Patents by Inventor Danny O. Wright

Danny O. Wright 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: 4750353
    Abstract: A method of voltage compensation for an air/fuel ratio sensor as may be used in the exhaust system of a fuel injected internal combustion engine. The method comprises the steps of storing the design supply voltage in a look-up table, measuring the real time supply voltage and calculating a binary fraction value from the ratio of the present or real time supply voltage value and the design supply voltage value. The predetermined design threshold voltage value of the sensor is stored and then it is multiplied by the binary fraction value to get a real time threshold voltage value. The voltage output of the sensor is measured and compared with the real time threshold voltage value. In response to the comparison, a control signal is generated indicating whether or not the air/fuel mixture is lean.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 1987
    Date of Patent: June 14, 1988
    Assignee: Allied Corporation
    Inventors: Danny O. Wright, Michael J. Frick
  • Patent number: 4733216
    Abstract: In microprocessor based control systems wherein several analog sensors are used to generate control signals of N bits, the system herein generates a digital signal having an N+1 bit resolution of the information. The N+1 bit resolution is generated from an N bit A/D converter by means of a network changing the reference voltage input to the A/D converter by an offset voltage which is a function of the least significant bit position. The network, in the absence of a control signal, generates a first range of reference voltages and in the presence of the control signal generates a second range wherein the limit voltages are changed by the offset voltage. The microprocessor reads and stores each N bit digital word from the same sensor and under the command of the control signal, sums the two digital words and the result is an N+1 bit digital word.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 1986
    Date of Patent: March 22, 1988
    Assignee: Allied Corporation
    Inventor: Danny O. Wright
  • Patent number: 4636620
    Abstract: A temperature compensation injector control system as used in an electronic fuel injection system for motor vehicles utilizes the value of the voltage levels across the coil (18) to determine the coil's (18) temperature. A multiplexer (20) responds to the value of the source of power (14) and the voltage drop across the coil (18) created by a small leakage current to generate digital signals to a microprocessor (10) for modifying injector control signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 1985
    Date of Patent: January 13, 1987
    Assignee: Allied Corporation
    Inventors: Danny O. Wright, Michael A. Pauwels
  • Patent number: 4604983
    Abstract: An analog duty cycle to BCD converter for receiving pulsed digital signals (10) from an electronic computing unit (11) for operating an electromagnetic operated exhaust gas recirculation valve (12) having a plurality of valve actuators each responding to a binary valued voltage signal. The converter receives pulsed electrical signals (10) and through a low pass active filter means (14) and a comparator means (18), generates binary weighted control signals (22) for operating power transistors in a power switch means (24), a threshold means (20) provides a plurality of threshold voltage signals to the comparator means (18) to generate the control signals (22).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 1985
    Date of Patent: August 12, 1986
    Inventors: Ralph W. Carp, Robert E. Weber, Danny O. Wright
  • Patent number: 4600993
    Abstract: A method of measuring barometric pressure with a manifold pressure sensor (62) in a microprocessor based engine control system utilizes known engine operating conditions to interrogate the sensor. Also on engine turn-off, a power latch signal (158) is generated to delay power removal until the throttle valve (160) is driven open and the pressure sensor (62) is interrogated for its value. This value at this time is the ambient or barometric value of pressure. This value is stored in the microprocessor's (26, 28) memory (84, 86) and maintained by means of a standby voltage (80). During engine operation, the pressure sensor (62) is interrogated and value of the stored barometric pressure is changed by one unit of pressure if the stored and measured values are unequal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 1983
    Date of Patent: July 15, 1986
    Assignee: Allied Corporation
    Inventors: Michael A. Pauwels, Danny O. Wright
  • Patent number: 4571996
    Abstract: An air flow sensor (10) as may be used to measure input air to an internal combustion engine has an aerodynamically designed impact tube (16) for diverting bypass air to a pair of sensors (28, 30). Downstream from the impact tube (16) is a venturi section providing exhaust means for the bypass air. The exhaust path configuration for the bypass air shields the sensors (28, 30) from a reverse pressure wave which can result from an engine backfire. The impact tube (16) operates to integrate the air velocity over a full radius of the air flow body (14).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 1984
    Date of Patent: February 25, 1986
    Assignee: Allied Corporation
    Inventors: Russell J. Wakeman, Danny O. Wright, William A. Peterson, Jr.
  • Patent number: 4558416
    Abstract: A dual microprocessor computing system is used to control an engine in a motor vehicle. Each system contains a Personality Programmable Read Only Memory (PPROM) containing system calibration data that is transferred from the PPROM to the read-write memories in the microprocessors. In order to identify each PPROM a byte of memory contains a check sum and a byte of the microprocessor memory contains an identical check sum. During data transfer, the check sums are compared. Also during data transfer, the amount of data being transferred within a predetermined interval is counted both at the transmitter and the receiver memories.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 1983
    Date of Patent: December 10, 1985
    Assignee: Allied Corporation
    Inventors: Michael A. Pauwels, Danny O. Wright
  • Patent number: 4556955
    Abstract: A single crystal (100) dual microprocessor (26, 28) computing system utilizes a single frequency determining element (100) connected across the input pins of one of the microprocessors (26) and the output (102) of the element is connected to one input pin of the second microprocessor (28). The second pin of the second microprocessor (28) is connected to electrical ground (106). This configuration reduces the effective output impedance and results in higher oscillator amplitudes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 1983
    Date of Patent: December 3, 1985
    Assignee: Allied Corporation
    Inventors: Danny O. Wright, Robert E. Weber
  • Patent number: 4556943
    Abstract: A multiprocessing microprocessor based engine control system for an internal combustion engine controls the amount of fuel supplied to the engine. The various input-output devices used in engine operation, transmission control 20, spark advance control 22, etc., are controlled by dual microprocessors 26, 28 connected in parallel for partitioning and sharing of the various engine control functions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 1983
    Date of Patent: December 3, 1985
    Assignee: Allied Corporation
    Inventors: Michael A. Pauwels, Danny O. Wright, Bruce J. Harvey
  • Patent number: 4512317
    Abstract: An extended range throttle body fuel injection system wherein overlapping or near-overlapping fuel quantity pulse width signals are compensated to maintain the operation of the injectors in a near linear operating mode. The system is capable of being implemented in software for controlling microprocessors in a microprocessor based system or in hardware logic for operation in a hardware system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 1984
    Date of Patent: April 23, 1985
    Assignee: Allied Corporation
    Inventors: Michael A. Pauwels, Danny O. Wright, Bruce J. Harvey, Thomas J. Bauer
  • Patent number: 4433390
    Abstract: A power processing circuit operatively and electrically connected to one regulated supply (16) voltage responds through a comparator means (24) and a monitor means (26) to generate a reset pulse (84) to a microprocessor (28) whenever the regulated supply voltage starts to go out of regulation. The comparator means functions both as a control circuit to maintain regulation as well as a comparator to determine when the base current of the pass transistor (52) begins to saturate the pass transistor. The monitor means (26) responding to this condition generates a minimum time length reset pulse to the microprocessor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 1981
    Date of Patent: February 21, 1984
    Assignee: The Bendix Corporation
    Inventors: Ralph W. Carp, Danny O. Wright
  • Patent number: 4238813
    Abstract: A compensated dual injector driver circuit for controlling the current to either of a pair of electromagnetic solenoid fuel injectors is disclosed. The driver circuit includes a pair of analog bilateral switches operably connected to the control terminals of two driver transistors whose power terminals are coupled serially with the coils of the injector solenoids. A driver amplifier generating a current control signal for the driver transistors is connected to a common input of the two switches. Either of the switches is selected for closure by a logical input from a select line thereby choosing the individual injector to be energized. The driver amplifier in response to the leading edge of a control pulse regulates the conductance of the selected transistor with the current control signal to initially draw current through the injector coil until it reaches a peak value. At the time the peak current is attained, the driver amplifier then switches the control current to a holding value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 1979
    Date of Patent: December 9, 1980
    Assignee: The Bendix Corporation
    Inventors: Ralph W. Carp, Danny O. Wright
  • Patent number: 4150325
    Abstract: A system, for supplying electrical power from a source to a load, of the type employing phase controlled rectifiers for controlling the power from a polyphase source to the load includes circuitry to detect the existence of a rectifier which is conducting at an improper time and to provide appropriate corrective action to terminate such improper conduction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 1977
    Date of Patent: April 17, 1979
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Richard W. Miller, Danny O. Wright