Patents by Inventor Joseph L. Hughes

Joseph L. Hughes 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).

  • Torque managed traction control for the drive wheels of an automotive vehicle
    Patent number: 5519617
    Abstract: An electronic driveline controller and traction control method for an engine driven vehicle wherein the tractive effort of the driving wheels is controlled to avoid excess slip of the traction wheels relative to the vehicle road surface, the traction control being achieved by total powertrain torque management whereby the torque delivered to the driving wheels is a control parameter that depends upon the magnitude of sensed operating variables for the vehicle driveline.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 1993
    Date of Patent: May 21, 1996
    Assignee: Ford Motor Company
    Inventors: Joseph L. Hughes, Louis R. Christensen, Wallace R. Wade, Peter J. Grutter, Michael A. Weyburne
  • Air fuel ratio control using time-averaged error signal
    Patent number: 4397278
    Abstract: This specification discloses an apparatus and method for controlling the air fuel ratio in an internal combustion engine in response to a feedback signal from an exhaust gas oxygen sensor. The sensor output signal is sampled periodically. Control of the air fuel ratio utilizes time based averaging of the oxygen sensor signal to generate an error signal which is proportional to the difference between the actual and desired air fuel ratio.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 1981
    Date of Patent: August 9, 1983
    Assignee: Ford Motor Company
    Inventor: Joseph L. Hughes