Patents Examined by Sherman Manley
  • Patent number: 10087869
    Abstract: A method of exhaust braking a vehicle includes determining a wheel slip ratio based on input from vehicle sensors. Based on a determination that the wheel slip ratio is unstable, the method further includes sending a command to reduce exhaust braking. Based on a determination that exhaust braking is reduced, the method further includes determining a change in wheel slip ratio over time based on input from the vehicle sensors. Based on a determination that the change in wheel slip ratio over time is stabilizing, the method further includes sending a command to increase exhaust braking.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2018
    Assignee: Nissan North America, Inc.
    Inventor: Zachary Tullock
  • Patent number: 10082123
    Abstract: A method of firing a spark plug of an internal combustion engine includes supplying AC power to the spark plug in which the AC power has a waveform with a rising edge and a falling edge, activating the spark plug during the rising edge of the waveform, and deactivating the spark plug during the falling edge of the waveform. This method further includes connecting an engine control module to an ignition coil and connecting the engine coil to the spark plug. The firing of the ignition coil mirrors the square waveform of AC power from the engine control module. A battery is connected to the engine control module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2018
    Assignee: MARSHALL ELECTRIC CORP.
    Inventors: Thomas C. Marrs, Stephen P. Barlow
  • Patent number: 10082094
    Abstract: A knocking control method in a power generation system (1) which includes a gas engine (20) including a plurality of air cylinders (21) and a knocking detection unit (51) configured to detect knocking in each of the air cylinders (21). The knocking control method includes a first control step of delaying an ignition timing for at least one of the air cylinders (21) when the knocking detection unit (51) has detected knocking; a second control step of reducing an amount of gas supplied to at least one of the air cylinders (21) when the knocking has not been eliminated by the first control step; and a third control step of shutting off supply of a gas to any of the air cylinders (21) in which the knocking has occurred.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2018
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Engine & Turbocharger, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hideki Nishio, Hiroshi Yoshizumi
  • Patent number: 10082093
    Abstract: Provided are a knocking determination device and a knocking control device for an internal combustion engine, with which a large amount of knocking can be detected quickly and with which knocking is easily determined. A knocking time window and a bandpass filter (BPF) are used (B1-B2) to extract a knocking frequency waveform signal from a knock sensor signal (Sg1), and integration is performed to obtain a first calculated value (B3). A reference time window and a BPF are used (B4-B5) to extract a reference frequency waveform signal from the knock sensor signal (Sg1), and integration is performed to obtain a second calculated value (B6). The average value of multiple instances of the second calculated value is obtained (B7), and the first calculated value is divided by the average value to obtain a signal-to-noise (S/N) ratio (B8).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2018
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Ko Takayanagi, Masataka Shiraishi, Ryo Sase
  • Patent number: 10082112
    Abstract: A gas distribution unit includes four EGR inflow ports connected one to each of a plurality of branch pipes of an intake unit provided with a collecting pipe and the branch pipes, a EGR chamber located upstream of and connected to the EGR inflow ports, and a branch passage part located upstream of and connected to the EGR chamber to uniformly distribute EGR gas introduced through a gas inflow port into the EGR chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2018
    Assignee: AISAN KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takehide Nakamura, Daigo Oyabu
  • Patent number: 10066593
    Abstract: A method of firing at least one spark plug of an internal combustion engine include supplying AC power to the spark plug in which the AC power has a waveform with a rising edge and a falling edge, activating the spark plug during the rising edge of the waveform, and deactivating the spark plug during the falling edge of the waveform. This method further includes connecting an engine control module and a vehicle power supply to at least one AC ignition coil and connecting the AC ignition coil to the spark plug or spark plugs. The firing duration of the AC ignition coil or transformer mirrors a digital square waveform duration from the engine control module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2018
    Assignee: MARSHALL ELECTRIC CORP.
    Inventors: Thomas C. Marrs, Stephen P. Barlow
  • Patent number: 10066559
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for coordinating cylinder deactivation adjustments with changes to individual cylinder piston displacement. In doing do, the benefits of variable displacement and variable compression ratio may be synergized. An engine can be operated with some cylinders deactivated while active cylinders operate with knock addressed while spark timing is at MBT for a longer duration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2018
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: Chris Paul Glugla
  • Patent number: 10054043
    Abstract: Systems and methods for estimating when an engine event occurs is described. The system includes a controller configured to receive a first signal from at least one knock sensor coupled to a combustion engine, receive a second signal from at least one engine crankshaft sensor coupled to the combustion engine, transform the first and second signals into a plurality of feature vectors using a multivariate transformation algorithm, determine an expected window of an engine event with a statistical model, center a segment of the plurality of feature vectors around the expected window, estimate, using the statistical algorithm, a time in the expected window corresponding to when the engine event occurred, and adjust operation of the combustion engine based on the time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2018
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Brett Alexander Matthews, Jeffrey Jacob Bizub, Iyad Batal, Frederick Wilson Wheeler
  • Patent number: 10054076
    Abstract: A system to control fuel-pressure of fuel delivered to a fuel-injector includes a fuel-pump, an absolute-pressure-sensor, a pressure-regulator, and a controller. The fuel-pump is operable to vary fuel-pressure of fuel output by the fuel-pump. The absolute-pressure-sensor indicates an absolute-pressure of the fuel. The pressure-regulator limits the fuel-pressure by releasing fuel output by the fuel-pump when the fuel-pressure exceeds a tank-pressure of the fuel-tank by a pressure-threshold. The controller is in communication with the absolute-pressure-sensor and the fuel-pump.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2018
    Assignee: DELPHI TECHNOLOGIES IP LIMITED
    Inventor: Bernard M. McFarland
  • Patent number: 10054061
    Abstract: An engine includes a cylinder body, a cylinder head, and an ignition device including spark plugs. The engine also includes an intake device connected to intake ports, an exhaust device connected to exhaust ports, pistons, and a crankshaft connected to the pistons by connecting rods. Explosion intervals of the cylinders are 270°, 180°, 90°, and 180° as crank angles. The engine further includes a discomfort eliminator which, when the engine speed is lower than a predetermined value, makes the indicated mean effective pressure of at least one of two cylinders having an explosion interval of 90° lower than the indicated mean effective pressures of the other cylinders having an explosion interval of not 90°. The engine causes unequal-interval explosions but produces little change in the driving energy per unit time during an operating state in which an occupant is liable to feel torque fluctuations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2018
    Assignee: YAMAHA HATSUDOKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Ei Tsukahara, Daijiro Tanaka
  • Patent number: 10047716
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for starting and stopping an internal combustion engine of an industrial truck, wherein said industrial truck comprises an electric starter and an auxiliary hydraulic starter. Said method comprises steps of testing safety conditions (103), detecting instructions or requests from the operator (104), and testing auxiliary hydraulic starting conditions (105).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2018
    Assignee: MANITOU BF
    Inventors: Mathieu Pannard, Fabien Maillault
  • Patent number: 10041432
    Abstract: A fuel system is disclosed for use with an engine. The fuel system may have a plurality of fuel injectors, a common rail fluidly, a pump, and an outlet valve associated with the pump. The fuel system may also have a sensor configured to generate a signal indicative of a pressure of fuel in the common rail, and an electronic control module. The electronic control module may be configured to detect a zero-fueling condition, to determine a first pressure decay rate of the common rail during the zero-fueling condition while the pump is rotating, and to determine a second pressure decay rate of the common rail during the zero-fueling condition after the pump has stopped rotating. The electronic control module may also be configured to selectively generate a diagnostic flag associated with wear of the outlet valve based on the first and second pressure decay rates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2018
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Daniel Reese Puckett, Bradley Scott Bashore, Michael Edward Sattler, Michael Scott Marchionda, Sasidhar Rayasam, Kranti Kumar Nellutla
  • Patent number: 10040458
    Abstract: A device has a measuring device, in particular an alcohol-measuring device (3), for measuring the state of intoxication of a test subject and for generating a corresponding measured value. A camera (5) is provided for recording an image with the face of the test subject. A control unit (4) is configured to store the measured value together with the image in a memory unit (10). An analyzer (12) is configured such that the analyzer can identify a face and/or a defined, fixed pattern in the image. A follow-up action is triggered by the analyzer (12) when a face and/or pattern could not be identified.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2018
    Assignee: Dräger Safety AG & Co. KGaA
    Inventors: Stefan Morley, Peter Michels, Martin Zimmermann
  • Patent number: 10024221
    Abstract: Particular embodiments may provide a piston for a prechamber-type gas engine and a prechamber-type gas engine taking into consideration the shape of the piston top surface portion so that the region where flame propagation due to torch jet is delayed, a piston for a prechamber-type gas engine where torch jet formed by combustion a prechamber fuel in a precombustion chamber is injected to a main combustion chamber through a plurality of injection holes, may include a piston top surface portion comprising a land portion formed in a first region extending between axis line directions of adjacent injection holes, and the first region is positioned at a higher position than a second region extending across the axis line direction. The land portion may be formed on a cavity formed in the piston top surface portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2018
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Engine & Turbocharger, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazutoshi Nomura, Kenji Hiraoka, Akihiro Yuuki, Satoshi Yamada
  • Patent number: 10018154
    Abstract: A fuel system for a bi-fuel vehicle, which is provided with an engine and an LPG tank connected to each other through a fuel supply line and a fuel return line through which liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) fuel passes, includes: a 3-way valve which is installed in the fuel return line, and selectively opened and closed to move returning LPG fuel to a canister connected with a fuel tank; and a return tube, which branches off from the fuel return line, installed so that the returning LPG fuel passes through the canister in accordance with an operation of the 3-way valve, allowing the LPG fuel of which the temperature is decreased by heat exchange while the LPG fuel passes through the canister to move to the fuel return line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2018
    Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company
    Inventors: Chang Han Kim, Jong Ki Kim, Jae Hwa Park, Jae Min Lee
  • Patent number: 10018140
    Abstract: Internal combustion engine has direct injection fuel injection valve and port injection fuel injection valve. A requested fuel injection amount is calculated according to an engine operation condition. When the requested fuel injection amount is in first operation region in which the minimum fuel injection amount of direct injection fuel injection valve is exceeded, a direct injection fuel injection valve fuel injection amount is adjusted based on the requested fuel injection amount and a fixed amount, while maintaining a port injection fuel injection valve fuel injection amount at the fixed amount. First operation region is at least a region in which the requested fuel injection amount exceeds the direct injection fuel injection valve minimum fuel injection amount. In first operation region, the port injection fuel injection valve fuel injection amount is fixed at the minimum fuel injection amount of port injection fuel injection valve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2018
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tadaki Mano, Takatoshi Saitou, Kunpei Tomioka, Nobuyuki Edamatsu, Kohei Kubota, Daisei Nagaoka, Kazuyuki Kogiso
  • Patent number: 10012202
    Abstract: A vehicular engine control device provided with a control unit for performing control that automatically stops an engine installed in a vehicle when a preset stop condition is fulfilled, and a traveling information acquiring unit for acquiring travel information including vehicle speed information relating to the speed of the vehicle and steering information relating to a steering wheel. For the stop condition the vehicle speed information and steering information acquired by the traveling information acquiring unit are set including respective thresholds. The control unit switches the stop condition in accordance with changes in the vehicle speed information, the stop condition being sectioned into a plurality of regions using steering thresholds for the steering information relating to the steering handle. Automatic stop control of the engine conforming to the intentions of the driver can be implemented by the vehicular engine control device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2018
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Koibuchi, Yoshitake Sakai
  • Patent number: 9989001
    Abstract: A discrete time rate-based model predictive controller for air path control for a diesel engine regulates VGT position and EGR valve position to specified set points by coordinated control of intake manifold air pressure and EGR rate. The controller may be configured to measure or estimate at least one of the intake manifold pressure and EGR rate. A non-linear discrete time rate-based predictive model may be used, as developed by the controller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2018
    Assignees: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc., The Regents of the University of Michigan
    Inventors: Mike Huang, Ilya Kolmanovsky
  • Patent number: 9982614
    Abstract: A control device for an internal combustion engine comprises an air-fuel ratio control part configured to control the air-fuel ratio of the exhaust gas and a heating control part configured to control the heating of the air-fuel ratio sensors. The heating control part controls the sensor heaters so that the temperature of the upstream air-fuel ratio sensor becomes less than the activation temperature and so that the temperature of the downstream air-fuel ratio sensor becomes the activation temperature or more while the internal combustion engine is stopped by the automatic stop function. The air-fuel ratio control part controls the exhaust air-fuel ratio based on the outputs of the two air-fuel ratio sensors during engine operation and control the air-fuel ratio temporarily based on only the output of the downstream air-fuel ratio sensor after the internal combustion engine has been restarted after automatic stop.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2018
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Go Hayashita, Koji Ide
  • Patent number: 9970367
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for an ultrasonic wave generator within a vehicle emissions control system. In one example, a frequency of ultrasonic waves may be applied to a fuel vapor canister, the frequency adjusted in response to an estimate of hydrocarbon distribution within a vapor canister received from temperature and hydrocarbon sensor outputs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2018
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Aed M. Dudar, Robert Roy Jentz, Douglas Raymond Martin