Patents by Inventor Tobias Pallett

Tobias Pallett 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: 7627418
    Abstract: A vehicle system, comprising of an engine with a first cylinder and a second cylinder operating with different engine torques, a motor coupled to said engine capable of absorbing torque and providing torque, and a controller for varying torque of said motor to compensate for said torque difference so that a total engine and motor torque operates with increased balance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2009
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Tobias Pallett, Gopichandra Surnilla
  • Patent number: 7549283
    Abstract: In one example, a system for a vehicle traveling on the road is described. The system includes a first cylinder; a second cylinder; a linear exhaust gas sensor coupled exclusively to said first cylinder; a switching exhaust gas sensor coupled exclusively to said second cylinder; and a controller configured to operate in a first mode with both said first and second cylinders carrying out lean combustion, where fuel injection amounts to each of said first and second cylinder are adjusted based on said linear sensor; said controller further configured to operate in a second mode with both said first and second cylinders carrying out combustion about stoichiometry, where fuel injection amounts to at least one of said first and second cylinder are adjusted based on said switching sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2009
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: James Kerns, Gopichandra Surnilla, Tobias Pallett, Sukhdev Sekhon, Shane Elwart
  • Patent number: 7421836
    Abstract: A multi-cylinder group engine system operable in at least a first mode and a second mode, where in the first mode a first and second cylinder group combust air and fuel, and where in the second mode at least one of the first and second cylinder group combusts air and fuel and the other one of the first and second cylinder group pumps air without injected fuel, the engine system comprising of a first linear exhaust gas sensor disposed in a first exhaust passage to measure air fuel exhausted from the first cylinder group; a first switching type exhaust gas sensor disposed in a second exhaust passage to measure air-fuel exhausted from the second cylinder group; a second linear exhaust gas sensor disposed downstream of a junction between the first exhaust passage and the second exhaust passage; and a controller configured to validate a reading of the first linear exhaust gas sensor during the first mode of engine operation based on a reading of the second linear exhaust gas sensor when a lean air-fuel ratio is co
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2008
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Tobias Pallett, Gopichandra Surnilla, James Kerns, Suzanne Wait
  • Patent number: 7234455
    Abstract: A system for a vehicle comprising of an engine including a first cylinder group and a second cylinder group; a linear exhaust gas sensor coupled exclusively to the first cylinder group; a switching exhaust gas sensor coupled exclusively to the second cylinder group; and a controller configured to operate the engine in at least a first mode and a second mode, where in the first mode the first and second cylinder groups combust air and fuel, where in the second mode at least one of the first and second cylinder groups combusts air and injected fuel and the other one of the first and second cylinder groups pumps air without injecting fuel, and where the controller is further configured to estimate torque of the engine in each of the first and second modes of operation based on the air-fuel ratio of the first cylinder group and the air-fuel ratio of the second cylinder group independent of the switching sensor and dependent on the linear sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2007
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Tobias Pallett, Gopichandra Surnilla, James Kerns
  • Patent number: 7225782
    Abstract: A vehicle system is disclosed. The system include a engine capable of disabling and enabling at least one cylinder; a motor coupled to said engine capable of absorbing torque and providing torque; and a controller for disabling and enabling said at least one cylinder, and during at least one of disabling and enabling, varying torque of said motor to compensate for transient changes in engine output torque caused by said one of disabling and enabling.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2007
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Tobias Pallett, James Kerns, Gopichandra Surnilla
  • Patent number: 7225801
    Abstract: A multi-cylinder group engine system operable in at least a first mode and a second mode, where in the first mode a first and second cylinder group combust air and fuel with a lean air-fuel ratio, and where in the second mode at least one of the first and second cylinder groups combusts air and fuel and the other one of the first and second cylinder groups pumps air without injected fuel, the engine system comprising of a fuel injection activity sensor coupled to each cylinder in the first and second cylinder groups; a exhaust gas sensor disposed in an exhaust passage to measure air fuel exhausted from the engine; and a controller configured to transition out of the first mode responsive to detection of exhaust gas sensor degradation and to transition out of the second mode responsive to detection of fuel injection sensor degradation. In one example, the transition out of the second mode may be slower than the transition out of the first mode in response to the respective degradation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2007
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Tobias Pallett, Suzanne Wait, Gopichandra Surnilla
  • Publication number: 20070078586
    Abstract: A vehicle system, comprising of an engine with a first cylinder and a second cylinder operating with different engine torques, a motor coupled to said engine capable of absorbing torque and providing torque, and a controller for varying torque of said motor to compensate for said torque difference so that a total engine and motor torque operates with increased balance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 4, 2005
    Publication date: April 5, 2007
    Inventors: Tobias Pallett, Gopichandra Surnilla
  • Patent number: 7195001
    Abstract: An engine system comprising of at least one fuel injector sensor coupled to at least one fuel injector of a first group of cylinders; at least one fuel injector sensor coupled to at least one fuel injector of a second group of cylinders; and a controller configured to operate the engine system in at least a first mode and a second mode, where in the first mode the first and second cylinder groups combust air and injected fuel, where in the second mode at least one of the first and second cylinder groups combusts air and injected fuel and the other one of the first and second cylinder groups pumps air without injecting fuel; where in the first mode the controller sets a degradation condition responsive to detection of inactivity of the at least one fuel injector by the at least one fuel injection sensors; and where in the second mode the controller sets a degradation condition responsive to at least one of detection of fuel injection activity in both the first and second groups of cylinders by the fuel injecti
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2007
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: Tobias Pallett
  • Publication number: 20070051351
    Abstract: A system for a vehicle comprising of an engine including a first cylinder group and a second cylinder group; a linear exhaust gas sensor coupled exclusively to the first cylinder group; a switching exhaust gas sensor coupled exclusively to the second cylinder group; and a controller configured to operate the engine in at least a first mode and a second mode, where in the first mode the first and second cylinder groups combust air and fuel, where in the second mode at least one of the first and second cylinder groups combusts air and injected fuel and the other one of the first and second cylinder groups pumps air without injecting fuel, and where the controller is further configured to estimate torque of the engine in each of the first and second modes of operation based on the air-fuel ratio of the first cylinder group and the air-fuel ratio of the second cylinder group independent of the switching sensor and dependent on the linear sensor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 1, 2006
    Publication date: March 8, 2007
    Inventors: Tobias Pallett, Gopichandra Surnilla, James Kerns
  • Publication number: 20070051344
    Abstract: An engine system comprising of at least one fuel injector sensor coupled to at least one fuel injector of a first group of cylinders; at least one fuel injector sensor coupled to at least one fuel injector of a second group of cylinders; and a controller configured to operate the engine system in at least a first mode and a second mode, where in the first mode the first and second cylinder groups combust air and injected fuel, where in the second mode at least one of the first and second cylinder groups combusts air and injected fuel and the other one of the first and second cylinder groups pumps air without injecting fuel; where in the first mode the controller sets a degradation condition responsive to detection of inactivity of the at least one fuel injector by the at least one fuel injection sensors; and where in the second mode the controller sets a degradation condition responsive to at least one of detection of fuel injection activity in both the first and second groups of cylinders by the fuel injecti
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 1, 2006
    Publication date: March 8, 2007
    Inventor: Tobias Pallett
  • Publication number: 20070051092
    Abstract: A multi-cylinder group engine system operable in at least a first mode and a second mode, where in the first mode a first and second cylinder group combust air and fuel, and where in the second mode at least one of the first and second cylinder group combusts air and fuel and the other one of the first and second cylinder group pumps air without injected fuel, the engine system comprising of a first linear exhaust gas sensor disposed in a first exhaust passage to measure air fuel exhausted from the first cylinder group; a first switching type exhaust gas sensor disposed in a second exhaust passage to measure air-fuel exhausted from the second cylinder group; a second linear exhaust gas sensor disposed downstream of a junction between the first exhaust passage and the second exhaust passage; and a controller configured to validate a reading of the first linear exhaust gas sensor during the first mode of engine operation based on a reading of the second linear exhaust gas sensor when a lean air-fuel ratio is co
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 1, 2006
    Publication date: March 8, 2007
    Inventors: Tobias Pallett, Gopichandra Surnilla, James Kerns, Suzanne Wait
  • Publication number: 20060196463
    Abstract: A vehicle system is disclosed. The system include a engine capable of disabling and enabling at least one cylinder; a motor coupled to said engine capable of absorbing torque and providing torque; and a controller for disabling and enabling said at least one cylinder, and during at least one of disabling and enabling, varying torque of said motor to compensate for transient changes in engine output torque caused by said one of disabling and enabling.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 3, 2005
    Publication date: September 7, 2006
    Inventors: Tobias Pallett, James Kerns, Gopichandra Surnilla
  • Publication number: 20050284133
    Abstract: In one example, a system for a vehicle traveling on the road is described. The system includes a first cylinder; a second cylinder; a linear exhaust gas sensor coupled exclusively to said first cylinder; a switching exhaust gas sensor coupled exclusively to said second cylinder; and a controller configured to operate in a first mode with both said first and second cylinders carrying out lean combustion, where fuel injection amounts to each of said first and second cylinder are adjusted based on said linear sensor; said controller further configured to operate in a second mode with both said first and second cylinders carrying out combustion about stoichiometry, where fuel injection amounts to at least one of said first and second cylinder are adjusted based on said switching sensor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 31, 2005
    Publication date: December 29, 2005
    Inventors: James Kerns, Gopichandra Surnilla, Tobias Pallett, Sukhdev Sekhon, Shane Elwart