNT), operating an engine with an overall rich air-fuel ratio to regenerate the LNT while minimizing fuel oil dilution by operating each cylinder of the engine with an alternating rich to lean air-fuel ratio pattern of two rich combustion events for every one lean combustion event across a plurality of engine cycles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2019
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Kim Ford, James Bromham, Matthew Allen Schneider
  • Patent number: 10240502
    Abstract: The subject matter of the disclosure relates to a method of diagnosing NOx storage catalyst during the operation of a motor vehicle. The method uses two diagnosis sub-methods having various sensitivities with respect to sulfur contamination of the NOx storage catalyst. The results of the two sub-methods are used to ascertain proportions of aging of the NOx storage catalyst resulting from thermal aging and sulfur contamination.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2019
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Frederik De Smet, Kim Ford, Marcus Timothy Davies
  • Patent number: 10066587
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for varying the volume of an engine intake system to increase the volumetric efficiency of the engine. In one example, a resonance system may be coupled to the engine intake system and a position of a movable element in the resonance system may be varied to vary the volume of the chamber in accordance with engine speed. The intake system provides improved volumetric efficiency for the engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2018
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Kim Ford, Mark Stephen Brogan, Peter Graham Eastwood, Anthony Birri, Thomas Ma, Geoff Charles Capon
  • Patent number: 10029671
    Abstract: An operating method for a motor vehicle having a hybrid drivetrain includes, during a demand check, comparing at least one value which characterizes a current state of an exhaust-gas after-treatment device, with a setpoint value of the exhaust-gas after-treatment device. In response to the comparison indicating a deviation of the value characterizing the current state of the exhaust-gas after-treatment device from the setpoint value, a demand for a measure is indicated. The measure includes supplying charge gas, which includes recirculated exhaust gas, to the internal combustion engine during overrun operation. In addition, a capability check is carried out to detect conditions suitable for implementing the operating method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2018
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Matthew Allen Schneider, Frank Linzen, Dirk Roemer, Frederik De Smet, Jan Harmsen, Kim Ford, Javier Castellano, Andres Arevalo, Monika Angst, Mario Balenovic, Evgeny Smirnov, Robert Ukropec, Christian Winge Vigild, Felix Goebel
  • Publication number: 20170226970
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for varying the volume of an engine intake system to increase the volumetric efficiency of the engine. In one example, a resonance system may be coupled to the engine intake system and a position of a movable element in the resonance system may be varied to vary the volume of the chamber in accordance with engine speed. The intake system provides improved volumetric efficiency for the engine.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 3, 2017
    Publication date: August 10, 2017
    Inventors: Kim Ford, Mark Stephen Brogan, Peter Graham Eastwood, Anthony Birri, Thomas Ma, Geoff Charles Capon
  • Publication number: 20170211444
    Abstract: The subject matter of the disclosure relates to a method of diagnosing NOx storage catalyst during the operation of a motor vehicle. The method uses two diagnosis sub-methods having various sensitivities with respect to sulfur contamination of the NOx storage catalyst. The results of the two sub-methods are used to ascertain proportions of aging of the NOx storage catalyst resulting from thermal aging and sulfur contamination.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 16, 2017
    Publication date: July 27, 2017
    Inventors: Frederik De Smet, Kim Ford, Marcus Timothy Davies
  • Patent number: 9704305
    Abstract: A method for predicting the future operation of a vehicle is disclosed which uses stored data representative of commonly followed routes to predict the future operation of the vehicle for the current trip. By establishing that the route currently being followed is comparable to one of the commonly followed routes, information relating to that “common route” is then used to predict the future operation of the vehicle for the current trip.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2017
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Jim Bromham, James Wright, Kim Ford
  • Patent number: 9644555
    Abstract: A method of predicting the future use of a vehicle or an engine of the vehicle is used to evaluate whether NOx slippage from a lean NOx trap is likely to occur during a current drive cycle and also for scheduling when favorable conditions are likely to exist to purge the lean NOx trap before the slippage of NOx from the lean NOx trap is expected to occur.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2017
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Jim Bromham, Frederik De Smet, Kim Ford
  • Publication number: 20170058805
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for regenerating a lean NOx trap. In one example, a method may include, responsive to an indication to regenerate a lean NOx trap (LNT), operating an engine with an overall rich air-fuel ratio to regenerate the LNT while minimizing fuel oil dilution by operating each cylinder of the engine with an alternating rich to lean air-fuel ratio pattern of two rich combustion events for every one lean combustion event across a plurality of engine cycles.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 22, 2016
    Publication date: March 2, 2017
    Inventors: Kim Ford, James Bromham, Matthew Allen Schneider
  • Publication number: 20160251012
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to an operating method for a motor vehicle having a hybrid drivetrain where in a demand check, at least one exhaust-gas after-treatment actual value, which characterizes a current exhaust-gas after-treatment actual state, is compared with an exhaust-gas after-treatment setpoint value, and if, in the event of a deviation of the exhaust-gas after-treatment actual value from the exhaust-gas after-treatment setpoint value, a demand for a measure is detected. The measure comprises supplying charge gas, which has recirculated exhaust gas, to the internal combustion engine during overrun operation. Also a capability check is carried out to detect conditions suitable for implementing the operating method.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 17, 2016
    Publication date: September 1, 2016
    Inventors: Matthew Allen Schneider, Frank Linzen, Dirk Roemer, Frederik De Smet, Jan Harmsen, Kim Ford, Javier Castellano, Andres Arevalo, Monika Angst, Mario Balenovic, Evgeny Smirnov, Robert Ukropec, Christian Winge Vigild, Felix Goebel
  • Publication number: 20160123260
    Abstract: A method of predicting the future use of a vehicle or an engine of the vehicle is used to evaluate whether NOx slippage from a lean NOx trap is likely to occur during a current drive cycle and also for scheduling when favorable conditions are likely to exist to purge the lean NOx trap before the slippage of NOx from the lean NOx trap is expected to occur.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 29, 2015
    Publication date: May 5, 2016
    Inventors: Jim Bromham, Frederik De Smet, Kim Ford
  • Publication number: 20160125673
    Abstract: A method for predicting the future operation of a vehicle is disclosed which uses stored data representative of commonly followed routes to predict the future operation of the vehicle for the current trip. By establishing that the route currently being followed is comparable to one of the commonly followed routes, information relating to that ‘common route’ is then used to predict the future operation of the vehicle for the current trip.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 2, 2015
    Publication date: May 5, 2016
    Inventors: Jim Bromham, James Wright, Kim Ford
  • Patent number: 9169754
    Abstract: A method for enriching the exhaust gas of an internal combustion engine with a reducing agent is provided, the internal combustion engine including at least one cylinder and having an intake system for admission of charge air, an exhaust gas discharge system for discharging exhaust gases, and at least one exhaust gas aftertreatment system for reducing nitrogen oxides arranged in the exhaust gas discharge system and which is periodically provided with a supply of reducing agent. The method comprises enriching the exhaust gas with the reducing agent in the exhaust gas discharge system upstream of at least the one exhaust gas aftertreatment system when a fuel supply of the at least one cylinder of the internal combustion engine is deactivated due to an absence of load demand.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2015
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Matthew Allen Schneider, Kim Ford, Javier Castellano, Dirk Roemer, Frank Linzen, Yasser Mohamed sayed Yacoub
  • Publication number: 20140013727
    Abstract: A method for enriching the exhaust gas of an internal combustion engine with a reducing agent is provided, the internal combustion engine including at least one cylinder and having an intake system for admission of charge air, an exhaust gas discharge system for discharging exhaust gases, and at least one exhaust gas aftertreatment system for reducing nitrogen oxides arranged in the exhaust gas discharge system and which is periodically provided with a supply of reducing agent. The method comprises enriching the exhaust gas with the reducing agent in the exhaust gas discharge system upstream of at least the one exhaust gas aftertreatment system when a fuel supply of the at least one cylinder of the internal combustion engine is deactivated due to an absence of load demand.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 16, 2013
    Publication date: January 16, 2014
    Inventors: Matthew Allen Schneider, Kim Ford, Javier Castellano, Dirk Roemer, Frank Linzen, Yasser Mohamed sayed Yacoub