Patents by Inventor Kerry D. Franks

Kerry D. Franks 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: 8096282
    Abstract: The present invention is a method for reducing misfire in a cylinder of an internal combustion engine. The method includes detecting a misfire event frequency that is equal to or greater than a first predetermined value, determining a pulse-width signal for a fuel injector associated with the cylinder during the misfire event, increasing the pulse-width signal if the misfire event is frequency is below a second predetermined value, and reducing the increase in the pulse-width signal if the misfire event frequency is below the first predetermined value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2012
    Assignee: Chrysler Group LLC
    Inventors: Kerry D. Franks, William R. de Weever, Luis J. Del Rio, Kenneth A. Raupp
  • Publication number: 20090326789
    Abstract: The present invention is a method for reducing misfire in a cylinder of an internal combustion engine. The method includes detecting a misfire event frequency that is equal to or greater than a first predetermined value, determining a pulse-width signal for a fuel injector associated with the cylinder during the misfire event, increasing the pulse-width signal if the misfire event is frequency is below a second predetermined value, and reducing the increase in the pulse-width signal if the misfire event frequency is below the first predetermined value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 26, 2008
    Publication date: December 31, 2009
    Inventors: Kerry D. Franks, William R. de Weever, Luis J. Del Rio, Kenneth A. Raupp
  • Patent number: 6705285
    Abstract: A method for characterizing an air flow target within an internal combustion engine. The method includes determining an air mass flow rate target, determining an engine speed term, and processing these terms to obtain an air flow target. The air flow target can be used as an input for vehicle controllers including those for controlling pressurized induction systems.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2001
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2004
    Assignee: DaimlerChrysler Corporation
    Inventors: James W Yip, Michael J Prucka, Yi Cheng, Paul R Arlauskas, Daniel B Diebel, Kerry D Franks, Gregory L Ohl
  • Publication number: 20030079719
    Abstract: A method for characterizing an air flow target within an internal combustion engine. The method includes determining an air mass flow rate target, determining an engine speed term, and processing these terms to obtain an air flow target. The air flow target can be used as an input for vehicle controllers including those for controlling pressurized induction systems.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 31, 2001
    Publication date: May 1, 2003
    Inventors: James W. Yip, Michael J. Prucka, Yi Cheng, Paul R. Arlauskas, Daniel B. Diebel, Kerry D. Franks, Gregory L. Ohl
  • Patent number: 6443138
    Abstract: A control system for controlling the fueling of an engine assembly. The engine assembly includes an internal combustion engine, a fuel control system, a fuel vapor storage canister and a purge control system for purging the fuel vapor storage canister. The control system includes a purge fuel vapor measuring device for measuring an amount of purge fuel vapor flowing from the vapor storage canister to the internal combustion engine, a fuel corruption estimating device for estimating an amount of fuel corruption as a function of the amount of purge fuel vapor flowing from the vapor storage canister to the internal combustion engine and a controller for adapting the control of the internal combustion to the estimate of the amount of fuel corruption. A method for fueling an engine assembly having an internal combustion engine is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2002
    Assignee: DaimlerChrysler Corporation
    Inventors: Kerry D Franks, Paul R Arlauskas, Jeremy M Smith, Iqbal A Chowdhury
  • Patent number: 6286366
    Abstract: A technique for determining the charge air temperature within an intake manifold of an internal combustion engine of a vehicle without using a dedicated temperature sensor. The technique includes identifying a non-linear dynamic model based on the physical concepts of thermal transfer and system identification technique. The charge air temperature model uses several available physical measurements from the vehicle, including inlet air temperature, engine coolant temperature, vehicle speed, manifold pressure, engine speed, exhaust gas recirculation condition, and the engine fan on/off state. The model parameters are determined based on specific vehicle characteristics, and collected data from the vehicle. The charge air temperature is predicted by the model at regular predetermined intervals from the physical measurements, the vehicle parameters and the charge air temperature from the previous time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 1998
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2001
    Assignee: Chrysler Corporation
    Inventors: Gang Chen, Zhijian James Wu, Anson Lee, Kerry D. Franks, Timothy L. McDonald, James R. Tamm
  • Patent number: 6076964
    Abstract: A method of determining a vehicle battery temperature by a non-linear dynamic model based on the physical concepts of thermal transfer and a system identification technique. The battery temperature model uses several available physical measurements from the vehicle, including the engine coolant temperature, surrounding air temperature, vehicle speed and the engine fan on/off state. This method also includes the estimation of an initial value of battery temperature before starting the iteration process by the battery temperature prediction from the dynamic model.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 1998
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2000
    Assignee: Chrysler Corporation
    Inventors: Zhijian James Wu, Gang Chen, Anson Lee, Kerry D. Franks, Timothy L. McDonald, James R. Tamm
  • Patent number: 5005550
    Abstract: An improved fuel vapor purging system for a vehicle vapor storage canister associate with a positively charged engine such as a turbocharged or supercharged engine. An aspirator device is utilized to provide a pressure differential with respect to atmosphere so as to draw air through the canister for purging.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 1989
    Date of Patent: April 9, 1991
    Assignee: Chrysler Corporation
    Inventors: Marion Bugin, Jr., Gary D. Dawson, Kerry D. Franks, Richard O. Geiss, Donald H. Kerska