Patents by Inventor Eric M. Norppa

Eric M. Norppa 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).

  • Engine cycle identification from engine speed
    Patent number: 5562082
    Abstract: An internal combustion engine has a crankshaft sensor with an uneven tooth spacing to identify an index tooth corresponding in position to top dead center (TDC) of the number 1 cylinder. A microprocessor based engine controller determines from the sensor pulses each TDC event. During cranking, the number 1 cylinder compression stroke is detected from engine speed variations by measuring time periods over sample ranges before and after TDC. When a compression stroke occurs just before TDC, the period before TDC is greater than the period after TDC, whereas other TDC events are evidenced by the period before TDC being smaller than or equal to the period after TDC.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 1995
    Date of Patent: October 8, 1996
    Assignee: Delco Electronics Corp.
    Inventors: Eric M. Norppa, Richard J. Tkaczyk