Patents Represented by Attorney Alleman Hall McCoy

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  • Systems and methods for using a movable object to control a computer
    Patent number: 8179366
    Abstract: A system and method for controlling operation of a computer based on movements and/or position of a movable object. The system includes a sensing apparatus configured to obtain positional data based on movements of a sensed object. Engine software may process the positional data and generate control commands to produce a virtual position in an application running on the computer. A visual comparator is operatively coupled with the engine software and configured to display an actual indicator and a virtual indicator to provide a visual comparison between the virtual position and the actual position of the sensed object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2012
    Assignee: NaturalPoint, Inc.
    Inventors: Jim Richardson, Birch Zimmer, Eric Wesley Davison
  • Vehicle-based strategy for removing urea deposits from an SCR catalyst
    Patent number: 8171724
    Abstract: A method is provided for controlling regeneration of an SCR catalyst. The method includes coordinating the regeneration duration and temperature (e.g., longer/shorter regenerations and/or lower/higher temperatures) to the urea deposit loading. In this way, improved regeneration may be achieved due to the particular nature of urea deposits on SCR catalysts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2012
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Lifeng Xu, Williams Lewis Henderson Watkins, Shane Elwart, George Wade Graham
  • Method and system for pre-ignition control
    Patent number: 8171912
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for addressing cylinder pre-ignition by adjusting a spray angle of fuel injected into a cylinder responsive to an indication of pre-ignition. A spray pattern of fuel injected in the cylinder is varied based on a cylinder pre-ignition count to reduce cylinder wall impingement of injected fuel while improving air-fuel mixing in the cylinder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2012
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Chris Paul Glugla, Robert Sarow Baskins
  • Personal watercraft
    Patent number: 8172629
    Abstract: A personal watercraft comprises an oil cooler including an oil cooling passage through which oil circulating inside an engine flows and a coolant passage through which coolant for cooling the oil in the oil cooling passage flows; a first oil passage through which the oil flowing toward the oil cooling passage flows; a second oil passage through which the oil flowing out from the oil cooling passage flows; a bypass passage connecting the first oil passage to the second oil passage so as to bypass the oil cooling passage; and a valve configured to open and close the bypass passage; wherein the valve opens the bypass passage when the temperature of the oil is lower than a predetermined value and closes the bypass passage when the temperature of the oil is not lower than the predetermined value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2012
    Assignee: Kawasaki Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Atsufumi Ozaki
  • System and method for improving accuracy of a gas sensor
    Patent number: 8168060
    Abstract: A method is disclosed for operating an electrochemical gas sensor with a measuring electrode pair and a pumping electrode pair. The method includes obtaining a measurement of the interfering species at a location spatially adjacent to a measuring electrode of the measuring electrode pair; and adjusting one or more of an operation or an output processing of the electrochemical gas sensor based on the measurement of the interfering species. In this manner, the measurement of the interfering species may be used to adjust the removal rates of the interfering species and/or to adjust an offset of an analyte measurement to compensate for the presence of the interfering species.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2012
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Yi Ding, Richard E. Soltis, Jacobus Hendrik Visser, David John Kubinski
  • Handling unhandled raster operations in a document conversion
    Patent number: 8169625
    Abstract: The conversion of a document of a first format that supports a set of raster operations into a document of a second format that does not support one or more unhandled raster operations of the set of raster operations is disclosed. For example, one disclosed embodiment comprises locating a region in the document of the first format that contains an unhandled raster operation, rasterizing the region in the document of the first format that contains the unhandled raster operation to form a rasterized region, and incorporating the rasterized region into the document of the second format.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2012
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventor: Clifton Kerr
  • Diffusing screen
    Patent number: 8169701
    Abstract: Various embodiments related to a rear projection display screen configured to reduce an intensity of light at a viewing angle at which the light is less likely to be viewed by a user are disclosed. One disclosed embodiment provides a diffusing screen comprising a sheet-like structure transparent to one or more wavelengths of light. The sheet-like structure has a viewing surface and comprises a diffusing pattern configured to create destructive interference of a selected wavelength of light traveling in a direction normal to a plane of the viewing surface of the screen.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2012
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventor: Prafulla Masalkar
  • Systems and methods for intubation
    Patent number: 8166967
    Abstract: An intubation device is provided. The intubation device comprises a movable guide having a guide extension, and a guide tip; at least one trachea condition sensor to detect a trachea condition wherein the at least one trachea condition sensor is disposed on the guide; and a guide control device operatively coupled to the guide, the guide control device to move the guide in response to the trachea condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2012
    Inventor: Chunyuan Qiu
  • Fuel system control
    Patent number: 8166943
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for operating a fuel system in an engine, the fuel system including a supply pump for delivering fuel to the fuel system and pressurizing fuel received from a feed pump, a fuel tank, a fuel filter for filtering fuel, a fuel rail, and a fuel injector. One example method comprises, during an engine cold-start, operating the supply pump, and adjusting a supply pump operation mode between at least a pressure-controlled mode and a volume-controlled mode based on a fuel temperature and pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2012
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Gopal Krishna Chamarthi, Brien Lloyd Fulton, Christopher Oberski, Peter Mitchell Lyon
  • Pressurized air variable compression ratio engine system
    Patent number: 8166928
    Abstract: A system for controlling a variable compression ratio in an engine is provided. The system includes a cylinder, an outer piston located inside the cylinder, the cylinder and the outer piston collectively defining a combustion chamber, an inner piston, variably positioned inside the outer piston, the outer piston and the inner piston collectively defining an auxiliary chamber, a connecting rod including an air duct in fluid communication with the auxiliary chamber, and a crankshaft including an air passage in fluid communication with the air duct of the connecting rod during at least a portion of an engine cycle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2012
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: Carlos Villarreal Moro
  • Engine with gaseous and/or liquid fuel injector
    Patent number: 8166956
    Abstract: In one example, a system for a vehicle travelling on a surface is described. The system includes an engine with a cylinder. The cylinder includes a fuel injector that is supplied with gaseous fuel and liquid fuel by a fuel delivery system. The fuel injector is mounted in the vehicle such that the fuel injector inlet faces at least partially toward the road surface. The orientation of the fuel injector enables a quick transition from liquid fuel to gaseous fuel because the gaseous fuel can rise to the injectors and be preferentially injected. Further, various approaches are described from transitioning operation between gaseous and liquid fuel injection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2012
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Joseph Norman Ulrey, Ross Dykstra Pursifull
  • Vehicle and method of determining whether or not to stop engine mounted in vehicle
    Patent number: 8170753
    Abstract: A vehicle including an engine, a tilting sensor configured to detect that a vehicle body of the vehicle has been tilted a predetermined angle or larger, a driving state sensor configured to detect a driving state of the vehicle using a component other than the tilting sensor, and a determiner configured to determine whether or not to stop the engine, based on a signal received from the tilting sensor, and a signal received from the driving state sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2012
    Assignee: Kawasaki Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Naoki Kawamura, Junji Tamura, Takahiro Ogino, Seiichi Kai, Shinta Kawasetsu
  • Noise attenuating device for a heating-ventilation-cooling system of a motor vehicle
    Patent number: 8166775
    Abstract: A system and method for reducing noise in an automotive heating, ventilation, and cooling system is described. A noise attenuation device using radial vanes upstream of a flow discontinuity, such as a bend in the ducting, and downstream of a blower fan is used to reduce noise.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2012
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: Michael Choi
  • Reducing loss of liquid electrolyte from a high temperature polymer-electrolyte membrane fuel cell
    Patent number: 8168339
    Abstract: A method for controlling an amount of a liquid electrolyte in a polymer-electrolyte membrane of a fuel cell is provided. The method comprises enriching one or more of a fuel flow and an air flow with a vapor of the liquid electrolyte, the liquid electrolyte being unreplenishable via an electrochemical reaction of the fuel cell. The method further comprises delivering the vapor of the liquid electrolyte to the fuel cell including the polymer-electrolyte membrane via one or more of the gas-permeable anode and or the gas-permeable cathode. In this manner, loss of liquid electrolyte from the PEM membrane of the fuel cell can be reduced, leading to improved fuel-cell endurance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2012
    Assignee: ClearEdge Power, Inc.
    Inventors: Yang Song, Craig E. Evans, Nicolas DeFalco, Jason M. Tang
  • Fuel injection control during start-up
    Patent number: 8166952
    Abstract: A method of operation of an internal combustion engine including an intake valve coupled to a combustion chamber, and a port fuel injector positioned upstream of the intake valve in an intake manifold including a throttle, the port fuel injector fluidly coupled to a fuel rail included in a fuel delivery system housing a fuel at least partially composed of alcohol. The method including, during a start-up operation when the temperature of the engine is below a threshold value and fuel is actively being injected into the intake manifold, adjusting a cone angle of a fuel spray from the port fuel injector, via adjustment of the throttle and/or fuel delivery system, based on the position of the intake valve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2012
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: David Karl Bidner, John M. Roth, Mark Peters
  • Air-cooled thermal management for a fuel cell stack
    Patent number: 8168344
    Abstract: The air-cooled thermal management of a fuel cell stack is disclosed. One disclosed embodiment comprises a cooling plate apparatus for an air-cooled fuel cell stack, where the cooling plate comprises a body configured to receive heat from one or more fuel cells in thermal communication with the body, and airflow channels formed in the body and configured to allow a flow of a cooling air to pass across the body. An insulating structure is disposed in the airflow channels, wherein the insulating structure has decreasing thickness from a cooling air inlet toward a cooling air outlet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2012
    Assignee: ClearEdge Power, Inc.
    Inventors: George W. Hawkins, Zakiul Kabir, Qimin Ming, Yang Song
  • Approach for improved fuel vaporization in a directly injected internal combustion engine
    Patent number: 8166959
    Abstract: A system and a method of facilitating fuel vaporization in a directly injected internal combustion engine are provided. As one example, the method comprises: closing an exhaust valve of the cylinder; opening an intake valve after the exhaust valve has closed; moving a piston of the cylinder away from top dead center between the closing of the exhaust valve and the opening of the intake valve to expand the cylinder volume and reduce a pressure within the cylinder to below a pressure of an air intake manifold of the cylinder; and initiating an injection of fuel directly into the cylinder via an in-cylinder injector after the exhaust valve has closed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2012
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Jianwen James Yi, Claudia Olivia Iyer, FooChern Ting, George Carver Davis
  • Adjustable refilling assembly
    Patent number: 8167009
    Abstract: A refilling system for a vehicle including a body panel having a fixed opening, an adjustable refilling assembly partially enclosed by the body panel, the adjustable refilling assembly including a first port and a second port, the adjustable refilling assembly movable between at least a first configuration in which the first port is aligned with the fixed opening and a second configuration in which the second port is aligned with the fixed opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2012
    Assignee: Ford Gobal Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Doug Vandervoort, Grant A. Compton, Stanley Jay Novak, Brenda Johnson, Kirk Rasmussen, Marius Efstate
  • Deceleration device of a personal watercraft
    Patent number: 8166900
    Abstract: A personal watercraft configured to eject water rearward from a body thereof to generate a propulsive force, includes a pair of right and left resistive elements which are attached to the body and configured to be able to receive water resistance during travel of the watercraft. The resistive elements are configured to move between an operating position and a non-operating position, the water resistance being larger in the operating position than in the non-operating position. Each of the resistive elements includes a pressure receiving section configured to receive the water resistance in the operating position, and wherein in the operating position, at least a portion of the pressure receiving section is located outward relative to a coupling portion where the resistive element is coupled to the body, in a width direction of the body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2012
    Assignee: Kawasaki Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Kunihiko Kamio
  • Exhaust treatment system for internal combustion engine
    Patent number: 8166957
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for operating an engine exhaust system. In one example, a system comprises a first valve, and a second valve coupled to the first valve via a shaft. A first position of the shaft situates the first valve closed and the second valve open, a second position situates the second valve closed and the first valve open by a first amount, and a third position situates the second valve closed and the first valve open by a second, larger amount.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2012
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Jason Aaron Lupescu, Daniel Joseph Styles, James Michael Kerns, Michael James Uhrich, Stephen B. Smith, David A. May