Patents Examined by Robert A Werner
  • Patent number: 11585297
    Abstract: A fuel module system is provided. The fuel module system can be mounted on a chassis of a vehicle and deliver a material from a container to an engine at a regulated pressure and a target temperature for optimization of the vehicle. The flow of material can be from the one or more containers to the fuel module system and then to a portion of the engine, wherein the material housed within the one or more containers has a first temperature, a first pressure, and a first flow rate and at the delivery to the portion of engine, the material is adjusted by the fuel module system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2023
    Assignee: WORTHINGTON INDUSTRIES INC.
    Inventor: James B. Rike
  • Patent number: 11548505
    Abstract: A driver assist system for a vehicle includes a vehicle speed sensor disposed at a vehicle. An ECU includes a processor for processing sensor data generated by the vehicle speed sensor. The ECU, responsive to processing at the ECU of sensor data generated by the vehicle speed sensor, determines speed of the vehicle. The ECU, responsive to determining that the speed of the vehicle reaches a vehicle soft lock speed, automatically enables a vehicle speed soft lock. The ECU, responsive to the vehicle reducing speed to the vehicle soft lock speed by coasting, maintains the current vehicle speed at the vehicle soft lock speed. The ECU, responsive to the speed of the vehicle increasing a multiple of a vehicle speed increment above the vehicle soft lock speed, automatically sets an increased vehicle soft lock speed that is the multiple of the vehicle speed increment above the vehicle soft lock speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2023
    Assignee: MAGNA ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventor: Brijendra Kumar Bharti
  • Patent number: 11530684
    Abstract: Wind turbine comprising at least a pitch bearing comprising at least two rings, each of the at least two rings attached to a wind turbine component, being a first wind turbine component a blade and a second wind turbine component a hub, and further comprising at least one bearing reinforcement attached to at least one of the two rings. The invention also relates to the pitch bearing of the wind turbine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2022
    Assignee: ACCIONA WINDPOWER, S.A.
    Inventors: Javier Pascual Resano, Jose Luis Aristegui Lantero, Gonzalo De los Rios Leiva, Teresa Arlaban Gabeiras, Jose Miguel Garcia Sayes, Miguel Nunez Polo, Jose Javier Gil Soto
  • Patent number: 11524677
    Abstract: A hybrid electric vehicle includes an engine, a motor, a battery, a coupling mechanism, an electric power generating mechanism, and a vehicle controller. The engine and motor drive driving wheels. The battery supplies electric power for running to the motor. The coupling mechanism switches coupling of the engine and the driving wheels between direct coupling and buffering coupling. The electric power generating mechanism generates electric power. The vehicle controller switches a running mode of the hybrid electric vehicle between a first running mode and a second running mode with higher running performance. The vehicle controller limits the electric power generation under a first condition when the buffering coupling is applied during the first running mode and limits the electric power generation under a second condition less limited than the first condition when the buffering coupling is applied during the second running mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2022
    Assignee: SUBARU CORPORATION
    Inventors: Fumiyuki Moriya, Masatoshi Kishikawa, Atsushi Doki, Hirofumi Yabe, Takumi Hoshi, Masaki Komuro, Tetsu Matsuzaki, Jun Oosawa
  • Patent number: 11505196
    Abstract: A start/stop device initiates an automatic activation process of an automatically deactivated drive machine of a motor vehicle, in particular of a motor vehicle with an automatic transmission. The drive machine can be automatically deactivated when the motor vehicle is traveling, and the automatically deactivated drive machine can be activated on the basis of driver actions. The start/stop device is configured to initiate an automatic activation of the drive machine which is automatically deactivated when the motor vehicle is traveling on the basis of a detected drive dynamic desired by the driver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2022
    Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Frank Bodendorf, Johann Schweikl, Steffen Mueller
  • Patent number: 11498546
    Abstract: When a prescribed execution condition is satisfied at the time of transition from HV traveling (that is, traveling performed by an engine and a motor with generation of traveling driving force by the engine) to EV traveling (that is, traveling performed by the motor without generation of traveling driving force by the engine), a controller of a hybrid vehicle performs motoring (or a self-sustaining operation) of an engine and thereafter stops the engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2022
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Koichi Yonezawa, Satoshi Yoshizaki, Osamu Maeda, Daigo Ando, Yoshikazu Asami, Kenji Itagaki, Shunsuke Oyama, Koichiro Muta
  • Patent number: 11493010
    Abstract: Present embodiments related to throttle body fuel injection systems intended to replace existing carburetors. More specifically, present embodiments relate to retrofitting carbureted engines with electronic fuel injection (EFI) which may be mounted on a manifold of an internal combustion engine and have bores of differing sizes and other characteristics which allow operation of such arrangement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2022
    Assignee: Holley Performance Products, Inc.
    Inventor: Gregory Whittle
  • Patent number: 11466639
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for balancing fuel delivery amongst all engine fuel injectors. In one example, a method may include selectively adjusting an injection timing of one or more fuel injectors of a plurality of fuel injectors to increase an inter-injection period between two consecutive fuel injections in response to a request to balance amounts of fuel injected by the plurality of fuel injectors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2022
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Rani Kiwan, Ross Pursifull, Joseph Lyle Thomas
  • Patent number: 11458949
    Abstract: A travel assistance apparatus includes an ECU that is configured to: draw up a travel plan in which any one of drive modes, including a CD mode and a CS mode, is assigned to each of travel segments of a scheduled travel route, execute travel assistance control for causing a vehicle to travel according to the travel plan; when a total of consumption energy is greater than a value obtained by adding a first margin value to a remaining battery power, draw up the travel plan and execute the travel assistance control; and, when the total of consumption energy is greater than a value obtained by adding a second margin value less than the first margin value to the remaining battery power when the travel assistance control is started again after suspension of the travel assistance control, maintain or adjust the travel plan and execute the travel assistance control.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2022
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Yuki Ogawa
  • Patent number: 11454186
    Abstract: The error diagnosis device has: an input unit that receives a downstream pressure value and an upstream pressure value, said downstream pressure value being detected on the downstream side of a fuel pump and said upstream pressure value being detected on the upstream side of the fuel pump; and a determination unit that, if the downstream pressure value is less than a preset first threshold value, determines whether or not the upstream pressure value is less than a preset second threshold value. The determination unit determines that an error has occurred further upstream than the fuel pump if the upstream pressure value is less than the second threshold value and determines that an error has occurred in the fuel pump if the upstream pressure value is at least the second threshold value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2022
    Assignee: Isuzu Motors Limited
    Inventors: Yuusuke Kobayashi, Katsushi Shidomi, Kunio Noda, Daiki Ishii, Fumihiko Okazaki
  • Patent number: 11453380
    Abstract: A vehicle control apparatus based on a precise load level using a GPS includes: a load level calculator to determine a load level of a road based on GPS information; a load level controller that classifies the road into a plurality of regions based on the determined load level and differentially controls an engine power output for each of the regions; and a storage to store a map for the engine power output for each of the regions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2022
    Assignees: HYUNDAI MOTOR COMPANY, KIA MOTORS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Hyuk Jin Lee
  • Patent number: 11441508
    Abstract: A method for CO2 certification and/or CO2-dependent homologation of vehicles that takes into account at least one design feature of the vehicle, which is characterized in that the detected use of a CO2-reduced fuel is taken into account as a design feature of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2022
    Assignee: Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Stefan Gobrecht
  • Patent number: 11441507
    Abstract: The present invention provides a device and method for detecting a misfire in an engine, the device being provided with: a rotation speed sensor (43) as a supercharger rotation speed measurement unit for measuring a rotation speed (Nt) of a supercharger (23); a misfire index calculation unit (51) that calculates a misfire index (Yt) from a degree of change in the rotation speed (Nt) of the supercharger (23), the rotation speed being measured by the rotation speed sensor (43); and a misfire determination unit (52) that determines a misfire in an engine (10) when the misfire index (Yt) calculated by the misfire index calculation unit (51) exceeds a pre-set determination value (D).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2022
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES ENGINE & TURBOCHARGER, LTD.
    Inventors: Ryo Sase, Shintarou Noguchi
  • Patent number: 11434844
    Abstract: Various embodiments include a method for checking a variable valve lift control of an internal combustion engine comprising: during operation of the internal combustion engine, detecting a rotational speed of the internal combustion engine; and measuring an intake pressure in the intake tract of the internal combustion engine corresponding to the detected rotational speed. The method further includes: defining a reference frequency dependent on the rotational speed of the internal combustion engine; defining a comparison frequency as a non-integral multiple of the reference frequency; determining amplitudes of oscillations of the intake pressure at the reference frequency and amplitudes of oscillations of the intake pressure at the comparison frequency; and evaluating a ratio of the determined amplitudes and the respective absolute values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2022
    Assignee: VITESCO TECHNOLOGIES GMBH
    Inventor: Stefan Buhl
  • Patent number: 11415070
    Abstract: A method for identifying a fuel injector characteristic may include generating a signal to supply electrical current to the fuel injector, and monitoring the electrical current supplied to the fuel injector. The method may also include identifying the characteristic of the fuel injector based on the electrical current, the characteristic including a type of fuel injector, and performing a corrective action based on the type of fuel injector which was identified based on the electrical current.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2022
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Daniel R. Puckett, Michael E. Sattler, Dustin K. Fee, Gregory L. Armstrong
  • Patent number: 11408362
    Abstract: In accordance with one aspect of the present disclosure, a turbocharger includes a compressor having a compressor wheel, a turbine provided within a housing, and an exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) flow path. The EGR flow path includes a first fluid connection in the housing and located in proximity to the turbine, a second fluid connection located in proximity to a trailing edge of the compressor wheel, an EGR control valve disposed between the first fluid connection and the second fluid connection, the EGR control valve configured to selectively operate the turbocharger in a low-heat mode having an EGR up to 50% and an operational mode having an EGR rate typically less than 35%.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2022
    Assignee: BorgWarner Inc.
    Inventors: Joseph Powell McHenry, Paul Troxler, Robert Malcolm Wallace, Michael Harris, Robert Lotz, Michael J. Burkett
  • Patent number: 11401881
    Abstract: A diagnostic tool diagnoses a charge cycle behavior of an internal combustion engine with a plurality of cylinders. The diagnostic tool ascertains a rotational speed profile of the internal combustion engine. From the determined rotational speed curve, the diagnostic tool ascertains a peculiarity of at least one charge exchange characteristic variable by performing a Fourier transform. The diagnostic tool assigns a deviation type to the rotational speed profile as a function of the ascertained peculiarity of the charge exchange characteristic variable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2022
    Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Sebastian Grasreiner, Florian Hartl, Christian Kuklinski
  • Patent number: 11401905
    Abstract: Systems and apparatuses include an alternator including a stator and a rotor structured to be coupled to a crankshaft of a prime mover, and processing circuits structured to: determine a crankshaft position, associate a crankshaft timestamp with the crankshaft position, determine a stator voltage waveform position, associate a stator voltage waveform timestamp with the stator voltage waveform position, determine a common time base using the crankshaft timestamp and the stator voltage waveform timestamp, determine a rotor position based on the crankshaft position and associated with the common time base, determine a load angle based on the rotor position and the stator voltage waveform position using the common time base, compare the load angle to a stability limit, and transmit a predicted pole slip signal to at least one of the prime mover or the alternator to inhibit a pole slip event when the load angle exceeds the stability limit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2022
    Assignee: Cummins Power Generation Inc.
    Inventors: Sandeep Kor, Dennis McDonald
  • Patent number: 11396852
    Abstract: A system includes one or more processors that are configured to obtain a measured fuel consumption rate for an internal combustion engine while the engine is operating at a predetermined operating condition to perform a mission. The one or more processors are also configured to compare the measured fuel consumption rate with an expected fuel consumption rate for the predetermined operating condition. Further, the one or more processors are configured to determine whether an injector flow limiter is in a latched condition based on the measured fuel consumption rate compared with the expected fuel consumption rate. Also, the one or more processors are configured to perform a responsive action responsive to determining that the injector flow limiter is in the latched condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2022
    Assignee: Transportation IP Holdings, LLC
    Inventors: Nikhil Nair, Bharath Chandrashekar, James Robert Mischler, Sri Harsha Perni
  • Patent number: 11377106
    Abstract: An idle stop and go (ISG) control method for a vehicle provided with a manual transmission includes: determining, by a controller, whether a first operation determination condition is satisfied based on a bottom signal from a clutch pedal sensor, a brake pedal operation signal, and a first vehicle speed signal condition; determining, by the controller, whether a second operation determination condition is satisfied based on the bottom signal, the brake pedal operation signal, and a second vehicle speed signal condition; stopping, by the controller, an engine of the vehicle when the first operation determination condition or the second operation determination condition is satisfied; determining, by the controller, whether a first restart condition is satisfied based on a top signal or the bottom signal from the clutch pedal sensor; and restarting, by the controller, the engine when the first restart condition is satisfied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2022
    Assignees: HYUNDAI MOTOR COMPANY, KIA MOTORS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Jung Hwan Bang, Young Ho Jung, Tae Suk Lee