Patents by Inventor Douglas Sprunger

Douglas Sprunger 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).

  • Method for determining a need for changing a spark plug
    Patent number: 10890156
    Abstract: A method for determining a need for changing a spark plug of a combustion engine, comprising the following steps: monitoring a current flowing through the spark plug, analyzing the current and thereby determine a time interval that is indicative for the time between application of a voltage to the spark plug and formation of an arc discharge between electrodes of the spark plug, creating a signal indicative of the need to change the spark plug if the duration of the determined time interval is outside predefined bounds.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 12, 2021
    Assignees: BorgWarner Ludwigsburg GmbH, Cummins Inc.
    Inventors: Dirk Wüstenhagen, Dejan Kienzle, Douglas Sprunger
  • METHOD FOR DETERMINING A NEED FOR CHANGING A SPARK PLUG
    Publication number: 20170350364
    Abstract: Disclosed is a method for determining a need for changing a spark plug of a combustion engine, comprising the following steps: monitoring a current flowing through the spark plug, analyzing the current and thereby determine a time interval that is indicative for the time between application of a voltage to the spark plug and formation of an arc discharge between electrodes of the spark plug, creating a signal indicative of the need to change the spark plug if the duration of the determined time interval is outside predefined bounds.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 5, 2017
    Publication date: December 7, 2017
    Inventors: Dirk Wüstenhagen, Dejan Kienzle, Douglas Sprunger