Patents Examined by Brian R Kirby
  • Patent number: 11815057
    Abstract: The present invention provides a fuel injector capable of suppressing separation of a fuel flow in an injection port during fuel injection. A fuel injector (30) includes plural injection ports (31a to 31f), each of which injects the fuel into an internal combustion engine (10). The plural injection ports (31a to 31f) are provided in plural on a first circle with a first radius (R1) and on a second circle with a larger second radius (R2) than the first radius (R1), and includes: a first injection port (31a), a center of an opening of which is provided on the first circle; and a second injection port (31c), a center of an opening of which is provided on the second circle on an opposite side of a tangent of the first circle, which passes the center of the opening of the first injection port, from a center axis (CF1) of the fuel injector (30).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2023
    Assignees: Bosch Corporation, Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Yuichiro Goto, Jing Yang, Vinzenz Neubert
  • Patent number: 11807216
    Abstract: A controller and a control method for a hybrid electric vehicle are provided. An internal combustion engine and a first rotating electric machine are capable of applying power to a driven wheel via a power split device. A deactivating process deactivates combustion control in a deactivated cylinder that corresponds to one or more of cylinders of the internal combustion engine. A first compensation process sets, when the deactivating process is executed, torque of the first rotating electric machine to be larger than torque of the first rotating electric machine obtained prior to starting the deactivating process so as to compensate for at least some of a decrease amount of torque of the internal combustion engine resulting from the deactivating process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2023
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yuki Nose, Yuto Ikeda, Suguru Kumazawa, Takanobu Gotoh
  • Patent number: 11794717
    Abstract: A system and method for power management of hybrid electric vehicles is provided. In some implementations, a plug-in series hybrid electric vehicle may include an engine, a motor/generator (MG), a traction motor, an energy storage device, and a controller. The controller is coupled to the engine and the MG to control operation of the engine and the MG such that a state-of-charge (SOC) of the energy storage device tracks a dynamic reference SOC profile during a trip and an average engine power (AEP) is maintained above a threshold. In some instances, maintaining AEP above a threshold supports emission control of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2023
    Assignee: CUMMINS INC.
    Inventors: Dat Duc Le, Carlos A. Lana, Kenneth M. Follen
  • Patent number: 11781511
    Abstract: A fuel supply device includes a flange unit and a pump unit. The flange unit includes a flange main body for closing an opening formed in an upper wall of a fuel tank. The pump unit includes a joint member that is connected to the flange main body so that both components may be movable relative to each other in the vertical direction. The interval in the vertical direction between the flange main body and the joint member is restricted from going below a minimum vertical interval. The minimum interval occurs when a stand-off portion provided as part of the flange main body and a connecting plate portion provided as part of the joint member come into mutual contact with each other and abut each other in the vertical direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2023
    Assignees: AISAN KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA, TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kensuke Niwa, Koji Yoshida, Akira Iida, Shinya Higashi, Morihiro Takemura, Hiroyasu Kariya, Tatsuki Fukui, Takuhito Fujiwara, Takeaki Morizono, Takehiro Yamauchi, Ryosuke Hayashi
  • Patent number: 11773793
    Abstract: Methods and systems to provide compressed air to one or more air consumers external to the engine via exhaust gases of an internal combustion engine are presented. In one example, the exhaust gas may be routed to drive an air turbine of an air compression system. The air compressed at the compression system may be stored in a tank and/or provided to the one or more air consumers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2023
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Colby Dahl, Douglas Martin, Matthew Ryan Preston, John Rollinger, Shriram Siravara
  • Patent number: 11772630
    Abstract: A control device for a hybrid vehicle includes a processor being configured to: set a target state of charge of the battery; control the internal combustion engine and rotating electric machine and charging and discharging of the battery to make the hybrid vehicle run, so that a state of charge of the battery becomes the target state of charge; and, in a case where a point inside a restricted region where operation of the internal combustion engine is restricted is set as a destination or a waypoint, set the target state of charge to a lower value when an estimated time of arrival at the destination or the waypoint is a point of time outside a restricted time period when operation of the internal combustion engine is restricted in the restricted region than when the estimated time of arrival is a point of time inside the restricted time period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2023
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yoshiaki Miyazato, Daiki Yokoyama
  • Patent number: 11773766
    Abstract: An intake device for an internal combustion engine includes: a main pipe having an upstream end forming a suction port and a downstream end configured to be connected to an intake port of an internal combustion engine main body; a compressor of a supercharger provided in the main pipe; an intercooler provided in the main pipe at a position downstream of the compressor and including a cooling part, an upstream header provided upstream of the cooling part, and a downstream header provided downstream of the cooling part; a throttle valve disposed in the main pipe at a position downstream of the intercooler; a bypass pipe having a first end and a second end, the bypass pipe being connected to a part of the main pipe between the cooling part and the throttle valve; and a catch tank provided in the bypass pipe and configure to catch condensed water.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2023
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Ryo Yokota
  • Patent number: 11767800
    Abstract: Aspects of the present invention relate to a controller for controlling operation of an internal combustion engine, a control system, an internal combustion engine, a vehicle, a method and a non-transitory computer readable medium. The controller is configured to, during fuel cut, cause opening of an intake valve of a cylinder of the internal combustion engine to enable air having a mass to enter the cylinder. The mass is below a first range of masses which enable the internal combustion engine to provide combustion torque.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2023
    Assignee: JAGUAR LAND ROVER LIMITED
    Inventor: James Hill
  • Patent number: 11760334
    Abstract: The control device of a vehicle includes a position estimating part configured to estimate a position of the vehicle, and a power output part configured to control the internal combustion engine and the electric motor to output power for running use. The power output part is configured to determine a startup position of the internal combustion engine of the vehicle when the vehicle exits from a low emission zone requesting the internal combustion engine be stopped so that startup positions of internal combustion engines of a plurality of vehicles are dispersed at surroundings of the low emission zone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2023
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Daiki Yokoyama, Hiroya Chiba, Yoshiyuki Kageura, Masanori Shimada, Yoshihiro Sakayanagi
  • Patent number: 11761397
    Abstract: Various embodiments of the teachings herein include methods for operating a motor vehicle having combustion chambers. The methods may include: closing the combustion chambers of the motor vehicle towards the exhaust tract by bringing outlet valves of the combustion chambers into the closed state; checking whether the outlet valves of the combustion chambers of the motor vehicle are in a closed state by evaluating the pressure prevailing in an intake pipe of the motor vehicle; and in the event one or more of the outlet valves are not in a closed state, initiating countermeasures to comply with emissions protocols.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2023
    Assignee: VITESCO TECHNOLOGIES GMBH
    Inventors: Tobias Braun, Jürgen Dingl
  • Patent number: 11745746
    Abstract: A method for generating vehicle controlling data includes executing an operating process that operates an electronic device, executing an obtaining process that obtains a state of a vehicle, executing a reward calculation process that assigns a reward based on the state of the vehicle, and an updating process that updates relationship specifying data. The reward calculation process includes a changing process that changes a reward assigned when an area variable equals a second value and a property of the vehicle is a predetermined property from a reward assigned when the area variable equals a first value and the property of the vehicle is the predetermined property.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2023
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yosuke Hashimoto, Akihiro Katayama, Yuta Oshiro, Kazuki Sugie, Naoya Oka
  • Patent number: 11739741
    Abstract: A control device for a motor unit provided in a vehicle is disclosed. The motor unit includes a motor including multiple coils provided side by side around a motor axis; a transmission mechanism transmitting power of the motor to an axle; a housing housing the motor and the transmission mechanism; an electric oil pump delivering oil stored in the housing; and a coil temperature sensor detecting a temperature of the coil. The control device includes a motor controller driving and controlling the motor; and a pump controller driving and controlling the electric oil pump. The pump controller estimates an oil temperature according to an ambient temperature and the temperature of the coil, and determines a start timing of the electric oil pump based on an estimated oil temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2023
    Assignee: NIDEC TOSOK CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masaya Furushou, Yasuhiro Shirai
  • Patent number: 11732660
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a method for operating an internal combustion engine (IO). The method includes generating a pressure pulse in an exhaust gas system of the internal combustion engine (IO). The method also includes supplying exhaust gas from a combustion chamber of a cylinder during an exhaust outlet stroke of the cylinder into an inlet channel of the cylinder by propagating the pressure pulse from the exhaust gas system into the combustion chamber of the cylinder. The method further includes supplying the exhaust gas from the inlet channel of the cylinder into the combustion chamber of the cylinder during an intake stroke of the cylinder. By means of internal residual gas control (residual exhaust gas control), the method permits the exhaust gas temperature to be raised in at low load without negatively influencing the full load performance of the internal combustion engine (IO).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2023
    Assignee: MAN TRUCK & BUS SE
    Inventor: Thomas Malischewski
  • Patent number: 11719181
    Abstract: An internal combustion engine controller for controlling an internal combustion engine is provided. The internal combustion engine controller comprises a memory and a processor. The memory is configured to store a plurality of control maps, each control map defining a hypersurface of actuator setpoints for controlling an actuator of the internal combustion engine based on a plurality of input variables to the internal combustion engine controller. The processor comprises an engine setpoint module and a map updating module. The map updating module is configured to optimise one or more of the hypersurfaces of the control maps at the location defined by the plurality of input variables. The map updating module comprises an optimiser module configured to search for an optimised group of actuator setpoints wherein the map updating module updates the one or more hypersurfaces at the location defined by the plurality of input variables based on the optimised group of actuator setpoints.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2023
    Assignee: Perkins Engines Company Limited
    Inventors: Gavin Williams, Peter Ladlow
  • Patent number: 11697421
    Abstract: A method for generating vehicle controlling data includes executing an operating process that operates an electronic device, executing an obtaining process that obtains a state of a vehicle, executing a reward calculation process that assigns a reward based on the state of the vehicle, and an updating process that updates relationship specifying data. The reward calculation process includes a changing process that changes a reward assigned when an area variable equals a second value and a property of the vehicle is a predetermined property from a reward assigned when the area variable equals a first value and the property of the vehicle is the predetermined property.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2023
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yosuke Hashimoto, Akihiro Katayama, Yuta Oshiro, Kazuki Sugie, Naoya Oka
  • Patent number: 11642969
    Abstract: A regenerative torque control unit is configured to reduce a regenerative torque and increase a rising gradient of the regenerative torque at a start of regeneration when a road surface friction coefficient acquired by a road surface friction coefficient acquisition unit is low as compared to when the road surface friction coefficient is high. Thus, it is possible to suppress occurrence of a slip on a low ? road, and it is less likely to provide a feeling of strangeness from a change between a low ? road and a high ? road.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2023
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Makio Tsuchiyama
  • Patent number: 11639691
    Abstract: The invention relates to a device for supplying a gaseous fuel to an engine that comprises a gas accumulator for receiving highly pressurized gaseous fuel, a gas buffer for receiving medium pressurized gaseous fuel, a gas supply device for delivering a gaseous fuel into an engine combustion space, a first gas line that connects the gas accumulator to the gas buffer and whose gas flow can be regulated via a first valve, a second gas line that connects the gas accumulator to the gas buffer and whose gas flow can be regulated via a second valve, and a third gas line that connects the gas buffer to the gas supply device. The device is further characterized in that a compressor is arranged in the second gas line to increase a pressure of a gaseous fuel flowing from the gas accumulator to the gas buffer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2023
    Assignee: Liebherr Machines Bulle SA
    Inventors: Bakir Puran, Bouzid Seba, Ulrich Weiss
  • Patent number: 11635037
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for diagnosing cylinders in an engine. In one example, the method may include selecting a cylinder of the engine for perturbation, and while maintaining a horsepower output of the engine, perturbing the cylinder. Responsive to the perturbation of the cylinder inducing a crankcase pressure difference greater than or equal to a threshold difference, a degradation condition of the cylinder may be indicated. In one example, the perturbation may include cutting fuel to the cylinder. In one example, an engine load may be redistributed among each of remaining cylinder of a plurality of cylinders of the engine to maintain the horsepower output of the engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2023
    Assignee: Transportation IP Holdings, LLC
    Inventors: Benedict Lander, Jody Motichka, David Schroeck, John Schutt
  • Patent number: 11635035
    Abstract: Engine controllers and control schemes are provided for managing engine state transitions requiring increased compressor pressure ratios in turbocharged engines. In some circumstances, turbo lag can be mitigated by initially transitioning the engine to an intermediate engine state that directly or indirectly increases airflow through the engine and turbocharger relative to what would be possible if the engine were immediately commanded to operate at the target engine state. After reaching a point where the desired torque is actually generated at the intermediate engine state, the operational settings are gradually reduced to the target effective firing density while increasing the operational compressor pressure ratio to the target compressor ratio.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2023
    Assignee: Tula Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Elliott A. Ortiz-Soto, Shahaboddin Owlia
  • Patent number: 11635036
    Abstract: Provided is a signal processing device capable of effectively reducing a work load of a parameter setting operator in response to an increase in parameters constituting complicated filter control. Therefore, in the signal processing device filters an output signal from a sensor mounted on a vehicle, setting is made with respect to a plurality of filters having different filter types or filter coefficients for setting a filter characteristic of a cutoff frequency or a pass band, an individual code is set for each of the plurality of filters, and the signal processing device includes a CPU that selects the individual code based on an engine operating state so that a corresponding filter is selected, and processes an output signal from the sensor using the filter that has been selected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2023
    Assignee: HITACHI ASTEMO, LTD.
    Inventor: Yoshihiko Akagi