Patents Examined by Carl C Staubach
  • Patent number: 11480129
    Abstract: A fuel system includes a fuel injector, and a fueling control unit electrically connected to a solenoid actuator in the fuel injector. The fueling control unit is structured to energize and deenergize the solenoid actuator to lift and return an armature coupled with an injection control valve. The fueling control unit also reenergizes the solenoid actuator with an armature retarding current while the armature is in flight to stabilize closing of the injection control valve. The armature retarding current can be used to electronically trim the fuel injector to limit an error in a quantity of injected fuel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2022
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventor: Adam Charles Hill
  • Patent number: 11473547
    Abstract: A control unit is provided for a vehicle having an internal combustion engine with a shaft, which can be coupled to an electric machine or decoupled from the electric machine. The control unit is designed to couple the electric machine to the internal combustion engine during an engine stop of the internal combustion engine. The control unit causes the electric machine to guide the shaft of the internal combustion engine. The control unit determines that a speed of the guided shaft is equal to or less than a speed threshold value and, in response thereto, decouples the electric machine from the internal combustion engine, such that the internal combustion engine stops without being guided by the electric machine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2022
    Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Thomas Christ, Dominik Schwarzbach
  • Patent number: 11458952
    Abstract: In a hybrid vehicle including an engine, a first motor, a differential unit, a second motor, a driving force split device, and a controller, the controller is configured to control the engine, the first motor, and the second motor such that the hybrid vehicle travels with the engine rotating within a range of an allowable maximum rotational speed for control or less. In this case, the controller is configured to set the allowable maximum rotational speed such that the allowable maximum rotational speed is higher when a main-side ratio is lower than when the main-side ratio is higher. The main-side ratio is a ratio of a driving force that is transmitted to main drive wheels to the total driving force that is transmitted from a drive shaft to the main drive wheels and sub drive wheels via the driving force split device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2022
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Koichi Okuda, Atsushi Tabata, Yasutaka Tsuchida, Yuuki Makino
  • Patent number: 11459972
    Abstract: A monitoring system obtains sensor data associated with operation of an engine, of a machine, that includes a first engine bank with a first set of fuel injectors and a second engine bank with a second set of fuel injectors. The monitoring system determines, based on the sensor data, a first temperature value that is representative of temperature differences between the first engine bank and the second engine bank for a period of time when the engine operated in a particular operation state, and a second temperature value that is representative of temperature differences between the first engine bank and the second engine bank for one or more prior periods of time when the engine operated in the particular operation state. The monitoring system determines, based on the first temperature value and the second temperature value, that a fuel injector malfunction condition occurred during the period of time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2022
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Michael Marchionda, Dereck G. Heffron
  • Patent number: 11440526
    Abstract: A control method for an SSC function and an ISG function includes: determining, by a controller, whether a SSC activation condition is satisfied based on a vehicle running state information; stopping, by the controller, an engine and activating the SSC function by controlling a transmission to neutral when the SSC activation condition is satisfied; determining, by the controller, whether a first ISG operation condition including a first reference vehicle speed is satisfied based on the vehicle running state information in a state that the SSC function is activated; and deactivating, by the controller, the SSC function and activating the ISG function when it is determined that the first ISG operation condition is satisfied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2022
    Assignees: HYUNDAI MOTOR COMPANY, KIA MOTORS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Jung Hwan Bang, Jun Yong Lee
  • Patent number: 11434852
    Abstract: A recirculation pipe and an engine system including the same are provided. A recirculation pipe of an EGR apparatus may include a pipe body, and a plurality of bellows tube assemblies formed in the pipe body and including a plurality of bellows tube. One bellows tube assembly among the plurality of bellows tube assemblies and another bellows tube assembly among the plurality of bellows tube assemblies have different shapes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2022
    Assignees: HYUNDAI MOTOR COMPANY, KIA MOTORS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Jongcheon Kim
  • Patent number: 11428196
    Abstract: A fuel system for an internal combustion engine includes an actuation train having a cam follower, a pushrod, a rocker arm, and a camshaft having a cam lobe rotatable in contact with the cam follower according to an ascending ramp phasing, a peak phasing, and a descending ramp phasing. The fuel system further includes a fuel injector including an electrically actuated spill valve. A fueling control unit is in communication with the spill valve and structured to close the spill valve during the ascending ramp phasing, such that a plunger cavity pressure is increased to oppose a plunger-advancement inertia of the actuation train. Related methodology and control logic is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2022
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Kevin J Schreader, Victor I Yacoub, Satya Naga Deepak Pillarisetti, Bradley D. Ferguson
  • Patent number: 11427180
    Abstract: A control method for a hybrid vehicle (1) is provided. The hybrid vehicle includes an electric motor (13) that drives the vehicle to travel, a generator (12) that supplies power to the electric motor, and an engine (11) that drives the generator. The control method includes storing the timing at which an amount or factor of change in target driving force (Fd) for the vehicle becomes a predetermined threshold or more, calculating an estimated trajectory of the rotational speed of the engine in accordance with the amount or factor of change in the target driving force, and when an increase request for power generation is issued to the engine at different timing than the timing, controlling the rotational speed of the engine on the basis of the calculated estimated trajectory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2022
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tomohiro Ariyoshi, Satomi Eto
  • Patent number: 11428151
    Abstract: A split cycle internal combustion engine comprising a compression cylinder accommodating a compression piston; a combustion cylinder accommodating a combustion piston; a crossover passage between the compression cylinder and the combustion cylinder arranged to provide working fluid to the combustion cylinder; a controller arranged to determine a peak temperature of combustion in the combustion cylinder based on a received indication of a peak temperature of combustion in the combustion cylinder; and a coolant system arranged to regulate a temperature of the working fluid supplied to the combustion cylinder; wherein, in response to determining that the peak temperature of combustion exceeds a selected threshold, the controller is configured to control the coolant system to regulate the temperature of the working fluid supplied to the combustion cylinder so that a peak temperature of combustion in the combustion cylinder is less than the selected threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2022
    Inventors: Richard Osborne, Ken Pendlebury, Matthew Keenan, Andrew Atkins, Andrew Ward, Robert Morgan
  • Patent number: 11415066
    Abstract: An internal combustion engine is provided, which includes a variable phase mechanism configured to change rotational phases of intake and exhaust camshafts so that a valve overlap is made. An intake cam lobe is formed such that an open period of the intake valve is 210° or larger and 330° or smaller of a crank angle. The exhaust cam lobe is formed such that, during the overlap period with the rotational phase of the intake camshaft advanced to the maximum and the rotational phase of the exhaust camshaft retarded to the maximum, an effective valve lift amount (Lift(CA)) of the exhaust valve which is a function of a crank angle from the open timing (CAIVO) of the intake valve to a middle timing (CAcenter) of the overlap period, an inner circumferential length (L_ex) of a valve seat, and a swept volume (V) per cylinder satisfy the following formula: 0 . 0 ? 1 ? 5 ? L ? _ ? ex V × ? C ? A IVO C ? A c ? e ? n ? t ? e ? r ? Lift ? ( CA ) ? d ? C ? A .
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2022
    Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Tomonori Urushihara, Masanari Sueoka, Yusuke Kawai, Atsushi Inoue, Masatoshi Hidaka, Kota Matsumoto, Tota Tanii, Michiharu Kawano, Toru Miyamoto, Tsubasa Ito
  • Patent number: 11415072
    Abstract: A method for controlling an internal combustion engine with a crankshaft position sensor, intake air pressure sensor and fresh air intake throttle valve, includes: determining the engine's rotational speed based on the crankshaft position derivative relative to time; determining the intake air pressure for a first crankshaft position corresponding to 180° before top dead center; determining the intake air pressure for a second crankshaft position corresponding to 390° before top dead center; determining an atmospheric pressure learning pressure threshold based on the engine's rotational speed; determining whether the difference between the intake air pressures for the first and second crankshaft positions is below the atmospheric pressure learning pressure threshold; if so, commanding atmospheric pressure learning by applying a first-order filter to the intake air pressure for the second crankshaft position; and controlling the internal combustion engine as a function of the learned atmospheric pressure value
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2022
    Assignee: VITESCO TECHNOLOGIES GMBH
    Inventors: Xavier Moine, Yohan Dupouy
  • Patent number: 11401883
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for vehicle direct injection fuel pump control. In one example, a method may include reducing a flow speed of fuel from a cam-driven direct injection fuel pump for at least half of a total duration of an output stroke of the fuel pump. A cam driving the fuel pump may reduce the flow speed at a first rate during a main portion of the output stroke, and the cam may reduce the flow speed at a second rate during an end ramp portion of the output stroke.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2022
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: Joshua Putman Styron
  • Patent number: 11401879
    Abstract: Provided is a fuel injection control device capable of reducing variations in injection amounts of a plurality of fuel injection valves. Thus, the fuel injection control device of the present invention includes a control unit that controls voltages applied to coils of a plurality of fuel injection valves, the coils being adapted for energization. The control unit performs control such that the voltage being applied to the coil is cut off. The control unit changes a timing at which the cutoff of the voltage to the coil of at least one fuel injection valve is started or a timing at which the cutoff of the voltage to the coil of at least one fuel injection valve is ended, based on a valve closing time until closing of the fuel injection valve is completed or a valve opening time until opening of the fuel injection valve is completed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2022
    Assignee: Hitachi Astemo, Ltd.
    Inventors: Fumihiro Itaba, Masahiro Toyohara, Osamu Mukaihara
  • Patent number: 11391236
    Abstract: A control method of an internal combustion engine including a spark plug and a fuel injection valve includes starting electric discharge of the spark plug after a gas flow in a direction from a side of the fuel injection valve toward a side of the spark plug is generated at a position of an electric discharge gap of the spark plug due to spray of the fuel injected from the fuel injection valve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2022
    Assignee: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Takayoshi Kodama, Masaharu Kassai, Yoshihiko Iwabuchi
  • Patent number: 11378024
    Abstract: A control method for an internal combustion engine which is a driving source of a vehicle in which a driving force is transmitted to a transmission when a clutch is engaged, the control method includes: when the internal combustion engine which is automatically stopped in a state where the clutch is disengaged is restarted, performing a torque down control to decrease a target torque of the internal combustion engine when the clutch is engaged; setting a predetermined torque release time period determined in accordance with a driving state; and ending the torque down control at a timing at which the torque release time period is elapsed from an engagement command of the clutch which is generated during the torque down control.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2022
    Assignee: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Ken Kinjo
  • Patent number: 11378050
    Abstract: The invention relates to a wheeled vehicle (1) comprising: a chassis (2) carrying an engine (4), a starter (5) of the engine and a device for actuating said starter (5), a control unit, and an activatable/deactivatable device for energising the control unit, said vehicle (1) having an economical operating mode in which, in the activated state of the energising device, the control unit is designed to allow the motor (4) to be stopped without actuation of the energising device, said stoppage being called energised stoppage of the engine (4). The vehicle (1) comprises a memory for storing data relating to the number of starts of the engine (4) and the control unit is designed to allow or prohibit the energised stoppage of the engine (4), in the economical operating mode, according to said stored data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2022
    Assignee: MANITOU BF
    Inventor: Fabrice Hubert
  • Patent number: 11358696
    Abstract: A method of operating a marine vessel hybrid propulsion system having a propulsion shaft and a propeller, an internal combustion piston engine in force transmission connection with the propulsion shaft, and an electric motor-generator in force transmission connection with the propulsion shaft and/or with the piston engine. The internal combustion piston engine can be started by applying electric power from an on-board power source to the electric motor-generator and rotating the internal combustion piston engine by the electric motor-generator and rotational speed of the internal combustion piston engine is accelerated to a predetermined limit rotational speed without attempting to start the internal combustion piston engine, and only after the rotational speed of the internal combustion piston engine reaches the predetermined limit rotational speed, the internal combustion piston engine is started.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2022
    Assignee: WÄRTSILÄ FINLAND OY
    Inventor: Giulio Tirelli
  • Patent number: 11352969
    Abstract: A cold start split injection control method is provided. The method includes a split injection controller which determines cold start conditions of an engine system, an injection mode control which performs a cold start split injection by an operation of an injector and an injection malfunction diagnostic control which performs an injection malfunction diagnostic with any one or more among an injector opening angle, an injector operating time, and the number of injector operation times which are measured through the fuel injection of the injector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2022
    Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Motors Corporation
    Inventor: Bon-Chang Koo
  • Patent number: 11352943
    Abstract: A rotation adjusting device is controlled such that an engine speed rising rate at the time of acceleration request is made smaller when a turbocharging pressure is lower than the turbocharging pressure is higher. Therefore, an engine speed can be increased at such a low speed that a rising delay in the turbocharging pressure hardly occurs, in a low turbocharging pressure region. Further, when the rotation adjusting device is controlled such that the engine speed rising rate at the time of the acceleration request is set to a value corresponding to the turbocharging pressure, an MG2 torque is controlled to compensate for an insufficient drive torque of an actual engine torque for a request engine torque. Therefore, even when the engine torque is increased slowly by increasing the engine speed at a slow speed, the insufficient drive torque is compensated for by the MG2 torque.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2022
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Atsushi Tabata, Koichi Okuda, Tooru Matsubara, Takahiro Kimura, Yasutaka Tsuchida
  • Patent number: 11338648
    Abstract: Disclosed is a transport refrigeration unit (TRU) having: an engine configured to power a refrigeration system of the TRU, the engine including an air intake, the engine within an engine compartment of the TRU; an air management valve (AMV) fluidly coupled to the air intake; a first duct fluidly coupled to the AMV and including a first inlet within the engine compartment; and a second duct fluidly coupled to the AMV and including a second inlet that is exterior to the engine compartment and is configured to receive atmospheric air; wherein: the AMV is configured to modulate air into the engine from the first duct and the second duct, when a temperature of air within the AMV is above the first threshold and the temperature of air within the second duct is below the first threshold, to lower the temperature of air entering the engine to below the first threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2022
    Assignee: CARRIER CORPORATION
    Inventor: Loic Renault