Patents by Inventor Joseph E. LeGare

Joseph E. LeGare 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).

  • Control methods for improved catalytic converter efficiency and diagnosis
    Patent number: 8863497
    Abstract: A controlling method for adjusting concentrations of, for example, individual cylinder's exhaust gas constituents to provide engine functions such as catalytic converter diagnosis, increased overall catalytic converter efficiency and rapid catalyst heating, before and/or after initiating closed loop fuel injection control, using a selected temperature sensor location within a low thermal mass catalytic converter design.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2014
    Inventor: Joseph E. Legare
  • Control methods for improved catalytic converter efficiency and diagnosis
    Patent number: 7886523
    Abstract: A controlling method for adjusting concentrations of, for example, individual cylinder's exhaust gas constituents to provide engine functions such as catalytic converter diagnosis, increased overall catalytic converter efficiency and rapid catalyst heating, before and/or after initiating closed loop fuel injection control, using a selected temperature sensor location within a low thermal mass catalytic converter design.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2011
    Inventor: Joseph E. Legare
  • Control methods for improved catalytic converter efficiency and diagnosis
    Patent number: 7707821
    Abstract: A controlling method for adjusting concentrations of, for example, individual cylinder's exhaust gas constituents to provide engine functions such as catalytic converter diagnosis, increased overall catalytic converter efficiency and rapid catalyst heating, before and/or after initiating closed loop fuel injection control, using a selected temperature sensor location within a low thermal mass catalytic converter design.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 4, 2010
    Inventor: Joseph E. Legare
  • Catalyst efficiency detection and heating method using cyclic fuel control
    Patent number: 6651422
    Abstract: An automobile engine's catalytic converter is heated by inducing a change in the engine's fuel injection delivery that varies from normal operating conditions. Heating the engine's catalytic converter by changing the engine's fuel injection delivery is useful in enabling the catalytic converter to achieve efficient operating temperature quicker and enables efficient and accurate diagnosis of catalyst degradation. Diagnosis of degraded catalyst performance is accomplished by measurements of the catalyst's temperature characteristics following alternating of the fuel delivery to different cylinders from lean and rich fuel conditions that differ from the mass ratio of air to fuel being at chemical stoichiometric conditions. Measurements of the catalyst's temperature characteristics with defined modifications of an engine's operating conditions allows determining the catalytic converter's gas conversion effectiveness.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2000
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2003
    Inventor: Joseph E. LeGare