Patents by Inventor Julien LEFEVRE

Julien LEFEVRE 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: 11203345
    Abstract: A method for protecting a dual mass flywheel DMF, by detecting, when the engine in running, that the DMF is entering into resonance, the DMF being arranged between an internal combustion engine and a gearbox of a vehicle, comprising the following steps: • Determining the average rotational speed (Vvilmoy) of the crankshaft, over time, over a predetermined given period, as a first parameter constituting a risk of the DMF entering into resonance, • Measuring the maximum instantaneous rotational speed and the minimum instantaneous rotational speed of the crankshaft, the difference defining the maximum amplitude (AmpVvil) of the rotational oscillations of the crankshaft, over the period, as a second parameter constituting a risk of the DMF entering into resonance, • Detecting when the DMF is entering into resonance from a determined combination of values of the first and second parameters, over the period, • limiting or cutting off the fuel injection in the cylinders after said detection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 21, 2021
    Inventors: Julien Lefevre, Benjamin Marconato
  • Patent number: 11181059
    Abstract: Disclosed is a method for determining the configuration of a combustion engine of a motor vehicle including a step of detecting the reference position of the crankshaft, a step of controlling the control valve of the injection pump, after a predetermined time interval, a step of measuring a fuel pressure value in the injection rail, and a step of determining a first configuration of the engine when the fuel pressure value measured in the injection rail is greater than or equal to a first predetermined pressure threshold or determining a second configuration of the engine when the fuel pressure value measured in the injection rail is between a second predetermined pressure threshold and a third predetermined pressure threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2021
    Assignees: CONTINENTAL AUTOMOTIVE FRANCE, CONTINENTAL AUTOMOTIVE GMBH
    Inventors: Yves Agnus, Julien Lefevre
  • Patent number: 10954870
    Abstract: Disclosed is a method for detecting the direction of rotation of a crankshaft of an engine of a motor vehicle. The detection method includes in particular, when the crankshaft is in a second predetermined angular position between a low angular position and a high angular position of the crankshaft, a step of commanding the closure of a control valve for the intake of fuel into the high-pressure pump, a step of measuring a second pressure value in the high-pressure rail, and a step of detecting a nominal direction of rotation of the crankshaft if the second pressure value measured is greater than or equal to an expected pressure value or of detecting a reverse direction of rotation of the crankshaft if the second pressure value measured is less than the expected pressure value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2021
    Assignees: CONTINENTAL AUTOMOTIVE FRANCE, CONTINENTAL AUTOMOTIVE GMBH
    Inventors: Yves Agnus, Julien Lefevre
  • Publication number: 20200340412
    Abstract: Disclosed is a method for detecting the direction of rotation of a crankshaft of an engine of a motor vehicle. The detection method includes in particular, when the crankshaft is in a second predetermined angular position between a low angular position and a high angular position of the crankshaft, a step of commanding the closure of a control valve for the intake of fuel into the high-pressure pump, a step of measuring a second pressure value in the high-pressure rail, and a step of detecting a nominal direction of rotation of the crankshaft if the second pressure value measured is greater than or equal to an expected pressure value or of detecting a reverse direction of rotation of the crankshaft if the second pressure value measured is less than the expected pressure value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 8, 2018
    Publication date: October 29, 2020
    Inventors: Yves AGNUS, Julien LEFEVRE
  • Publication number: 20200277905
    Abstract: Disclosed is a method for determining the configuration of a combustion engine of a motor vehicle including a step of detecting the reference position of the crankshaft, a step of controlling the control valve of the injection pump, after a predetermined time interval, a step of measuring a fuel pressure value in the injection rail, and a step of determining a first configuration of the engine when the fuel pressure value measured in the injection rail is greater than or equal to a first predetermined pressure threshold or determining a second configuration of the engine when the fuel pressure value measured in the injection rail is between a second predetermined pressure threshold and a third predetermined pressure threshold.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 8, 2018
    Publication date: September 3, 2020
    Inventors: Yves AGNUS, Julien LEFEVRE
  • Patent number: 10533509
    Abstract: An exact synchronization method for determining an angular position of an engine, modulo one engine cycle, by a crankshaft sensor and of at least one camshaft sensor. The method includes: estimating a continuous estimated interval assumed to contain the angular position, on receipt of a “marker” event, determining an angular position corresponding to each one of the possible occurrences of this “marker”, comparing the determined angular position with the estimated interval. If exactly one of the determined angular positions belongs to the estimated interval, then this angular position is the angular position of the engine. And an engine control method using such a method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2020
    Assignees: Continental Automotive France, Continental Automotive GmbH
    Inventors: Pierre Zouboff, Julien Lefevre
  • Publication number: 20190375413
    Abstract: A method for protecting a dual mass flywheel DMF, by detecting, when the engine in running, that the DMF is entering into resonance, the DMF being arranged between an internal combustion engine and a gearbox of a vehicle, comprising the following steps: • Determining the average rotational speed (Vvilmoy) of the crankshaft, over time, over a predetermined given period, as a first parameter constituting a risk of the DMF entering into resonance, • Measuring the maximum instantaneous rotational speed and the minimum instantaneous rotational speed of the crankshaft, the difference defining the maximum amplitude (AmpVvil) of the rotational oscillations of the crankshaft, over the period, as a second parameter constituting a risk of the DMF entering into resonance, • Detecting when the DMF is entering into resonance from a determined combination of values of the first and second parameters, over the period, • limiting or cutting off the fuel injection in the cylinders after said detection.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 6, 2018
    Publication date: December 12, 2019
    Inventors: Julien Lefevre, Benjamin Marconato
  • Publication number: 20180372010
    Abstract: An exact synchronization method for determining an angular position of an engine, modulo one engine cycle, by a crankshaft sensor and of at least one camshaft sensor. The method includes: estimating a continuous estimated interval assumed to contain the angular position, on receipt of a “marker” event, determining an angular position corresponding to each one of the possible occurrences of this “marker”, comparing the determined angular position with the estimated interval. If exactly one of the determined angular positions belongs to the estimated interval, then this angular position is the angular position of the engine. And an engine control method using such a method.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 12, 2016
    Publication date: December 27, 2018
    Applicants: Continental Automotive France, Continental Automotive GmbH
    Inventors: Pierre Zouboff, Julien Lefevre
  • Patent number: 9556756
    Abstract: A method for estimating the angular position of a crankshaft of a 4-stroke internal combustion engine prior to synchronization of the engine having a plurality of camshafts provided with a number n of targets (CAM_i) secured respectively to n camshafts, each target defining a plurality of events over one revolution of the camshaft to which it is secured, the crankshaft having a securely attached target (CRK) including a plurality of standard teeth and at least one reference tooth which define a plurality of events over one crankshaft revolution, the method including: estimating a range of plausible positions of the crankshaft prior to synchronization, at a given moment, from events detected on the n camshaft targets, correlated with events detected on the crankshaft target, as corresponding to the shortest angular window that is common to all the members of rank i using the following formula: Pos_Crk ? _est = ? i = 1 i = n ? ? _ ? ? CAM ? List_event ? _plaus ? _CAM ? _i + Dist_ang
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2017
    Assignees: CONTINENTAL AUTOMOTIVE FRANCE, CONTINENTAL AUTOMOTIVE GMBH
    Inventors: Pierre Zouboff, Julien Lefevre, Christophe Mazenc
  • Publication number: 20140299080
    Abstract: A method for estimating the angular position of a crankshaft of a 4-stroke internal combustion engine prior to synchronization of the engine having a plurality of camshafts provided with a number n of targets (CAM_i) secured respectively to n camshafts, each target defining a plurality of events over one revolution of the camshaft to which it is secured, the crankshaft having a securely attached target (CRK) including a plurality of standard teeth and at least one reference tooth which define a plurality of events over one crankshaft revolution, the method including: estimating a range of plausible positions of the crankshaft prior to synchronization, at a given moment, from events detected on the n camshaft targets, correlated with events detected on the crankshaft target, as corresponding to the shortest angular window that is common to all the members of rank i using the following formula: Pos_Crk ? _est = ? i = 1 i = n ? ? _ ? ? CAM ? List_event ? _plaus ? _CAM ? _i + Dist_ang
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 3, 2014
    Publication date: October 9, 2014
    Applicant: CONTINENTAL AUTOMOTIVE FRANCE
    Inventors: Pierre ZOUBOFF, Julien LEFEVRE, Christophe MAZENC