Patents by Inventor Scott Richard Hughes

Scott Richard Hughes 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: 12203424
    Abstract: An internal combustion engine system includes a first set of cylinders, a second set of cylinders, exhaust manifolds, and exhaust gas sensors. The first set of cylinders has first and second subsets of cylinders. The second set of cylinders has third and fourth subsets of cylinders. The exhaust manifolds have primary conduits, secondary conduits branching from the primary conduits, and tertiary conduits branching from the secondary conduits. The tertiary conduits associated with each of the secondary conduits are connected to one of the first, second, third, or fourth subsets of cylinders. The exhaust gas sensors are disposed within each of the secondary conduits and are each configured to measure air-to-fuel ratios of one of the first, second, third, or fourth subsets of cylinders.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2023
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2025
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Raymond Host, Scott Richard Hughes, Rani Kiwan, Jeffrey J. Lock, Christopher Paul Glugla
  • Publication number: 20240352902
    Abstract: An internal combustion engine system includes a first set of cylinders, a second set of cylinders, exhaust manifolds, and exhaust gas sensors. The first set of cylinders has first and second subsets of cylinders. The second set of cylinders has third and fourth subsets of cylinders. The exhaust manifolds have primary conduits, secondary conduits branching from the primary conduits, and tertiary conduits branching from the secondary conduits. The tertiary conduits associated with each of the secondary conduits are connected to one of the first, second, third, or fourth subsets of cylinders. The exhaust gas sensors are disposed within each of the secondary conduits and are each configured to measure air-to-fuel ratios of one of the first, second, third, or fourth subsets of cylinders.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 24, 2023
    Publication date: October 24, 2024
    Inventors: Raymond Host, Scott Richard Hughes, Rani Kiwan, Jeffrey J. Lock, Christopher Paul Glugla
  • Patent number: 11560859
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for a diagnostic routine of a variable displacement engine (VDE) of a vehicle to detect non-deactivated valves of deactivated cylinders due to a degraded valve deactivation mechanism. In one example, a method comprises, during operation of the VDE with one or more cylinders of the VDE deactivated, calculating a variation in a fast-sampled signal outputted by one or more exhaust gas oxygen (EGO) sensors of the VDE over a plurality of engine cycles; determining that the variation is greater than the threshold variation; and in response, indicating that valves of the one or more cylinders are not deactivated. A second method comprises estimating a throttle air flow rate and an engine air flow rate of the VDE; and indicating non-deactivated valves of one or more deactivated cylinders if the throttle air flow rate exceeds the engine air flow rate by a threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2023
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Rani Kiwan, Adam Krach, Scott Richard Hughes, Richard Shimon, Kathleen Grant, David Wyman
  • Patent number: 9599048
    Abstract: Various systems and methods are described for deactivation and reactivation of a cylinder bank in a V-engine. In one example, the cylinder bank is deactivated responsive to an indication of misfire based on crankshaft acceleration and exhaust air fuel ratio. The cylinder bank is reactivated sequentially based on exhaust catalyst temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Chris Paul Glugla, Robert Sarow Baskins, Joseph Patrick Whitehead, Craig Alan Smith, Timothy Robert Gernant, Scott Richard Hughes
  • Publication number: 20160138500
    Abstract: Various systems and methods are described for deactivation and reactivation of a cylinder bank in a V-engine. In one example, the cylinder bank is deactivated responsive to an indication of misfire based on crankshaft acceleration and exhaust air fuel ratio. The cylinder bank is reactivated sequentially based on exhaust catalyst temperature.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 25, 2016
    Publication date: May 19, 2016
    Inventors: Chris Paul Glugla, Robert Sarow Baskins, Joseph Patrick Whitehead, Craig Alan Smith, Timothy Robert Gernant, Scott Richard Hughes
  • Patent number: 9243573
    Abstract: Various systems and methods are described for deactivation and reactivation of a cylinder bank in a V-engine. In one example, the cylinder bank is deactivated responsive to an indication of misfire based on crankshaft acceleration and exhaust air fuel ratio. The cylinder bank is reactivated sequentially based on exhaust catalyst temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2016
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Chris Paul Glugla, Robert Sarow Baskins, Joseph Patrick Whitehead, Craig Alan Smith, Timothy Robert Gernant, Scott Richard Hughes
  • Publication number: 20140352659
    Abstract: Various systems and methods are described for deactivation and reactivation of a cylinder bank in a V-engine. In one example, the cylinder bank is deactivated responsive to an indication of misfire based on crankshaft acceleration and exhaust air fuel ratio. The cylinder bank is reactivated sequentially based on exhaust catalyst temperature.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 31, 2013
    Publication date: December 4, 2014
    Inventors: Chris Paul Glugla, Robert Sarow Baskins, Joseph Patrick Whitehead, Craig Alan Smith, Timothy Robert Gernant, Scott Richard Hughes
  • Patent number: 5781877
    Abstract: A method (42) is disclosed for detecting the usage of a heater (31) in a block (30) of an internal combustion engine (11). The method (42) uses temperature measurements of the engine coolant and any ambient air used to create the air/fuel mixture. Based on the difference between the temperatures, the temperatures are weighted and added to create a temperature variable. The temperature variable is used by the electronic engine control module (34) to create an air/fuel mixture which will allow the internal combustion engine (11) to start smoothly. The method (42) operates on this modified temperature; i.e., the temperature variable, which is not the temperature of the engine coolant, nor the ambient air, and allows for the stoichiometric balance of the air/fuel mixture to be modified to optimize performance of the internal combustion engine (11) during a cold start in cold weather with warm engine coolant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 1997
    Date of Patent: July 14, 1998
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Todd Leonard Rachel, Patrick Edward Smithberger, Scott Richard Hughes, Michael John Cullen, Robert Matthew Marzonie