Patents by Inventor Wayne Eckerle

Wayne Eckerle 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: 9518519
    Abstract: Systems, methods and techniques for exhaust gas recirculation are provided. The system includes controlling the mixing of exhaust flow from at least one cylinder of an engine with air in an air intake system prior to combustion in response to an EGR fraction deviation condition. The exhaust flow from the at least one cylinder is accumulated prior to mixing and distributed into the intake air system in a controlled manner to mitigate or prevent the EGR flow from deviating from an expected EGR fraction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2016
    Assignee: Cummins Inc.
    Inventors: Marten H. Dane, John C. Wall, Wayne A. Eckerle
  • Publication number: 20150245777
    Abstract: A system and a method are disclosed for identifying and characterizing a stress state of a user based on features of blood flow identified from optical signals. One embodiment of a disclosed system (and method) includes an optical sensing system to detect features of blood flow and identify and characterize a stress state of a user based on those blood flow features. Light transmitted or reflected from tissue of the user is measured by an optical sensor. A processor analyzes the received optical signal to identify features of the blood flow. The stress state of the user is determined based on the identified features. The stress state is characterized according to a type of stress, a level of stress or both. Additionally stress events are identified.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 21, 2013
    Publication date: September 3, 2015
    Inventors: Marco Kenneth Della Torre, Nathan Ronald Kowahl, Jonathan K. Lee, Jean Louise Rintoul, Matthew Wayne Eckerle, Timothy Melano
  • Publication number: 20150121851
    Abstract: Systems, methods and techniques for exhaust gas recirculation are provided. The system includes controlling the mixing of exhaust flow from at least one cylinder of an engine with air in an air intake system prior to combustion in response to an EGR fraction deviation condition. The exhaust flow from the at least one cylinder is accumulated prior to mixing and distributed into the intake air system in a controlled manner to mitigate or prevent the EGR flow from deviating from an expected EGR fraction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 4, 2014
    Publication date: May 7, 2015
    Inventors: Marten H. Dane, John C. Wall, Wayne A. Eckerle
  • Publication number: 20120271121
    Abstract: A biometric device configured to be attached to a portion of a body of a user measures biometric data of the user. The device includes an optical emitter, a wavelength filter, an optical sensor and a processor, for sending a light to the body of a user, receiving light received from the user, filtering and processing it to measure biometric data of the user, including for example, heart rate and blood flow rate. In addition, the biometric device may include other sensors, such as a galvanic skin response sensor, an ambient temperature sensor, skin temperature, motion sensor, etc., to enable the biometric device to measure arousal or conductivity changing events, ambient temperature, user temperature and motion associated with the user. Additionally, information from each sensor may be used to further filter noise in one or more signals received by the sensors to provide biometric data to the user.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 23, 2011
    Publication date: October 25, 2012
    Applicant: BASIS Science, Inc.
    Inventors: Marco Kenneth Della Torre, Matthew Wayne Eckerle, Jean Louise Rintoul, Claus He, Bashir Ziady, Andrew Atkinson Stirn, Nadeem Iqbal Kassam, Steven Paul Harris, Sean Tan, Christopher James Verplaetse
  • Patent number: 7210448
    Abstract: An engine is provided which includes various precise configuration parameters, including dimensions, shape and/or relative positioning of the combustion chamber features, resulting in a combustion process minimizing NOx emissions and particulates. The combustion chamber includes one or more of the following: a spray angle relative to an inner bowl floor angle; a vertical distance from the tip of the piston bowl to the injection orifices; a number of injection orifices; a swirl ratio; a vertical distance from the injection orifices to an inner face of the cylinder head; a radius of curvature of an outer bowl section; chamfer with dimensional parameters; and a transition radius.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2007
    Assignee: Cummins, Inc.
    Inventors: Donald W. Stanton, Randall L. Zehr, Wayne A. Eckerle, Francois Ntone
  • Publication number: 20060070603
    Abstract: An engine is provided which includes various precise configuration parameters, including dimensions, shape and/or relative positioning of the combustion chamber features, resulting in a combustion process minimizing NOx emissions and particulates. The combustion chamber includes one or more of the following: a spray angle relative to an inner bowl floor angle; a vertical distance from the tip of the piston bowl to the injection orifices; a number of injection orifices; a swirl ratio; a vertical distance from the injection orifices to an inner face of the cylinder head; a radius of curvature of an outer bowl section; chamfer with dimensional parameters; and a transition radius.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 16, 2005
    Publication date: April 6, 2006
    Applicant: Cummins Inc.
    Inventors: Donald Stanton, Randall Zehr, Wayne Eckerle, Francois Ntone
  • Patent number: 6966294
    Abstract: An engine is provided which includes various precise configuration parameters, including dimensions, shape and/or relative positioning of the combustion chamber features, resulting in a combustion process minimizing NOx emissions and particulates. The combustion chamber includes a spray angle relative to an inner bowl floor angle that maximizes the amount of fuel in contact with the inner bowl, in combination with one or more of the following: a vertical distance from the tip of the piston bowl to the injection orifices; a number of injection orifices; a swirl ratio; a vertical distance from the injection orifices to an inner face of the cylinder head; a distance from the piston top surface to the cylinder head; a radius of curvature of an outer bowl section; a radius of curvature at an edge of the piston bowl; a ratio of the piston bowl diameter to the cylinder diameter; and the cylinder diameter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2005
    Assignee: Cummins Inc.
    Inventors: Wayne A. Eckerle, Donald W. Stanton, Francois Ntone
  • Patent number: 6964270
    Abstract: A preferred embodiment EGR valve permits exhaust gas to be induced into the intake line downstream of the compressor, while minimizing the need to reduce the size of the turbocharger. The preferred embodiment EGR valve exploits variations around the mean pressure in the EGR passage created by the engine cycle by selectively opening when the pressure in the EGR valve exceeds the pressure in the intake line. Thus, exhaust gas is recirculated even when the engine is running near torque peak. The preferred embodiment EGR valve also exploits the higher mean pressure in the exhaust line relative to the intake line at higher engine speeds by remaining open, in order to minimize the energy consumed in opening and closing the EGR valve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2005
    Assignee: Cummins, Inc.
    Inventors: John M. Janssen, Bruce A. Watson, Charles R. Schenk, Josh S. Shao, Lester L. Peters, David L. Buchanan, Wayne A. Eckerle, Julius P. Perr
  • Publication number: 20050028797
    Abstract: A preferred embodiment EGR valve permits exhaust gas to be induced into the intake line downstream of the compressor, while minimizing the need to reduce the size of the turbocharger. The preferred embodiment EGR valve exploits variations around the mean pressure in the EGR passage created by the engine cycle by selectively opening when the pressure in the EGR valve exceeds the pressure in the intake line. Thus, exhaust gas is recirculated even when the engine is running near torque peak. The preferred embodiment EGR valve also exploits the higher mean pressure in the exhaust line relative to the intake line at higher engine speeds by remaining open, in order to minimize the energy consumed in opening and closing the EGR valve.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 8, 2003
    Publication date: February 10, 2005
    Inventors: John Janssen, Bruce Watson, Charles Schenk, Josh Shao, Lester Peters, David Buchanan, Wayne Eckerle, Julius Perr
  • Publication number: 20040182358
    Abstract: An engine is provided which includes various precise configuration parameters, including dimensions, shape and/or relative positioning of the combustion chamber features, resulting in a combustion process minimizing NOx emissions and particulates. The combustion chamber includes a spray angle relative to an inner bowl floor angle that maximizes the amount of fuel in contact with the inner bowl, in combination with one or more of the following: a vertical distance from the tip of the piston bowl to the injection orifices; a number of injection orifices; a swirl ratio; a vertical distance from the injection orifices to an inner face of the cylinder head; a distance from the piston top surface to the cylinder head; a radius of curvature of an outer bowl section; a radius of curvature at an edge of the piston bowl; a ratio of the piston bowl diameter to the cylinder diameter; and the cylinder diameter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 1, 2004
    Publication date: September 23, 2004
    Applicant: Cummins Inc.
    Inventors: Wayne A. Eckerle, Donald W. Stanton, Francois Ntone
  • Patent number: 6732703
    Abstract: An engine is provided which includes various precise configuration parameters, including dimensions, shape and/or relative positioning of the combustion chamber features, resulting in a combustion process minimizing NOx emissions and particulates. The combustion chamber includes a spray angle relative to an inner bowl floor angle that maximizes the amount of fuel in contact with the inner bowl, in combination with one or more of the following: a vertical distance from the tip of the piston bowl to the injection orifices; a number of injection orifices; a swirl ratio; a vertical distance from the injection orifices to an inner face of the cylinder head; a distance from the piston top surface to the cylinder head; a radius of curvature of an outer bowl section; a radius of curvature at an edge of the piston bowl; a ratio of the piston bowl diameter to the cylinder diameter; and the cylinder diameter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2004
    Assignee: Cummins Inc.
    Inventors: Wayne A. Eckerle, Donald W. Stanton, Francois Ntone
  • Patent number: 6691677
    Abstract: A fuel delivery device for a fuel delivery system incorporates an electronic compensation device that either incorporates information that is relevant to the specific fuel delivery device or includes a processor that generates an actuator control signal that is based at least in part upon the information contained in the memory device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2004
    Assignee: Cummins Inc.
    Inventors: Wayne A. Eckerle, Ron H. Temple, Lester L. Peters
  • Publication number: 20030226538
    Abstract: An engine is provided which includes various precise configuration parameters, including dimensions, shape and/or relative positioning of the combustion chamber features, resulting in a combustion process minimizing NOx emissions and particulates. The combustion chamber includes a spray angle relative to an inner bowl floor angle that maximizes the amount of fuel in contact with the inner bowl, in combination with one or more of the following: a vertical distance from the tip of the piston bowl to the injection orifices; a number of injection orifices; a swirl ratio; a vertical distance from the injection orifices to an inner face of the cylinder head; a distance from the piston top surface to the cylinder head; a radius of curvature of an outer bowl section; a radius of curvature at an edge of the piston bowl; a ratio of the piston bowl diameter to the cylinder diameter; and the cylinder diameter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 11, 2002
    Publication date: December 11, 2003
    Applicant: Cummins Inc.
    Inventors: Wayne A. Eckerle, Donald W. Stanton, Francois Ntone
  • Publication number: 20030154956
    Abstract: A fuel delivery device for a fuel delivery system incorporates an electronic compensation device that either incorporates information that is relevant to the specific fuel delivery device or includes a processor that generates an actuator control signal that is based at least in part upon the information contained in the memory device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 15, 2002
    Publication date: August 21, 2003
    Applicant: Cummis Inc.
    Inventors: Wayne A. Eckerle, Ron H. Temple, Lester L. Peters
  • Patent number: 6595436
    Abstract: The fuel injector includes a solid state actuator that operates through an actuator motion amplifying lever to directly control the needle valve motion. Hydraulic forces, which act along the axes of the needle valve and the motion amplifying lever, are compensated by using a control piston, or other biasing means, to reduce the required amplitude of the control current/voltage and to reduce the required strength of the spring biasing the needle valve closed. The fuel injector may also include a control fuel inlet that is separate from the injection fuel inlet port.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2003
    Assignee: Cummins Engine Company, Inc.
    Inventors: Joseph Kirzhner, Lester Peters, John D. Crofts, Wayne Eckerle
  • Patent number: 6588262
    Abstract: A novel and improved motion sensor for high pressure fluid delivery devices is provided which effectively senses movement of a component in a high pressure environment while minimizing the likelihood of fluid leakage through a receiving cavity containing at least a portion of the sensor. The motion sensor includes a sealing surface shaped and positioned relative to a force resisting surface formed on an annular cavity surface of the receiving cavity so as to apply a fluid, e.g. fuel, pressure induced sealing force against the force resisting surface due to the high pressure fluid forces acting on the sensor body. The sealing surface may be conically shaped for contacting a complementary conically shaped force resisting surface and/or the sealing surface may extend perpendicular to the direction of the fluid forces acting on the sensor body for abutment against a complementary positioned annular land containing the force resisting surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2003
    Assignee: Cummins Inc.
    Inventors: Joseph D. Kirzhner, Lester L. Peters, Todd M. Wieland, Wayne A. Eckerle
  • Publication number: 20020166542
    Abstract: The fuel injector includes a solid state actuator that operates through an actuator motion amplifying lever to directly control the needle valve motion. Hydraulic forces, which act along the axes of the needle valve and the motion amplifying lever, are compensated by using a control piston, or other biasing means, to reduce the required amplitude of the control current/voltage and to reduce the required strength of the spring biasing the needle valve closed. The fuel injector may also include a control fuel inlet that is separate from the injection fuel inlet port.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 8, 2001
    Publication date: November 14, 2002
    Inventors: Joseph Kirzhner, Lester Peters, John D. Crofts, Wayne Eckerle
  • Publication number: 20020108433
    Abstract: A novel and improved motion sensor for high pressure fluid delivery devices is provided which effectively senses movement of a component in a high pressure environment while minimizing the likelihood of fluid leakage through a receiving cavity containing at least a portion of the sensor. The motion sensor includes a sealing surface shaped and positioned relative to a force resisting surface formed on an annular cavity surface of the receiving cavity so as to apply a fluid, e.g. fuel, pressure induced sealing force against the force resisting surface due to the high pressure fluid forces acting on the sensor body. The sealing surface may be conically shaped for contacting a complementary conically shaped force resisting surface and/or the sealing surface may extend perpendicular to the direction of the fluid forces acting on the sensor body for abutment against a complementary positioned annular land containing the force resisting surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 14, 2001
    Publication date: August 15, 2002
    Inventors: Joseph D. Kirzhner, Lester L. Peters, Todd M. Wieland, Wayne A. Eckerle
  • Patent number: 6367316
    Abstract: A real-time mass flow measurement system that accurately measures fuel mass delivered to each cylinder per stroke of an injection pump or a fuel injector in an internal combustion engine. In accordance with preferred embodiment of the present invention, the mass flow measurement system and method includes a fuel measuring device that measures fuel delivered by one of the plurality of fuel injectors or fuel pumps. The preferred embodiment also includes a fuel transfer circuit for directing fuel flow to the fuel measuring device and a plurality of fuel diverting devices positioned along the fuel transfer circuit for diverting fuel flow from the plurality of fuel injectors or pumps into the fuel transfer circuit and a fuel routing device positioned along the fuel transfer circuit for routing the diverted fuel flow to either the fuel measuring device or a fuel drain.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 1998
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2002
    Assignee: Cummins Engine Company, Inc.
    Inventors: Wayne A. Eckerle, Hemi Sagi, Kyle L. Edwards, Norman H. Goris
  • Patent number: 5884611
    Abstract: An effervescent fuel injector, particularly one suitable for diesel and direct injection engine applications, which is capable of injecting, particularly intermittently, an atomized fuel spray with droplets of a size in the range of 5-6 micron SMD without requiring high pressures is achieved in a preferred embodiment effervescent fuel injector of the valve covered orifice (VCO) type having primary and secondary nozzle valves which remain closed when the control valve is not actuated, but which open one or two sets of nozzle orifices depending on fuel volume requirements. A three-way, on-off control valve is used to trigger commencement of the supply of gas via a control valve simultaneously with opening of at least some of the nozzle orifices. Gas and fuel are mixed in a mixing chamber located upstream of the nozzle valves in a manner creating a gas-fuel aeration, and as the aeration is sprayed from the nozzle orifices, the gas expands rapidly breaking the fuel into fine droplets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 1997
    Date of Patent: March 23, 1999
    Assignee: Cummins Engine Company, Inc.
    Inventors: Yul J. Tarr, Laszlo D. Tikk, Wayne A. Eckerle, Lester L. Peters