Patents Examined by John T. Kwon
  • Patent number: 8401768
    Abstract: Various systems and methods are described for controlling an engine in a vehicle, the engine being coupled to a transmission. One example method comprises, under selected braking conditions, shutting-off the engine and spinning-down the engine to rest while the vehicle is traveling, and in response to a foot-off-brake event, restarting the engine by at least partially engaging the transmission to assist in spinning-up of the engine from rest while the vehicle is traveling. In this manner, vehicle inertia can be used to assist in spinning-up the engine from rest when the vehicle is moving.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2013
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Donald J. Lewis, Gopichandra Surnilla, Ross Dykstra Pursifull
  • Patent number: 8392094
    Abstract: A control apparatus for an internal combustion engine includes: an abnormal combustion detection unit for detecting an abnormal combustion due to self-ignition occurring; a pre-ignition determination unit for detecting abnormal combustion occurrence timing based on abnormal combustion detection information to determine whether or not the abnormal combustion is the pre-ignition based on comparison between pre-ignition determination timing and the abnormal combustion occurrence timing; a heat-source pre-ignition determination unit for determining whether the pre-ignition is the heat-source pre-ignition or the compression pre-ignition based on comparison between the abnormal combustion occurrence timing set by the pre-ignition determination timing and heat-source pre-ignition determination timing; a first avoidance unit for avoiding the heat-source pre-ignition in a case where the pre-ignition is determined as the heat-source pre-ignition; and a second avoidance unit for avoiding the compression pre-ignition in
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2013
    Assignees: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation, Mazda Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Tomokazu Makino, Hideki Hagari, Keitaro Ezumi, Tomokuni Kusunoki
  • Patent number: 8392095
    Abstract: In an internal combustion engine, a variable compression ratio mechanism able to change a mechanical compression ratio, a variable valve timing mechanism able to control the closing timing of the intake valve, and an electronic control unit that predicts the temperature of the catalyst arranged in the engine exhaust passage are provided. When it is predicted that the temperature of the catalyst will fall to less than the activation temperature, the actual expansion ratio is lowered while maintaining the actual compression ratio the same or while increasing the actual compression ratio.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2013
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yukihiro Nakasaka
  • Patent number: 8381708
    Abstract: An engine ECU calculates a rotational variation based on a required rotation time when a complete misfire occurs in a cylinder, a required rotation time when complete combustion occurs in the cylinder, and a required rotation time during the current combustion stroke, and integrates the calculated rotational variation. If it is determined that the number of times the rotational variation has been integrated has reached a predetermined number, the engine ECU calculates an amount of learning value deviation from the integrated rotational variation. If the amount of learning value deviation is equal to or greater than a certain amount, the engine ECU corrects a learning value of a sub-feedback control with respect to the air-fuel ratio.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2013
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Akihiro Katayama, Naoto Kato, Shuntaro Okazaki, Kenji Kimura, Masashi Hakariya, Hiroaki Tsuji
  • Patent number: 8375921
    Abstract: In a situation where a conventional inductive throttle sensor is used with a motor-driven throttle valve device to detect the rotation angle of a throttle shaft, plural sensor connection conductor sections for connecting a connector terminal to a circuit board terminal section are formed on the cover on one lateral surface side of a circuit board in the long-axis direction. This increases the dimension of the cover in the short-axis direction (the dimension in the direction of air flow in an intake path). Consequently, it is difficult to install the motor-driven throttle valve device and inductive throttle sensor in a narrow engine room. This problem is addressed by using a separate member to achieve electrical conduction between a stator circuit board and a conductor routed inside the cover installed over the stator circuit board in a concentrated manner on one side of the circuit board.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2013
    Assignee: Hitachi Automotive Systems, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yasuhisa Uchiyama, Morio Kuwano, Kenji Usui
  • Patent number: 8380423
    Abstract: A diagnostic system for an engine includes a phaser control module that commands a first cam phaser position of a cam phaser of the engine for a first period and a second cam phaser position of the cam phaser for a second period, and a phaser diagnostic module that diagnoses a phaser control error for the cam phaser based on a first pressure of fluid supplied by an oil control valve to the cam phaser measured during the first period, and a second pressure of fluid supplied by the oil control valve to the cam phaser measured during the second period. The first and second pressures are measured on one of an advance-side fluid chamber and a retard-side fluid chamber of the cam phaser. The phaser diagnostic module detects one of a phaser mechanical fault and a phaser hydraulic system fault. A related method is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2013
    Inventors: Joshua D. Cowgill, Donovan L. Dibble, Kenneth J. Cinpinski
  • Patent number: 8365702
    Abstract: The invention relates to an internal combustion engine (1), in particular in a motor vehicle, comprising at least one cylinder (3) that defines a combustion chamber (4) and in which a piston (5) can be adjusted with regard to stroke. Each cylinder (3) comprises at least one intake opening (6) for a fresh mixture. Each intake opening (6) is associated with an intake valve (7) that works together with an associated valve seat (8) in order to control the intake opening (6). At least one such intake opening (6) is provided with a guide mask (9) that laterally encloses the respective valve seat (8) on a side that is opposite the respective combustion chamber (4) along a delimited circumferential section. Each intake opening (6) is associated with an intake canal (10). In order to improve the operation of the internal combustion engine (1), at least one intake canal (10) leading to a masked intake opening (6) is associated with an additional valve (11) for controlling the intake canal (10).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2013
    Assignees: Mahle International GmbH, Dr. Ing. H.C.F. Porsche Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Alfred Elsässer, Jörg Rückauf, Dietmar Schwarzenthal, Van-Khanh Tran
  • Patent number: 8364384
    Abstract: Various systems and methods are described for controlling fuel injection of a dual fuel engine which includes first and second fuel rails and first and second fuel pumps. In one example, while pumping is suspended in the second fuel rail, the first fuel is injected to all but one cylinder of the engine and the second fuel is injected to the one cylinder in a predetermined sequence. As such, the fuel injector injecting to the one cylinder is isolated and its performance may be assessed without significantly affecting engine performance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2013
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: Ross Dykstra Pursifull
  • Patent number: 8364380
    Abstract: A method and system for controlling an engine includes a desired fuel mass determination module that determines fuel mass for injection into a cylinder. The system also includes a split determination module that splits the fuel mass into split fuel masses and a pulsewidth determination module that converts the split fuel masses into injection pulsewidths outside of an injector operation exclusion zone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2013
    Inventors: Allen B. Rayl, Andrew P. Bagnasco
  • Patent number: 8353270
    Abstract: A system including, an internal combustion engine including a combustion chamber, a first injector to provide a first injection fluid to the combustion chamber, and a heated pressurization system to heat the first injection fluid in a pressure vessel to achieve a sufficient injection pressure. By heating the injection fluid in a pressure vessel, pressure in the vessel can be increased to a specified injection pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 15, 2013
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Joseph Norman Ulrey, Ross Dykstra Pursifull
  • Patent number: 8347861
    Abstract: In a gas engine system, air fed through a turbocharger is mixed with fuel gas flowing through a fuel gas supply line and supply into a combustion chamber is controlled. In case that the fuel gas has a low calorie or the engine output power is high, a portion of the fuel gas is diverged from the fuel gas supply line, and the flow rate thereof is set to a constant rate less than that of the diverged side fuel gas. The diverging fuel gas is fed into the combustion chamber through a divergence control valve while the remainder of the fuel gas is fed into the fuel flow control valve. In case that the fuel gas has a high calorie or the engine output power is low, the divergence control valve is closed so as to feed the fuel gas only into the gas supply main pipe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yuuichi Shimizu, Hideki Nishio, Hajime Suzuki
  • Patent number: 8352152
    Abstract: An apparatus for providing an antisurge operating mode for a turbocharged engine may include a processor. The processor may be configured to receive indications of engine operating parameters and engine accelerator pedal position, determine whether the received indications correspond to antisurge mode activation conditions, and, in response to a determination that the received indications correspond to antisurge mode activation conditions, initiate control of selected engine components by directing the selected engine components to operate based on stored engine operating parameters recorded a predetermined time prior to the determination.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
    Inventor: Nicolas Serres
  • Patent number: 8347864
    Abstract: An internal combustion engine (1) has a fuel tank (18) and a fuel vapor reservoir (25). According to the method during the tank vent period—before opening the tank vent valve (28) a reference value is updated if a condition is met, and otherwise the existing reference value is maintained, —before opening the tank vent valve (28) an opening period is determined as a function of at least one variable, —the tank vent valve (28) is controlled such that the flow achieves the target flow value by the end of the opening period that was determined, —the load level of the fuel vapor reservoir (25) is computed based on the reference value, —a fuel amount is computed based on the load level, —and the fuel amount to be metered by the injection valve (22) is corrected based on the computer fuel amount.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbH
    Inventors: Wolfgang Mai, Jens Pache
  • Patent number: 8342157
    Abstract: A vehicle fuel emissions system includes a fuel tank, a tank pressure sensor indicating a pressure differential between the tank and a port communicating with the atmosphere, a pump for selectively producing vacuum in the tank, and a passage connecting the pump and a pressure sensor air reference port external to the system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Raffi Der Manuelian, Kenneth J. Kalvelage, Timothy E. McCarthy
  • Patent number: 8336523
    Abstract: In a motor vehicle having an emergency running device, there is the problem that, in the event of certain fault symptoms occurring, an emergency running function is initiated and the torque of the engine is in the process limited to an unsuitable low value. In the worst case, this can lead to insufficient acceleration, for example during an overtaking maneuver, and to an accident occurring. It is therefore proposed that the determination of an optimized emergency running function be defined as a function both of the present driving state of the motor vehicle and also of the type of fault symptom depending on which the risk and the level of danger are graded into classes and an optimized emergency running function is then determined and initiated. Thus, sufficient torque and rotational speed can be provided for reliable vehicle control even in an unfavorable traffic situation without damaging the endangered components.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2012
    Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbH
    Inventor: Michael Käsbauer
  • Patent number: 8327821
    Abstract: A method of initiating combustion in an internal combustion engine that has a main chamber (5) of variable volume into which an ignitable mixture is introduced, an auxiliary chamber (10) opening out into the main chamber and a controlled valve unit (11, 14, 15) for putting the auxiliary chamber into communication with, or isolating it from, the main chamber. The method includes controlling the controlled valve to put the auxiliary chamber into communication with the main chamber during a period that includes the top dead center between the compression stage and the expansion stage. An engine is specially adapted to implement the method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2012
    Assignees: Universite Pierre et Marie Curie (Paris 6), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)
    Inventor: Philippe Guibert
  • Patent number: 8297266
    Abstract: Provided is a control apparatus for an internal combustion engine which is capable of estimating a single composition concentration based on an air-fuel ratio correction amount obtained by using an output of an air-fuel ratio sensor in exhaust gas and optimizing a fuel injection amount by using a concentration estimation value. When fueling is performed again during alcohol concentration change after the fueling, an alcohol concentration estimation period or a start determination period for the alcohol concentration change is extended by an integrated fuel injection amount from initial fueling until refueling, whereby alcohol concentration estimation accuracy is improved with respect to the alcohol concentration change due to the initial fueling and the refueling.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2012
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventor: Hideki Takubo
  • Patent number: 8301359
    Abstract: A microprocessor controlled automated, multi-fuel apparatus to blend hydrogen, bio-fuel and/or natural or propane gases. This novel multi-stage apparatus first converts cooking oils into bio-fuel. The system automatically blends the bio-fuel with at least one of or both hydrogen gas, generated by a self-contained on-board hydrogen electrolyzer, and/or natural or propane gases. This blended “Hyenrich” gaseous fuel drives various processes including, but not limited to, cogeneration systems and electrical generators to produce “green” electricity by utilizing an adaptive and predictive learning algorithms to significantly reduce cost per kilowatt and lessen dependency on the over taxed utility grid, while simultaneously reducing emissions of CO, CO2 and NOx, making the method and apparatus an environmentally-friendly energy device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2012
    Assignee: HyCogen Power, LLC
    Inventors: Christopher Lee Sagar, Eric Michael Maskrey
  • Patent number: 8291886
    Abstract: A system and method for controlling the fuel flow rate in a direct metering fuel control system to compensate for actuator flow. The system includes a fuel metering pump that supplies fuel to a fluid-operated actuator and to a gas turbine engine combustor and determines, using a generated model of the fuel metering pump and/or the fluid-operated actuator, fuel flow rate needed by the gas turbine engine and/or the actuator fuel flow rate needed by the fluid-operated actuator. The fuel flow rate of the fuel metering pump is controlled based on the determined actuator fuel flow rate and the determined engine fuel flow rate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2012
    Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
    Inventors: Timothy D. Mahoney, Jay R. Sims, Richard Ling
  • Patent number: 8290685
    Abstract: A control device for an engine, capable of accurately estimating the quantity of exhaust heat from the engine and performing engine control which improves the exhaust quality and fuel consumption of the engine in various operating conditions thereof, by using the accurate estimated value of the quantity of exhaust heat. A control device for an engine is provided with an exhaust flow rate sensor for directly sensing the flow rate of exhaust gas discharged from the engine, an exhaust temperature estimating device for sensing or estimating the temperature of the exhaust gas discharged from the engine, and an exhaust heat quantity estimating device for estimating, based on an output of the exhaust flow rate sensor and an output of the exhaust temperature estimating device, the quantity of heat of the exhaust gas discharged from the engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2012
    Assignee: Hitachi Automotive Systems, Ltd.
    Inventors: Shiro Yamaoka, Yoshihiro Sukegawa, Noboru Tokuyasu, Hiroaki Hoshika, Daisuke Terada