Patents by Inventor Paul Hollar

Paul Hollar 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: 11739706
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for balancing a plurality of fuel injectors. In one example, a method includes adjusting port-fuel injecting parameters in response to a learned direct injector fueling error.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2023
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Ross Pursifull, Rani Kiwan, Paul Hollar, Joseph Thomas
  • Publication number: 20220412283
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for balancing a plurality of fuel injectors. In one example, a method includes adjusting port-fuel injecting parameters in response to a learned direct injector fueling error.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 24, 2021
    Publication date: December 29, 2022
    Inventors: Ross Pursifull, Rani Kiwan, Paul Hollar, Joseph Thomas
  • Patent number: 11352974
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for accounting for a difference between an expected amount of fuel scheduled to be delivered and an actual amount of fuel delivered to an engine cylinder during a fueling event. In one example, a method may include scheduling a direct injection to a cylinder based on an estimated expected amount of fuel injected to the cylinder during an immediately previous injection event. The expected amount of fuel injected during the immediately previous injection event may be a function of an average fuel rail pressure during the immediately previous injection event.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2022
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Ross Pursifull, Paul Hollar, David Oshinsky
  • Patent number: 11352975
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for estimating a temperature of a direct injector. In one example, a method may include estimating the temperature of the direct injector based on a resistance of a solenoid coil of the direct injector. In one example, a pulse-width of the direct injector during an opening phase is adjusted in response to the temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2022
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Ross Pursifull, Joseph Thomas, Paul Hollar
  • Patent number: 11346297
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for balancing a plurality of fuel injectors. In one example, a method includes adjusting direct injector parameters in response to a learned direct injector fueling error. The pulse-width supplied to the direct injectors is adjusted to balance cylinder fueling.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2022
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Ross Pursifull, Rani Kiwan, Paul Hollar, Joseph Thomas, David Oshinsky, Michael Uhrich
  • Publication number: 20220082059
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for accounting for a difference between an expected amount of fuel scheduled to be delivered and an actual amount of fuel delivered to an engine cylinder during a fueling event. In one example, a method may include scheduling a direct injection to a cylinder based on an estimated expected amount of fuel injected to the cylinder during an immediately previous injection event. The expected amount of fuel injected during the immediately previous injection event may be a function of an average fuel rail pressure during the immediately previous injection event.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 11, 2020
    Publication date: March 17, 2022
    Inventors: Ross Pursifull, Paul Hollar, David Oshinsky
  • Patent number: 11220969
    Abstract: Systems and methods for improving accuracy of an amount of fuel injected to an engine are disclosed. In one example, holding current of a fuel injector is adjusted to follow a fixed period and timing of a fuel injector off command is adjusted according to attributes of fuel injector holding current so that a fuel injector may provide a requested fuel amount. The fuel injector off command may be adjusted according to an amount of holding current that is expected to be flowing through the fuel injector at a time when the fuel injector is commanded off.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2022
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Ross Dykstra Pursifull, Rani Kiwan, Joseph Thomas, Paul Hollar, Ian D Campbell
  • Patent number: 11220975
    Abstract: Systems and methods for improving accuracy of an amount of fuel injected to an engine are disclosed. In one example, timing of a fuel injector off command is adjusted according to attributes of fuel injector holding current so that a fuel injector may provide a requested fuel amount. The fuel injector off command may be adjusted according to an amount of holding current that is expected to be flowing through the fuel injector at a time when the fuel injector is commanded off.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2022
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Ross Dykstra Pursifull, Joseph Thomas, Rani Kiwan, Ian D Campbell, Paul Hollar
  • Patent number: 11162451
    Abstract: Systems and methods for improving accuracy of an amount of fuel injected to an engine are disclosed. In one example, a maximum holding current of a fuel injector is adjusted so that a holding current of a fuel injector is equal to a predetermined value when the fuel injector is commanded to cease injecting fuel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2021
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Rani Kiwan, Ross Pursifull, Joseph Thomas, Paul Hollar, Ian D Campbell
  • Patent number: 11143135
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for reducing errors in estimated fuel rail pressure incurred at the time of a scheduled injection event due to engine-driven cyclic fuel rail pressure changes. In one example, a pulse-width commanded during a scheduled injection event is determined as a function fuel rail pressure samples collected over a moving window that is customized for the corresponding fuel injector. In another example, the commanded pulse-width is determined as a function of an average fuel rail pressure sampled during a quiet zone of injector operation and predicted fuel rail pressure altering events occurring between the quiet zone and the scheduled injection event.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2021
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Ross Dykstra Pursifull, Joseph Thomas, David Oshinsky, Michael Uhrich, Paul Hollar
  • Patent number: 11035316
    Abstract: Methods and systems for adjusting timing of fuel injectors to reduce cylinder to cylinder air-fuel maldistribution are disclosed. In one example, fuel injection timing is adjusted as a function of pressure ratios that are based on fuel rail pressures observed during injection of fuel. The pressure ratio may be a ratio of a root-mean-square pressure and a scheduling fuel pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2021
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Ross Pursifull, Jonathan Mark Roberts, Joseph Lyle Thomas, Paul Hollar
  • Patent number: 11015557
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for relieving pressure from a compression locked engine. The engine may be compression locked during an engine start attempt due to operator application of a manual transmission clutch at or around the time of a first combustion event of the engine start. A direct injector of the compression locked cylinder is commanded open to relieve the pressure into the fuel rail.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2021
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Joseph Thomas, Ethan Sanborn, Paul Hollar, Daniel Dusa
  • Patent number: 10934955
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for injector balancing without disabling a cam actuated high pressure fuel pump. In one example, one of a plurality of cam lobes of the pump is selectively and sequentially disabled while a group of injectors are concurrently operated to learn a pressure drop across each injector. The selection of the injectors is based on the identity and stroke timing of the disabled cam lobe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2021
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Ross Pursifull, David Oshinsky, Paul Hollar, Joseph Thomas, Michael Uhrich
  • Patent number: 10900436
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for reducing errors in estimated fuel rail pressure incurred at the time of a scheduled injection event due to engine-driven cyclic fuel rail pressure changes. In one example, a pulse-width commanded during a scheduled injection event is determined as a function fuel rail pressure samples collected over a moving window that is customized for the corresponding fuel injector. In another example, the commanded pulse-width is determined as a function of an average fuel rail pressure sampled during a quiet zone of injector operation and predicted fuel rail pressure altering events occurring between the quiet zone and the scheduled injection event.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2021
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Ross Dykstra Pursifull, Michael Uhrich, Joseph Thomas, Paul Hollar, David Oshinsky
  • Publication number: 20210017930
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for reducing errors in estimated fuel rail pressure incurred at the time of a scheduled injection event due to engine-driven cyclic fuel rail pressure changes. In one example, a pulse-width commanded during a scheduled injection event is determined as a function fuel rail pressure samples collected over a moving window that is customized for the corresponding fuel injector. In another example, the commanded pulse-width is determined as a function of an average fuel rail pressure sampled during a quiet zone of injector operation and predicted fuel rail pressure altering events occurring between the quiet zone and the scheduled injection event.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 1, 2020
    Publication date: January 21, 2021
    Inventors: Ross Dykstra Pursifull, Joseph Thomas, David Oshinsky, Michael Uhrich, Paul Hollar
  • Patent number: 10844804
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for reducing errors in estimated fuel rail pressure incurred at the time of a scheduled injection event due to engine-driven cyclic fuel rail pressure changes. In one example, a pulse-width commanded during a scheduled injection event is determined as a function fuel rail pressure samples collected over a moving window that is customized for the corresponding fuel injector. In another example, the commanded pulse-width is determined as a function of an average fuel rail pressure sampled during a quiet zone of injector operation and predicted fuel rail pressure altering events occurring between the quiet zone and the scheduled injection event.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2020
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Ross Dykstra Pursifull, Joseph Thomas, David Oshinsky, Michael Uhrich, Paul Hollar
  • Patent number: 10801431
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for learning a cylinder-to-cylinder air variation. During conditions when a PFDI engine is operated in a port-injection only mode, prior to port fuel injection, a direct-injection fuel rail pressure may be lowered via direct-injection. Then, prior to a spark event in a port-injected cylinder, the direct-injector may be transiently opened to use the rail pressure sensor for estimating a cylinder compression pressure, and inferring cylinder air charge therefrom.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2020
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Joseph Lyle Thomas, Ethan D. Sanborn, Paul Hollar, Daniel Dusa
  • Publication number: 20200300189
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for injector balancing without disabling a cam actuated high pressure fuel pump. In one example, one of a plurality of cam lobes of the pump is selectively and sequentially disabled while a group of injectors are concurrently operated to learn a pressure drop across each injector. The selection of the injectors is based on the identity and stroke timing of the disabled cam lobe.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 19, 2019
    Publication date: September 24, 2020
    Inventors: Ross Pursifull, David Oshinsky, Paul Hollar, Joseph Thomas, Michael Uhrich
  • Publication number: 20200291886
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for reducing errors in estimated fuel rail pressure incurred at the time of a scheduled injection event due to engine-driven cyclic fuel rail pressure changes. In one example, a pulse-width commanded during a scheduled injection event is determined as a function fuel rail pressure samples collected over a moving window that is customized for the corresponding fuel injector. In another example, the commanded pulse-width is determined as a function of an average fuel rail pressure sampled during a quiet zone of injector operation and predicted fuel rail pressure altering events occurring between the quiet zone and the scheduled injection event.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 15, 2019
    Publication date: September 17, 2020
    Inventors: Ross Dykstra Pursifull, Joseph Thomas, David Oshinsky, Michael Uhrich, Paul Hollar
  • Publication number: 20200291885
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for reducing errors in estimated fuel rail pressure incurred at the time of a scheduled injection event due to engine-driven cyclic fuel rail pressure changes. In one example, a pulse-width commanded during a scheduled injection event is determined as a function fuel rail pressure samples collected over a moving window that is customized for the corresponding fuel injector. In another example, the commanded pulse-width is determined as a function of an average fuel rail pressure sampled during a quiet zone of injector operation and predicted fuel rail pressure altering events occurring between the quiet zone and the scheduled injection event.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 15, 2019
    Publication date: September 17, 2020
    Inventors: Ross Dykstra Pursifull, Michael Uhrich, Joseph Thomas, Paul Hollar, David Oshinsky