Patents Examined by Mark L Greene
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Patent number: 11300083Abstract: Systems and methods for operating a fuel system that includes two separate fuel tanks are disclosed. In one example, fuel may be purged from a fuel rail in response to Reid vapor pressure of a fuel so that engine starting may be improved. A fuel with a higher Reid vapor pressure may be pumped into the fuel rail when the engine is expected to be cold started.Type: GrantFiled: March 17, 2021Date of Patent: April 12, 2022Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLCInventor: Aed Dudar
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Patent number: 11300067Abstract: An electromagnetic valve drive device, that drives a fuel injection valve having a solenoid coil, includes a drive unit configured to drive the solenoid coil, an energization control unit configured to control energization for the solenoid coil by controlling the drive unit, a processing unit configured to obtain a current value arrival time, which is a time having elapsed from a start of energization for the solenoid coil until a current flowing through the solenoid coil reaches a predetermined current value, and an estimation unit configured to estimate a valve opening start time, which is a time from the start of the energization to a start of opening of the fuel injection valve on the basis of the current value arrival time.Type: GrantFiled: December 22, 2020Date of Patent: April 12, 2022Assignee: HITACHI ASTEMO, LTD.Inventors: Noriaki Sumisha, Takahiro Kogure, Kyohei Matsumoto, Daichi Kawakami
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Patent number: 11286871Abstract: A combustion control method and system for an engine of a vehicle comprises a controller configured to access a trained feedforward artificial neural network configured to model a volumetric efficiency (VE) of the engine based on measured engine speed, engine intake manifold absolute pressure, intake and exhaust camshaft positions, intake air temperature, and engine coolant temperature, generate a base VE of the engine using the trained feedforward artificial neural network and the measured parameters, estimate an air charge mass flowing to each cylinder of the engine based on the base VE of the engine, and control combustion in the cylinders of the engine based on the estimated air charge mass to improve at least one of combustion stability, torque response, and fuel economy.Type: GrantFiled: January 26, 2021Date of Patent: March 29, 2022Assignee: FCA US LLCInventors: Shuonan Xu, David A Lawrence, Ethan E Bayer
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Patent number: 11280286Abstract: This detector includes: a filtering unit performing a first filtering process of performing a filtering process on a first waveform or a second filtering process of performing a filtering process on a second waveform; a detection unit detecting a timing of a first peak value corresponding to a predetermined peak value of a third waveform; a correction unit which corrects a deviation of a detection value corresponding to a timing detected by the detection unit with respect to a timing when the fuel injection valve is actually opened or closed based on a difference between the first peak value of the third waveform and a second peak value of the third waveform appearing after the first peak value; and a detecting unit which detects one or both of the opening and closing of the fuel injection valve based on the detection value corrected by the correction unit.Type: GrantFiled: December 21, 2020Date of Patent: March 22, 2022Assignee: HITACHI ASTEMO, LTD.Inventors: Kyohei Matsumoto, Daichi Kawakami
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Patent number: 11274622Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for diagnosing leaks in a fuel system. In one example, a method may include monitoring a fuel level in a vehicle fuel tank of the fuel system during refueling and indicating degradation of the vehicle fuel tank and/or a bellows coupled to the vehicle fuel tank based on the monitored fuel level. In some examples, indicating the degradation may further be based on a rate of fuel supplied to the vehicle fuel tank during the refueling and/or a vehicle fuel economy. In this way, degradation to the vehicle fuel tank and the bellows may be passively determined with minimal specialized components in the fuel system.Type: GrantFiled: November 13, 2020Date of Patent: March 15, 2022Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLCInventors: Aed Dudar, Dennis Yang, Russell Randall Pearce, Daniel Frank Cragel
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Patent number: 11268455Abstract: A throttle body may have a main bore for supplying a fuel and air mixture to an engine. A throttle valve head may be received in the main bore and movable between idle and wide open positions to control fluid flow through the main bore. A main fuel outlet and a boost venturi may open to the main bore and a flow directing feature may alter the velocity and/or direction of fluid flow in the main bore relative to the fuel outlet or boost venturi. The flow directing feature may be carried by the body, the throttle valve head, or the boost venturi.Type: GrantFiled: September 1, 2017Date of Patent: March 8, 2022Assignee: Walbro LLCInventors: Gary J. Burns, William E. Galka, Bradley J. Roche, Albert L. Sayers, David L. Speirs
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Patent number: 11255280Abstract: A system for particulate filter regeneration includes a pre-converter universal heated exhaust gas oxygen (UHEGO) sensor disposed upstream from a three-way catalytic (TWC) converter and a particulate filter (PF), and a post-converter UHEGO sensor disposed downstream from the TWC converter and upstream from the PF. An engine controller for an internal combustion engine (ICE) and in communication with the pre-converter UHEGO sensor and the post-converter UHEGO sensor is included. The engine controller is configured to determine an amount of particulate mass accumulated in the PF during operation of the ICE and deactivate at least one of a plurality of cylinders of the ICE such that a deactivated cylinder intake air (DCIA) pass-through volume flows through the at least one deactivated cylinder and into the TWC converter and the PF. The DCIA pass-through volume is a function of the determined amount of particulate mass accumulated in the PF.Type: GrantFiled: January 13, 2020Date of Patent: February 22, 2022Assignees: DENSO INTERNATIONAL AMERICA, INC., DENSO CORPORATIONInventor: Edward Szczepanski
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Patent number: 11255244Abstract: A control system includes an electric heater disposed within an exhaust fluid flow pathway, and a control device for receiving at least one input selected from the group consisting of temperature readings along the exhaust fluid flow pathway, alternator power/current/voltage, battery power/current/voltage/state of charge, IAT and EAT profiles, mass flow rate of an exhaust fluid flow, NH3 slip, TCR characteristics of the heater, alternator speed, engine speed, state of aging of an aftertreatment component, state of aging of engine, aging degradation characteristics, a dosing rate and a temperature of DEF, NH3 storage condition of aftertreatment system, an ambient temperature, and combinations thereof. The control device modulates power to the heater based on the at least one input such that the heater provides different power output as a function of the at least one input and a continuously variable power output during operation of the exhaust system.Type: GrantFiled: January 29, 2019Date of Patent: February 22, 2022Assignee: WATLOW ELECTRIC MANUFACTURING COMPANYInventors: David P. Culbertson, Magdi Khair, Mark Hoven, James Pradun
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Patent number: 11248543Abstract: A vaporized-fuel treating apparatus is configured to perform purge control in which a purge valve is placed in an open state while a purge pump is being driven to introduce purge gas from a canister to an intake passage through a purge passage. When an actual value of a flow rate of the purge gas during execution of the purge control is defined as an actual purge flow rate, and an upper-limit value of the purge flow rate to prevent the occurrence of A/F disturbance where A/F in a combustion chamber of an engine excessively fluctuates, as an upper-limit purge flow rate, the number of rotations of the purge pump is controlled during execution of the purge control to adjust the actual purge flow rate to a value equal to or lower than the upper-limit purge flow rate.Type: GrantFiled: July 2, 2019Date of Patent: February 15, 2022Assignee: AISAN KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventor: Daisaku Asanuma
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Patent number: 11248514Abstract: The present invention relates to a liquid-cooled internal combustion engine comprising an engine block, which includes a plurality of cylinders, and cylinder heads closing the cylinders, wherein each cylinder is surrounded by a respective cooling liner and each cylinder head has provided therein at least one separate cooling chamber connected to the cooling liner of the associated cylinder via at least one transition channel, wherein the transition channels of at least two cylinders are interconnected via a pressure compensation chamber.Type: GrantFiled: April 20, 2020Date of Patent: February 15, 2022Assignees: Liebherr Machines Bulle SA, Deere & CompanyInventors: Domenico Palmisani, Raghavendra Hedge, Zhi Li, Michael Sullivan
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Patent number: 11250989Abstract: An internal combustion engine ignition device comprises: a center core; a primary coil wound on the outside of the center core; a secondary coil wound on the outside of the primary coil; a permanent magnet which abuts against one end of the center core and is magnetized in the inverse direction to the direction of a magnetic flux produced by the energization of the primary coil; a side core which is disposed on the outside of the secondary coil with one end abutted against the permanent magnet and the other end abutted against the center core, the side core cooperating with the permanent magnet to form a closed magnetic path; and a heat-resistant and elastic resin covering the side core with an opening at an outer peripheral side. Heat dissipation from the side core to a housing is improved without adversely affecting the dielectric strength voltage of the secondary coil.Type: GrantFiled: April 12, 2016Date of Patent: February 15, 2022Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric CorporationInventors: Shota Yanagi, Takashi Idogawa
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Patent number: 11230960Abstract: Failure detection apparatus for a particulate filter includes: a sensor having a particulate matter detection unit that outputs a signal corresponding to the amount of accumulated PM, and a heater unit that heats the particulate matter detection unit; a regeneration control unit that causes the heater unit to heat the particulate matter detection unit to a regeneration temperature allowing the particulate matter to be burned off; a start detection unit that determines the start of the internal combustion engine; failure determination unit that determines whether exhaust gas contains water droplets while the engine is in operation; a heating control unit that causes the heater unit to heat the particulate matter detection unit to a first temperature allowing the accumulated particulate matter to remain and the moisture included in the particulate matter to be removed; and failure determination unit that determines whether the filter has failure based on a sensor output value.Type: GrantFiled: December 13, 2019Date of Patent: January 25, 2022Assignee: DENSO CORPORATIONInventors: Kensuke Takizawa, Kazuhiko Koike, Go Miyagawa
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Patent number: 11230984Abstract: A controller includes a memory device and an execution device that executes first and second operation processes, a switching process, and a recording process. The first operation process operates an operated unit by an operated amount, which is calculated on the basis of a state variable, using an adapted data set. The second operation process operates the operated unit by an operated amount that is defined by a relationship defining data set and the state variable. The switching process switches a process that operates the operated unit between the first operation process and the second operation process. The recording process obtains a value of the state variable used in calculation of the operated amount using the first operation process during an operation of the operated unit using the second operation process. The recording process also records time-series data of the obtained value of the state variable in the memory device.Type: GrantFiled: February 1, 2021Date of Patent: January 25, 2022Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Yosuke Hashimoto, Akihiro Katayama, Yuta Oshiro, Kazuki Sugie, Naoya Oka
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Patent number: 11230986Abstract: A method of determining the electrical resistance of an actual harness connecting the Engine Control Unit (ECU) to a solenoid valve. The method includes providing a dummy harness connected at one end to the ECU and at the other end to a terminal connection in the vicinity of the solenoid valve. The method also includes determining the estimated RMS current through the actual harness and passing a current through the dummy harness such that the heat exchange to the environment is substantially the same as the actual harness. Power consumption of the dummy harness is measured and resistance of the actual harness is determined from estimated RMS and power consumption of the dummy harness.Type: GrantFiled: May 3, 2019Date of Patent: January 25, 2022Inventors: Patrick Daniel, Pascal Bellamy
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Patent number: 11230983Abstract: A fuel injection valve is controlled by setting a required injection amount using a required load factor of an engine and a purge correction amount. A purge control valve is controlled using a driving duty based on a required purge ratio when a purge of supplying the evaporated fuel gas to an intake pipe is being executed. During execution of the purge, the purge concentration-related value is learned based on an air-fuel ratio deviation that is a deviation of an air-fuel ratio from a required air-fuel ratio. The certainty of the purge concentration-related value is estimated using a first counter that reflects a number of times of learning of the purge concentration-related value during a first purge and that does not reflect a number of times of learning of the purge concentration-related value during a second purge.Type: GrantFiled: April 23, 2021Date of Patent: January 25, 2022Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Masanao Idogawa, Takahiro Uchida, Masahiro Kachi, Reiko Goh, Hirokatsu Yamamoto
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Patent number: 11225925Abstract: An injection control device controls the opening and closing of a fuel injection valve by performing peak current drive and constant current drive with respect to the fuel injection valve and controls injection of fuel from the fuel injection valve to an internal combustion engine. The injection control device includes an energization control unit that performs constant current switching control of an energization current to the fuel injection valve. The energization control unit is configured to, when the energization current to the fuel injection valve is to be stopped, controls an energization stop timing of the energization current such that a flyback period is equal to a first predetermined time period.Type: GrantFiled: November 25, 2020Date of Patent: January 18, 2022Assignee: DENSO CORPORATIONInventor: Masashi Inaba
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Patent number: 11220964Abstract: A generator including an internal combustion engine having an exhaust outlet, a proximity sensor structured to detect a distance value indicative of a distance between the exhaust outlet and an object, and a controller. The controller includes a proximity circuit structured to receive the distance value from the proximity sensor and a shutdown circuit. The shutdown circuit is structured to receive the distance value from the proximity circuit, determine whether to initiate at least one of an alarm and a shutdown of the generator based on the distance value and a predetermined distance value minimum, and initiate at least one of the alarm and the shutdown of the generator based on determining that the distance value is less than the predetermined distance value minimum.Type: GrantFiled: September 11, 2019Date of Patent: January 11, 2022Assignee: Briggs & Stratton, LLCInventors: Mark Willer, Ryan Janscha, Brandon Nigh, Austin Baeten
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Patent number: 11199148Abstract: A control device for an exhaust sensor is configured to control the exhaust sensor disposed in an exhaust passage of an internal combustion engine. The control device for an exhaust sensor includes: a sensor element; a heater configured to heat the sensor element; a current detection circuit configured to detect an output current of the exhaust sensor, and an electronic control device configured to control electric power that is supplied to the heater by PWM control.Type: GrantFiled: January 26, 2021Date of Patent: December 14, 2021Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Kazuhiro Wakao, Keiichiro Aoki, Yasutaka Kamiya
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Patent number: 11193432Abstract: An internal combustion engine, a method of operating the internal combustion engine, and a controller are disclosed. The method may be implemented in part by the controller and comprises determining a shaft angle of an engine shaft; supplying, to an ion sensor fluidly coupled to a combustion chamber of the engine a low voltage at a beginning of a combustion cycle to generate an ion sensor current and a high voltage during an ionization voltage window based at least in part on the shaft angle, wherein the low voltage is configured to prevent premature ignition of fuel in the combustion chamber and the high voltage exceeds the low voltage and is configured to increase the ion sensor current above a current threshold.Type: GrantFiled: December 29, 2016Date of Patent: December 7, 2021Assignee: Cummins Inc.Inventors: Ashish S. Gupta, Leon A. LaPointe
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Patent number: 11187194Abstract: A fuel vapor processing apparatus includes a casing, an adsorbent, and a mixer. The casing includes an atmospheric port and a purge port. In addition, the casing forms an atmospheric port-side adsorption chamber, an agitation chamber, and a purge port-side adsorption chamber therein. The atmospheric port-side adsorption chamber, the agitation chamber, and the purge port-side adsorption chamber are continuously arranged in a gas flow direction from the atmospheric port through the casing to the purge port. The adsorbent fills the atmospheric port-side adsorption chamber and the purge port-side adsorption chamber. The adsorbent is configured to adsorb and desorb fuel vapor. The mixer is disposed in the agitation chamber and includes a spiral flow forming part configured to spirally guide gas flowing through the agitation chamber.Type: GrantFiled: July 2, 2019Date of Patent: November 30, 2021Assignee: AISAN KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Kazuho Murata, Toshihiko Yamauchi