Patents by Inventor Richard Hotzel

Richard Hotzel 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: 8245566
    Abstract: A procedure and device for diagnosing the increasing speed and the dead time of an exhaust gas probe includes carrying out the diagnosis by comparing a modeled and a measured signal after a default change of a fuel air ratio of an air fuel mixture that is supplied to a combustion engine. The signal is an output signal of the exhaust gas probe or a modeled or measured signal that is derived from the output signal. The device for diagnosing the velocity and the dead time of an exhaust gas probe also includes a comparing unit for comparing the modeled signal with the measured signal for diagnosing the velocity and the dead time of the exhaust gas probe after a default change of a fuel air ratio of an air fuel mixture that is supplied to the combustion engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2012
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Kersten Wehmeier, Ronaldi Rusli, Andreas Koring, Richard Hotzel
  • Patent number: 8186205
    Abstract: The invention concerns a procedure and a device for diagnosing the dynamic of an exhaust gas sensor, which is arranged in an exhaust gas duct of a combustion engine and with which a parameter of the gas mixture that is supplied to the combustion engine is regulated by a control loop. It is thereby provided according to the invention that during a diagnosing period a temporal deflection of a regulation correcting variable for the parameter that is derived from an output signal of the exhaust gas sensor or a temporal course of the output signal of the exhaust gas sensor is used for the diagnosis and that the dynamic of the exhaust gas sensor is assumed in an evaluation algorithm. Thereby an improvement of the on-board diagnosis of the dynamic of the exhaust gas sensor can be achieved and in particular lambda probes, which provide a slowing down of their responding behavior, can be detected early on.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2012
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Kersten Wehmeier, Ronaldi Rusli, Andreas Koring, Richard Hotzel
  • Patent number: 8141345
    Abstract: A method for regulating the fuel/air ratio of a combustion process which is operated alternatingly with excess air and air deficiency, and having at least one catalyst volume in the exhaust gas of the combustion process which stores oxygen when there is excess oxygen in the exhaust gas and gives it off when there is oxygen deficiency, in which method the oxygen charges into the catalyst volume taking place when there is excess air, and the oxygen discharges from the catalyst volume taking place when there is air deficiency determined, and in which the fuel/air ratio is regulated in a first control loop such that the sum of the oxygen charges and oxygen discharges determined in a predefined interval takes on a predetermined value, wherein the combustion process is operated using oxygen excess or oxygen deficiency, respectively, at least until these appear at an oxygen-sensitive Nernst probe downstream from the catalyst volume.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2012
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Eberhard Schnaibel, Kersten Wehmeier, Klaus Hirschmann, Richard Hotzel
  • Patent number: 7818999
    Abstract: The invention concerns a procedure to determine the oxygen storage capability of an emission control system with an exhaust gas sensor with discrete-level ability disposed in front of the emission control system. If in a period of time before the determination of the oxygen storage capability, the control intervention of the exhaust gas sensor is ascertained, and if this mean value is taken into consideration when calculating the fuel-delivery control phase during the determination of the oxygen storage capability of the emission control system, or if this mean value is used to correct the lambda value used to calculate the amount of oxygen stored, an improved measuring accuracy can be achieved while using a cost effective discrete level sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2010
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Eberhard Schnaibel, Christoph Woll, Klaus Hirschmann, Richard Hotzel, Magnus Labbe
  • Publication number: 20100212291
    Abstract: A method for regulating the fuel/air ratio of a combustion process which is operated alternatingly with excess air and air deficiency, and having at least one catalyst volume in the exhaust gas of the combustion process which stores oxygen when there is excess oxygen in the exhaust gas and gives it off when there is oxygen deficiency, in which method the oxygen charges into the catalyst volume taking place when there is excess air, and the oxygen discharges from the catalyst volume taking place when there is air deficiency determined, and in which the fuel/air ratio is regulated in a first control loop such that the sum of the oxygen charges and oxygen discharges determined in a predefined interval takes on a predetermined value, wherein the combustion process is operated using oxygen excess or oxygen deficiency, respectively, at least until these appear at an oxygen-sensitive Nernst probe downstream from the catalyst volume.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 28, 2009
    Publication date: August 26, 2010
    Inventors: Eberhard SCHNAIBEL, Kersten Wehmeier, Klaus Hirschmann, Richard Hotzel
  • Publication number: 20100083743
    Abstract: The invention relates to a procedure and a device for diagnosing the increasing speed and the dead time of an exhaust gas probe, which is arranged in the exhaust gas duct of a combustion engine, whereby the diagnosis is carried out due to a comparison of a modeled and a measured signal after a default change of a fuel air ratio of an air fuel mixture that is supplied to the combustion engine and whereby the signal is an output signal of the exhaust gas probe or a modeled or measured signal that is derived from the output signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 1, 2009
    Publication date: April 8, 2010
    Applicant: Robert Bosch GMBH
    Inventors: Kersten Wehmeier, Ronaldi Rusli, Andreas Koring, Richard Hotzel
  • Publication number: 20090260429
    Abstract: The invention concerns a procedure and a device for diagnosing the dynamic of an exhaust gas sensor, which is arranged in an exhaust gas duct of a combustion engine and with which a parameter of the gas mixture that is supplied to the combustion engine is regulated by a control loop. It is thereby provided according to the invention that during a diagnosing period a temporal deflection of a regulation correcting variable for the parameter that is derived from an output signal of the exhaust gas sensor or a temporal course of the output signal of the exhaust gas sensor is used for the diagnosis and that the dynamic of the exhaust gas sensor is assumed in an evaluation algorithm. Thereby an improvement of the on-board diagnosis of the dynamic of the exhaust gas sensor can be achieved and in particular lambda probes, which provide a slowing down of their responding behavior, can be detected early on.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 9, 2009
    Publication date: October 22, 2009
    Applicant: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: KERSTEN WEHMEIER, RONALDI RUSLI, ANDREAS KORING, RICHARD HOTZEL
  • Publication number: 20090133662
    Abstract: A method is provided for operating an internal combustion engine having a plurality of cylinder banks, of which at least one first cylinder bank is able to be deactivated. At least one cylinder of the first cylinder bank is intermittently activated again during the deactivation of the first cylinder bank.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 17, 2006
    Publication date: May 28, 2009
    Inventors: Dirk Hartmann, Richard Hotzel, Magnus Labbe, Ingo Fecht
  • Publication number: 20070137178
    Abstract: The invention concerns a procedure to determine the oxygen storage capability of an emission control system with an exhaust gas sensor with discrete-level ability disposed in front of the emission control system. If in a period of time before the determination of the oxygen storage capability, the control intervention of the exhaust gas sensor is ascertained, and if this mean value is taken into consideration when calculating the fuel-delivery control phase during the determination of the oxygen storage capability of the emission control system, or if this mean value is used to correct the lambda value used to calculate the amount of oxygen stored, an improved measuring accuracy can be achieved while using a cost effective discrete level sensor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 8, 2006
    Publication date: June 21, 2007
    Applicant: Robert Bosch GMBH
    Inventors: Eberhard Schnaibel, Christoph Woll, Klaus Hirschmann, Richard Hotzel, Magnus Labbe
  • Publication number: 20060168943
    Abstract: A method for operating an internal combustion engine and a device for implementing the method may allow a catalytic converter diagnosis with a high degree of accuracy. At least one catalytic converter is positioned in the exhaust-gas region of the internal combustion engine, and a lambda sensor, which is configured as broadband lambda sensor, is positioned downstream from the catalytic converter or downstream from a section of the catalytic converter. The catalytic converter diagnosis is based on the evaluation of a measure for the oxygen storage capacity of the catalytic converter/within the catalytic converter. An at least approximately empty/filled oxygen reservoir of the catalytic converter is assumed. A change in the lambda setpoint value of the internal combustion engine to an excess air factor lambda that is greater than 1/less than 1 follows. Subsequently, a first change of the lambda signal is detected initially.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 18, 2006
    Publication date: August 3, 2006
    Inventors: Eberhard Schnaibel, Jens Wagner, Kersten Wehmeier, Klaus Winkler, Richard Hotzel
  • Patent number: 7073465
    Abstract: A method and device for operating an internal combustion engine, which diagnose and/or adapt the exhaust-gas recirculation system for, in particular, multibranch internal combustion engines. In this context, the internal combustion engine includes at least one adsorption catalyst in at least one exhaust branch. In addition, at least one exhaust-gas recirculation duct is provided, which is equipped with an exhaust-gas recirculation valve and feeds exhaust gas from the at least one exhaust branch back into at least one air-supply duct, a level of pollutant stored in the at least one adsorption catalyst being ascertained in a first operating state of the internal combustion engine when the exhaust-gas recirculation valve is at least partially open, so that a first value for the pollutant level is produced. In a second operating state of the internal combustion engine, a second value for the pollutant level in the at least one adsorption catalyst is ascertained when exhaust-gas recirculation valve is closed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2006
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Christoph Woll, Richard Hotzel, Ralf Buehrle, Lanouar Chouk
  • Publication number: 20060032213
    Abstract: A method and device for operating an internal combustion engine, which diagnose and/or adapt the exhaust-gas recirculation system for, in particular, multibranch internal combustion engines. In this context, the internal combustion engine includes at least one adsorption catalyst in at least one exhaust branch. In addition, at least one exhaust-gas recirculation duct is provided, which is equipped with an exhaust-gas recirculation valve and feeds exhaust gas from the at least one exhaust branch back into at least one air-supply duct, a level of pollutant stored in the at least one adsorption catalyst being ascertained in a first operating state of the internal combustion engine when the exhaust-gas recirculation valve is at least partially open, so that a first value for the pollutant level is produced. In a second operating state of the internal combustion engine, a second value for the pollutant level in the at least one adsorption catalyst is ascertained when exhaust-gas recirculation valve is closed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 10, 2005
    Publication date: February 16, 2006
    Inventors: Christoph Woll, Richard Hotzel, Ralf Buehrle, Lanouar Chouk
  • Publication number: 20030150209
    Abstract: A method for regulating the fuel/air ratio of a combustion process which is operated alternatingly with excess air and air deficiency, and having at least one catalyst volume in the exhaust gas of the combustion process which stores oxygen when there is excess oxygen in the exhaust gas and gives it off when there is oxygen deficiency, in which method the oxygen charges into the catalyst volume taking place when there is excess air, and the oxygen discharges from the catalyst volume taking place when there is air deficiency determined, and in which the fuel/air ratio is regulated in a first control loop such that the sum of the oxygen charges and oxygen discharges determined in a predefined interval takes on a predetermined value, wherein the combustion process is operated using oxygen excess or oxygen deficiency, respectively, at least until these appear at an oxygen-sensitive Nernst probe downstream from the catalyst volume.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 11, 2003
    Publication date: August 14, 2003
    Inventors: Eberhard Schnaibel, Kersten Wehmeier, Klaus Hirschmann, Richard Hotzel