Including Means Responsive To The Instantaneous Change In Engine Speed (e.g., Roughness, Unstable Combustion, Etc.) Patents (Class 123/406.24)
  • Patent number: 11609103
    Abstract: An inductive sensor device for detecting a reciprocating movement of an object includes an oscillator circuit and a processing unit. The oscillator circuit has a sensing coil configured for inducing eddy currents in the object. The processing unit is configured to count a plurality of oscillations of the oscillator circuit detected in a plurality of sampling periods, compare the oscillations with a predetermined mean value of oscillations, and determine both a speed and a position of the object based on a comparison of the oscillations with the predetermined mean value of oscillations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2023
    Assignee: Jaquet Technology Group AG
    Inventor: Andre Farrugia
  • Patent number: 11378033
    Abstract: A CPU substitutes a difference between a crank-side speed that is a rotation speed of a crankshaft and a downstream-side speed that is a speed of a portion, opposite from the crankshaft, in a damper into a differential speed. The CPU calculates a torsion angle through a process of integrating the differential speed. The CPU calculates a torsion speed component that is a speed component of the crankshaft due to torsion of the damper based on a process of integrating a value obtained by multiplying the torsion angle by an elastic modulus, and calculates a time that is a variable indicating a speed of the crankshaft, used to determine a misfire, based on the torsion speed component. The CPU subtracts a value obtained by subtracting an output value of the integrating process, applied to a finite response low-pass filter process, from the output value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2022
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Hitoki Sugimoto
  • Patent number: 11378054
    Abstract: A period and amplitude of torsional fluctuations of a drive-train to be obtained by applying a phase-lead process, which is a process of advancing a phase by a predetermined amount, to a difference between a rotation speed of a driving source and a rotation speed of the driving source, computed from a rotation speed of a drive shaft, are repeatedly computed. When the computed amplitude of the torsional fluctuations in a predetermined period becomes greater than or equal to a predetermined amplitude at least two times consecutively, predetermined control is executed. In the predetermined control, the driving source is controlled at a torque obtained by adding a correction torque opposite in phase to the torsional fluctuations to a target torque. As a result, vibrations of a driving apparatus are further properly reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2022
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Motoshi Asada, Hiroya Tanaka, Shigeru Itabashi
  • Patent number: 11371446
    Abstract: A method for monitoring an engine cylinder in an internal combustion engine includes, for each engine cycle, detection of the ionisation current generated in the cylinder in a predetermined time interval of a combustion cycle, generation of a signal representing the ionisation current and comparing a maximum value of the signal with a threshold value. Successively, the value of one or more parameters associated with the signal can be changed with respect to an equal number of corresponding reference values when the maximum value of the signal exceeds the threshold value, to reduce the maximum value of the signal in the time interval of a successive combustion cycle. The presence of water in the cylinder can be determined when the maximum value of the signal exceeds the threshold value for a predetermined first number of combustion cycles occurring within a predetermined period of time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2022
    Assignees: ELDOR CORPORATION S.P.A., FPT INDUSTRIAL S.P.A.
    Inventors: Francesco Sanarico, Pasquale Forte, Alberto Grimaldi, Roberto Pittatore
  • Patent number: 11371480
    Abstract: Due to changes in a flow of an air-fuel mixture in a cylinder, reliable ignition due to spark discharge may not be possible. Therefore, an ignition control unit 24 includes a secondary voltage calculation unit 31 that calculates an average value of a secondary voltage generated on a secondary side of an ignition coil, an irregular flow ratio calculation unit 32 that calculates a ratio of cycles in which the average value of the secondary voltage is equal to or less than a set average value with respect to a cycle of the internal combustion engine in a predetermined period as an irregular flow ratio indicating that the flow of the air-fuel mixture in the cylinder is irregular, and an ignition operation amount correction unit 37 that corrects an ignition operation amount so that the irregular flow ratio is equal to or less than the set ratio value that is the target to be reached of the irregular flow ratio.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2022
    Assignee: Hitachi Astemo, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazuhiro Oryoji, Yoshihiko Akagi, Hidefumi Iwaki
  • Patent number: 11220965
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for detecting cylinder-to-cylinder air-fuel ratio (AFR) imbalance in engine cylinders. In one example, a method may include detecting an AFR imbalance of an engine cylinder based on an individual crankshaft acceleration of the cylinder relative to a mean crankshaft acceleration produced by all cylinders of the engine, and correcting a fuel amount of the cylinder via a fuel multiplier value, the fuel multiplier value selected from a plurality of fuel multiplier values based on an imbalance source. In this way, the AFR imbalance may be accurately detected and correcting using existing engine system sensors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2022
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Douglas Raymond Martin, Tyler Kelly, John Eric Rollinger
  • Patent number: 11187173
    Abstract: A method for limiting a revolution speed of an internal combustion engine (E) of a sports car, the method comprising a first step (Step 1) of acquiring a nominal speed value of said internal combustion engine, a second step (Step 2) of measuring a revolution speed of said internal combustion engine, when (CHK) a measured revolution speed of said internal combustion engine has reached (yes) an activation speed approximately equal to said nominal speed, the method comprising a third step (Step 3) of setting a predetermined initial torque value (a) to be delivered by said internal combustion engine and simultaneously a fourth step (Step 4) of carrying out a feedback control of a torque delivery of said internal combustion engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2021
    Assignee: FERRARI S.P.A.
    Inventor: Stefano Marconi
  • Patent number: 11078875
    Abstract: A vibration damping system for injection systems of motor vehicles includes an actively controllable actuator element, which is situated at a component of the injection system. The actuator element is situated at the component in such a way that, during operation of the injection system a vibration reduction of the injection system is achieved with the aid of an active control of the actuator element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2021
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Andreas Rehwald, Ralf Weber
  • Patent number: 10914253
    Abstract: A system for detecting and controlling air-fuel ratio imbalance conditions between cylinders of an internal combustion engine having a plurality of cylinders is disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2021
    Assignee: Cummins Inc.
    Inventors: Avra Brahma, Yongsoon Yoon
  • Patent number: 10815907
    Abstract: A method for engine control under an entire driving range of a vehicle based on control timing prediction implemented in the vehicle is provided, which may reduce a start angle error calculated at a calculation time prior to an operation time when actual injection and ignition is performed by grasping a tooth period change tendency for a tooth period of a current time that injector/igniter drivers of an engine control unit read from an engine position management driver and calculating a start angle of fuel injection and ignition through prediction of the tooth period to match an actual operation time. In particular, since the prediction of the tooth period to match the actual operation time is based on a change tendency of the tooth period stored up to the current time, the injection and ignition time effectively reflects an engine operation situation in which an engine RPM is changed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2020
    Assignees: HYUNDAI MOTOR COMPANY, KIA MOTORS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Chang-Jin Oh
  • Patent number: 10767588
    Abstract: The control apparatus for an engine includes: a first controller that sets a valve-opening timing of an intake valve of the engine in response to an amount of intake air; and a second controller that sets an injection start time of a fuel injector of the engine in response to the amount of intake air. In a case where the amount of intake air is within a first range being equal to or more than a predetermined value, the first controller advances the valve-opening timing as compared with a case where the amount of intake air is equal to the predetermined value, and the second controller delays the injection start time as compared with a case where the amount of intake air is within a second range being less than the predetermined value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2020
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI JIDOSHA KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Ryosuke Itano, Toshiyuki Miyata, Hitoshi Toda
  • Patent number: 10746112
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for reducing driver dissatisfaction from NVH associated with cylinder deactivation. Audio and video feed is captured from inside a vehicle and analyzed to infer if a vehicle operator is distracted. If yes, then a VDE transition is scheduled to occur during the time when the driver is distracted and unlikely to notice the NVH.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2020
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: Aed M. Dudar
  • Patent number: 10578040
    Abstract: System for controlling an internal combustion engine having a variable geometry turbocharger, an EGR valve and an EGR throttle. The system includes a controller and an engine. In each sampling period, the controller inputs sensor values and estimators that are calculated based on the sensor values and dynamic models and records the sensor values and the estimators in a memory of the controller. The controller incorporates the sensor values and the estimators into conditions for optimality associated with a constrained optimal control problem, maps the conditions for optimality to a non-smooth system using Fischer-Burmeister function, performs Newton method iterations on a smoothed system approximating the non-smooth system in order to converge on a solution, and issues commands that control the EGR valve, the EGR throttle and the variable geometry turbocharger during engine operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2020
    Assignees: TOYOTA MOTOR ENGINEERING & MANUFACTURING NORTH AMERICA, INC., THE REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN
    Inventors: Dominic M. Liao-McPherson, Mike X. Huang, Ilya Kolmanovsky
  • Patent number: 10563602
    Abstract: A controller learns the degree of variation in the injection amount of fuel injection valves provided for respective cylinders when the fuel injection valves are operated to control the air-fuel ratios of the respective cylinders to be equal to each other. A first advancement requesting process causes the request for the ignition timing to be more advanced when the degree of variation is great than when the degree of variation is small. A second advancement requesting process causes the request for the ignition timing to be more advanced when the torque fluctuation amount of the internal combustion engine is than when the torque fluctuation amount is small. The ignition control process controls the ignition timing in accordance with the request of the more advanced one of the first advancement requesting process and the second advancement requesting process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2020
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yuya Yoshikawa, Isao Nakajima, Akihiro Katayama, Ryo Suzuki, Sohichi Imai, Eiichiro Kido
  • Patent number: 10550786
    Abstract: A method controls multiple continuous actuators to achieve a discrete mode of operation in a system. The method may include determining a desired output state of the system, including processing a control input set for the multiple continuous actuators via a dynamical predictive model of the system, and then processing the control input set via the dynamical predictive model to determine possible control solutions for achieving the desired output state of the system at a calibrated future time point. The method may include using a cost function logic block to identify, from among the possible control solutions, a lowest-cost control solution for executing the discrete mode at the future time point, processing the lowest-cost control solution through a real-time optimization logic block to determine an optimized solution for the discrete mode, and then executing the optimized solution at the future time point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2020
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Ibrahim Haskara, Chen-fang Chang
  • Patent number: 10450970
    Abstract: Premixed engines including dual fuel engines can experience abnormal combustion characteristics including misfire, pre-ignition and knock.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2019
    Assignee: WESTPORT POWER INC.
    Inventors: Jian Huang, Kevin Lee
  • Patent number: 10288526
    Abstract: A signal processing apparatus for a gas sensor is applied to a gas sensor that is disposed on an exhaust passage of an engine to detect a concentration of a specific component in exhaust gas flowing through the exhaust passage. The signal processing apparatus includes a filtering means that attenuates exhaust pulsation noise included in a detection signal of the gas sensor, and a filter characteristic setting means that variably sets filter characteristics of the filtering means based on engine speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2019
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Katsuhide Akimoto, Tosihide Kumazaki, Takahito Masuko
  • Patent number: 10030591
    Abstract: The embodiments relate to a method and to a device for operating a system including a generator and an internal combustion engine driving the generator, wherein a rotational speed of the generator is controlled by a rotational speed controller. In the method, the rotational speed controller outputs a target torque as manipulated variable, and an additional torque is imposed on the target torque, wherein the additional torque is calculated or is determined based on a measured value picked up from the system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2018
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Andreas Klotzek
  • Patent number: 9841354
    Abstract: This invention provides a non-invasive method for diagnosing performance of a vehicle. The method comprises using a 3-axis accelerometer to perform diagnosis of the performance of an internal combustion engine, the performance of the engine including an engine power loss and one or more flaws associated with the engine mount. The method is also usable for diagnosing deterioration of a suspension system of said vehicle. An apparatus comprising a 3-axis accelerometer for diagnosing performance of a vehicle is also provided. In one embodiment, the 3-axis accelerometer is embedded in a smart phone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2017
    Assignee: Hong Kong Baptist University
    Inventors: Jeffrey Tai Kin Cheung, Fanglida Yan
  • Patent number: 9765725
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for controlling a fuel injection system of an internal combustion engine is disclosed. Each fuel injector in the system is operated to perform a predetermined injection pattern per engine cycle. A signal representative of a fuel pressure within the fuel rail during the operation of the fuel injectors is sampled. A Fourier analysis of the fuel rail pressure signal is performed to determine one or more harmonic components thereof. The determined harmonic components of the fuel rail pressure signal are used to calculate a dynamic fuel quantity that flows through a fuel injector during an injection pulse of the injection pattern. A fuel quantity actually injected by the fuel injector during the injection pulse as a function of the dynamic fuel quantity is calculated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2017
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventor: Stefano Nieddu
  • Patent number: 9752548
    Abstract: The pressure in the combustion chamber of an electronically controlled spark plug ignition engine may be estimated in real time mode without specific sensors by processing sensed ionization current data to calculate features of the current waveform proven to be correlated to the pressure inside the engine cylinders and correlating them on the basis of a look up table of time invariant correlation coefficients generated through a calibration campaign of tests on a test engine purposely equipped with sensors. A mathematical model of the electrical and physical spark plug ignition system and combustion chamber of the engine is refined during calibration by iteratively testing the interactive performance of correlation coefficients of related terms of a mathematical expression of the model and comparing the expressed pressure value with the real pressure value as measured by a sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2017
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics S.r.l.
    Inventors: DavideGiuseppe Patti, Mario Paparo
  • Patent number: 9732693
    Abstract: A method for controlling an internal combustion engine, an internal combustion engine, and a vehicle equipped with the same which reduce roll vibrations due to a power plant including a multi-cylinder internal combustion engine and a support apparatus during start of the internal combustion engine without impairing its startability. A control apparatus of a multi-cylinder internal combustion engine includes: a device for determining whether or not a rotational speed of the engine is within a resonance-rotational-speed region around a resonance rotational speed at which resonance occurs due to the rotational speed, a power plant including the engine, and rubber mounts of the power plant; and a device for controlling injectors such that fuel injection amounts of respective cylinders become uneven when the rotational speed is within the resonance-rotational-speed region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2017
    Assignee: ISUZU MOTORS LIMITED
    Inventor: Hisashi Ozawa
  • Patent number: 9644559
    Abstract: Systems and methods for improving emissions of an internal combustion engine are presented. In one example, engine crankshaft acceleration is a basis for estimating engine air-fuel ratio during engine starting when output of an oxygen sensor may be unavailable. An actual engine air-fuel ratio may be adjusted in response to the estimated engine air-fuel ratio.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2017
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: David Pedro, Allen Lehmen, Marcus William Fried, Paul Mahlon Ranspach
  • Patent number: 9586573
    Abstract: Systems and methods for controlling performance characteristics of a vehicle are provided. A system for controlling performance characteristics of a vehicle includes a memory storage device including at least one torque curve profile stored thereon. The at least one torque curve profile includes a mapping of accessible torque for the vehicle with respect to an engine speed of an engine coupled to the vehicle. The system also includes an electronic control unit operatively coupled to the memory storage device, the electronic control unit configured to re-map the at least one torque curve profile in response to receipt by the electronic control unit of an electronic signal indicating a change in a vehicle condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2017
    Assignee: Cummins, Inc.
    Inventors: Vivek A. Sujan, Timothy J. Proctor, Edmund P. Hodzen, Guoqiang Li
  • Patent number: 9581125
    Abstract: In an ignition device of an internal combustion engine which carries out ignition of an air-fuel mixture by repeatedly applying a voltage across electrodes of an ignition plug thereby producing a plurality of discharges, an improvement is proposed in which in the presence of gas flow of which direction is perpendicular to a direction that connects the electrodes with a shortest distance, a time interval between n-th time discharge and (n?1)-th time discharge is so set that a discharge channel caused or proposed by the n-th time discharge is more extended in the gas flow direction than a discharge channel caused by the (n?1)-th time discharge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2017
    Assignee: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Tatsuya Yaguchi, Taisuke Shiraishi
  • Patent number: 9581100
    Abstract: A control system configured to control an internal combustion engine includes a crankshaft and an engine speed sensor. The crankshaft is rotated in response to combusting a mixture of air and fuel delivered to at least one cylinder included in the internal combustion engine. The engine output speed sensor is configured to output an engine output speed signal indicating a rotational speed of the crankshaft. An engine control module controls an amount of air and fuel delivered to the at least one cylinder and estimates a torque output based on the amount of air and fuel. A torque compensation module is configured to determine at least one weak cylinder based on the engine output speed signal. The torque compensation module is further configured to determine a torque compensation value that adjusts the estimated torque output based on the weak cylinder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2017
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Marcus S. Gilbert, David S. Mathews, Keith M. Lindsey, Jr.
  • Patent number: 9441554
    Abstract: A control system for an internal combustion engine, which controls an output torque of the internal combustion engine for driving a vehicle, is provided. An engine rotational speed is detected, and a change amount of the detected engine rotational speed is calculated. The output torque control amount of the engine is corrected so that the rotational speed change amount coincides with the center value of the local minimum value and the local maximum value of the rotational speed change amount. Specifically, a torque correction amount is calculated according to a torque value which is equal to half of a difference between peak vibration torque values corresponding to the local minimum value and the local maximum value of the rotational speed change amount, and an output torque control amount is corrected with the torque correction amount.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2016
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Tomoki Ikeda, Naoki Oie, Toshiaki Ichouda
  • Patent number: 9404457
    Abstract: A fuel supply system for an internal combustion engine capable of executing calculation of an energization time of the electromagnetic valve at proper timing and thereby properly controlling the amount of fuel to be discharged from the fuel pump toward a fuel injection valve. In the fuel supply system, when a predetermined timing corresponding to a predetermined crank angle position of the engine deviates from a predetermined cam angle timing which is within a predetermined time period including a timing at which a top of a cam nose of the driving cam is abutting a plunger, and preceding and following the timing, and corresponds to a predetermined rotational angle position of the driving cam, the calculation timing of the energization time is corrected such that the calculation timing is made closer to the cam angle timing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2016
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hidekazu Hironobu, Masaaki Nagashima, Yosuke Kosaka
  • Patent number: 9306485
    Abstract: An electrical supply line for operating a first electric motor includes a first converter for supplying electric energy to the first electric motor in dependence of a first control variable, a connected network connecting the first converter to a DC voltage source, an oscillation suppression controller for generating first correction information, and a first correction module for generating the first control variable by taking into consideration an operating parameter of the first electric motor and by taking into consideration the first correction information. An electrical supply system includes two of the supply lines. A corresponding method for operating an electric drive is also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2016
    Assignee: SIEMENS AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT
    Inventors: Georg Bachmaier, Christian Bachmann, Dominik Bergmann, Matthias Gerlich, Andreas Gödecke, Guillaume Pais
  • Patent number: 9284901
    Abstract: In a method and a device for operating an internal combustion engine, with at least one cylinder (Z1-Z4) having a combustion chamber (26), fuel is injected into the cylinder and a logic value (LV_FCUT) is set, in particular for stopping the injection of fuel into the cylinder, The method furthermore has the following steps: depending on a course of the highly time-resolved measurement signal of a rotational speed (N_FAST) of the internal combustion engine, a local maximum value (N_FAST_MAX) of the rotational speed is determined, a rotational speed difference (N_FAST_DIF) between the local maximum value (N_FAST_MAX) and a current measured value (N_FAST_MES) of the rotational speed is determined, and, depending on the determined rotational speed difference (N_FAST_DIF), the logic value (LV_FCUT) is set.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2016
    Assignee: CONTINENTAL AUTOMOTIVE GMBH
    Inventor: Franz Dietl
  • Patent number: 9261039
    Abstract: An engine system with advance detection of detonation and/or pre ignition, the system comprising an engine, operative for propulsion of a vehicle by generating rotational motion, whose rotational velocity over time is monitored; and a detonation and/or pre ignition detector operative to provide an alert for impending detonation and/or pre ignition of the engine, if the rotational velocity fluctuates over time to an extent which is predetermined to be unsafe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2016
    Assignee: Israel Aerospace Industries Ltd.
    Inventors: Bernard Grumer, Nathan Levy
  • Patent number: 8731805
    Abstract: In an apparatus for controlling ignition of a general-purpose internal combustion engine in which an ignition signal is produced both in a compression stroke and in an exhaust stroke of a four stroke cycle, one of the ignitions to be conducted based on the produced two ignition signals is cut and an after-ignition-cut engine speed is detected. Then it is discriminated whether each of the two ignition signals was produced in the compression stroke or in the exhaust stroke based on a difference between an average engine speed and the after-ignition-cut engine speed, and the ignition is controlled based on the ignition signal discriminated to be produced in the compression stroke in the two ignition signals, thereby enabling to improve the duration life of an ignition plug, with simple and compact structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2014
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd
    Inventor: Keiichiro Bungo
  • Patent number: 8700247
    Abstract: A hybrid powertrain includes an engine, an electric machine, and a transmission. A method to control the powertrain includes monitoring operation of the powertrain, determining whether conditions necessary for growl to occur excluding motor torque and engine torque are present, and if the conditions are present controlling the powertrain based upon avoiding a powertrain operating region wherein the growl is enabled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 15, 2014
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Jeremy Wise, Chihang Lin, Anthony H. Heap
  • Patent number: 8692492
    Abstract: A method for setting a lead-angle value of a motor drive control circuit is disclosed. The motor drive control circuit energizes and drives the windings of a motor with an energizing timing based on a stored lead-angle value. The method includes the steps of: rotating a rotor at a given rpm (step S102), energizing and driving the windings during the rotation at the given rpm with the lead-angle value being switched (step S110); calculating an average value of current amount that energizes and drives the windings (step S114); calculating a total value of consecutive multiple average values for each lead-angle value (step S120); finding a smallest total value among the total values, and setting a lead-angle value corresponding to the smallest total value as a stored lead-angle value (step S122).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 29, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventor: Daisuke Sato
  • Patent number: 8631783
    Abstract: A control system and method for controlling an engine includes a control module. The control module includes an evaporation control valve module closing a canister purge valve during a system diagnostic. A torque determination module determines a torque change for an end of the system diagnostic. A torque adjustment module changes an engine torque to a changed torque corresponding to the torque change. The evaporation control valve module opens the purge valve at the end of the diagnostic.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2014
    Inventors: Lan Wang, Zhong Wang, Christopher E. Whitney, Jinchun Peng, Ian J. Mac Ewen
  • Patent number: 8626372
    Abstract: A condition of an engine is diagnosed based on information provided by signals from speed sensors associated with the engine or other signals associated with a generator operationally connected to the engine. Different types of degradation are distinguished based on discerning characteristics within the information. Thus, a degraded engine component can be identified in a manner that reduces service induced delay.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2014
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Ajith Kumar, Somakumar Ramachandrapanicker, Paul Flynn, Arijit Banerjee, Rupam Mukherjee
  • Patent number: 8566008
    Abstract: A control device for an internal-combustion engine designed to ensure that required responsiveness is obtained as actual torque responsiveness with respect to a torque demand even when the torque responsiveness with respect to the actuation of a particular actuator is affected by the operating conditions. A response compensating filter is provided at a preceding stage to an air inverse model, and the target torque which has been corrected by the response compensating filter is converted by the air inverse model to obtain a target opening degree of a throttle. A time constant of the response compensating filter is set on the basis of the operating conditions of the internal-combustion engine so that the responsiveness of actual torque with respect to the torque demand reaches a preset standard responsiveness.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2013
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shinichi Soejima, Ken Koibuchi, Hirotada Otake, Keisuke Kawai
  • Patent number: 8469002
    Abstract: A method for controlling combustion in a multi-cylinder spark-ignition direct-injection internal combustion engine includes determining a desired combustion phasing for maintaining acceptable combustion properties, monitoring combustion phasing of each cylinder, selecting a target combustion phasing corresponding to one of the cylinders having a most retarded combustion phasing, adjusting spark timing in each cylinder not having the most retarded combustion phasing to achieve the target combustion phasing to balance the combustion phasing in all the cylinders at the target combustion phasing, and adjusting an external EGR percentage to converge the balanced combustion phasing in all the cylinders toward the desired combustion phasing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2013
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Jun-Mo Kang, Hanho Yun, Chen-Fang Chang
  • Patent number: 8276551
    Abstract: A method and system for controlling an engine includes a homogeneous charge compression ignition (HCCI) operating zone boundary module determining a first HCCI operating boundary and a fuel rate module determining a first fuel rate from an operator input. The system also includes a switch module modifying the first HCCI operating boundary to a modified boundary in response to a measured mass airflow, cam positions and the first HCCI operating boundary. The system also includes a combustion control module operating the engine in a spark ignited mode when a second fuel rate request is outside the modified boundary.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2012
    Inventors: Vijay Ramappan, Jun-Mo Kang
  • Patent number: 8272367
    Abstract: A control system for an internal combustion engine for driving a vehicle, which controls an output torque of the engine, is provided. In this control system, a rapid change in a demand torque of the engine is detected, and a feedforward correction amount is generated during a correction period which is substantially equal to a resonance period of a powertrain of the vehicle, from a time when the rapid change in the demand torque is detected. An output torque control amount of the engine is corrected with the feedforward correction amount. A torque change amount integrated value is calculated by integrating an amount of change in the demand torque, and the feedforward correction amount is generated according to the torque change amount integrated value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2012
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Mahito Shikama, Ryuji Kohno, Eisei Yamazaki, Hidekazu Hironobu
  • Patent number: 8245691
    Abstract: A method for controlling a vehicle engine having a plurality of cylinders is provided. The method comprises: during engine idling, advancing spark timing of at least one cylinder to before a peak torque timing, and retarding spark timing from the advanced timing toward the peak torque timing in response to decreased engine speed to maintain idling speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2012
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Ross Dykstra Pursifull, Gopichandra Surnilla, Nate Trask
  • Patent number: 8185218
    Abstract: A control apparatus which is capable of ensuring both high-level stability and accuracy of control, even when controlling a controlled object having extremal characteristics or a controlled object a controlled object model of which cannot be represented. The control apparatus 1 includes a cooperative controller 30, an onboard model analyzer 40, and a model corrector 60. The model corrector 60 calculates the model correction parameter matrix ?, so as to correct the controlled object model defining the relationship between the intake opening angle ?lin and the exhaust reopening angle ?rbl and the indicated mean effective pressure Pmi. The onboard model analyzer 40 calculates first and second response indices RI1 and RI2 representative of correlations between ?lin, ?rbl, and Pmi, based on the controlled object model corrected using ?.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2012
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co. Ltd
    Inventor: Yuji Yasui
  • Patent number: 8127744
    Abstract: An engine control module includes a spark control module, an engine speed module, a residual determination module, and a metric determination module. The spark control module actuates spark plugs based on a commanded spark timing. The engine speed module determines a desired engine speed based on an engine temperature and a period of time an engine is in operation after a cold start. The residual determination module determines a desired spark timing based on the desired engine speed, and determines a residual spark timing based on a difference between the commanded spark timing and the desired spark timing. The metric determination module detects a spark timing fault based on the residual spark timing and a predetermined spark timing range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Inventors: Robert J. Genslak, Edward Stuteville, Wenbo Wang, Wesley W. Wald
  • Patent number: 8118008
    Abstract: A method for controlling a vehicle engine having a plurality of cylinders is provided. The method comprises: during engine idling, advancing spark timing of at least one cylinder to before a peak torque timing, and retarding spark timing from the advanced timing toward the peak torque timing in response to decreased engine speed to maintain idling speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2012
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Ross Dykstra Pursifull, Gopichandra Surnilla, Nate Trask
  • Patent number: 8121775
    Abstract: A misfire detecting device is provided for a water jet propulsion watercraft in which a propulsion unit operates through an operation of an engine to propel the water jet propulsion watercraft. The misfire detecting device includes injectors arranged to inject fuel into the engine under a fuel injection amount adjusting control implemented by an electric control device, ignition plugs arranged to ignite the fuel injected into the engine from the injectors to operate the engine, an oxygen sensor arranged to detect that a misfire occurs in the engine, a warning lamp and buzzer arranged to inform that the misfire occurs, etc. The misfire detecting device prevents the warning lamp and the buzzer from informing the warning if the misfire is caused through the control by the electric control device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2012
    Assignee: Yamaha Hatsudoki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kenichi Fujino, Shigeyuki Ozawa
  • Patent number: 8103431
    Abstract: A control system for an engine includes a manifold absolute pressure (MAP) module that compares MAP of an engine to a predetermined MAP and an air/spark module that decreases flow of air and that advances ignition spark when the MAP module indicates that the MAP is greater than a predetermined MAP.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2012
    Inventors: David R. Lancaster, Anthony Santana
  • Patent number: 8078389
    Abstract: The method comprises operating a calibration engine, and collecting combustion characteristic data and reference accelerometer signals, which are correlated with each other and stored in a calibration table. The calibration table can be used by an engine to determine a real-time normal combustion characteristic when the engine is operating by collecting a real-time accelerometer sensor signal and cross correlating with the correlated data stored in the calibration table. Accordingly, the apparatus comprises a calibration engine comprising a calibration sensor, a reference accelerometer sensor and a data storage device for storing the collected calibration data that is correlated with the collected reference accelerometer signals, and an engine equipped with an accelerometer sensor, a calibration table and an electronic engine controller programmed to receive real-time accelerometer signals and cross correlate them with reference accelerometer signals to determine a real-time normal combustion characteristic.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2011
    Assignee: Westport Power Inc.
    Inventors: Jian Huang, Richard Ancimer, Duran Cheung
  • Patent number: 8060275
    Abstract: An on-board diagnostic system of a vehicle comprises disabling diagnostic operation, such as a misfire monitor, based on road roughness. In one example, the disabling of the diagnostic operation is based on brake actuation and degradation of an anti-lock braking system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2011
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Jahan Asgari, Timothy Feldkamp, Craig Stephens, Moses Fridman, Davor Hrovat, Arthur Varady, Mitch McConnell
  • Publication number: 20110253100
    Abstract: An engine control system includes a disturbance module, a torque correction module, a torque-to-spark module, and a spark correction module. The disturbance module determines a disturbance value for a past combustion stroke of a cylinder of an engine based on rotation of a crankshaft. The torque correction module selectively determines a torque correction for a future combustion stroke of the cylinder based on the disturbance value. The torque-to-spark module determines a spark correction based on the torque correction and determines an uncorrected spark timing based on a torque request. The spark correction module determines a corrected spark timing based on the uncorrected spark timing and the spark correction and generates spark during the future combustion stroke based on the corrected spark timing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 19, 2010
    Publication date: October 20, 2011
    Applicant: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS, INC.
    Inventors: Jeffrey M. Kaiser, Timothy M. Karnjate, Christopher E. Whitney, Zhong Li, David S. Mathews, Eric B. Ferch, Pahngroc Oh
  • Patent number: 7963269
    Abstract: A 90° integrated value calculating unit of an engine ECU calculates a 90° integrated value obtained by integrating a magnitude. A calculating unit calculates a knock magnitude by dividing 90° integrated value by a BGL. A value obtained by subtracting a standard deviation ? from a median value of 90° integrated value is determined as the BGL. An ignition timing control unit controls the ignition timing depending on whether knock magnitude is equal to or larger than a determination value. A median value calculating unit calculates median value of 90° integrated value. A standard deviation calculating unit calculates standard deviation of 90° integrated value. A first stop unit stops updating of median value and standard deviation when 90° integrated value is smaller than a first threshold value or is equal to or larger than a second threshold value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2011
    Assignees: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha, Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Rihito Kaneko, Hiroto Tanaka, Satoshi Watanabe, Norihito Hanai, Yasuhiro Yamasako, Kenji Senda, Satoshi Masuda