Patents by Inventor Douglas R. Verner

Douglas R. Verner 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).

  • Publication number: 20140251242
    Abstract: A vehicle system includes a position sensor, a current supply module, and a mode indicator module. The position sensor includes: an electromagnet (EM) that generates a magnetic field proximate to one of an intake valve and an exhaust valve of an engine; and a Hall-effect sensor that generates a position signal indicating a position of the one of the intake valve and the exhaust valve based on the magnetic field. The current supply module supplies current to the EM. The mode indicator module indicates whether the one of the intake valve and the exhaust valve is being actuated in a low lift mode or a high lift mode based on the position signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 6, 2013
    Publication date: September 11, 2014
    Applicant: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Douglas R. Verner, Sanjeev M. Naik, Donovan L. Dibble
  • Publication number: 20140165714
    Abstract: A gasket, spacer plate or separator plate for a motor vehicle transmission includes one or more integrated sensors. Such sensors can measure the pressure, flow rate, temperature, as well as any other desire performance characteristic, of the hydraulic fluid in the transmission. The sensors may be mounted on ports in the gasket, spacer plate or separator plate and/or the sensors can be microelectromechanical sensors (MEMS).
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 18, 2013
    Publication date: June 19, 2014
    Applicant: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Paul A. Piorkowski, Kenneth K. Lang, Douglas R. Verner, John L. Dietz
  • Publication number: 20140090624
    Abstract: A system according to the present disclosure includes a spectral density module and a firing sequence module. The spectral density module determines a spectral density of engine speed. The firing sequence module selects a first set of M cylinders of an engine to activate, selects a second set of N cylinders of the engine to deactivate, and selects a firing sequence to activate the first set of M cylinders and to deactivate the second set of N cylinders. M and N are integers greater than or equal to one. The firing sequence specifies whether each cylinder of the engine is active or deactivated. Based on the spectral density, the firing sequence module adjusts the firing sequence to adjust M and N and/or to adjust which cylinders of the engine are included in the first set and which cylinders of the engine are included in the second set.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 13, 2013
    Publication date: April 3, 2014
    Applicant: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventor: Douglas R. Verner
  • Patent number: 8600644
    Abstract: A sensor reset system includes an engine control module and a sensor reset circuit. The engine control module is configured to receive a sensor pressure signal from a cylinder pressure sensor. The sensor pressure signal indicates a pressure within a cylinder of an engine. The engine control module is further configured to: control operation of the engine based on the sensor pressure signal; determine whether to reset the cylinder pressure sensor and generate a reset signal; and encode the reset signal to generate an encoded reset signal. The sensor reset circuit is configured to adjust an output of the cylinder pressure sensor based on the encoded reset signal to reset the cylinder pressure sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2013
    Inventors: Douglas R. Verner, Kenneth J. Buslepp
  • Patent number: 8561592
    Abstract: A method and a control module that includes a filter coefficient determination module that generates filter coefficients based upon an engine operating conditions. The control module includes a filter module that filters the in-cylinder pressure signal with a filter having the filter coefficients to form a filtered pressure signal and an engine control module that controls the engine using the filtered pressure signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2013
    Inventors: Kenneth J. Buslepp, Douglas R. Verner
  • Patent number: 8516895
    Abstract: A pressure sensor diagnostic system of the present disclosure includes an excitation module, a frequency determination module, and a fault determination module. The excitation module excites an in-cylinder pressure sensor and causes the in-cylinder pressure sensor to oscillate. The frequency determination module determines an oscillation frequency of the in-cylinder pressure sensor. The fault determination module diagnoses the in-cylinder pressure sensor based on the oscillation frequency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2013
    Inventors: Douglas R. Verner, Kenneth J. Buslepp, Joseph R. Dulzo
  • Patent number: 8510016
    Abstract: A method and a control system that includes a window module that determines a piston position window, a mean effective pressure determination module that generates a mean effective pressure with in-cylinder pressure signals within the piston position window and an engine control module that controls the engine using the mean effective pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2013
    Inventors: Kenneth J. Buslepp, Douglas R. Verner
  • Patent number: 8504278
    Abstract: A system and method for controlling engine operation includes a timer module that determines a time period from when a catalyst light-off mode is entered to when an oxygen sensor signal reaches an oxygen sensor threshold and a comparison module that generates an error signal and determines when the time period is above a time threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2013
    Inventors: Douglas R. Verner, Jonathan T. Shibata, Allen B. Rayl, Halim G Santoso, Kenneth J. Buslepp
  • Patent number: 8364385
    Abstract: A system for a vehicle includes a cylinder pressure sensor and a control module. The cylinder pressure sensor measures pressure within a cylinder of an engine, generates increases in a cylinder pressure signal based on the pressure, selectively generates a predetermined profile in the cylinder pressure signal, and selectively resets the cylinder pressure signal to a predetermined reset level after generating the predetermined profile in the cylinder pressure signal. The control module receives the cylinder pressure signal, detects the predetermined profile of the cylinder pressure signal, and detects the resetting of the cylinder pressure signal to the predetermined reset level when the predetermined profile is detected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2013
    Inventors: Kenneth J. Buslepp, Douglas R. Verner, Joseph R. Dulzo
  • Patent number: 8347855
    Abstract: A control system for an engine includes a stop-start initiation module and a load control module. The stop-start initiation module shuts down the engine in response to an engine shutdown request. The load control module, in response to the engine shutdown request, increases a rate at which a rotational speed of the engine decreases during engine shutdown by increasing a rotational load input to the engine by an engine accessory coupled to a crankshaft of the engine. A method for an engine includes shutting down the engine in response to an engine shutdown request. The method further includes increasing, in response to the engine shutdown request, a rate at which a rotational speed of the engine decreases during engine shutdown by increasing a rotational load input to the engine by an engine accessory coupled to a crankshaft of the engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Inventors: Norman Schoenek, Michael G. Reynolds, Amin Abboud, Gary E. McGee, Douglas R. Verner, Sharon Liu
  • Publication number: 20120303238
    Abstract: A sensor reset system includes an engine control module and a sensor reset circuit. The engine control module is configured to receive a sensor pressure signal from a cylinder pressure sensor. The sensor pressure signal indicates a pressure within a cylinder of an engine. The engine control module is further configured to: control operation of the engine based on the sensor pressure signal; determine whether to reset the cylinder pressure sensor and generate a reset signal; and encode the reset signal to generate an encoded reset signal. The sensor reset circuit is configured to adjust an output of the cylinder pressure sensor based on the encoded reset signal to reset the cylinder pressure sensor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 23, 2011
    Publication date: November 29, 2012
    Applicant: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Douglas R. Verner, Kenneth J. Buslepp
  • Patent number: 8301362
    Abstract: A method and a control module for diagnosing an engine component function includes a comparison module comparing an in-cylinder pressure signal to a threshold and a fault indication module generating a diagnostic signal for an engine component in response to comparing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2012
    Inventors: Kenneth J. Buslepp, Douglas R. Verner, Joseph R. Dulzo, Jonathan T. Shibata, Daniel G. Brennan, Joshua Cowgill
  • Patent number: 8162801
    Abstract: A control system includes an auto-stop module, an auto-start module, and a starter module. The auto-stop module stops an engine when a brake pedal position is greater than a threshold position and a transmission is in a drive gear. The auto-start module starts the engine when the brake pedal position is less than a minimum position and the engine stop is initiated. When the engine start is initiated and an engine speed is greater than zero, the starter module engages a pinion gear of a starter with a ring gear of an engine by reciprocally actuating the pinion gear N times between a retracted position and an extended position, wherein N is an integer greater than two.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2012
    Inventors: Sharon Liu, Henry A. Hainer, Michael Simon, Joshua D Cowgill, Douglas R. Verner
  • Publication number: 20110277728
    Abstract: A control system for an engine includes a stop-start initiation module and a load control module. The stop-start initiation module shuts down the engine in response to an engine shutdown request. The load control module, in response to the engine shutdown request, increases a rate at which a rotational speed of the engine decreases during engine shutdown by increasing a rotational load input to the engine by an engine accessory coupled to a crankshaft of the engine. A method for an engine includes shutting down the engine in response to an engine shutdown request. The method further includes increasing, in response to the engine shutdown request, a rate at which a rotational speed of the engine decreases during engine shutdown by increasing a rotational load input to the engine by an engine accessory coupled to a crankshaft of the engine.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 13, 2010
    Publication date: November 17, 2011
    Applicant: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS, INC.
    Inventors: Norman Schoenek, Michael G. Reynolds, Amin Abboud, Gary E. McGee, Douglas R. Verner, Sharon Liu
  • Publication number: 20110246044
    Abstract: A system for a vehicle includes a cylinder pressure sensor and a control module. The cylinder pressure sensor measures pressure within a cylinder of an engine, generates increases in a cylinder pressure signal based on the pressure, selectively generates a predetermined profile in the cylinder pressure signal, and selectively resets the cylinder pressure signal to a predetermined reset level after generating the predetermined profile in the cylinder pressure signal. The control module receives the cylinder pressure signal, detects the predetermined profile of the cylinder pressure signal, and detects the resetting of the cylinder pressure signal to the predetermined reset level when the predetermined profile is detected.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 30, 2010
    Publication date: October 6, 2011
    Applicant: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS, INC.
    Inventors: Kenneth J. Buslepp, Douglas R. Verner, Joseph R. Dulzo
  • Publication number: 20110207579
    Abstract: A control system includes an auto-stop module, an auto-start module, and a starter module. The auto-stop module stops an engine when a brake pedal position is greater than a threshold position and a transmission is in a drive gear. The auto-start module starts the engine when the brake pedal position is less than a minimum position and the engine stop is initiated. When the engine start is initiated and an engine speed is greater than zero, the starter module engages a pinion gear of a starter with a ring gear of an engine by reciprocally actuating the pinion gear N times between a retracted position and an extended position, wherein N is an integer greater than two.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 22, 2010
    Publication date: August 25, 2011
    Applicant: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS, INC.
    Inventors: Sharon Liu, Henry A. Hainer, Michael Simon, Joshua D. Cowgill, Douglas R. Verner
  • Publication number: 20110106394
    Abstract: A method and a control system that includes a window module that determines a piston position window, a mean effective pressure determination module that generates a mean effective pressure with in-cylinder pressure signals within the piston position window and an engine control module that controls the engine using the mean effective pressure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 30, 2009
    Publication date: May 5, 2011
    Applicant: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS, INC.
    Inventors: Kenneth J. Buslepp, Douglas R. Verner
  • Publication number: 20110106392
    Abstract: A system and method for controlling engine operation includes a timer module that determines a time period from when a catalyst light-off mode is entered to when an oxygen sensor signal reaches an oxygen sensor threshold and a comparison module that generates an error signal and determines when the time period is above a time threshold.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 29, 2009
    Publication date: May 5, 2011
    Applicant: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS, INC.
    Inventors: Douglas R. VERNER, Jonathan T. SHIBATA, Allen B. RAYL, Halim G. SANTOSO, Kenneth J. BUSLEPP
  • Patent number: 7931008
    Abstract: A fuel injection system includes an injector control module, a current detection module, and a position determination module. The injector control module controls current through a solenoid of a fuel injector for a predetermined period. The current detection module measures an amount of current through the solenoid after the predetermined period. The position determination module determines whether the fuel injector injected fuel during the predetermined period based on when the amount of current through the solenoid is less than or equal to a predetermined current.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2011
    Inventors: Douglas R. Verner, Craig D. Marriott, Kenneth J. Buslepp
  • Publication number: 20110083498
    Abstract: A pressure sensor diagnostic system of the present disclosure includes an excitation module, a frequency determination module, and a fault determination module. The excitation module excites an in-cylinder pressure sensor and causes the in-cylinder pressure sensor to oscillate. The frequency determination module determines an oscillation frequency of the in-cylinder pressure sensor. The fault determination module diagnoses the in-cylinder pressure sensor based on the oscillation frequency.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 8, 2009
    Publication date: April 14, 2011
    Applicant: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS, INC.
    Inventors: Douglas R. Verner, Kenneth J. Buslepp, Joseph R. Dulzo