Patents by Inventor Daniel Dusa

Daniel Dusa has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 11015557
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for relieving pressure from a compression locked engine. The engine may be compression locked during an engine start attempt due to operator application of a manual transmission clutch at or around the time of a first combustion event of the engine start. A direct injector of the compression locked cylinder is commanded open to relieve the pressure into the fuel rail.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2021
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Joseph Thomas, Ethan Sanborn, Paul Hollar, Daniel Dusa
  • Patent number: 10801431
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for learning a cylinder-to-cylinder air variation. During conditions when a PFDI engine is operated in a port-injection only mode, prior to port fuel injection, a direct-injection fuel rail pressure may be lowered via direct-injection. Then, prior to a spark event in a port-injected cylinder, the direct-injector may be transiently opened to use the rail pressure sensor for estimating a cylinder compression pressure, and inferring cylinder air charge therefrom.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2020
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Joseph Lyle Thomas, Ethan D. Sanborn, Paul Hollar, Daniel Dusa
  • Publication number: 20200182208
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for relieving pressure from a compression locked engine. The engine may be compression locked during an engine start attempt due to operator application of a manual transmission clutch at or around the time of a first combustion event of the engine start. A direct injector of the compression locked cylinder is commanded open to relieve the pressure into the fuel rail.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 12, 2020
    Publication date: June 11, 2020
    Inventors: Joseph Thomas, Ethan Sanborn, Paul Hollar, Daniel Dusa
  • Patent number: 10612506
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for relieving pressure from a compression locked engine. The engine may be compression locked during an engine start attempt due to operator application of a manual transmission clutch at or around the time of a first combustion event of the engine start. A direct injector of the compression locked cylinder is commanded open to relieve the pressure into the fuel rail.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2020
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Joseph Thomas, Ethan Sanborn, Paul Hollar, Daniel Dusa
  • Patent number: 10563610
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for reducing port injection fuel errors by selectively reactivating a direct fuel injector. Responsive to an increase in driver demand received while delivering fuel to a cylinder via port injection only, wherein the increase in driver demand is received late in the port injection window, the port injection error is addressed by reactivating a direct injector on the same engine cycle and delivering at least a portion of the fuel mass corresponding to the error via the direct injector. Additionally, a portion of the fuel mass may be delivered by the port injector on the same engine cycle by extending the end of injection timing, if possible.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2020
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Paul Hollar, Mary Catherine Farmer, Ethan D. Sanborn, Daniel Dusa, Joseph Lyle Thomas
  • Patent number: 10450997
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for reducing direct injector fueling errors due to injection variability in a transition region of a direct injector map. Fuel injection, including usage of one or more direct and port injected fuel pulses, may be planned based on engine operating conditions including engine temperature and driver demand. Responsive to any of the direct injected fuel pulses having a pulse-width that lies in a high variability transition region of the direct injector, the fuel injection may be adjusted via adjustments to a number and/or split ratio of the injections so as to not operate in the transition region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2019
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Joseph Lyle Thomas, Ethan D. Sanborn, Daniel Dusa, Paul Hollar, Mark Meinhart, Ian D. Campbell
  • Patent number: 10422296
    Abstract: Methods and systems for simultaneously operating port fuel injectors and direct fuel injectors of an internal combustion engine are described. In one example, a duration of a port fuel injection window is increased to improve engine performance and a direct fuel injector fuel pulse width is dynamically adjusted to improve accuracy of an amount of fuel delivered during a cylinder cycle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2019
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Paul Hollar, Ethan D. Sanborn, Daniel Dusa, Xiaoying Zhang, Joseph Lyle Thomas
  • Publication number: 20190211787
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for relieving pressure from a compression locked engine. The engine may be compression locked during an engine start attempt due to operator application of a manual transmission clutch at or around the time of a first combustion event of the engine start. A direct injector of the compression locked cylinder is commanded open to relieve the pressure into the fuel rail.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 8, 2018
    Publication date: July 11, 2019
    Inventors: Joseph Thomas, Ethan Sanborn, Paul Hollar, Daniel Dusa
  • Patent number: 10337442
    Abstract: Methods and systems for simultaneously operating port fuel injectors and direct fuel injectors of an internal combustion engine are described. In one example, a port fuel injection window is shorted to provide time for scheduling a direct fuel injector pulse width so that the direct fuel injector pulse width may be adjusted so that a desired amount of fuel enters a cylinder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Paul Hollar, Ethan D. Sanborn, Daniel Dusa, Xiaoying Zhang, Joseph Lyle Thomas
  • Patent number: 10337445
    Abstract: A method of operating an engine with dual fuel injection capabilities to address fuel rail over-pressure due to stagnating hot fuel is shown. The method comprises operating an engine cylinder with only port injection, and selectively activating and deactivating the second injector in response to a rail pressure increase of a fuel rail, the fuel rail coupled to the second injector, and deactivating the second injector in response to a rail pressure decrease of the fuel rail to a lower threshold determined based on engine operating conditions. In this way, degradation of the second injector may be reduced while maintaining a desired level of engine performance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Ethan D. Sanborn, Joseph Lyle Thomas, Daniel Dusa
  • Patent number: 10323595
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for reducing lean air-fuel ratio excursions due to degradation of a port injector while fueling an engine via each of port and direct injection. During a PFDI mode of engine operation, responsive to an indication of port injector degradation, such as due to circuit or injector power issues, intake airflow is limited by reducing the opening of an intake throttle. Air flow is limited to be based only on the direct injected fuel fraction, and independent of the commanded port injected fuel fraction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 18, 2019
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Ethan D. Sanborn, Joseph Lyle Thomas, Xiaoying Zhang, Paul Hollar, Daniel Dusa
  • Patent number: 10323612
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for reducing fueling errors resulting from pressure pulsations in a port injection fuel rail. The pressure pulsations result from pressure pulsations generated in a high pressure fuel pump delivering fuel to both the port injection fuel rail and a direct injection fuel rail. A center of a port injection fuel pulse is positioned on an average pressure-crossing of the pressure pulsations so as to cancel out the effect of the over-average and under-average pressure pulsations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 18, 2019
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Ethan D. Sanborn, Paul Hollar, Daniel Dusa, Joseph Lyle Thomas
  • Publication number: 20190170073
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for learning a cylinder-to-cylinder air variation. During conditions when a PFDI engine is operated in a port-injection only mode, prior to port fuel injection, a direct-injection fuel rail pressure may be lowered via direct-injection. Then, prior to a spark event in a port-injected cylinder, the direct-injector may be transiently opened to use the rail pressure sensor for estimating a cylinder compression pressure, and inferring cylinder air charge therefrom.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 8, 2019
    Publication date: June 6, 2019
    Inventors: Joseph Lyle Thomas, Ethan D. Sanborn, Paul Hollar, Daniel Dusa
  • Patent number: 10240554
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for reducing direct injector fueling errors due to injection variability in a transition region of a direct injector map. Fuel injection, including usage of one or more direct and port injected fuel pulses, may be planned based on engine operating conditions including engine temperature and driver demand. Responsive to any of the direct injected fuel pulses having a pulse-width that lies in a high variability transition region of the direct injector, the fuel injection may be adjusted via adjustments to a number and/or split ratio of the injections so as to not operate in the transition region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2019
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Ethan D. Sanborn, Paul Hollar, Joseph Lyle Thomas, Daniel Dusa
  • Publication number: 20190072051
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for reducing port injection fuel errors by selectively reactivating a direct fuel injector. Responsive to an increase in driver demand received while delivering fuel to a cylinder via port injection only, wherein the increase in driver demand is received late in the port injection window, the port injection error is addressed by reactivating a direct injector on the same engine cycle and delivering at least a portion of the fuel mass corresponding to the error via the direct injector. Additionally, a portion of the fuel mass may be delivered by the port injector on the same engine cycle by extending the end of injection timing, if possible.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 8, 2018
    Publication date: March 7, 2019
    Inventors: Paul Hollar, Mary Catherine Farmer, Ethan D. Sanborn, Daniel Dusa, Joseph Lyle Thomas
  • Patent number: 10208686
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for learning a cylinder-to-cylinder air variation. During conditions when a PFDI engine is operated in a port-injection only mode, prior to port fuel injection, a direct-injection fuel rail pressure may be lowered via direct-injection. Then, prior to a spark event in a port-injected cylinder, the direct-injector may be transiently opened to use the rail pressure sensor for estimating a cylinder compression pressure, and inferring cylinder air charge therefrom.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2019
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Joseph Lyle Thomas, Ethan D. Sanborn, Paul Hollar, Daniel Dusa
  • Patent number: 10156201
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for reducing port injection fuel errors by selectively reactivating a direct fuel injector. Responsive to an increase in driver demand received while delivering fuel to a cylinder via port injection only, wherein the increase in driver demand is received late in the port injection window, the port injection error is addressed by reactivating a direct injector on the same engine cycle and delivering at least a portion of the fuel mass corresponding to the error via the direct injector. Additionally, a portion of the fuel mass may be delivered by the port injector on the same engine cycle by extending the end of injection timing, if possible.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2018
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Paul Hollar, Mary Catherine Farmer, Ethan D. Sanborn, Daniel Dusa, Joseph Lyle Thomas
  • Publication number: 20180334984
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for reducing direct injector fueling errors due to injection variability in a transition region of a direct injector map. Fuel injection, including usage of one or more direct and port injected fuel pulses, may be planned based on engine operating conditions including engine temperature and driver demand. Responsive to any of the direct injected fuel pulses having a pulse-width that lies in a high variability transition region of the direct injector, the fuel injection may be adjusted via adjustments to a number and/or split ratio of the injections so as to not operate in the transition region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 16, 2017
    Publication date: November 22, 2018
    Inventors: Joseph Lyle Thomas, Ethan D. Sanborn, Daniel Dusa, Paul Hollar, Mark Meinhart, Ian D. Campbell
  • Publication number: 20180334982
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for reducing direct injector fueling errors due to injection variability in a transition region of a direct injector map. Fuel injection, including usage of one or more direct and port injected fuel pulses, may be planned based on engine operating conditions including engine temperature and driver demand. Responsive to any of the direct injected fuel pulses having a pulse-width that lies in a high variability transition region of the direct injector, the fuel injection may be adjusted via adjustments to a number and/or split ratio of the injections so as to not operate in the transition region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 16, 2017
    Publication date: November 22, 2018
    Inventors: Ethan D. Sanborn, Paul Hollar, Joseph Lyle Thomas, Daniel Dusa
  • Patent number: 10094320
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for reducing fueling errors resulting from pressure pulsations in a port injection fuel rail. The pressure pulsations result from pressure pulsations generated in a high pressure fuel pump delivering fuel to both the port injection fuel rail and a direct injection fuel rail. A center of a port injection fuel pulse is repositioned on a nearest fuel rail pressure sampling point in the advanced direction to improve the accuracy of the delivered fuel pulse.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2018
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Ethan D. Sanborn, Paul Hollar, Daniel Dusa, Joseph Lyle Thomas