Patents by Inventor Kenneth Edward Sovel

Kenneth Edward Sovel 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: 10343690
    Abstract: A controller commands an engine torque level in response to a driver demanded torque based on an accelerator pedal position. If the driver demanded torque decreases rapidly during or just prior to a torque phase of a shift, the controller commands the engine to temporarily generate torque exceeding the driver demand. The controller sets a nominal engine torque equal to the driver demand torque before the rapid decrease, slowly decreases the nominal engine torque during the torque phase, and decreases the nominal torque at progressively faster rates during the inertia phase to bring the nominal torque back into agreement with the driver demanded torque. The commanded engine torque is based on the nominal torque, but may be less than the nominal torque during the inertia phase to permit the engine speed to decrease faster.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2019
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Cory Benson LaRoche, Bradley Dean Riedle, Jianping Zhang, Kendrick Morrison, Kenneth Edward Sovel
  • Patent number: 10323702
    Abstract: A vehicle includes a transmission and a controller. The transmission has clutches and multiple speed ratios that are established during gear upshifts upon torque being transferred from off-going to oncoming clutches. The controller is programmed to, in response to a difference between actual and target times of a desired flare at a transmission input exceeding a threshold during an upshift, adjust the torque of the off-going clutch during a torque transfer phase of a subsequent upshift based on the difference.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 18, 2019
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Stephen Michael Cicala, Jaewon Choi, Cory Benson Laroche, Kenneth Edward Sovel
  • Publication number: 20180119756
    Abstract: A vehicle includes a transmission and a controller. The transmission has clutches and multiple speed ratios that are established during gear upshifts upon torque being transferred from off-going to oncoming clutches. The controller is programmed to, in response to a difference between actual and target times of a desired flare at a transmission input exceeding a threshold during an upshift, adjust the torque of the off-going clutch during a torque transfer phase of a subsequent upshift based on the difference.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 28, 2016
    Publication date: May 3, 2018
    Inventors: Stephen Michael CICALA, Jaewon CHOI, Cory Benson LAROCHE, Kenneth Edward SOVEL
  • Publication number: 20180118217
    Abstract: A controller commands an engine torque level in response to a driver demanded torque based on an accelerator pedal position. If the driver demanded torque decreases rapidly during or just prior to a torque phase of a shift, the controller commands the engine to temporarily generate torque exceeding the driver demand. The controller sets a nominal engine torque equal to the driver demand torque before the rapid decrease, slowly decreases the nominal engine torque during the torque phase, and decreases the nominal torque at progressively faster rates during the inertia phase to bring the nominal torque back into agreement with the driver demanded torque. The commanded engine torque is based on the nominal torque, but may be less than the nominal torque during the inertia phase to permit the engine speed to decrease faster.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 24, 2017
    Publication date: May 3, 2018
    Inventors: Cory Benson LaRoche, Bradley Dean Riedle, Jianping Zhang, Kendrick Morrison, Kenneth Edward Sovel