Patents by Inventor William Leonard Aldrich, III

William Leonard Aldrich, III 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: 6799108
    Abstract: A control system and method maintains a constant engine idle speed during a garage shift of an automatic transmission-equipped vehicle with a torque converter. An engine control module or other processor identifies when transmission input clutch fill occurs. The engine control module increases engine output based on the transmission input clutch fill and before a decrease in engine idle speed occurs. The engine control module latches a turbine speed and a speed ratio (turbine speed/engine speed). The engine control module declares transmission input clutch fill if the latched turbine speed minus a current turbine speed is greater than the first calibration constant or if the latched speed ratio minus a current speed ratio is greater than the second calibration constant. The engine control module increases the engine output after waiting a first time delay after the transmission clutch fill.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 28, 2004
    Assignee: General Motors Corporation
    Inventors: William Leonard Aldrich, III, Glenn P. O'Connell, Klaus J. Stutzer, Michael Lee Velliky
  • Patent number: 6612386
    Abstract: A propulsion system for use in a hybrid vehicle, the propulsion system includes an internal combustion engine, an electric motor/generator operatively coupled to the internal combustion engine, an electric storage medium, and a propulsion system controller for actuating the propulsion system. The propulsion system controller varies the operating conditions of the electric motor/generator system in response to operating conditions of the vehicle. The propulsion system controller further varies the operating conditions of the electric motor/generator during an engine cranking sequence.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2003
    Assignee: General Motors Corporation
    Inventors: Goro Tamai, William Leonard Aldrich, III, Tony T. Hoang, Patrick L. Risse
  • Patent number: 6529805
    Abstract: Method and apparatus are provided for configuring an automobile electronic control module (ECM) for multiple automobile configurations. The apparatus includes a vehicle identifier identifying one of the multiple automobile configurations and a memory configured to store multiple calibration data sets, with each of the multiple calibration sets corresponding to one of the multiple automobile configurations. The apparatus also includes a processor configured to receive the vehicle identifier and select one of multiple calibration data sets based at least in part upon the vehicle identifier for execution of automobile functions controlled by the automobile ECM.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2001
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2003
    Assignee: General Motors Corporation
    Inventors: William Leonard Aldrich, III, David P. Tasky
  • Patent number: 6275004
    Abstract: An apparatus for balancing a battery module in a vehicle including a plurality of batteries in the battery module, the plurality of batteries connected in series, the plurality of batteries each having a battery voltage, and at least one battery providing power to an electrical system of the vehicle, an electric generator producing a generator voltage to charge the plurality of batteries, and a DC—DC converter coupled to the electrical generator and receiving power from the electrical generator, the DC—DC converter monitoring at least one of the battery voltages of at least one of the plurality of batteries and controlling the battery voltage of the battery providing power to the electrical system of the vehicle with reference to the monitored battery voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2001
    Assignee: General Motors Corporation
    Inventors: Goro Tamai, William Leonard Aldrich, III