Patents by Inventor Stephen K. Fulcher

Stephen K. Fulcher 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: 7793641
    Abstract: A fuel control system for regulating fuel to cylinders of an internal combustion engine during an engine start and crank-to-run transition includes a first module that determines a plurality of step-ahead cylinder air masses (GPOs) for a cylinder based on a plurality of GPO prediction models. A second module regulates fueling to a cylinder of the engine based on the plurality of step-ahead GPOs until a combustion event of the cylinder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2010
    Inventors: Qi Ma, Stephen Yurkovich, Kenneth P. Dudek, Stephen K. Fulcher, Robert X. Monchamp, Jon C. Miller
  • Patent number: 7647162
    Abstract: A fuel control system for an internal combustion engine includes a first module that determines a corrected injected fuel mass based on an engine temperature and a measured burned fuel mass and a second module that determines a raw injected fuel mass based on the corrected injected fuel mass and the engine temperature. A third module regulates fueling to a cylinder of the engine based on the raw injected fuel mass.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 12, 2010
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations, Inc.
    Inventors: Qi Ma, Stephen Yurkovich, Kenneth P. Dudek, Stephen K. Fulcher, Robert X. Monchamp
  • Patent number: 7467511
    Abstract: An engine control system that regulates fuel to an engine after lean idle operation includes a first module that determines a rich mass fuel rate based on a lean operation mass air flow and a stoichiometric air to fuel ratio (AFR) and that calculates a time rich based on the rich mass fuel rate. A second module regulates fuel to the engine during a rich operation period after the lean idle operation to provide the rich mass fuel rate for the time rich.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 23, 2008
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations, Inc.
    Inventors: David P. Sczomak, David B. Brown, Stephen K. Fulcher, Jesse M. Gwidt, Michael J. Lucido, Christopher R. Graham
  • Patent number: 7302937
    Abstract: A fuel control system for regulating fuel to cylinders of an internal combustion engine during an engine start and crank-to-run transition includes a first module that determines a plurality of step-ahead cylinder air masses (GPOs) for a cylinder based on a plurality of GPO prediction models. A second module regulates fueling to a cylinder of the engine based on the plurality of step-ahead GPOs until a combustion event of the cylinder. Each of the plurality of GPO prediction models is calibrated based on data from a plurality of test starts that are based on a pre-defined test schedule.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2007
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations, Inc.
    Inventors: Qi Ma, Stephen Yurkovich, Kenneth P. Dudek, Stephen K. Fulcher, Jon C. Miller
  • Patent number: 7204236
    Abstract: A fuel control system for regulating fuel to cylinders of an internal combustion engine during an engine start and crank-to-run transition includes a first module that determines a raw injected fuel mass based on a utilized fuel fraction (UFF) model and a nominal fuel dynamics (NFD) and a second module that regulates fueling to a cylinder of the engine based on the raw injected fuel mass until a combustion event of the cylinder. Each of the UFF and NFD models is calibrated based on data from a plurality of test starts-that are based on a pre-defined test schedule.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2007
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations, Inc.
    Inventors: Qi Ma, Stephen Yurkovich, Kenneth P. Dudek, Stephen K. Fulcher
  • Patent number: 7111454
    Abstract: An engine control system and method maintains an optimum exhaust fuel to air ratio in an internal combustion engine. A secondary air injection (SAI) pressure is measured in an SAI system. The SAI pressure measurement is converted into an SAI flow value. A fuel compensation value is obtained based on the SAI flow value. Fuel delivery is compensated to the engine based on the fuel compensation value. In a second embodiment, the fuel compensation value is obtained based on the SAI pressure measurement. Fuel delivery is compensated to the engine based on the fuel compensation value. In a third embodiment, a primary flow value is calculated at an air intake of the engine. A fuel compensation value is calculated based on the SAI flow and primary flow values. Fuel delivery to the engine is compensated based on the fuel compensation value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2006
    Assignee: General Motors Corporation
    Inventors: Stephen K. Fulcher, Richard B. Jess, Patrick L. Risse, Stuart R. Smith, James A. Eng