Control Of Air/fuel Ratio Or Fuel Injection Patents (Class 701/103)
  • Patent number: 11965468
    Abstract: A vehicle control system, a vehicle control method, and a storage medium are provided. A stopping process stops fuel supply to one or more stopping cylinders and supplies fuel to one or more remaining cylinders during a load operation of an engine. During execution of the stopping process, a compensating process compensates for a decrease in output of the one or more stopping cylinders due to the execution of the stopping process by increasing output generated by combustion in the one or more remaining cylinders. The system control circuit causes, when the engine rotation speed of the engine is the same, the output after being increased by the compensating process to decrease as a shaft torque of the crankshaft of the engine increases.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2023
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shinnosuke Honda, Yoshinori Fujitake, Suguru Kumazawa, Motohiko Taniyama, Keita Sato, Yuki Iizawa, Yoshiyuki Shogenji, Yasutaka Tsuchida
  • Patent number: 11959426
    Abstract: A conventional gasoline engine is retrofitted and calibrated to operate as a bi-fuel engine using Hydrogen as the second fuel. When operated with Hydrogen, which typically leads to a reduction of engine output power, the engine is preferably operated in a charged mode and in a lean mode with the engine throttle kept in a wide-open position during charged and lean mode operation resulting in a more efficient engine with a reduction of engine output power loss.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignee: H2 IP INVESTMENTS LTD.
    Inventors: Jose Ignacio Galindo, Klaus M. Schaffer, Daniel Leitner, Christof Hepp
  • Patent number: 11952955
    Abstract: A method for operating an internal combustion engine, in particular of a motor vehicle, wherein fuel is injected in a fuel injection device in a plurality of time-spaced partial injections per duty cycle directly into a combustion chamber of the internal combustion engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2023
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignee: Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Stefan Haase, Lasse Fruehling, Mario Beyer, Rene Matschenz
  • Patent number: 11920528
    Abstract: Operating a gaseous fuel engine system includes detecting preignition in one or more of a plurality of cylinders based on a monitored cylinder pressure during combustion of a gaseous fuel such as a gaseous hydrogen fuel. Operating a gaseous fuel engine system also includes reducing a fuel injection amount for the one or more of the plurality of cylinders to a derated fuel injection amount that is based on a timing of the detected preignition. Fuel injection amount may be reduced to a greater relative extent if detected preignition is early, and to a lesser relative extent if detected preignition is later, in an engine cycle. Related apparatus and control logic is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2023
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Michael T. Graziano, Jr., Eric L. Schroeder, Christopher R. Gehrke, Jaswinder Singh, Patrick J. Seiler, Andrew J. Neaville, Geetika Dilawari, Zachary S. Engstrom
  • Patent number: 11897477
    Abstract: A control device installed in a vehicle comprising an electronic control unit configured to: accept a plurality of first requests from a driving assistance system; arbitrate the first requests; calculate a second request that is a physical amount that differs from the first requests based on a result of arbitration in which the first requests are arbitrated; and distribute the second request to at least one of a plurality of actuator systems, wherein the electronic control unit is configured to, when there is the first request requesting a driving force exceeding a first driving force necessary for recovery from a fuel cut state, perform arbitration such that an actual driving force generated by the vehicle is no greater than the first driving force, until reaching a driving force lower limit realizable by a powertrain actuator included in the actuator system at a current gear ratio.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Assignees: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, ADVICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Nobuyuki Itoh, Shogi Fukukawa
  • Patent number: 11885274
    Abstract: Control circuitry executes an increase correction control for fuel when an internal combustion engine is started. A determination process determines whether warm-up in a cylinder is completed. A direct injection mode injects fuel only from a direct injection valve when it is determined that the warm-up in the cylinder is completed. A reduction process sets an increase correction amount of fuel obtained through the increase correction control when executing the direct injection mode to be less than an increase correction amount obtained prior to the execution of the direct injection mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2023
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shoichi Akiyama, Noboru Takagi, Rihito Kaneko, Hirokazu Tanaka
  • Patent number: 11828246
    Abstract: An internal combustion engine system includes an internal combustion engine including an in-cylinder injection valve and a fuel pressure adjustment mechanism, and a control device that executes fuel injection control at a time of automatic restart of the internal combustion engine that is automatically stopped, by controlling the in-cylinder injection valve and the fuel pressure adjustment mechanism, in which the control device includes a first controller that executes the compression stroke injection a first number of times after an automatic restart request is made and control the pressure of the fuel to a predetermined value, and a second controller that executes the intake stroke injection a second number of times after the compression stroke injection is executed the first number of times and make the pressure of the fuel lower than the predetermined value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2023
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takahiro Yoshida, Takehiro Komatsu
  • Patent number: 11815875
    Abstract: In various embodiments, methods, systems, and vehicle apparatuses are provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2023
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS, LLC
    Inventors: Jianyang Geng, Scott R. Jeffrey, Steven W. Majors, Jin Shen
  • Patent number: 11790247
    Abstract: A computer-implemented method is provided. The computer-implemented includes a data-driven model and a robust closure model stored in a memory by using a processor for controlling a system. The computer-implemented method includes steps of acquiring sensor signals from at least one sensor of the system via an interface, computing a state of the system based on the sensor signals, determining a gain of the robust closure model based on the state of the system, reproducing a state of the system based on the determined gain, estimating a physics-based model of the system by combining the data-driven model and the robust closure model, and generating control commands by mapping the state of the system using the estimated physics-based model.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2023
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Research Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventors: Mouhacine Benosman, Saleh Nabi
  • Patent number: 11781500
    Abstract: A method is disclosed of controlling operation of a fuel injector in response to measuring a quantity of fuel injected by the fuel injector from a fuel accumulator to an engine cylinder during operation of a fuel pump that delivers fuel to the accumulator, comprising: determining an average pressure of the fuel accumulator during a first time period before a fuel injection event; predicting a mass of fuel delivered to the fuel accumulator during a pumping event (Qpump); determining an average pressure of the fuel accumulator during a second time period after the fuel injection event; estimating a leakage of fuel; computing the injected fuel quantity by adding the average pressure during the first time period to Qpump, and subtracting the average pressure during the second time period and the leakage; and using the computed injected, fuel quantity to control operation of the fuel injector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2023
    Assignee: Cummins Inc.
    Inventors: Tommy J. Albing, David Michael Carey
  • Patent number: 11629627
    Abstract: A catalytic converter system having oxygen storage materials is disclosed and methods for determining whether to reactivate oxygen storage materials and monitoring failure events of the oxygen storage materials are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2023
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Jason Wu, Eva Thanasiu, Giovanni Cavataio, Carolyn Parks Hubbard, Andrew Gregory Getsoian, Yisun Cheng, Natalie Roxas, Michael James Uhrich
  • Patent number: 11536216
    Abstract: Various systems and methods are provided for adjusting operating parameters of an internal combustion engine. In one example, a system may include adjusting an amount of advance of a fuel injection timing of a plurality of fuel injectors of an internal combustion engine relative to top dead center (TDC) responsive to engine output demand, where, as the engine output demand increases, the amount of advance first decreases and then increases. In this way, an amount of vehicle emissions may be decreased while an amount of fuel consumption is decreased.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2022
    Assignee: TRANSPORTATION IP HOLDINGS, LLC
    Inventors: Matthew Hart, Thomas Lavertu, Adam Felton, Preeti Vaidya, Daniel Loringer, Venu Gupta, Jesse Brigden, Justin Brumberg, Taylor Gray, Shawn Gallagher
  • Patent number: 11499495
    Abstract: A method is disclosed of controlling operation of a fuel injector in response to measuring a quantity of fuel injected by the fuel injector from a fuel accumulator to an engine cylinder during operation of a fuel pump that delivers fuel to the accumulator, comprising: determining an average pressure of the fuel accumulator during a first time period before a fuel injection event; predicting a mass of fuel delivered to the fuel accumulator during a pumping event (Qpump); determining an average pressure of the fuel accumulator during a second time period after the fuel injection event; estimating a leakage of fuel; computing the injected fuel quantity by adding the average pressure during the first time period to Qpump, and subtracting the average pressure during the second time period and the leakage; and using the computed injected fuel quantity to control operation of the fuel injector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2022
    Assignee: CUMMINS INC.
    Inventors: Tommy J. Albing, David Michael Carey
  • Patent number: 11466633
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for heating a catalyst via a catalyst heater are presented. In one example, the catalyst may be heated to provide a minimum amount of time for the catalyst to reach a threshold temperature. In another example, the catalyst heater may be heated to minimize an amount of power that is used to heat the catalyst.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2022
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Jason Martz, Eric Matthew Kurtz
  • Patent number: 11415071
    Abstract: A method for monitoring a pressure sensor in a direct injection system including at least one common rail, a high-pressure fuel pump, a hydraulic circuit connecting the high-pressure pump to the common rail, a passive pressure-limiting valve connected to the hydraulic circuit, configured to open once the pressure in the hydraulic circuit is greater than a threshold pressure, so as to discharge the fuel, including the steps of detecting the opening of the pressure-limiting valve, measuring the pressure PMES corresponding to the time of opening of the pressure-limiting valve and comparing the measured pressure PMES to the threshold pressure P1 in order to detect a drift in the pressure sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2022
    Inventors: Yves Agnus, Nicolas Girard, Tet Kong Brian Chia
  • Patent number: 11408332
    Abstract: A system for coordinated control of an engine and associated components over various engine-modes of operation. The system may include an engine, one or more components controllable to adjust operation of the diesel engine, and a system controller. The system controller may be connected to the engine and the one or more components. The system controller may include a supervisory controller and one or more component controllers. The supervisory controller may receive system control variable set points and coordinate component control variable set points for the components to achieve the system control variable set points. The component controllers may control operation of the components to achieve the control variable set points for the components by setting manipulated variable set points for the components based on the component control variable set points and a model based non-linear dynamic inversion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2022
    Assignee: Garrett Transportation I, Inc.
    Inventors: Jaroslav Pekar, Paul Dickinson
  • Patent number: 11401880
    Abstract: When injecting fuel from a fuel injection valve by energizing thereof, an energization time correction amount calculator performs an area correction of an electric current flowing in the fuel injection valve, and calculates an energization time correction amount. An injection instruction state determiner determines an inter-cylinder injection instruction interval among cylinders which inject fuel in series or determines an injection instruction overlapping state. An upper guard value setter sets an upper guard value of the energization time correction amount based on the inter-cylinder injection instruction state determined by the injection instruction state determiner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2022
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kouyou Yoshikawa, Masashi Inaba
  • Patent number: 11396849
    Abstract: Various methods and systems are provided for dynamically assigning cylinders to cylinder sets in engines having two or more cylinder banks, wherein each cylinder bank is fed intake air by a separate intake manifold, and wherein each cylinder bank includes a separate exhaust manifold. In one example, the current disclosure teaches comparing engine operating conditions against a plurality of predetermined override conditions, and responding to the engine operating conditions matching a predetermined override condition of the plurality of predetermined override conditions by reassigning at least a first cylinder of a first cylinder bank from a first cylinder set to a second cylinder set, and adjusting an operating parameter of the second cylinder set and first cylinder set based on the override condition. In this way, cylinders may be dynamically assigned to cylinder sets based, from a default cylinder set, based on occurrence of predetermined override conditions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2022
    Assignee: Powerhouse Engine Solutions Switzerland IP Holding GmbH
    Inventors: Atul George Tharakan, James Robert Mischler
  • Patent number: 11358525
    Abstract: A monitoring system for a vehicle can use one or more sensors to monitor a condition external to a vehicle while a driver is operating the vehicle and the vehicle is temporarily stopped. The system can detect a change in the condition external to the vehicle and transmit a signal wirelessly to a computing device of the driver, which can cause the computing device to output an alert indicating the change in the condition external to the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2022
    Assignee: Uber Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Brennan T. Lopez-Hinojosa, Kermit D. Lopez
  • Patent number: 11280227
    Abstract: A method for adaptation of a detected camshaft position of a camshaft in an internal combustion engine with: Detection of an ACTUAL gas signal in a gas space that is associated with the camshaft and is associated with a detected camshaft position; Processing of the gas signal to produce an ACTUAL gas criterion; Modeling of multiple simulated gas criteria, each of which is associated with a target camshaft position; Determination of a simulated gas criterion with the least deviation from the ACTUAL gas criterion; Determination of an ACTUAL camshaft position that corresponds to the simulated gas criterion with the least deviation from the ACTUAL gas criterion; Determination of a camshaft position correction value from the difference between the ACTUAL camshaft position determined and the detected camshaft position; Determination of corrected camshaft positions by correcting the detected camshaft positions with the camshaft position correction value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2022
    Assignee: Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Michael Mazur, Jens Jeschke, Johannes Forst, Holger Blume, Nico Gerhardt
  • Patent number: 11268482
    Abstract: A fuel module for pumping and filtration of a fuel in a fuel system includes a flow housing, and each of an electrically powered pump, a first cartridge filter, and a second cartridge filter in sealed, direct engagement with the flow housing. The fuel module is applied in a low pressure fuel circuit feeding fuel to a high pressure fuel circuit for pressurization to an injection pressure. Electronic closed loop control techniques for the pump are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2022
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Ye Tian, Quinton Marcus Burcar, Michael Taylor McKinley, Stephan Donald Roozenboom
  • Patent number: 11268474
    Abstract: A method of bank to bank trimming for a locomotive engine during steady state operation comprises receiving a plurality of operating parameter signals, receiving a fuel quantity signal for each of a standard cylinder bank and a donor cylinder bank, providing a trim map, determining whether the engine is operating in a steady state condition based on the plurality of operating parameter signals, determining a target fuel injection duration for each of the standard cylinder bank and the donor cylinder bank if the engine is operating in a steady state condition, and adjusting an actual fuel injection duration to equal the target fuel injection duration for the standard cylinder bank and the donor cylinder bank.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2022
    Assignee: Progress Rail Locomotive Inc.
    Inventors: Reddy Pocha Siva Sankara, Gregory L. Armstrong, Raji Rexavier, Michael B. Goetzke
  • Patent number: 11220972
    Abstract: An engine control apparatus includes an ignition control section and an injection control section. When the partial compression ignition combustion is carried out, the ignition control section causes an ignition plug to carry out: main ignition in which a spark is generated in a late period of a compression stroke or an initial period of a expansion stroke to initiate the SI combustion; and preceding ignition in which the spark is generated at earlier timing than the main ignition. Also, when the partial compression ignition combustion is carried out, the injection control section causes the injector to inject fuel at such timing that the fuel exists in a cylinder at an earlier time point than the preceding ignition. The energy of the preceding ignition is set to be higher when fuel concentration specified by a fuel concentration specification section is low than when the fuel concentration is high.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2022
    Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Kota Matsumoto, Tomonori Urushihara, Keiji Maruyama, Masanari Sueoka, Ryohei Ono, Yuji Harada, Toru Miyamoto, Atsushi Inoue, Tatsuhiro Tokunaga, Takuya Ohura, Yusuke Kawai, Tomohiro Nishida, Keita Arai, Yodai Yamaguchi
  • Patent number: 11220971
    Abstract: An engine apparatus includes an ignition control section and an injection control section. When the partial compression ignition combustion is carried out, the ignition control section causes an ignition plug to carry out: main ignition in which a spark is generated in a late period of a compression stroke or an initial period of an expansion stroke to initiate the SI combustion; and preceding ignition in which the spark is generated at earlier timing than the main ignition. Also, when the partial compression ignition combustion is carried out, the injection control section causes the injector to inject fuel at such timing that the fuel exists in a cylinder at an earlier time point than the preceding ignition. Energy of the preceding ignition is set to be lower when a swirl flow is gentle than when the swirl flow is intense.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2022
    Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Kota Matsumoto, Tomonori Urushihara, Keiji Maruyama, Masanari Sueoka, Ryohei Ono, Yuji Harada, Toru Miyamoto, Atsushi Inoue, Tatsuhiro Tokunaga, Takuya Ohura, Yusuke Kawai, Tomohiro Nishida, Keita Arai, Yodai Yamaguchi
  • Patent number: 11208967
    Abstract: A method for operating an internal combustion engine having an injection system which has a high-pressure accumulator, high pressure in the high-pressure accumulator being controlled via a suction throttle on the low-pressure side, acting as a first pressure control element in a first high-pressure control loop. During normal operation, a high-pressure disturbance variable is produced by a pressure regulating valve on the high-pressure side, acting as an additional pressure control element, via which fuel is re-directed from the high-pressure accumulator into a fuel reservoir, the at least one pressure regulating valve being controlled, during normal operation, based on a set volumetric flow rate for the fuel to be re-directed. A temporal development of the set volumetric rate is sensed and the set volumetric flow rate is filtered, a time constant for the filtering of the set volumetric flow rate being selected as a function of the sensed temporal development.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2021
    Assignee: MTU FRIEDRICHSHAFEN GMBH
    Inventor: Armin Dölker
  • Patent number: 11188066
    Abstract: Provided is a service menu presentation system which: acquires operation data relating to an electric power generation plant; decides which operation pattern, from among a plurality of operation patterns set in advance in accordance with an output mode, is the basis for the operation being indicated by the operation data; calculates, on the basis of the operation data acquired in a certain period, an operation time with respect to each of the operation patterns in the period; determines, on the basis of an operation time ratio in the certain period, an in-period operation pattern of the certain period; and outputs a service menu corresponding to the in-period operation pattern that has been determined.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2021
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI POWER, LTD.
    Inventors: Masato Shida, Koji Imakita, Akihisa Endo, Toru Tanaka
  • Patent number: 11174804
    Abstract: A controller includes a soak timer, a nonvolatile memory, and a determining section. The determining section is configured to perform a rationality check on a condition that a performance condition is met. The determining section is also configured to make the performance condition strict when an obtained index value of a vehicle outside temperature, that is obtained when an elapsed amount of time reaches a specified amount of time, and the determining section is activated, is higher than a stored index value of the vehicle outside temperature stored in the nonvolatile memory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2021
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shinya Ohori, Miwa Hinoshita, Junji Hyodoh
  • Patent number: 11174765
    Abstract: An abnormality assessment device includes an on-off valve that shuts an intake path on an upstream side of a connection portion of a breather line with respect to the intake path and an abnormality assessment element that assesses abnormality of the breather line. The abnormality assessment element assesses abnormality of the breather line based on a difference between an intake flow rate that is detected by an intake flow rate sensor and a target intake flow rate in a case where the on-off valve is closed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2021
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Toru Sekiguchi, Takashi Konomoto, Taku Hirota
  • Patent number: 11143575
    Abstract: A diagnostic system and method that (a) that uses models indicative of both successful firing and skips to determine if cylinders of a skip fire controlled internal combustion engine have successfully fired or successfully skipped and (b) uses filtered exhaust gas pressure readings for detecting faults associated with EGR systems and/or turbocharger systems.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2021
    Assignees: Tula Technology, Inc., Cummins Inc.
    Inventor: Shikui Kevin Chen
  • Patent number: 11143137
    Abstract: Operating a direct-injection compression-ignition engine includes injecting early pilot shots of fuel, and controlling a cylinder temperature timing to combust the early pilot shots according to a combustion phasing that is based on the cylinder temperature timing. A main charge of the fuel is combusted based on the combustion of the early pilot shots. A combustion control unit is structured to command actuation of a fuel injector and a cylinder temperature controller to phase combustion of early pilot shots of the fuel, prior to a TDC position of a piston in an engine cycle. The cylinder temperature controller is a variable valve actuator or other apparatus controlling cylinder temperature in a manner decoupled from piston position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2021
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventor: Charlie Chang-Won Kim
  • Patent number: 11143097
    Abstract: An internal combustion engine including a block, a head coupled to the block to at least partially define a cylinder therebetween, and a compressor assembly having an inlet and an outlet in fluid communication with the cylinder. Where the compressor is operable in a first mode, in which a first portion of the gasses exiting the outlet are directed to the cylinder and a second portion of the gasses exiting the outlet is recirculated back to the inlet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2021
    Assignee: DEERE & COMPANY
    Inventors: Pratir Punjani, Joseph R. Gonsowski, Brian Bratvold
  • Patent number: 11125171
    Abstract: The present invention describes a fuel-management system for minimizing particulate emissions in turbocharged direct injection gasoline engines. The system optimizes the use of port fuel injection (PFI) in combination with direct injection (DI), particularly in cold start and other transient conditions. In the present invention, the use of these control systems together with other control systems for increasing the effectiveness of port fuel injector use and for reducing particulate emissions from turbocharged direct injection engines is described. Particular attention is given to reducing particulate emissions that occur during cold start and transient conditions since a substantial fraction of the particulate emissions during a drive cycle occur at these times. Further optimization of the fuel management system for these conditions is important for reducing drive cycle emissions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2021
    Assignee: Ethanol Boosting Systems, LLC
    Inventors: Daniel R. Cohn, Leslie Bromberg
  • Patent number: 11105287
    Abstract: Systems and methods for stopping and starting a direct injection engine are described. In one example, the air is injected into one or more pre-chambers of engine cylinders to adjust engine pumping torque during an engine stop so that the engine may stop at a crankshaft position that facilitates direct engine starting.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2021
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Chris Glugla, Brad VanDerWege
  • Patent number: 11105278
    Abstract: An engine control system includes a dual fuel internal combustion engine, a fuel system including a liquid fuel source and a gaseous fuel source, and a controller. The engine control system further includes a liquid fuel control module and at least one gaseous fuel control module associated with a first and second subset of cylinders, each communicatively connected over a network. The controller has an operating mode and a cylinder deactivation mode. The controller in the operating mode is configured to instruct the liquid fuel control module and the at least one gaseous fuel control module to operate the plurality of cylinders in a dual fuel mode. The controller in the cylinder deactivation mode transitions the plurality of cylinders to a liquid-fuel only mode over a phase out period, deactivates the first subset of cylinders, and then transitions to the dual fuel mode in the second subset of cylinders.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2021
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Nathan Atterberry, Matthew Jordan Engfehr, Hua Xu
  • Patent number: 11052901
    Abstract: A hybrid vehicle includes an engine, a first MG, a second MG, a planetary gear mechanism, and an HV-ECU. The engine includes a supercharger and a purge device. The purge device introduces fuel vapor into an intake passage of the engine. Upon request for fuel purge, when an operating point of the engine is included in an area A, the HV-ECU controls the engine and the first MG to move the operating point to outside of the area A.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2021
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Koichi Yonezawa, Satoshi Yoshizaki, Osamu Maeda, Daigo Ando, Yoshikazu Asami, Kenji Itagaki, Shunsuke Oyama, Koichiro Muta
  • Patent number: 11048907
    Abstract: An object tracking method applied to an object tracking system comprising an object sensing device, an object identifying device, and a control interface comprising an object sensing region and an object identifying region. The object tracking method comprises: (a) generating object sensing values via the object sensing device; (b) calculating a location for the object on the object sensing region according to the object sensing values; and (c) adjusting the location for the object if the object sensing device or the object identifying device determines at least part of the object is on the object identifying region. The step (c) can adjust the location for the object if the object will enter the object identifying region. By this way, the dead zone issue for the control interface can be avoided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2021
    Assignee: Pix Art Imaging Inc.
    Inventor: Chi-Chieh Liao
  • Patent number: 11028800
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for a coolant system coupled to cylinders in a locomotive engine. In one example, a coolant system coupled to an individual cylinder may include a cylinder liner jacket encircling the cylinder, a cylinder head lower coolant jacket surrounding a lower surface of a cylinder head placed over the cylinder, a cylinder head upper coolant jacket surrounding an upper surface of the cylinder head, and a cylinder head exhaust port cooling jacket surrounding an exhaust port of the cylinder. Coolant may flow to each of the cooling jackets from a coolant feed gallery located in the engine crankcase, and after flowing through the engine, the coolant may return to a coolant return gallery also located in the engine crankcase.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2021
    Assignee: TRANSPORTATION IP HOLDINGS, LLC
    Inventors: Kotha Ramesh Kumar, Ganesha Koggu Naik
  • Patent number: 11022030
    Abstract: A hydrogen fueled powerplant including an internal combustion engine that drives a motor-generator, and has a two-stage turbocharger, for an aircraft. A control system controls the operation of the motor-generator to maintain the engine at a speed selected based on controlling the engine equivalence ratio. The control system controls an afterburner, an intercooler and an aftercooler to maximize powerplant efficiency. The afterburner also adds power to the turbochargers during high-altitude restarts. The turbochargers also include motor-generators that extract excess power from the exhaust.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2021
    Assignee: AeroVironment, Inc.
    Inventors: Alexander Nelson Brooks, James Gallagher Daley
  • Patent number: 11015566
    Abstract: Vehicle power control is described. A vehicle power control system includes a battery having a first voltage, a starter motor having a second voltage, a power converter, and a system controller. The second voltage is higher than the first voltage. The starter motor is coupled to a crankshaft of an internal combustion engine. The power converter is in electrical communication with the battery and the starter motor and is configured to convert the first voltage to the second voltage. The system controller is configured to supply energy from the battery to the starter motor to start the internal combustion engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2021
    Assignee: N4 Innovations, LLC
    Inventors: Bruce Richard Berkson, Sean Robert Scherer
  • Patent number: 11008064
    Abstract: An internal combustion engine for being mounted laterally on a saddle-type vehicle includes an AC generator disposed on an end portion of a crankshaft which is supported in a crankcase. An ACG cover covers the AC generator from outside widthwise across the vehicle. The ACG cover includes an electric power transmission line cover bulging portion covering electric power transmission lines extending to the ACG cover and bulging sideways outwardly widthwise across the vehicle. A crank angle sensor is disposed behind the electric power transmission line cover bulging portion in a vehicle front-back direction. The crank angle sensor is thus protected from flying stones, etc. without an increase in the number of parts used and an increase in the weight of the internal combustion engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2021
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazuya Tajiri, Yuki Takano, Masaki Cho, Hiroyuki Natsui, Tomiyuki Sasaki
  • Patent number: 11008988
    Abstract: An electronic control device has a compact abnormality detection circuit that does not require a complicated circuit, and is capable of suppressing a cost increase when being applied a direct injection injector drive circuit and other drive circuits. A current detection circuit includes a current detection resistor, a differential amplifier, and a current detection unit. The current detected is supplied to the abnormality/normality determination unit. A combined resistance value of a diagnostic current drive circuit and the current detection resistor is higher than an injector drive circuit. A fuel injection signal is input to a logic circuit, and a fuel cut signal is input to a different terminal of the logic circuit. The logic circuit's output terminal is connected to the injector drive circuit's gate. The output signal from a fuel injection signal output unit is supplied via a switch to the diagnostic current drive circuit's gate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2021
    Assignee: HITACHI AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS, LTD.
    Inventors: Yasushi Sugiyama, Atsushi Arata, Yasuo Shima, Masahiro Doi
  • Patent number: 11002215
    Abstract: A controller for controlling a fuel injection valve and a fuel pressure adjustment mechanism integrates a deposition amount of deposits per unit time, and estimates a deposition amount of deposits on an injection hole of the fuel injection valve. The controller causes the fuel pressure adjustment mechanism to increase a fuel pressure, when the estimated deposition amount exceeds a predetermined value, and corrects the unit deposition amount acquired by the deposition amount estimation according to the set fuel injection timing of the fuel injection valve. The controller corrects such that as compared with the unit deposition amount when the fuel injection timing is set to a first timing away from a top dead center of the piston by a first period, the unit deposition amount decreases when the fuel injection timing is set to a second timing away by a second period longer than the first period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2021
    Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Kazuhiro Takemoto, Michio Ito, Masanari Sueoka, Kazuhiro Nishimura, Kouji Hadama, Masataka Sumita, Masami Nishida
  • Patent number: 10995692
    Abstract: A control device for an internal combustion engine provided with a combustion control part successively performing at least first main fuel injection and second main fuel injection and making the fuel burn by premix charged compressive ignition so as to cause generation of heat two times in stages inside the combustion chamber and cause the pressure waveform showing the change along with time of a rate of cylinder pressure rise to become a two-peak shape. The combustion control part calculates a second premix time of fuel injected by the second main fuel injection with air, reduces the injection amount of the second main fuel injection so that the second premix time becomes a first threshold value or more and performs after fuel injection after the second main fuel injection when the second premix time is less than the first threshold value, and injects the amount of fuel reduced from the injection amount of the second main fuel injection by the after fuel injection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 4, 2021
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Yoshiya Kato
  • Patent number: 10991282
    Abstract: A light up control system board, including a system board which includes: a main control module, a control transfer module and a voltage generation module; the main control module outputs a plurality of voltage generation signals so as to control the voltage generation module to determine a voltage value of a corresponding light up voltage; by means of the control transfer module, generating enabling signals corresponding to each voltage generating signal and outputting the same to the voltage generating module; the enabling signals starting power up in the system board, and having invalid potential during a time duration used until power up is complete; the voltage generation module being output-free under the control of the invalid potential of the enabling signals, and outputting a light up voltage to a display panel under the control of a valid potential of the enabling signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2021
    Assignees: CHENGDU BOE OPTOELECTRONICS TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD., BOE TECHNOLOGY GROUP CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Guoqiang Wu
  • Patent number: 10975797
    Abstract: Provided is an internal-combustion-engine control device that minimizes a detection error of a cylinder pressure sensor used in a control of an internal combustion engine. The internal-combustion-engine control device is an electronic control unit (ECU) 1 for an internal combustion engine 100 that includes a cylinder pressure sensor 140 for detecting cylinder pressure in a combustion chamber. The ECU 1 includes an overall controller 81 configured to correct an output signal S2 transmitted from the cylinder pressure sensor 140 in a cylinder 150. The overall controller 81 corrects the output signal S2 from the cylinder pressure sensor 140 in accordance with a correction period calculated based on drive of components of the internal combustion engine 100, such as a fuel injector 400.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2021
    Assignee: HITACHI AUTOMOVIE SYSTEMS, LTD.
    Inventor: Eiichiro Ohata
  • Patent number: 10968859
    Abstract: Control is performed so as to occur SPCCI combustion in which, after an air-fuel mixture in a first area of a combustion chamber that includes an electrode portion of an ignition device is burned by receiving ignition energy, an air-fuel mixture formed in a second area located on an outer periphery of the first area is self-ignited. Control is also performed such that, in a high load operation region of an SPCCI combustion execution region, an air-fuel ratio in the entire combustion chamber becomes richer than a stoichiometric air-fuel ratio and that an air-fuel ratio of the air-fuel mixture in the first area becomes leaner than an air-fuel ratio of the air-fuel mixture in the second area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2021
    Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Noriyuki Ota, Ryohei Ono
  • Patent number: 10961938
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a diagnosis method for an ethanol sensor of a flexible fuel vehicle, the diagnosis method including: a) the fuel refilling detection step of detecting whether fuel is filled to a fuel tank; b) the maximum changeable content range calculation step of calculating a content range of ethanol in the fuel stored in the fuel tank; c) the ethanol sensor value acquirement step of determining whether the data detected from an ethanol sensor converges into a given value; d) the oxygen sensor value acquirement step of determining whether the data detected from an oxygen sensor converges into a given value; and e) the ethanol sensor abnormality determination step of determining that an error is generated from the ethanol sensor if the data acquired at the ethanol sensor value acquirement step or the data acquired at the step is not a value in the calculated range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2021
    Assignee: Hyundai Kefico Corporation
    Inventor: Young Jin Kim
  • Patent number: 10920691
    Abstract: An active purge system for a hybrid vehicle may include an active purge unit for compressing evaporation gas generated in a fuel tank and supplying the compressed evaporation gas to an intake pipe. The active purge system may further include a control unit for controlling the active purge unit, wherein the control unit controls an amount of the evaporation gas to be purged according to a state of charge of a battery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2021
    Assignees: HYUNDAI MOTOR COMPANY, KIA MOTORS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Young-Kyu Oh
  • Patent number: 10900431
    Abstract: A method for implementation with the operation of an internal combustion engine, having an ignition plug, which is arranged on a combustion chamber of a cylinder of the internal combustion engine, wherein: in a first step, a cylinder pressure at the ignition time at the combustion chamber is detected, as well as a breakdown voltage at the ignition plug; and in a second step, a current electrode distance of the ignition electrodes, representing a current ignition electrode wear state, is determined based on the detected cylinder pressure, the detected breakdown voltage and a constant of proportionality.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2021
    Assignee: MTU FRIEDRICHSHAFEN GMBH
    Inventor: Markus Raindl
  • Patent number: 10890127
    Abstract: A purge concentration calculation control method in an active purge system for purging a fuel evaporation gas by using a purge pump may include: calculating the purge concentration by using the RPM of the purge pump, and the pressure at a rear end of the purge pump; and controlling a purge valve in order to satisfy a target purge flow rate and the purge fuel amount by using the calculated purge concentration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 12, 2021
    Assignees: HYUNDAI MOTOR COMPANY, KIA MOTORS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Tae-Ho Ahn