Patents Represented by Attorney, Agent or Law Firm Tuttle
  • Patent number: 6993900
    Abstract: A method is presented for estimating an amount of ammonia stored in a urea-based SCR catalyst based on a dynamic model of the catalyst. The model takes into account chemical and physical properties of the catalyst, such as catalyst volume, the number of available ammonia storage cites, adsorption and desorption dynamics, as well as poisoning, thermal aging, and different catalyst operating temperatures, and generates the estimate based on a measured or estimated amount of NOx in an exhaust gas mixture upstream of the catalyst, an amount of reductant injected into the catalyst to facilitate NOx reduction, and on a measured value of NOx in an exhaust gas mixture downstream of the catalyst. The estimated ammonia storage amount is then used to control the amount of reductant injected into the catalyst to maintain desired ammonia storage amount such that maximum NOx conversion efficiency coupled with minimum ammonia slip are achieved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2006
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Devesh Upadhyay, Michiel J. van Nieuwstadt
  • Patent number: 6994439
    Abstract: A device for dampening noise in a projection device is provided. The device includes a bracket configured to secure a color wheel assembly to an optical engine and an integrated noise reduction mechanism integrated into the bracket.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2006
    Assignee: InFocus Corporation
    Inventor: Gary Dennis Basey
  • Patent number: 6994530
    Abstract: A vibration type compressor related to the present invention, in which a compressor main body 3 is built into a gastight vessel 2 including a yoke 7-1, a magnetic path member 7 formed from a column-shaped core pole 7-2, a permanent magnet 12 arranged in the magnetic path, an electromagnetic coil 14 which is arranged within an annular magnetic gap 13 between the magnetic path members 7 by being supported by a mechanical vibration system to as to be able to vibrate and is wound around a lead plate to perform the connection treatment of a terminal thereof, a piston 16 connected to the electromagnetic coil 14, and a cylinder block 8 which closes the yoke 7-1 and in the interior of which is formed the cylinder portion 17 housing the piston 16, characterized in that the permanent magnet 12 is formed from a neodymium magnet or a rare-earth magnet and in that the cylindrical permanent magnet 12 is divided into four parts in the axial direction thereof, the four-part divided magnet being bonded and fixed to the side o
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2006
    Assignee: Sawafuji Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshiaki Fujisawa, Takehiro Hasegawa
  • Patent number: 6994061
    Abstract: Piston to valve interference in an internal combustion engine is detected and alleviated by adjusting valve timing, valve lift, and/or compression ratio. Specifically, based on actuator motion, an actuator is selected to reduce potential interference. Further, potential sensor and hardware degradation are considered in controlling actuators to reduce potential interference.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2006
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Steve W. Magner, Mrdjan J. Jankovic
  • Patent number: 6993994
    Abstract: A blocking and releasing of actuating elements especially used in a manually shifted automatic transmission in vehicles for a manual gear input unit with a plurality of actuating elements, e.g., a selector lever and a button. A manual gear input unit (1) is selected for selecting gears with a first actuating element 2 for selecting at least one gear and with at least one additional actuating element 3 for setting additional functions. A detent pawl (6), which can be moved by means of an actuator 8 and by which the first actuating element and at least one additional actuating element 2, 3 can be locked and unlocked simultaneously, is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2006
    Assignee: ZF Lemförder Metallwaren AG
    Inventors: Andreas Giefer, Jörg Meyer
  • Patent number: 6993899
    Abstract: The invention relates to a new method and system for optimizing the efficiency of an automotive catalytic converter by adjusting the engine air/fuel ratio based on estimates of the actual amount of oxidants stored in the catalyst. The oxidant storage capacity of the catalyst is adjusted by controlling engine spark in response to an estimate of a current amount of oxidants stored in the catalyst and an estimate of the total available oxidant storage capacity of the catalyst. To maintain engine speed in spite of adjustments to the engine spark, the engine air mass is also adjusted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2006
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Donald James Lewis, Kevin Ronald Carlstrom, Stanley Larue Bower, Jr., Stephen L. Hahn
  • Patent number: 6990979
    Abstract: Breathing equipment with a circuit for breathing gas and with a flat calcium hydroxide absorber (1) is cooled by an evaporating agent with improved cooling. A gas volume flow of at least 60 L per minute is admitted to the outer surface (14) of the calcium hydroxide absorber (1) receiving the evaporating agent by at least one gas delivery device (5). The evaporating agent is delivered to the outer surface (14) of the calcium hydroxide absorber (1) by an admitted pressure from an evaporating agent reservoir (10) via at least one connection line (12).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2006
    Assignee: Dräger Safety AG & Co. KGaA
    Inventor: Jochim Koch
  • Patent number: 6990799
    Abstract: An engine diagnostic system for use with an internal combustion engine coupled to a lean NOx trap with a sensor coupled downstream of the trap. The sensor provides two output signals, one indicative of an air-fuel ratio and the second indicative of a NOx concentration. Construction of the sensor insists that proper indication of NOx concentration is dependent upon proper operation of the first output signal. Degradation of the NOx concentration signal is determined when the first output signal has degraded.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2006
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: David Karl Bidner, Gopichandra Sumilla
  • Patent number: 6990991
    Abstract: A safety device is provided for a gas distribution system in an airplane, containing at least one pressure regulator (5) between a pressurized gas source (2) and a supply line. Reliability of operation is improved with the provision of a pressure-limiting device (4) with two lines (41, 42) arranged in parallel with two pressure-limiting valves (43, 44, 45, 46) each arranged in the same direction in series. The pressure-limiting device (4) is arranged upstream of the pressure regulator (5).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2006
    Assignee: Dräger Aerospace GmbH
    Inventors: Rüdiger Meckes, Herbert Meier, Wolfgang Rittner
  • Patent number: 6990858
    Abstract: Systems and methods for detecting degradation of a sensor in a vacuum brake booster coupled to a manifold of an internal combustion engine include measuring an engine or vehicle operating parameter to detect operating or control conditions and detecting degradation of the sensor based on the engine or vehicle operating parameter. In one embodiment the operating parameter is a measured or estimated manifold pressure. A pressure drop across a check valve disposed between the brake booster and the intake manifold may also be considered.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2006
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: James Michael Kerns, John D. Russell
  • Patent number: 6990960
    Abstract: A system and method to predict engine air amount for an internal combustion engine is described. Included is a method to predict a change in engine air amount based on engine position. This method especially suited to engine starts, where engine air amount is difficult to predict due to low engine speed and limited sensor information. The system and method provides the prediction of engine air amount without extensive models or calibration. Fuel is supplied based on the predicted engine air amount.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2006
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Donald James Lewis, John D. Russell
  • Patent number: 6989736
    Abstract: The invention relates to a monitoring device (1) for a motor vehicle (2), consisting of at least one display device (6) located in the interior of the vehicle, and at least one camera (4, 5) arranged in the front and/or rear area of the vehicle (2), with which the area to the sides of the vehicle (2) can be monitored and displayed on the display device (6), whereby the camera (4, 5) is arranged on a carrier unit located centrally on the vehicle (2), and whereby the carrier unit can be withdraw into the bodywork when not in use and can be extended when required.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2006
    Assignee: Donnelly Hohe GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Wolfgang Berberich, Edwin Seitz, Tim Weis
  • Patent number: 6989549
    Abstract: A robust gas sensor can be manufactured in a simple manner and at low cost, and have no movable optical components. A measured gas cell (3) has a wall defining a cylindrical space with a measured gas inlet. The measured gas cell (3) is limited in the longitudinal axial direction by a reflective, flat first cover element (1) and by a reflective, flat second cover element (5) arranged at a spaced location from and in parallel to the first cover element (1). The height of the measured gas cell (3) corresponds approximately to 1 to 3 times the diameter of the cover elements (1, 5). The second cover element (5) accommodates a radiation source (6) and two detector elements (23, 24) with at least one measuring detector and one reference detector. The radiation source (6) is arranged displaced by 30% to 60% of the radius of the second cover element (5) from the center of the second cover element (5).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2006
    Assignee: Dräger Safety AG & Co. KGaA
    Inventors: Wilfried Diekmann, Christoph Clausen
  • Patent number: 6988669
    Abstract: The invention concerns a thermostatic mixer valve for hot and cold water, which comprises a rotary delivery regulator device (15), a thermostatic bulb (17) positioned coaxially to said regulator device, and a mixer control device (16) working in conjunction with the thermostatic bulb. The delivery regulator device (15) and the mixer control device (16) with relative thermostatic bulb (17) are assembled and housed ready to operate in a cartridge body (10) inserted as a whole in a tap body which has means of transporting hot and cold water towards a mixer chamber and means of delivering the water towards the user point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2006
    Assignee: Zipponi Rubinetterie di Nember Oscar
    Inventor: Oscar Nember
  • Patent number: 6989823
    Abstract: A method for reducing phase noise and distortion in a digitally converted image in which only a selected subset of the video frames that represent the image are displayed. The selected subset is comprised of reference video frames, where a new reference frame is captured for display after determining that a pixel of an inbound video frame exceeds a certain threshold of change as compared to a corresponding pixel of a previously captured reference frame. The pixel comparison is performed by comparing corresponding numerical values representing each of the pixel's color values, red, green, and blue, or by comparing corresponding numerical values representing a composite color value. The threshold determination is performed by comparing the absolute value of the difference between each of the corresponding pixel values to a pre-selected change threshold value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2000
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2006
    Assignee: InFocus Corporation
    Inventor: Alan Lasneski
  • Patent number: 6988919
    Abstract: An oil cooler of an engine for small watercraft. The oil cooler typically includes a mounting portion configured to mount the oil cooler on an outer wall face of an engine of the small watercraft, an oil passage configured to allow oil to flow therethrough and lead to outside of the oil cooler at the mounting portion, and a coolant passage through which coolant for cooling the oil flows, wherein the oil cooler is capable of being disassembled such that an inside of at least the coolant passage is exposed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2006
    Assignee: Kawasaki Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yoshinobu Tanaka, Atsufumi Ozaki, Yoshimoto Matsuda, Yasuo Okada, Hideaki Ebisui
  • Patent number: 6987571
    Abstract: A sensor head has a multiplicity of linear image sensors in correspondence with different radial directions of light emitted from a pixel in a pixel line of an LCD panel. The linear image sensors extends in the direction of the axis of an imaginary semi-cylinder. The linear image sensors have light receiving faces that are angularly spaced apart on an imaginary semi-cylinder, with their light receiving faces having normals passing through the axis of the imaginary semi-cylinder. Interposed in the space between the LCD pixel and the linear image sensors is an optical system having a multiplicity of light paths associated with respective angular components of the radiation emitted from the pixel line. Each of the light paths receives a predetermined angular component of light and transmits the light thus reveived to a corresponding one of the linear image sensors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2006
    Assignees: Japan Science and Technology Corporation, Kumamoto Technopolis Foundation
    Inventors: Noboru Yamakawa, Toshihiro Taguchi
  • Patent number: 6984170
    Abstract: A cover plate device for a heat exchanger device, especially for a vehicle heater, includes a receiving zone (14) intended to be arranged on the heat exchanger device and to receive a fluid stream leaving the heat exchanger device in a first direction of flow (S1), a mixing zone (22) for mixing the partial fluid streams (F1, F2, F3) leaving the heat exchanger device in different areas and entering the receiving zone (14), and at least two delivery zones (24, 26) for delivering the fluid stream leaving the mixing zone (22) from the cover plate device (10).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2006
    Assignee: J. Eberspächer GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Patric Schlecht, Jürgen Wagner, Andreas Collmer
  • Patent number: 6983589
    Abstract: A method for accurately diagnosing deterioration in an emission control system for a lean burn internal combustion engine is presented. The emission control system includes an Active Lean NOx (ALNC) Catalyst and a system for injecting a hydrocarbon-based reductant into the ALNC thereby improving its NOx conversion efficiency. The method teaches calculating a rate of change of exotherm across the ALNC and differentiating between deterioration of the ALNC and deterioration of the reductant injection system based on the magnitude and the sign of the rate of change of the exotherm. Once the diagnosis of deterioration is made, and the deteriorated component is identified, appropriate corrective measures, such as adjusting or discontinuing the reductant injection amount, and setting diagnostic codes, are taken.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2006
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Woodrow Lewis, Jr., Michiel J. van Nieuwstadt
  • Patent number: 6984045
    Abstract: A system and method of displaying identification information for a projector system are disclosed. The method includes projecting a display onto a viewing surface with the projector system, and projecting an identification image onto the viewing surface over at least a part of the display with the projection system, wherein the identification image is configured to convey the identification information to a viewer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2006
    Assignee: InFocus Corporation
    Inventor: Michael J. Cambron