Patents Represented by Attorney Alleman Hall McCoy
  • Patent number: 8272362
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for heating a catalyst during engine cold-start conditions. One example embodiment uses positive valve overlap to drive a boosted blow-through airflow through the cylinders of an engine. Fuel is injected with the blow-through airflow during the valve overlap, and also injected into engine cylinders outside the valve overlap. The catalyst is heated by the resulting exothermic reaction of the blow-through airflow with the combustion products and the injected fuel in the exhaust manifold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2012
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Michael Daniel Shane, James David Pakko, Paul M. Laing
  • Patent number: 8273315
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for reducing exhaust NOx species using a monolith substrate having a plurality of channels configured with radially varying cell density. An injector injects reductant into the substrate unobstructedly, without use of a mixer. In some embodiments, a twist angle of the channels is based on a distance from an inlet of the substrate and varies exponentially as a function of the distance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2012
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Jeong Yeol Kim, Giovanni Cavataio
  • Patent number: 8272215
    Abstract: A method for responding to an existing or incipient surge condition of a turbocharger coupled to an engine of a motor vehicle is provided. The method comprises receiving a signal responsive to an operating condition of the turbocharger and adjusting one or more operating parameters of the motor vehicle when a power of the signal, integrated over a pre-selected range of non-zero frequencies, exceeds a pre-selected threshold. Other embodiments provide related systems for responding to an existing or incipient surge condition of a turbocharger.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2012
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Yong Shu, Michiel J. Van Nieuwstadt, Brien Lloyd Fulton, Frank M. Korpics, Harold Huimin Sun
  • Patent number: 8275538
    Abstract: Various example approaches are described, one of which includes a method for controlling injection of gaseous and liquid fuel to a cylinder during engine starting. Specifically, gaseous fuel is injected during or before an intake stroke of the cycle to form a well-mixed overall lean air-fuel mixture, and then liquid fuel is directly injected to the cylinder at least during one of a compression and expansion stroke of the engine cycle to form a rich air-fuel cloud near the spark plug, where a spark initiates combustion of the injected fuels. In one example, the rich cloud enables additional spark retard, and thus faster catalyst light-off, while maintain acceptable combustion stability of the gaseous fuel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2012
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Gopichandra Surnilla, Ross Dykstra Pursifull
  • Patent number: 8275523
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a commercial vehicle with a control unit connected with the drive of the commercial vehicle and to a method for controlling a commercial vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2012
    Assignee: Liebherr-Werk Nenzing GmbH
    Inventor: Norbert Krimbacher
  • Patent number: 8267067
    Abstract: A method for improving starting of an engine that may be automatically started is provided. In one example, spark timing of an automatically started engine is in advance of spark timing for an operator requested engine start. The approach may reduce vehicle driveline disturbances.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2012
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: David Bruce Reiche, Steven Wooldridge, Curtis McGuire, Brad Alan VanDerWege
  • Patent number: 8267074
    Abstract: A fuel system for an engine of a vehicle and a method of operating the fuel system are described. As a non-limiting example, the fuel system is controlled in response to engine operating conditions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2012
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Thomas G. Leone, Donald J. Lewis
  • Patent number: 8267781
    Abstract: A method of tracking a target includes receiving an observed depth image of the target from a source and obtaining a posed model of the target. The model is rasterized into a synthesized depth image, and the pose of the model is adjusted based, at least in part, on differences between the observed depth image and the synthesized depth image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2012
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventor: Ryan M. Geiss
  • Patent number: 8268160
    Abstract: In one example, a specimen is immersed in an electrolyte, and a plurality of potentials of the specimen are experimentally related to a plurality of currents by applying the potentials to the specimen while measuring the currents, or, by drawing the currents through the specimen while measuring the potentials. The potentials are referenced to a hydrogen reference electrode. Hydrogen is supplied to the hydrogen reference electrode via an electrolysis cathode distinct from the hydrogen reference electrode. In another example, an electrochemical cell confines a head gas disposed over the electrolyte. A partial pressure of water vapor in the head gas is adjusted so that the concentration of water in the electrolyte, when equilibrated with the head gas, falls within a predetermined concentration range. The head gas and electrolyte are then equilibrated, thereby controlling the concentration of water in the electrolyte, and an electrochemical property of the specimen is measured.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2012
    Assignee: ClearEdge Power, Inc.
    Inventors: Jason M. Tang, Yang Song
  • Patent number: 8271183
    Abstract: A method of operating a vehicle including an engine is provided The engine may include at least one cylinder, a boosting device to boost intake air to the at least one cylinder, a fuel tank, a fuel vapor canister to store fuel vapors vented from the fuel tank, and an emission control device to treat exhaust gas from the engine. The boosting device includes a compressor at least partially driven by an electric motor. The method includes during an engine cold start condition, operating the electric motor of the boost device to boost intake air, directing the boosted intake air through the fuel vapor canister to release a fuel vapor stored in the fuel vapor canister, directing the fuel vapor from the fuel vapor canister to the engine, and performing combustion in the at least one cylinder using the fuel vapor during the engine starting.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2012
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Michael James Uhrich, James Michael Kerns, Gopichandra Surnilla
  • Patent number: 8267066
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for improving fluid usage while addressing knock by adjusting the use of spark retard and direct injection of a fluid based on engine operating conditions and the composition of the injected fluid. One or more engine parameters, such as EGR, VCT, boost, throttle position, are coordinated with the direct injection to reduce torque and EGR transients.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2012
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Gopichandra Surnilla, John Nelson, Thomas G. Leone
  • Patent number: 8267072
    Abstract: An engine with an efficient selectively operable vacuum source is disclosed. In one example, an electric vacuum pump with oil wetted seals provides vacuum to a vehicle. The approach may provide for improved efficiency when generating vacuum.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2012
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: Ross Dykstra Pursifull
  • Patent number: 8271182
    Abstract: A method for controlling differences in cylinder mixtures for a two cylinder bank engine having a turbocharger is presented. In one example, the description includes a method for adjusting valve timing to reduce cylinder mixture variation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2012
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Eric Matthew Storhok, Ralph Wayne Cunningham
  • Patent number: 8267065
    Abstract: A method for adjusting fuel injection of an engine is disclosed. In one example, fuel injection timing is adjusted to account for fuels having different cetane numbers. Operation of the engine may be improved especially during conditions where combustion phase may vary.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2012
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Eric Kurtz, Michiel J. Van Nieuwstadt, Thomas Alan Brewbaker, Michael Hopka, Douglas Kuhel, David Joseph Dronzkowski
  • Patent number: 8261542
    Abstract: A method of heating an engine exhaust gas of an engine, including flowing a first exhaust gas at a first temperature within and along internal flow channels of a catalyst brick, and flowing a second exhaust gas at a second, different, temperature around an exterior of the catalyst brick. Heat may be transferred between the gases and the catalyst brick to achieve various operations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2012
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: James Henry Yager
  • Patent number: D667325
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2012
    Assignee: Yamato Scale Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kazuhiko Yamashita
  • Patent number: D667327
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2012
    Assignee: Yamato Scale Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kazuhiko Yamashita
  • Patent number: D667328
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2012
    Assignee: Yamato Scale Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kazuhiko Yamashita
  • Patent number: D667329
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2012
    Assignee: Yamato Scale Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kazuhiko Yamashita
  • Patent number: D667330
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2012
    Assignee: Yamato Scale Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kazuhiko Yamashita