Patents Examined by John Kwon
  • Patent number: 11472408
    Abstract: A device for controlling travel of a vehicle includes an input device configured to receive user setting information, a sensor configured to acquire user state information, travel information of the vehicle, and vehicle surroundings information, and a controller configured to calculate an ADAS operation reliability based on the travel information of the vehicle and the vehicle surroundings information, calculate at least one of a vehicle set speed and/or a warning time point based on the user setting information and an ADAS reliability determination value when careless driving of a user is determined based on the user state information, and determine whether to perform vehicle stop control.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2022
    Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Corporation
    Inventor: Kyeong Eun Kim
  • Patent number: 11473491
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for cooling an overheated engine using a combination of variable displacement engine (VDE) technology and direct injection technology. In one example, a method may include deactivating a subset of engine cylinders based on an engine temperature and directly injecting liquid fuel into the deactivated cylinders. In this way, an increased thermal conductivity of the liquid fuel compared to air decreases the engine temperature at a faster rate than when air-based engine cooling methods are used, thereby preventing overheating-related engine degradation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2022
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: Aed Dudar
  • Patent number: 11473535
    Abstract: An evaporated fuel treatment device includes a main adsorption chamber and a sub adsorption chamber. The sub adsorption chamber includes a first adsorption layer, a second adsorption layer and a high-desorption layer. The second adsorption layer is situated closer to an atmosphere port than the first adsorption layer is, and has a lower performance of adsorbing fuel vapor than the first adsorption layer does. The high-desorption layer is situated closer to the main adsorption chamber than the first adsorption layer is, and a higher performance of desorbing the fuel vapor than the first adsorption layer or the second adsorption layer does.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2022
    Assignee: FUTABA INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Koji Iwamoto
  • Patent number: 11466650
    Abstract: This fuel includes: a first switching element disposed between a booster circuit boosting a battery power and one end of a solenoid; a second switching element disposed between a battery and one end of the solenoid; a third switching element disposed between the other end of the solenoid and a ground; a fourth switching element disposed between one end of the solenoid and a ground; and a control unit configured to control open/closed states of the first switching element, the second switching element, the third switching element, and the fourth switching element. The control unit is configured to open the fourth switching element during a valve closing detection period of detecting closing of a fuel injection valve and to detect the closing of the fuel injection valve on the basis of a change in voltage of the other end of the solenoid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2022
    Assignees: HITACHI ASTEMO, LTD., PANASONIC SEMICONDUCTOR SOLUTIONS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Atsushi Ogawa, Motoaki Kato, Kengo Nomura, Keisuke Kuroda, Takashi Ryu
  • Patent number: 11466631
    Abstract: A vehicle system having an internal combustion engine and evaporative emission system including a canister is described, wherein canister includes a chamber having a flexible Metal Organic Framework (MOF) material disposed therein. A controllable device is coupled to the flexible MOF material, and a controller is operatively connected to the controllable device and the purge valve. The controller includes an instruction set that is executable to activate the controllable device and control the purge valve to an open state in response to a command to purge the canister, determine an activation parameter for the controllable device, determine a purge flow, integrate the purge flow to determine a total purge mass, and deactivate the controllable device when the total purge mass is greater than a threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2022
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Michael B. Viola, Darrell W. Burleigh, Timothy E. McCarthy, Anne M. Dailly
  • Patent number: 11466637
    Abstract: An injection control device controls fuel injection to an internal-combustion engine by driving a fuel injection valve with an electric current to open and close the valve. The injection control device includes a boost circuit boosting a battery voltage; a boost controller controlling the boosting of the boost circuit; and a charge control setter setting charge permission or charge prohibition of the boost circuit to the boost controller. The charge control setter sets the charge permission or charge prohibition of the boost circuit to the boost controller according to a magnitude of an influence of a drive current error.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2022
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kosuke Kato, Hiroyuki Fukuda, Yasumasa Ishikawa
  • Patent number: 11459983
    Abstract: An intake manifold for an engine includes first and second runners that each extend from a plenum to a mounting face of the intake manifold. The mounting face mates with a corresponding face of a cylinder head. The intake manifold defines a passage directly fluidly coupling the first runner to the second runner to reduce engine noise. The passage is spaced apart from the plenum and the mounting face. A method of controlling engine noise is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2022
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Alan Eden, Bret Wayne Harris
  • Patent number: 11459969
    Abstract: Disclosed is a method for controlling a DC/DC voltage converter for controlling the current of at least one fuel injector of an internal combustion engine of a motor vehicle, the vehicle including a supply battery and the converter including a coil and a switch. The method includes the steps of measuring the value of the voltage delivered by the battery, of determining a threshold value of the current passing through the coil from the measured value of the voltage and from a predetermined curve of the current as a function of the voltage, and of actuating the opening of the switch when the current passing through the coil reaches the determined threshold value of the current in order to regulate the power of the converter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2022
    Assignee: VITESCO TECHNOLOGIES GMBH
    Inventors: Cedrick Biellmann, Thierry Bavois
  • Patent number: 11453471
    Abstract: A propulsive force suitable to hold a vessel at a target position is determined, by a controller that controls a propulsion device in a fixed point holding mode to hold the position of the vessel. The controller acquires a parameter including the position of the vessel or a vessel speed. The controller determines a target value for the parameter. The controller determines a demand output of the propulsion device within a predetermined upper limit value or less by feedback control according to a deviation between the parameter and the target value. The controller increases the upper limit value when the demand output of the propulsion device is greater than or equal to a first threshold. The first threshold is defined by a predetermined ratio with respect to the upper limit value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2022
    Assignee: YAMAHA HATSUDOKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kohei Yamaguchi, Yoshikazu Nakayasu
  • Patent number: 11454190
    Abstract: Methods and systems for adjusting fuel injector operation according to changes in fuel pressure during inter-injection periods are described. The inter-injection period may be before and after fuel is injected to an engine. The methods and systems described herein may be suitable for direct and port fuel injectors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2022
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Ross Pursifull, David Oshinsky, Rani Kiwan, Joseph Lyle Thomas
  • Patent number: 11454202
    Abstract: A computer-implemented method for ascertaining a closure point in time of an injector of an internal combustion engine using a classifier. The method includes: ascertaining a time series of input signals, each corresponding to a point in time within the time series, and each characterizing a deformation of the injector; ascertaining a plurality of first values using the classifier based on the time series, in each case a first value corresponding to a point in time of the time series, and the first value characterizing a probability that the closure point in time of the injector matches the point in time; ascertaining a plurality of second values, each being a sum of neighboring first values, of a first value and the first value, the second value corresponding to the point in time to which the first value corresponds; ascertaining the closure point in time based on the largest second value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2022
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Andreas Hopf, Erik Tonner, Frank Kowol, Jens-Holger Barth, Konrad Groh, Matthias Woehrle, Mona Meister, Roland Norden
  • Patent number: 11448167
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to an active purge system and an active purge method for a hybrid vehicle, and changes a control method for the throughput of the evaporation gas according to the engine torque according to a change in an optimal operating line, the system efficiency, or the state of charge (SOC) condition of a battery using an active purge unit for pressing the evaporation gas generated by a fuel tank and supplying the pressed evaporation gas to an intake pipe, thereby efficiently purging the evaporation gas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2022
    Assignees: HYUNDAI MOTOR COMPANY, KIA MOTORS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Young-Kyu Oh, Keum-Jin Park
  • Patent number: 11448143
    Abstract: An apparatus of controlling a vehicle and a method thereof are provided. The operating region of an engine is operated with theoretical air-fuel ratio. The apparatus includes a supercharger that supplies compressed air to a the combustion chamber of the engine and a spark plug that ignites mixed air supplied to the combustion chamber. An intake valve selectively opens and closes the combustion chamber for inflowing the mixed air therein. A variable valve apparatus adjusts an opening timing and closing timing of the intake valve and a controller adjusts an ignition timing of the spark plug and the closing timing of the intake valve through the variable valve apparatus based on the operating region of the engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2022
    Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Motors Corporation
    Inventors: Yeongseop Park, Dong Hee Han, Jong Il Park, Hyunjin Kang, Heechang Oh, JaUn Ku, Seungwoo Hong, Jonghyeok Lee, Kwanhee Lee, Dongwon Jung, Jaeheun Kim
  • Patent number: 11448157
    Abstract: A controller and a control method for internal combustion engine, and a memory medium are provided. A port injection ratio is changed according to an engine operating state of the internal combustion engine. The port injection ratio is a ratio of a port injection amount that is an amount of fuel injected by port injection valves to an amount of fuel supplied to cylinders from the port injection valves and direct injection valves. An injection reducing process causes a fuel injection amount in a reduced-injection cylinder to be smaller than a fuel injection amount in other cylinders. An increase limiting process limits increases in an adhered fuel amount in intake ports by regulating the port injection ratio during execution of the injection reducing process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2022
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yuki Nose, Yuto Ikeda, Takanobu Gotoh
  • Patent number: 11448156
    Abstract: An engine control apparatus includes an ignition control section and an injection control section. When partial compression ignition combustion is carried out, the ignition control section causes an ignition plug to carry out: main ignition in which a spark is generated in a late period of a compression stroke or an initial period of a expansion stroke to initiate the SI combustion; and preceding ignition in which the spark is generated at earlier timing than the main ignition. Also, when the partial compression ignition combustion is carried out, the injection control section causes the injector to inject fuel at such timing that the fuel exists in a cylinder at an earlier time point than the preceding ignition. Energy of the preceding ignition is set to be lower when an in-cylinder temperature specified by an in-cylinder temperature specification section is high than when the in-cylinder temperature is low.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2022
    Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Kota Matsumoto, Tomonori Urushihara, Keiji Maruyama, Masanari Sueoka, Ryohei Ono, Yuji Harada, Toru Miyamoto, Atsushi Inoue, Tatsuhiro Tokunaga, Takuya Ohura, Yusuke Kawai, Tomohiro Nishida, Keita Arai, Yodai Yamaguchi
  • Patent number: 11448104
    Abstract: A Type II valvetrain and engine brake arrangement includes a hydraulic brake housing mountable to a valve block of the engine. A brake piston is coupled to a brake rod and a brake cam lobe and is movable between an activated position and a non-activated position. A finger follower is disposed relative to the brake housing so that the brake rod engages the finger follower at least when the brake piston is in the activated position. When the brake piston is in a non-activated position, the finger follower is configured to pivot about a pivot as the finger follower follows a valve cam lobe to effect lifting and seating of a cylinder valve of an engine cylinder. When the brake piston is in the activated position, the finger follower, at least in part, pivots from about the pivot and the brake rod engages an end of the finger follower to lift the cylinder valve and release compression from the engine cylinder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2022
    Assignee: DEERE & COMPANY
    Inventor: Neil S. Erickson
  • Patent number: 11441501
    Abstract: A controller performs a rotation angle deriving process that derives a value of the rotation angle of a crankshaft by each specified angle that is smaller than a predetermined angle by performing a Hilbert process on a detection signal from a crankshaft sensor, an angular velocity deriving process that derives an angular velocity of the crankshaft as an engine angular velocity from the value of the rotation angle of the crankshaft by each specified angle, an inertia torque calculation process that calculates an engine inertia torque from the engine angular velocity, a resonance effect torque calculation process that calculates a resonance effect torque, and an engine torque calculation process that calculates a sum of the resonance effect torque and the engine inertia torque as an engine torque that is an output torque of the engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2022
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takashi Suzuki, Akihiro Kaneko
  • Patent number: 11443084
    Abstract: A method of determining productive capacity parameters includes steps of: obtaining a plurality of parameters of a production line from a memory. By a productive capacity parameters generating system finishing the following steps of: combining parameters of production line to obtain a plurality of parametric combinations so as to generate a plurality of production capacity values; calculating a plurality of stimulation values according to production capacity values and parameters; when at least one stimulation value of stimulation values is greater than to or equals to a preset threshold, setting up at least one stimulation value of stimulation values as at least one related stimulation value; obtaining parameters of at least one target parametric combination of parametric combinations according to at least one related stimulation value; and providing parameters of at least one target parametric combination as productive capacity parameters of production line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2022
    Assignee: PEGATRON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Chun-Kuang Ma, Chang-Sheng Tsau, Shen-Hau Chang
  • Patent number: 11441500
    Abstract: An engine torque estimating apparatus having a processor and a memory accessed by the processor. The processor performs a torque estimating that calculates time series data of an estimated indicated torque, based on a crank angle having been extracted from an output of a crank angle sensor of an engine including a plurality of cylinders; an estimated indicated torque-related value extracting that extracts an estimated indicated torque-related value, for each of the cylinders, from the time series data of the estimated indicated torque, for each of the cylinders; and average indicated torque correct value acquiring that converts, for each of the cylinders, the estimated indicated torque-related value into an average indicated torque correct value having been calculated based on a cylinder internal state of the engine in correspondence to the estimated indicated torque-related value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2022
    Assignee: TRANSTRON INC.
    Inventors: Masatoshi Ogawa, Hiromitsu Soneda
  • Patent number: 11428179
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for fuel post injection for diesel particulate filter (DPF) regeneration. In one example, a method may include, responsive to a request for generating exotherms in an exhaust system of an engine while combustion is discontinued in at least one cylinder of the engine, injecting fuel into a cylinder within a threshold crank angle range around top dead center (TDC) of a compression stroke of the cylinder and also within the threshold crank angle range around top dead center of an exhaust stroke of the cylinder, the threshold crank angle range extending from no more than 40 crank angle degrees before TDC to no more than 40 crank angle degrees after TDC. In this way, fuel post injections may be injected +/?40 crank angle degrees after TDC of the compression and exhaust strokes to increase exhaust temperature while avoiding wall wetting and oil-in-fuel dilution.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2022
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Eric Kurtz, Michiel J. Van Nieuwstadt, Jason Martz