Patents by Inventor Kenichiro UMEMOTO

Kenichiro UMEMOTO 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).

  • Air-fuel ratio control apparatus
    Patent number: 8943800
    Abstract: When an internal combustion engine (1) is determined to be in a low-temperature start state (an affirmative determination is made in S120), an air-fuel ratio control apparatus (10) controls the temperature of a downstream detection element (17) of a downstream gas sensor (15) to a downstream target temperature by driving a downstream heater (16) of the downstream gas sensor (15) (S170), and feedback-controls the air-fuel ratio of exhaust gas based on the output of the downstream gas sensor (15) (S190). When the engine (1) is determined not to be in the low-temperature start state (a negative determination is made in S120), the air-fuel ratio control apparatus (10) drives an upstream heater (25) of an upstream gas sensor (22) and feedback-controls the air-fuel ratio of exhaust gas based on the output of the upstream gas sensor (22) (S270).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2015
    Assignee: NGK Spark Plug Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kenichiro Umemoto, Shuichi Hanai, Koji Nagura
  • AIR-FUEL RATIO CONTROL APPARATUS
    Publication number: 20140190149
    Abstract: When an internal combustion engine (1) is determined to be in a low-temperature start state (an affirmative determination is made in S120), an air-fuel ratio control apparatus (10) controls the temperature of a downstream detection element (17) of a downstream gas sensor (15) to a downstream target temperature by driving a downstream heater (16) of the downstream gas sensor (15) (S170), and feedback-controls the air-fuel ratio of exhaust gas based on the output of the downstream gas sensor (15) (S190). When the engine (1) is determined not to be in the low-temperature start state (a negative determination is made in S120), the air-fuel ratio control apparatus (10) drives an upstream heater (25) of an upstream gas sensor (22) and feedback-controls the air-fuel ratio of exhaust gas based on the output of the upstream gas sensor (22) (S270).
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 7, 2014
    Publication date: July 10, 2014
    Applicant: NGK Spark Plug Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kenichiro UMEMOTO, Shuichi HANAI, Koji NAGURA