Patents Examined by Carl C Staubach
  • Patent number: 11326546
    Abstract: A controller for an internal combustion engine, a control method for an internal combustion engine, and a memory medium are provided. The controller determines whether an execution request of a temperature-increasing process for an aftertreatment device for exhaust gas has been issued. When the execution request is determined as having been issued, supply of fuel by a fuel injection valve corresponding to a specified cylinder is deactivated. The specified cylinder is one of cylinders. An air-fuel ratio of air-fuel mixture in a cylinder of the cylinders that differs from the specified cylinder is set to be richer than a stoichiometric air-fuel ratio. When the temperature-increasing process is executed, an adjustment device is operated so as to reduce the fuel concentration in an intake port connected to the specified cylinder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2022
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Hitoki Sugimoto
  • Patent number: 11326529
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for mitigating water ingestion in a variable displacement engine. In one example, a method for a vehicle may comprise: with an engine of the vehicle turned on, responsive to detection of a water wading condition through which the vehicle is passing, operating the engine in a variable displacement engine (VDE) mode with a reduced number of cylinders of the engine activated and any cylinders in excess of the reduced number of cylinders deactivated. In this way, water ingestion into the cylinders of the engine and the resulting combustion instability may be avoided during the water wading conditions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2022
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: Aed Dudar
  • Patent number: 11319891
    Abstract: A misfire detection device for an internal combustion engine includes a storage device and processing circuitry. The storage device stores mapping data. The mapping data is data specifying a mapping that outputs a misfire variable using a rotation waveform variable as an input. The misfire variable is a variable related to a probability that a misfire has occurred in the internal combustion engine. The rotation waveform variable is a variable based on an instantaneous speed variable corresponding to each of discontinuous rotational angle intervals selected from multiple continuous rotational angle intervals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2022
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Takumi Anzawa
  • Patent number: 11319868
    Abstract: An intake duct for an internal combustion engine includes a plurality of segments coupled together into a tubular shape. The segments include at least a first segment and a second segment. The first segment is formed from a material harder than the second segment. The first segment includes a groove that extends in the extending direction in a portion coupled to the second segment and projections that project from one of two inner surfaces of the groove. The second segment is formed from a material that allows for elastic deformation. The second segment includes a rib. The rib extends in the extending direction and has a projection width that is less than the opening width of the groove. The rib is fitted into the groove so that the projections locally compress the rib in the width direction of the groove.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2022
    Assignee: TOYOTA BOSHOKU KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Ryusuke Kimura
  • Patent number: 11319892
    Abstract: Provided is a novel internal-combustion engine control device that can accurately determine a combustion state of an air-fuel mixture in a combustion chamber even in a case where operation is switched between a steady operation state and a transient operation state. For this purpose, the internal-combustion engine control device includes a physical quantity detection unit that detects a physical quantity that fluctuates output of the internal-combustion engine, an output fluctuation value calculation unit that calculates an output fluctuation value for each cylinder based on a detection result of the physical quantity detection unit, and a state determination unit that determines a transient operation state or a steady operation state based on a difference or a ratio between a first output fluctuation value of a predetermined first cylinder and a second output fluctuation value of a predetermined second cylinder calculated by the output fluctuation value calculation unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2022
    Assignee: Hitachi Astemo, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshihiro Sukegawa, Toshihiro Aono, Masayuki Saruwatari
  • Patent number: 11313296
    Abstract: When an engine is started, an ECU determines whether an inside of a cylinder is in a wet concerned state in which there is a concern about fuel wet, or the inside of the cylinder is in a liquid particle float state in which a large volume of floating liquid particle of fuel arise. On determination that it is in the wet concerned state, the ECU performs a first control for reducing an intake air amount as a control of an opening timing and a closing timing by using the variable valve device. On determination that it is in the floating liquid particle state, the ECU performs a second control for increasing an in-cylinder temperature as a control of the opening timing and the closing timing by using the variable valve device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2022
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shinichi Hiraoka, Yukitoshi Shida
  • Patent number: 11306694
    Abstract: A method for operating an internal combustion engine. The method includes detecting a structure borne sound signal in a time-dependent manner for the at least one combustion chamber during operation of the internal combustion engine, and determining, in a predetermined measuring window, at least one evaluation parameter from the detected structure borne sound signal. The method also includes obtaining at least one comparative result by comparing the at least one evaluation parameter with at least one predetermined comparison value, and assigning to the structure borne sound signal, on the basis of the at least one comparative result, one of a knocking event in the at least one combustion chamber and an interference signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2022
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce Solutions GmbH
    Inventors: Tobias Frank, Thorsten Konrad, Aron Toth
  • Patent number: 11292302
    Abstract: A vehicle having one or more inflatable wheels, the vehicle including an internal combustion engine including a cylinder, a tire inflation system in fluid communication with and configured to selectively direct compressed air into at least one wheel of the one or more inflatable wheels, a compressor assembly having an outlet, where the compressor assembly is operable in a first mode, in which the outlet is in fluid communication with the cylinder of the internal combustion engine, and a second mode, in which the outlet is in fluid communication with the tire inflation system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2022
    Assignee: DEERE & COMPANY
    Inventors: Joseph R. Gonsowski, Pratir Punjani, Brian Bratvold
  • Patent number: 11293372
    Abstract: Methods and systems for adjusting fuel injector operation according to fuel pressure and electrical fuel injector signals are described. In one example, the fuel injector transfer function values are adjusted in a way that may lower a burden on fuel injector adaptation. The methods and systems described herein may be suitable for direct and port fuel injectors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2022
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Ross Pursifull, Joseph Lyle Thomas, Michael Uhrich, David Oshinsky
  • Patent number: 11292301
    Abstract: A vehicle having one or more pneumatic wheels, the vehicle including an internal combustion engine including a cylinder and an intake manifold in fluid communication with the cylinder, a tire inflation system configured to direct air into at least one of the one or more inflatable wheels, and a compressor assembly configured to supply air at a first pressure higher than atmospheric pressure to both the intake manifold and the tire inflation system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2022
    Assignee: DEERE & COMPANY
    Inventors: Joseph R. Gonsowski, Pratir Punjani, Brian Bratvold
  • Patent number: 11255284
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for operating a cylinder of an engine including a pre-chamber ignition system during a cold start condition. In one example, a method may include performing a post-injection in the cylinder, and then performing a pre-chamber combustion during an exhaust stroke of the cylinder. In this way, a temperature of a catalyst of the engine may be increased, which may decrease vehicle emissions during the cold start condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2022
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Chris Paul Glugla, Michael Damian Czekala, Michael Shelby
  • Patent number: 11225927
    Abstract: An air-fuel ratio control system for a hybrid vehicle engine is provided, including a torque coordination calculation module, which converts a target effective torque of a hybrid power control unit into a target indicated torque; a torque estimation module, which obtains an estimated indicated torque according to an operating state of an engine; an air-fuel ratio feedback control module, which generates a feedback correction factor based on deviation between the estimated indicated torque and the target indicated torque; and an air-fuel ratio feedforward control module, which converts the target indicated torque into an air-fuel ratio feedforward control signal according to a calibration parameter and engine speed. A target air-fuel ratio is obtained by correcting the air-fuel ratio feedforward control signal, via the feedback correction factor; and the target air-fuel ratio is configured to act on the engine to achieve air-fuel ratio control.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2022
    Assignee: TONGJI UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Diming Lou, Liang Fang, Piqiang Tan, Yunhua Zhang, Zhiyuan Hu, Yafeng Shi
  • Patent number: 11225242
    Abstract: A system and method for controlling a hybrid vehicle having an engine and a traction motor include operating the engine at an operating point selected based on system efficiency, operating the electric machine to provide an electric machine torque responsive to a difference between a driver demand torque and the engine torque associated with the operating point, and limiting a rate of change of the electric machine torque in response to a rate of change of the driver demand torque. The electric machine torque rate limit may vary continuously responsive to the rate of change of driver demand torque and whether the driver demand torque is increasing or decreasing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2022
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Alec Bolthouse, Justin Panhans, Douglas Michael Smith, Minku Lee, Joshua Nicholas Dewalt, Andrew E. Burt, Fazal Urrahman Syed
  • Patent number: 11220989
    Abstract: A method of controlling engine restart may include selecting, by a start controller, a first start situation and a second start situation for restarting an engine; determining a current possible start-up through the first and second start situations; prioritizing possible start-ups; and attempting to restart the engine by setting the first and second start situations as first start control and second start control, respectively, based on the priorities of the start-ups.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2022
    Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Motors Corporation
    Inventors: Jung-Sup Byun, Seung-Woo Lee, Chan-Hee Won, Seong-Kyu Park
  • Patent number: 11220986
    Abstract: A method for operating a common-rail fuel supply system of an internal combustion engine includes determining, dependent on an operating point of the engine, a set point rate of delivery of the high-pressure pumping device, and a set point pressure for the pressure storage system under high pressure, determining, dependent on a deviation between the set point pressure and an actual pressure in the pressure storage system, for a first part quantity of the throttle valves a closed-loop control portion for the position of the respective throttle valve, and activating the first part quantity of the throttle valves with the closed-loop control portion in addition to open-loop control for only the respective throttle valve of the first part quantity of the throttle valves. The, or each, throttle valve of a second part quantity of the throttle valves is exclusively activated with the open-loop control portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2022
    Assignee: MAN Energy Solutions SE
    Inventors: Christian Meier, Marcus Seibt
  • Patent number: 11215133
    Abstract: The present invention provides a fuel injection control apparatus that can suppress variations in fuel injection amounts in a very small fuel injection region. For this purpose, the fuel injection control apparatus includes a fixed injection pulse generator 10 and a drive current interruption unit 31. The fixed injection pulse generator 10 generates a fixed injection pulse having a valve opening timing at which a drive current is supplied to an electromagnetic coil 19 in an electromagnetic fuel injection valve 18 and a first valve closing timing at which the drive current to the electromagnetic coil 19 is interrupted. Within a period in which the fixed injection pulse is generated, the drive current interruption unit 31 determines an electric energy amount of a drive current supplied to the electromagnetic coil in response to a valve opening timing of the fixed injection pulse.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2022
    Assignee: Hitachi Astemo, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kotaro Oki, Osamu Mukaihara
  • Patent number: 11204010
    Abstract: A method for operating a vehicle that includes a DC/DC converter is described. In one example, the method includes adjusting an output voltage of the DC/DC converter after the DC/DC converter is used to crank an engine. The output voltage of the DC/DC converter may be adjusted responsive to a state of charge of an ultra-capacitor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 21, 2021
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Alexander O'Connor Gibson, John Eric Rollinger, David Hancock, William Taylor, Mark E. Shields
  • Patent number: 11193440
    Abstract: The occurrence of the misfire having a level at which exhaust purifying function of a catalyst is impaired (OT-level misfire) is detected. Upon the detection of the OT-level misfire, basic OT risk from the misfire is multiplied by a correction coefficient corresponding to the accumulated PM amount on the catalyst. The basic OT risk from the misfire is a basic value of OT risk from the misfire which is set based on the operating condition of the engine. The correction coefficient is set to a smaller value as the accumulated PM amount increases. Therefore, the OT risk from the misfire after the multiplication decreases as the accumulated PM amount increases. When a predetermined judgement condition with the OT risk from the misfire is established, it is judged that the misfire having the level occurs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2021
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takuya Hishida, Toshikazu Kato, Hayato Imai
  • Patent number: 11193445
    Abstract: A fuel pump pressure-feeds fuel to an accumulation container that accumulates high-pressure fuel. A fuel injection valve injects high-pressure fuel accumulated in the accumulation container to an internal combustion engine. A fuel pressure sensor detects a fuel pressure in the accumulation container. A fuel pressure acquisition unit acquires the fuel pressure detected with the fuel pressure sensor. A reference computation unit computes a required injection quantity and an injection start timing based on an operation state of the internal combustion engine at a predetermined reference computation timing, which is set for each combustion cycle of the internal combustion engine, and further to compute an injection time period based on a fuel pressure acquired by the fuel pressure acquisition unit at the reference computation timing. A correction unit corrects the injection time period based on the fuel pressure acquired by the fuel pressure acquisition unit at the injection start timing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2021
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Masami Nakamura
  • Patent number: 11187170
    Abstract: A rotation-speed-calculation-apparatus includes: a detector configured to detect a rotation-angle of an engine; and a CPU and a memory coupled to the CPU. The CPU is configured to perform: calculating an engine-speed each time the detector detects a predetermined-angle based on a time-period required for the engine to rotate the predetermined-angle; and determining whether the engine-speed calculated is in a low-rotation range equal to or lower than a threshold-value or in a high-rotation range over the threshold-value. The CPU is configured to perform: the calculating including: calculating the engine-speed based on a time-period required for the engine to rotate a first-predetermined-angle when it is determined that the engine-speed is in the low-rotation range; and calculating the engine-speed based on a time-period required for the engine to rotate a second-predetermined-angle smaller than the first-predetermined-angle when it is determined that the engine-speed is in the high-rotation range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2021
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Satoshi Furuhashi, Mitsuo Muraoka, Nobuaki Takeo, Akifumi Ikeda