Patents by Inventor Steven Ray Whittier

Steven Ray Whittier 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 for improving spark ignited internal combustion engine acceleration and idling in the presence of poor driveability fuels
    Patent number: 5957994
    Abstract: A method for accelerating the rotational speed of a crankshaft of an internal combustion engine having a plurality of cylinders each having a spark plug wherein a predetermined amount of delivered fuel is to be combusted at a firing time within each of the plurality of cylinders with each rotation of the camshaft or crankshaft based on an acceleration input made by an operator includes the step of receiving the accelerating input, measuring the rotational speed of the crankshaft, defining an expected engine speed based on the acceleration input, calculating a speed error as the rotational speed of the crankshaft less the expected engine speed, calculating engine acceleration and adjusting the predetermined amount of fuel delivered to be combusted in each of the plurality of cylinders to reduce the speed error when the speed error is a function of the instantaneous engine speed. The preferred embodiment is implemented using fuzzy logic.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 1996
    Date of Patent: September 28, 1999
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Daniel Lawrence Meyer, Philip William Husak, Michael John Cullen, Steven Ray Whittier, Julia Marie Giuliano, Anupam Narula
  • Method for improving spark ignited internal combustion engine starting and idling using poor driveability fuels
    Patent number: 5875759
    Abstract: A method for maintaining the rotational speed of a crankshaft of an internal combustion engine having a plurality of cylinders each having a spark plug wherein a predetermined amount of delivered fuel is to be combusted at a firing time within each of the plurality of cylinders with each rotation of the camshaft or crankshaft includes the step of operating the internal combustion engine, measuring the rotational speed of the crankshaft, defining an expected engine speed, calculating a speed error as the rotational speed of the crankshaft less the expected engine speed, and changing the predetermined amount of delivered fuel to be combusted in each of the plurality of cylinders to reduce the speed error. The preferred embodiment is implemented in fuzzy logic.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 1996
    Date of Patent: March 2, 1999
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Daniel Lawrence Meyer, Philip William Husak, Michael John Cullen, Steven Ray Whittier, Erich Paul Brandt, William Joseph Maier