Patents Examined by John Kwon
  • Patent number: 11313305
    Abstract: A method that includes coupling an external, removable fuel pressurization system to a fuel system of a vehicle while the vehicle remains in a confined space. The fuel system of the vehicle is pressurized with the fuel pressurization system while the vehicle remains in the confined space and without activating an engine of the vehicle. Decay of pressure of the fuel system is monitored following pressurization of the fuel system, and one or more of a leak, or a replaceable component, of the fuel system of the vehicle is detected based on at least in part on the decay of pressure that are monitored.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2022
    Assignee: TRANSPORTATION IP HOLDINGS, LLC
    Inventors: David Wright, David Baldwin
  • Patent number: 11313293
    Abstract: A vapor fuel processing includes a canister for absorbing vapor fuel, a purge pipe, a purge control valve, a pump, a pressure sensor, and a determination unit. The pump may be provided on the purge pipe upstream of the purge control valve. The pressure sensor may be provided between the purge control valve and the pump. The determination unit may determine a state of a purge path by comparing a first detected value of the pressure sensor detected when the pump is driven with the purge control valve in a cutoff state with a first reference value and then comparing a second detected value of the pressure sensor detected when the pump is driven with the purge control valve in the communicated state with a second reference value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2022
    Assignee: AISAN KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Nobuhiro Kato
  • Patent number: 11313763
    Abstract: An engine synchronization method may include: detecting teeth numbers of crank teeth installed on a crankshaft based on a pulse signal generated from a crankshaft position sensor; calculating a tooth period between a falling edge and a next falling edge of the pulse signal generated from the crankshaft position sensor and detecting a missing tooth based on the calculated tooth period; determining whether the detected missing tooth is an actual missing tooth based on a tooth number detected at the time of detecting the missing tooth; and performing synchronization control of an engine when it is determined that the detected missing tooth is the actual missing tooth.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2022
    Assignees: HYUNDAI MOTOR COMPANY, KIA MOTORS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hyeok-Jun Kwon, Chang-Jin Oh, Chang-Hyun Lim, Jung-Suk Han
  • Patent number: 11313315
    Abstract: An internal combustion engine control apparatus including a microprocessor. The microprocessor is configured to perform controlling a fuel injector so as to inject a fuel of a target injection amount by dividing into a plurality of times at a predetermined time interval in an area from a first crank angle at which an intake stroke is started to a second crank angle at which a compression stroke is ended, and setting the predetermined time interval. The microprocessor is configured to perform the setting including setting the predetermined time interval so that a spray length from a tip of the fuel injector to a tip of a spray of the fuel injected from the fuel injector becomes shorter than the spray length when the fuel of the target injection amount is injected at once in the area by a predetermined rate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2022
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Ryuichi Hata, Hidekazu Hironobu, Daiki Yamazaki, Masatoshi Nakajima, Takaya Kawana
  • Patent number: 11312364
    Abstract: A vehicle includes an engine, a first MG, a planetary gear mechanism to which the engine, the first MG, and a counter shaft are connected, and an HV-ECU configured to control the engine and the first MG. The engine includes a turbocharger that boosts suctioned air to be fed to the engine. The HV-ECU controls the engine and the first MG to initially decrease the engine's rotation speed and simultaneously increase torque that the engine generates when on a map indicating a relationship between the engine's rotation speed and torque generated by the engine the controller shifts a first operating point to a second operating point at which torque generated by the engine and the rotation speed of the engine are higher than at the first operating point and the turbocharger boosts suctioned air.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2022
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Kenji Itagaki
  • Patent number: 11313270
    Abstract: The present invention uses an improved engineered metal seal with or without an internal energized spring that is disposed in a pre-combustion chamber apparatus assembly to improve sealing over the flat washer seals that are currently used. The seals of the present invention comprise at least three different geometrical configurations of seals that are manufactured from titanium, Inconel, and/or hastelloy. The design of the tip and body of the pre-combustion chamber provide for movement of the seal without leaking. The sealing is provided on the axial surfaces of the tip and the body instead of the face of the tip and body by a flat washer seal, as is currently done.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2022
    Inventor: Tracy Northington
  • Patent number: 11313269
    Abstract: The invention is provided with 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 an expansion stroke to initiate 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 an injector to inject fuel at such timing that the fuel exists in a cylinder at an earlier time point than the preceding ignition. Timing of the preceding ignition is set to be more retarded when an engine speed is high than when the engine speed is low.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 26, 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: 11306669
    Abstract: A system, apparatus, and method for controlling an engine system can provide fuel reactivity compensation control for an engine of the engine system. The control can include controlling pilot fuel quantity supplied to an engine based on a pilot fuel offset value; and controlling air-to-fuel ratio (AFR) for the engine based on an AFR control trim value. A NOx error value can be used to generate one of the pilot fuel offset value or the AFR control trim value, and an exhaust temperature error value can be used to generate the other of the pilot fuel offset value or the AFR control trim value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2022
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Christopher F. Gallmeyer, Geetika Dilawari, Shawn M. Damm, Shivangi Wagle, Hannes Marscheider
  • Patent number: 11306674
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for operating a cylinder of an engine including a pre-chamber ignition system. In one example, a method may include determining amounts of pre-chamber gases in the cylinder prior to combustion, and adjusting an amount of fuel injected into the cylinder based on the amounts of pre-chamber gases in the cylinder. In this way, cylinder fueling may be compensated for additional air and/or fuel from the pre-chamber gases, which may increase an accuracy of the cylinder fueling and increase cylinder efficiency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2022
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: Chris Paul Glugla
  • Patent number: 11306675
    Abstract: In a current-driving of a fuel injection valve to inject fuel through a single injection or a multi-stage injection, an energization time correction amount is calculated by performing area correction on a current flowing through the fuel injection valve. The single injection is switched to the multi-stage injection when the single injection is consecutively performed under a predetermined condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2022
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yuki Kato, Yohei Suganuma, Hiroyuki Fukuda
  • Patent number: 11306677
    Abstract: A fuel injection control apparatus including a microprocessor. The microprocessor is configured to perform calculating injection target values per a combustion cycle, controlling a fuel injector so as to inject fuel in accordance with the injection target values, instructing a switching between a first mode injecting the fuel and a second mode stopping the fuel injection, determining whether it is possible to inject the fuel in accordance with the injection target values when the switching from the second mode to the first mode is instructed, and modifying the injection target values by reducing a target injection frequency when it is determined to be impossible to inject the fuel in accordance with the injection target values, and the controlling including controlling the fuel injector, when the injection target values are modified, so as to inject the fuel in accordance with modified injection target values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2022
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masatoshi Nakajima, Masahiro Takeuchi, Hidekazu Hironobu, Daiki Yamazaki, Nobuaki Ito, Ryuichi Hata, Yasunori Shinmi
  • Patent number: 11300091
    Abstract: A method and system for operating a vehicle that includes a plurality of engine starting devices and an internal combustion engine is described. In one example, the method determines whether or not to inhibit automatic engine stopping so that a lifespan of an engine starting device may be extended. In one example, the inhibiting is based on a ratio of an actual total number of engine starts generated via the engine starting device to an actual total distance traveled by the vehicle since the engine starting device was installed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2022
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: John Eric Rollinger, Jeffrey Allen Doering, Jason Meyer
  • Patent number: 11300060
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for engine braking in a vehicle. In one example, a method may include deactivating fueling to at least one cylinder of an engine, increasing an air mass provided to the engine via an electric boosting device, and adjusting an exhaust valve opening timing of the at least one cylinder in response to a request for engine braking. In this way, an amount of engine braking torque may be increased with reduced wear to engine system components.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2022
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: Aed Dudar
  • Patent number: 11299035
    Abstract: This flow regulation device comprises a housing (200) having an inlet port (202) and an outlet port (204), and a fluid flow conduit (206) between them, a valve body (208) mounted in the housing (200), and a first (210) and a second (212) orifices allowing fluid flow in the conduit (206). The valve body (208) is movable between an open position, in which the first and second orifices (210, 212) are open, and a closed position, in which only one (210) of the first and second orifices (210, 212) is open. The flow regulation device (20) comprises a resilient element (214) urging the valve body (208) towards its open position, and the valve body (208) passes from its open to its closed position under action of fluid pressure (P) entering in the inlet port (202).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2022
    Assignee: VOLVO TRUCK CORPORATION
    Inventors: François Giroud, Hervé Coste, Manas Phatak
  • Patent number: 11300088
    Abstract: A valve body has a seat surface swollen toward a seating surface of an injection hole body having an injection hole. A fuel passage is between the injection hole body and the valve body and is opened and closed due to separation and seating of the seat surface. In a seat portion throttle state, a flow rate of injected fuel is throttled by a gap between the seat surface and the seating surface. In an injection hole throttle state, the flow rate of fuel is throttled by the injection hole. When the valve body is operated from a valve closing position to a full lift position, the seat portion throttle state is brought from the valve closing position to a predetermined intermediate position, and the injection hole throttle state is brought from the intermediate position to the full lift position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2022
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yuki Watanabe, Kouichi Mochizuki, Atsuya Okamoto
  • Patent number: 11294339
    Abstract: There is provision of a control device for outputting an operation amount of a controlled object so as to cause a process value of the controlled object to track a target value. The control device acquires a look-ahead target value within a time series of target values; calculates a look-ahead target value deviation which is a difference between the look-ahead target value and a current process value of the controlled object; calculates an adjusted target value deviation, by calculating a difference between the look-ahead target value and a predicted value of the process value after a look-ahead time length, based on a response model of the controlled object and past change amounts of the operation amount; performs reinforcement learning based on the adjusted target value deviation; and calculates an updated operation amount based on the adjusted target value deviation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2022
    Assignee: FUJI ELECTRIC CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yoshio Tange, Satoshi Kiryu
  • Patent number: 11292482
    Abstract: In a torque-based detection process, a control device detects an excess acceleration state of a vehicle when a duration time of a state in which a value obtained by subtracting a required torque from an actual torque of an internal combustion engine is equal to or greater than a torque threshold value is equal to or greater than a torque determination time. In an acceleration-based detection process, the control device detects the excess acceleration state of the vehicle when a duration time of a state in which a value obtained by subtracting a required acceleration from an actual acceleration of the vehicle is equal to or greater than an acceleration threshold value is equal to or greater than an acceleration determination time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2022
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Toshiya Oishi, Tsutomu Miyazaki, Toshihiro Nishimura
  • Patent number: 11285959
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for improving fuel economy and reducing undesired emissions. In one example, a method may include in response to an engine speed being within a first threshold speed of an engine idle speed during a speed reduction request with engine cylinders unfueled, maintaining the cylinders unfueled, and controlling the engine to a desired stopping position responsive to the engine speed being greater than a second threshold speed lower than the idle speed. In this way, fuel usage and emissions may be reduced and engine restart requests may be conducted at least in part via vehicle inertia.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2022
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Douglas Martin, John Rollinger, Julia Buckland Seeds, Joseph Lyle Thomas, Joshua Schumaker, Adam Richards, John Erik Mikael Hellstrom
  • Patent number: 11280304
    Abstract: A fuel pressure regulator includes a fuel inlet; a fuel outlet; a seating surface; and a valve member assembly. The valve member assembly includes a poppet and also includes a sealing member which is centered about a valve member assembly axis, is annular in shape, and includes a sealing member surface. The valve member assembly is moveable between 1) a closed position in which the sealing member surface annularly engages the seating surface, thereby preventing fuel flow from the fuel inlet to the fuel outlet and 2) an open position in which at least a portion of the sealing member surface is spaced apart from the seating surface, thereby allowing fuel flow from the fuel inlet to the fuel outlet. A spring biases the valve member assembly toward the closed position and is centered about a spring axis which is laterally offset relative to the valve member assembly axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2022
    Inventors: Alejandro Moreno, Francisco Morales, Victor A. Schiaffino
  • Patent number: 11279225
    Abstract: Fuel isolation systems, apparatuses and methods are described. In some embodiments, a system comprises a fuel tank, a fuel pump, an engine, a firewall, a fuel line from the fuel tank to the engine, a connector coupled inline with the fuel line on a cold side of the fuel line, a normally closed valve coupled to the connector, an air feed line coupled to an ullage of the fuel tank and to the valve. In the event of an engine fire condition, a control unit outputs signaling to turn off the fuel pump and open the valve to introduce air from the ullage into the fuel line. The introduced air provides a siphon break in the fuel line such that the fuel cannot be siphoned and the only fuel that can pass the firewall is the remaining fuel in the fuel line downstream of the connector and the introduced air.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2022
    Assignee: GENERAL ATOMICS AERONAUTICAL SYSTEMS, INC.
    Inventors: Jason B. Newlin, Brett C. Bonner, Graham Feasey