Patents by Inventor Mario V. Maiorana

Mario V. Maiorana 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).

  • Method of externally charging a powertrain
    Patent number: 8248023
    Abstract: A method of externally charging a powertrain includes monitoring a voltage level of a first battery, determining when the monitored voltage level is below a first voltage threshold, and when the monitored voltage level is below the first voltage threshold, charging the first battery by supplying power from an external power source and increasing voltage of the power supplied by the external power source within the powertrain.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2012
    Assignees: GM Global Technology Operations LLC, Daimler AG, Chrysler Group LLC, Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: R. Travis Schwenke, Nicholas Kokotovich, Aniket Kothari, Mario V. Maiorana, Jr., William R. Cawthorne
  • Method and system for hybrid energy management control
    Patent number: 7900726
    Abstract: A charging system for a hybrid vehicle comprises an internal combustion engine, an electric motor generator coupled to the internal combustion engine and operable to be driven as a generator to produce a charging voltage and a battery coupled to the electric motor generator and configured to receive a charge voltage. The charging system further comprises an engine control computer coupled to the internal combustion engine, the electric motor generator and the battery. The engine control computer is configured to determine a threshold for a charging specific fuel consumption (CSFC), calculate an instantaneous CSFC; and initiate active charging of the battery if the instantaneous CSFC is less than or equal to the threshold CSFC.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2011
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Kevin S. Kidston, Damon R. Frisch, Brian J. Koch, George T. Stephens, Mario V. Maiorana, Jr., Chihsiung Lo
  • Control system architecture for a hybrid powertrain
    Patent number: 7537542
    Abstract: A control apparatus for a powertrain system comprising an engine and two electrical machines operably coupled to a two-mode compound-split electro-mechanical transmission is provided. It includes a system controller and two motor control processors. The system controller communicates with the motor control processors via two high speed communications buses and directly-linked serial peripheral interface buses. The motor control processors control flow of electrical power between the electrical machines and an electrical energy storage device. A second control device is operable to control the engine, preferably to control torque output. The internal combustion engine preferably has a crank position sensor which is signally connected to a dedicated input to the second control device and to a dedicated input to the system controller of the first control device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2009
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations, Inc.
    Inventors: William R. Cawthorne, Mario V. Maiorana, Jr., Jy-Jen F. Sah, Sean E Gleason, Gregory A. Hubbard, Leonard G. Wozniak, Matthew T. Boyle, Anthony H. Heap, Aniket Kothari
  • METHOD OF EXTERNALLY CHARGING A POWERTRAIN
    Publication number: 20090115377
    Abstract: A method of externally charging a powertrain includes monitoring a voltage level of a first battery, determining when the monitored voltage level is below a first voltage threshold, and when the monitored voltage level is below the first voltage threshold, charging the first battery by supplying power from an external power source and increasing voltage of the power supplied by the external power source within the powertrain.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 20, 2008
    Publication date: May 7, 2009
    Applicants: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS, INC., Daimler AG, Chrysler LLC, Bayerishe Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: R. Travis Schwenke, Nicholas Kokotovich, Aniket Kothari, Mario V. Maiorana, JR., William R. Cawthorne
  • CONTROL SYSTEM ARCHITECTURE FOR A HYBRID POWERTRAIN
    Publication number: 20080064559
    Abstract: A control apparatus for a powertrain system comprising an engine and two electrical machines operably coupled to a two-mode compound-split electro-mechanical transmission is provided. It includes a system controller and two motor control processors. The system controller communicates with the motor control processors via two high speed communications buses and directly-linked serial peripheral interface buses. The motor control processors control flow of electrical power between the electrical machines and an electrical energy storage device. A second control device is operable to control the engine, preferably to control torque output. The internal combustion engine preferably has a crank position sensor which is signally connected to a dedicated input to the second control device and to a dedicated input to the system controller of the first control device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 11, 2006
    Publication date: March 13, 2008
    Inventors: William R. Cawthorne, Mario V. Maiorana, Jy-Jen F. Sah, Sean E. Gleason, Gregory A. Hubbard, Leonard G. Wozniak, Matthew T. Boyle, Anthony H. Heap, Aniket Kothari