Automatic Gain Control Or Feedback Control Patents (Class 73/35.05)
  • Patent number: 11022053
    Abstract: Methods and systems for adjusting engine knock control system dynamic gains are presented. In one example, a plurality of tables or functions output gain values, each of which is adjusted via a unique weighting factor. A rectified and integrated engine knock sensor level is adjusted according to a sum of weighted gain output values of the plurality of tables or functions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2021
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Rani Kiwan, Lee McQuinn, Chris Glugla
  • Patent number: 10975828
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for operating a variable displacement engine that includes a knock control system. Engine knock background noise levels determined during all cylinders operating mode may be applied when one or more cylinders are deactivated to determine the presence or absence of engine knock. Additionally, engine knock background noise levels determined during all cylinders operating mode may be applied when one or more cylinders are reactivated such that the engine operates with all cylinder combusting so that the possibility of indicating knock when knock is not present may be avoided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2021
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Mohannad Hakeem, Christopher Glugla, James Kindree, Lee B. McQuinn
  • Patent number: 10481033
    Abstract: An apparatus includes a sensor module, an offset diagnostic module, and a notification module. The sensor module is in operative communication with a cylinder pressure sensor and structured to acquire cylinder pressure data from the cylinder pressure sensor indicative of an actual in-cylinder pressure of a cylinder of an engine. The offset diagnostic module is structured to interpret the cylinder pressure data to determine an offset of the cylinder pressure sensor based on a reference in-cylinder pressure and the actual in-cylinder pressure. The notification module is structured to provide an offset error notification responsive to the offset being greater than a threshold offset.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2019
    Assignee: Cummins, Inc.
    Inventors: Alok A. Joshi, Richard A. Booth, Edmund P. Hodzen
  • Patent number: 10393050
    Abstract: A reciprocating engine system includes a cylinder, a piston disposed within the cylinder, a knock sensor disposed proximate to the cylinder and configured to detect vibrations of the cylinder, piston, or both, a crankshaft sensor configured to sense a crank angle of a crankshaft, and a controller communicatively coupled to the knock sensor and the crankshaft sensor. The controller is configured to receive a raw knock signal from the knock sensor and a crank angle signal from the crankshaft sensor corresponding to vibrations of the cylinder, piston, or both relative to the crank angle of the crankshaft, convert the raw knock signal into a digital value signal, and at least one of a crank angle for a start of combustion, a peak firing pressure, a percentage of fuel mass fraction burn, or a combination thereof, based on the digital value signal and the crank angle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2019
    Assignee: AI ALPINE US BIDCO INC.
    Inventors: Sharad Nagappa, Rahul Srinivas Prabhu, Adam Edgar Klingbeil, Prashanth D'Souza
  • Patent number: 10280849
    Abstract: An ECU, as a combustion system control device, includes various control units such as a first estimation unit, a second estimation unit, a comparison/selection unit, and an injection control unit. The first estimation unit estimates, as a first estimation value, the mixing ratio of each molecular structure species contained in fuel based on the value detected by an in-cylinder pressure sensor that is a combustion sensor. The second estimation unit estimates, as a second estimation value, the above mixing ratio based on the values detected by a density sensor and a dynamic viscosity sensor that are property sensors. The comparison/selection unit compares the first estimation value with the second estimation value to select an estimation value with higher estimation accuracy, and various control units such as the injection control unit control the operation of a combustion system by using the selected estimation value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2019
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shinya Hoshi, Atsunori Okabayashi
  • Patent number: 9909519
    Abstract: An internal combustion engine system includes: an in-cylinder pressure sensor; a crank angle sensor; and a seal portion that seals a space between an outer face of a housing and a wall surface of a cylinder head. A slope that is a ratio of the amount of decrease in a heat release amount relative to the amount of increase in a crank angle is calculated in a period during an expansion stroke from a combustion end point until an opening timing of an exhaust valve. The existence or nonexistence of an abnormality in the sealing function of the seal portion is determined based on whether or not a ratio of the amount of decrease in the slope to the amount of increase in an engine speed is greater than a threshold value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2018
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Hiromichi Yasuda
  • Patent number: 9425762
    Abstract: A tuning system connected to a tunable RF circuit is described. The tuning system obtains an output of a sensing circuit and processes the output in the control circuit in order to tune one or more passive components in the tunable RF circuit. A related method is also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2016
    Assignee: Peregrine Semiconductor Corporation
    Inventors: David Kovac, Dan William Nobbe
  • Patent number: 8965666
    Abstract: A knock control device is provided in which erroneous knock detection can be reduced by suppressing sudden knock signal changes due to noise, without causing any increase in the number of matching steps, deterioration in the S/N in knock detection and decrease in detection performing frequency. In the knock control device, an open gain is applied to the detected signal only during a knock detection window set in advance by a knock window setting means. The window corresponds to a period in which vibration due to knock arises. During other periods, either a closed gain or an interpolated gain value is applied to the detected signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2015
    Assignees: Mazda Motor Corporation, Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Yuhei Matsushima, Keitaro Ezumi, Tomokuni Kusunoki
  • Patent number: 8646312
    Abstract: A method and a system is disclosed for determining RON and/or MON values from constant volume combustion chamber apparatuses capable of producing pressure versus time combustion profiles having a fast combustion region and a slow combustion region, where data from the two regions is used to compute RON and/or MON values for light distillate fluid samples using a series expansion equation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2014
    Assignee: Petroleum Analyzer Company, LP
    Inventors: G. Patrick Ritz, Didier Pigeon
  • Patent number: 8396643
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a gas turbine control device which is capable of performing correction on the basis of a fuel composition of fuel gas to be supplied to a gas turbine, and is capable of changing an amount of correction in response to variation with time of the gas turbine. To attain this, a frequency analyzing unit 25 performs a frequency analysis of combustion oscillation of a combustor and splits a result of the analysis into respective frequency bands. Then, a state grasping unit 22 checks an operating state of the gas turbine on the basis of the result of the analysis of the combustion oscillation and process value of the gas turbine, and corrects the checked operating state on the basis of a fuel composition or a heat capacity of fuel gas measured by a fuel characteristic measuring unit 200. A countermeasure determining unit 23 conducts a countermeasure for controlling an operating action of the gas turbine on the basis of the operating state thus checked.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2013
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Masumi Nomura, Kozo Toyama, Hiroyuki Iba
  • Patent number: 8365579
    Abstract: An apparatus for furnishing an amplified sensor signal of a knock sensor, encompassing an analog amplifier for amplifying the sensor signal in accordance with a first definable gain factor; an analog/digital converter for digitizing the amplified sensor signal into a digitized sensor signal; a digital amplifier for amplifying the digitized sensor signal in accordance with a second definable gain factor; and a control unit in order to furnish the first and the second gain factor as a function of a baseline sound level of the sensor signal, the baseline sound level corresponding to the component of the solid-borne sound signal generated in normal operation without knocking.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2013
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Kai Dierssen, Stefan Kempf, Jochen Goebels, Federico Buganza, Anton Kantschar, Frédéric Gabel, Carsten Kluth, Oskar Torno, Werner Haeming, Robert Sloboda, Jan Boettger, Rudi Eichhorn, Andreas Meinken
  • Patent number: 8312760
    Abstract: In the field of knock detection in a combustion engine, a method and a device detects and controls the knock by adapting the gain of an amplifier which amplifies the knock sensor signal. The gain of the amplifier is adapted based on analysis of a set of samples from the knock sensor so that the amplification of the knock sensor signal across the entire measuring window is optimum and the complete ADC evaluation range can be utilized better.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2012
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Federico Buganza, Carsten Kluth, Oskar Torno, Werner Haeming
  • Patent number: 7974768
    Abstract: (EN) The invention concerns a device for controlling an internal combustion engine (601), comprising means (600) for generating a signal for controlling the internal combustion engine (601), a sensor (602) for supplying a pressure measurement signal of a combustion chamber of the internal combustion engine (601), and a filtering device (603) for generating a filtered pressure signal, said filtering device (603) being made from analog electronic components.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2011
    Assignee: RENAULT s.a.s.
    Inventors: Lionel Cordesses, Didier Martinez
  • Patent number: 7972865
    Abstract: A sensor for detecting and differentiating chemical analytes includes a microscale body having a first end and a second end and a surface between the ends for adsorbing a chemical analyte. The surface includes at least one conductive heating track for heating the chemical analyte and also a conductive response track, which is electrically isolated from the heating track, for producing a thermal response signal from the chemical analyte. The heating track is electrically connected with a voltage source and the response track is electrically connected with a signal recorder. The microscale body is restrained at the first end and the second end and is substantially isolated from its surroundings therebetween, thus having a bridge configuration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2011
    Assignee: UT-Battelle, LLC
    Inventors: Dechang Yi, Lawrence R. Senesac, Thomas G. Thundat
  • Publication number: 20090288476
    Abstract: In the field of knock detection in a combustion engine, a method and a device detects and controls the knock by adapting the gain of an amplifier which amplifies the knock sensor signal. The gain of the amplifier is adapted based on analysis of a set of samples from the knock sensor so that the amplification of the knock sensor signal across the entire measuring window is optimum and the complete ADC evaluation range can be utilized better.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 6, 2009
    Publication date: November 26, 2009
    Inventors: Federico BUGANZA, Carsten KLUTH, Oskar TORNO, Werner HAEMING
  • Patent number: 7542865
    Abstract: An abnormality determination device of a cylinder pressure sensor calculates a gain (sensing sensitivity coefficient) and an offset (bias) indicating an output characteristic of the cylinder pressure sensor. The device determines existence or nonexistence of an abnormality in the gain and the offset respectively. When the device determines that the abnormality exists, the device performs failsafe processing set in modes different from each other between the case of the abnormality in the gain and the case of the abnormality in the offset. As the failsafe processing in the case of the abnormality in the gain, the device performs processing for substantially prohibiting usage of a sensor value of the cylinder pressure sensor in control (fuel injection timing control) by using an alternative value (specified value) instead of the sensor value of the cylinder pressure sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2009
    Assignee: DENSO Corporation
    Inventors: Shinya Hoshi, Hiroshi Haraguchi, Youhei Morimoto
  • Publication number: 20090064762
    Abstract: A knock sensor diagnostic system may include a knock sensor. A bias circuit applies a bias voltage to the knock sensor. An input circuit receives an input signal based on the bias voltage. A control module indicates a short circuit associated with the knock sensor based on the input signal. A knock sensor diagnostic system may also or alternatively include a signal generator that generates and applies a test signal with a predetermined frequency to the knock sensor. Another input circuit receives another input signal that is based on the test signal. A control module indicates an open circuit associated with the knock sensor based on the other input signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 11, 2007
    Publication date: March 12, 2009
    Inventors: Robert J. Horner, Craig M. Sawdon, Thomas A. Szpakowski, Brian Carl Nelson, Karl T. Kiebel, Marilyn L. Kindermann, Anthony L. Marks
  • Patent number: 7454953
    Abstract: An internal combustion engine control apparatus controls an air intake mass at an idle state after a start of an internal combustion engine based on a correction mass of the air intake mass calculated based on a desired value of the air intake mass and a measured value of the air intake mass. The air intake mass is controlled based on an idle speed control variable corresponding to the desired value of the air intake mass, and an idle speed control variable at when the correction mass is calculated. Each idle speed control variable includes a degree of a throttle opening or a degree of an idle speed control valve opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2008
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Nobuo Yagihashi, Yoshito Aibara
  • Patent number: 7426250
    Abstract: An automatic gain controller and the controlling method thereof are disclosed. The automatic gain controller includes a first multiplexer for receiving an input signal and a gain and generating a first output, a second multiplexer for receiving a signal time constant and a gain time constant and generating a second output, a filter electrically connected to the first multiplexer and the second multiplexer for generating one of a signal-energy and an actual gain in response to the first output and the second output, a signal-energy processing device electrically connected to the filter, the first multiplexer and the second multiplexer for generating the gain and the gain time constant in response to the signal-energy, and a multiplier electrically connected to the filter for multiplying the actual gain by the input signal to generate an output signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 16, 2008
    Assignee: Winbond Electronics Corp.
    Inventor: Yueh-Chang Chen
  • Publication number: 20070277591
    Abstract: An abnormality determination device of a cylinder pressure sensor calculates a gain (sensing sensitivity coefficient) and an offset (bias) indicating an output characteristic of the cylinder pressure sensor. The device determines existence or nonexistence of an abnormality in the gain and the offset respectively. When the device determines that the abnormality exists, the device performs failsafe processing set in modes different from each other between the case of the abnormality in the gain and the case of the abnormality in the offset. As the failsafe processing in the case of the abnormality in the gain, the device performs processing for substantially prohibiting usage of a sensor value of the cylinder pressure sensor in control (fuel injection timing control) by using an alternative value (specified value) instead of the sensor value of the cylinder pressure sensor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 29, 2007
    Publication date: December 6, 2007
    Applicant: Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Shinya Hoshi, Hiroshi Haraguchi, Youhei Morimoto
  • Patent number: 7035718
    Abstract: A method and system to reduce vibration in a turbine-generator including measuring a magnitude of radial vibration of a turbine shaft with at least one vibration sensor configured to generate a vibration signal indicative of vibration frequency; measuring a generator power output with a power output sensor configured to generate a generator power output signal; detecting vibration frequencies in a rough load zone range; engaging an air injection means when a magnitude of radial vibration detected in the rough load zone range is above a predetermined threshold; storing a generator power output level as a reference level when engaging the air injection means; and disengaging the air injection means when either the measured generator power output exceeds a predetermined level or the measured generator power output differs from the reference level by a predetermined amount.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2006
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Raymond Verle Jensen, James Robert Rasmussen
  • Patent number: 6912460
    Abstract: The method for knock detection includes establishing that knock is occurring in the internal combustion engine when the amplified knock signal exceeds a predetermined reference level in a predetermined manner. The reference level is determined on the basis of individual cylinders and the increase in the reference level is limited when a new reference level leaves a predetermined reference level range or the gradient of the sound increase exceeds a predetermined threshold value. For determination of the reference level range and/or the threshold for the gradient average values of the signals originating from the sound of other cylinders are considered.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2001
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2005
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Juergen Sauler, Oskar Torno, Axel Heinstein, Carsten Kluth, Werner Haeming
  • Publication number: 20040079138
    Abstract: A method of operating a knock detection system of a multi-cylinder piston engine in which the knock detection system comprises a sensor arranged in connection with each cylinder and a measurement circuit connected to the sensor includes running the engine at a load being less than full load and setting the output signal of each separate sensor between certain preset limits by adjusting one or more adjustment variables of the measurement circuit. The values of the adjustment variables for each separate cylinder are stored in the detection system. During normal use, the engine is run and the previously stored values of the adjustment values for each cylinder are used in the knock detection system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 9, 2003
    Publication date: April 29, 2004
    Inventor: Ari Saikkonen
  • Publication number: 20030121311
    Abstract: A gas concentration measuring apparatus has a gas sensor consisting of pump, sensor, and monitor cells. The apparatus works to look up a predetermined voltage-to-current relation to determine an initial value to be applied to the pump cell as a function of a current output of the pump cell, apply the initial value of the voltage to the pump cell, and to sweep it temporarily. The apparatus works to correct the initial value of the voltage as a function of a current output of the monitor cell upon the sweep of the initial value of the voltage applied to the pump cell, thereby keeping a gas concentration measuring accuracy free from, for example, aging of the sensor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 26, 2002
    Publication date: July 3, 2003
    Inventors: Takanao Tomura, Michiyasu Moritsugu, Eiichi Kurokawa
  • Publication number: 20030005749
    Abstract: The detection output of a knock sensor, which detects knock of an internal combustion engine, is filtered by a filter in which the filtering frequency band is variable. The output of the filter is discriminated by a level discriminating unit with respect to a given determination level. A counter counts number c of times at which the detection output of the knock sensor is equal to or higher than the determination level. A determining unit determines whether knock occurs or not on the basis of the number c. In response to the output of the determining unit, when determination of occurrence of knock is impossible, a correcting unit conducts correction of shifting the filtering frequency band of the filter. Therefore, determination of occurrence of knock is enabled, and the accuracy of knock detection is improved.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 5, 2002
    Publication date: January 9, 2003
    Applicant: Fujitsu Ten Limited
    Inventor: Junya Nishimura
  • Patent number: 6483311
    Abstract: A method and an arrangement for detecting combustion misfires in internal combustion engines are presented where a measured ionic current signal is subjected to a floating short-time integration and a feature is formed which corresponds to the maximum value of the floating short-time integrator within the entire measuring window. The window length of the short-time integrator is shorter than the total measuring window and is floatingly displaced over the measuring window.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2000
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2002
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Markus Ketterer, Klaus-Juergen Wald, Achim Guenther, Juergen Foerster
  • Patent number: 6427662
    Abstract: A knock control apparatus for an internal combustion engine includes a knock detector for extracting a vibration component superposed on an ion current, and waveform shaping it at a predetermined threshold value to generate a train of knock pulses (Kp) of which the number of pulses indicates a knock intensity of a knock generated in the internal combustion engine, and an engine control unit for counting the number of knock pulses (npn) in the knock pulse train (Kp) output from the knock detector. The engine control unit judges, based on the number of knock pulses (npn), whether or not a knock is occurring. The engine control unit performs a peak hold of the number of knock pulses to calculate the knock judgement threshold value (BGL) by multiplying the number of pulses by (&agr;). Thus, precision in knock judgement is improved by performing knock judgement based on a maximum value (MAX) of the number of knock pulses (npn).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2002
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kimihiko Tanaya, Yasuyoshi Hatazawa, Koichi Okamura, Mitsuru Koiwa
  • Patent number: 6338267
    Abstract: A device for rejecting noise in an ion-sense ignition knock signal compares an integrated knock signal to a peak knock signal multiplied by a time factor to determine the presence of noise. A bandpass filter coupled to an engine's spark plug through ion-sensing circuitry generates a filtered knock signal. The filtered knock signal is passed through a rectifier to produce a rectified knock signal. The rectified knock signal is then passed through an integrator and a peak detector to produce an integrated knock signal and a peak knock signal, respectively. The peak knock signal is multiplied by a predetermined time factor and the result is compared to the integrated knock signal. If the result is less than the integrated knock signal, then no noise disturbance occurred and the integrated knock signal is passed on to a knock detector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2000
    Date of Patent: January 15, 2002
    Assignee: Delphi Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Philip Allen Karau
  • Patent number: 6328016
    Abstract: A knock suppression control apparatus for an internal combustion engine which can avoid erroneous knock detection and hence the erroneous knock suppression control, to thereby ensure knock suppression control with high reliability.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2000
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2001
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yasuhiro Takahashi, Koichi Okamura, Mitsuru Koiwa, Yutaka Ohashi