Patents by Inventor Jean-Francois Latapie

Jean-Francois Latapie 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: 4459958
    Abstract: An electronic device for briefly enabling an "anti-pinging" vibration detector used for controlling the ignition timing of an internal combustion engine to advance the generated ignition signal in each cycle in relation to the top dead center point of the piston on compression stroke, by a value which is variable according to the engine speed of rotation, receives an input signal and supplies a periodic "detector active" signal whose start and finish are, in each period, positioned in relation to the top dead center in said cylinder with a predetermined error margin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 1982
    Date of Patent: July 17, 1984
    Assignee: Equipements Automobiles Marchal
    Inventor: Jean-Francois Latapie
  • Patent number: 4388902
    Abstract: A device for controlling ignition timing in an internal combustion engine includes a vibration detector responsive to engine vibrations, and comparison means for determining when the output signal of the vibration detector exceeds a base noise output value for that particular cylinder, stored during a previous cycle. The operation of the vibration detector and the comparison means is controlled in response to angular position of the crank shaft so that the base noise value and the detected noise value for each individual cylinder can be determined separately, by defining a given angular position window during which pinging or pre-ignition is likely to occur on any given cylinder. On the basis of the comparison thus effected, the normal ignition advance signal is either unaffected (because no pinging has occurred) or subject to an ignition retardation component (when pinging has occurred) in order to relieve that given cylinder of pinging.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 1980
    Date of Patent: June 21, 1983
    Assignee: Societe pour l'Equipement de Vehicules
    Inventor: Jean-Francois Latapie
  • Patent number: 4301778
    Abstract: An electronic ignition device for use with an internal combustion engine is coupled between an ignition coil switch and a magnetic pick-up. The pick-up produces a cyclical signal A which is integrated and applied to a first comparator, the other input of which receives a threshold. The comparator output actuates the ignition coil switch. A logic circuit combines the output Z of a zero detector receiving the cyclical signal A with the output of the first comparator. The logic circuit output is integrated to provide a signal R indicative of actual ignition displacement, and which is compared with a signal RS representing the required ignition displacement. In a first embodiment this comparison takes place in a second comparator the output of which is fed back to constitute the threshold input of the first comparator. In a second embodiment the threshold for the first comparator is defined by RS, the signals R and I being combined before application to the first comparator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 1979
    Date of Patent: November 24, 1981
    Assignee: Equipements Automobiles Marchal
    Inventor: Jean-Francois Latapie