Actuator Circuit (e.g., Engine Condition Responsive Electronic Circuit Actuates Injector Valve) Patents (Class 123/478)
  • Patent number: 10760522
    Abstract: The deterioration of combustion due to condensed water flowing into a cylinder is suppressed as much as possible. A control apparatus for an internal combustion engine is applied to an internal combustion engine which includes a fuel injection valve that directly injects fuel into a cylinder and a spark plug. The internal combustion engine is constructed so that the fuel goes to the spark plug. The control apparatus comprising a controller configured to: predict whether condensed water flows into the cylinder during an intake stroke; and carry out first injection control to perform fuel injection in a predetermined period of time within a period of time which is after closure of an exhaust valve and before the condensed water flows into the cylinder, and second injection control to perform fuel injection in a compression stroke before ignition, if an inflow of the condensed water into the cylinder is predicted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2020
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yoshinori Manju, Kei Takachiho
  • Patent number: 10746125
    Abstract: A port injection valve injects fuel into an intake passage. An intake synchronous injection is to inject fuel in synchronization with an opening period of an intake valve. A single injection process is to execute only an intake air non-synchronous injection. A majority of a fuel injection period of the single injection process is prior to the opening timing of the intake valve. A controller causes, when switching a fuel injection process from the single injection process to a multiple injection process, an injection start timing of the intake air non-synchronous injection to be more advanced than an injection start timing of the single injection process prior to the switching.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2020
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yusuke Takata, Masanori Toya, Masanao Idogawa
  • Patent number: 10731584
    Abstract: A fuel injection control device has a conduction time calculation unit, a setting unit, a conduction control unit, a detection unit, an estimation unit, and a changing unit. The conduction time calculation unit calculates a conduction time of an electric actuator corresponding to a requested injection quantity during partial lift injection. The setting unit sets a command conduction time. The conduction control unit energizes an electric actuator on the basis of a command conduction time set by the setting unit. The detection unit detects a physical quantity having a correlation with an actual injection quantity during partial lift injection. The estimation unit estimates an actual injection quantity on the basis of a detection result of the detection unit. The changing unit changes a lower limit time on the basis of a deviation between an estimated actual injection quantity and a requested injection quantity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2020
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Nobuyuki Satake, Tomohiro Nakano
  • Patent number: 10704487
    Abstract: A method of controlling the operation of a solenoid activated fuel injector, actuator being operated by applying a activation pulse profile to the solenoid. The method includes measuring the voltage across, or current through, the solenoid during a time period of the valve closing phase, subsequent to a valve opening phase. The method also includes determining at least one parameter from the measuring step. The method also includes controlling and varying the activation pulse profile during a subsequent activation/fueling cycle of the fuel injector based on the parameter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2020
    Assignee: DELPHI AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS LUXEMBOURG SA
    Inventors: Peter Baur, Heise Volker
  • Patent number: 10641194
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a vehicle having improved engine startability using hardware wake-up period control by performing a vehicle state detection mode to which a battery voltage, an engine oil temperature, and an engine coolant temperature are applied by a controller in a key-off state of an engine, a wake-up fuel pressure control mode for determining whether a soaking time reaches a wake-up set time by the count of a key-off timer for 80 minutes, a pump operation control mode for operating a low-pressure fuel pump for approximately 1 second by the current supplied in response to a key-off output signal over the period of 80 minutes, and a wake-up repetition control mode for repeating a number of times the low-pressure fuel pump is operated to maximum 6 times.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2020
    Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Motors Corporation
    Inventor: Bon-Chang Koo
  • Patent number: 10634082
    Abstract: A method for matching the performance of a plurality of electronic fuel injectors, includes: applying a supply voltage to a control module; applying an operating voltage signal having a pulse width to each of the plurality of electronic fuel injectors individually via the control module; measuring an amount of time that each of the plurality of electronic fuel injectors supplies fuel; individually adjusting an operating voltage supplied to each of the plurality of electronic fuel injectors to cause each of the electronic fuel injectors to deliver fuel for a substantially same amount of time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2020
    Assignee: BG SOFLEX LLC
    Inventors: Bruce A. Bowling, Albert C. Grippo
  • Patent number: 10634103
    Abstract: In a fuel injection valve, a movable structure includes: a movable core that includes a first attractive surface and a second attractive surface, which are configured to be attracted toward at least one stationary core when a coil is energized; and an elongated shaft member that has a length, which is measured in a moving direction of the movable structure and is larger than a length of the movable core, which is measured in the moving direction. A modulus of longitudinal elasticity of the elongated shaft member is larger than a modulus of longitudinal elasticity of the movable core.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2020
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Keita Imai
  • Patent number: 10605189
    Abstract: A communication system includes a flow measuring device and a control device. The flow measuring device includes a flow sensor that generates a flow rate signal which is a signal in accordance with a flow rate of intake air drawn into an internal-combustion engine. The flow measuring device transmits the flow rate signal. The control device receives the flow rate signal and performs at least one of injection control of fuel to be supplied to the engine and ignition control at each cylinder of the engine based on the received flow rate signal. The flow measuring device includes a measurement-side transmitting part that transmits various signals by wireless communication, and transmits the flow rate signal by the measurement-side transmitting part. The control device includes a control-side receiving part that receives the various signals by the wireless communication, and receives the flow rate signal by the control-side receiving part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2020
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Yasushi Kohno
  • Patent number: 10598105
    Abstract: A method for controlling a forced induction engine includes: determining a first air pressure upstream of an air compressor, the air compressor supplying compressed air to the engine; determining a second air pressure downstream of the air compressor; determining a limit air flow rate to the engine corresponding to the surge limit of the air compressor based at least in part on the first and second air pressures; and controlling a throttle valve actuator to position the throttle valve at a position providing an air flow rate that is greater than or equal to the limit air flow rate. A vehicle power pack having a control unit implementing the method and a vehicle having the vehicle power pack are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2020
    Assignee: BOMBARDIER RECREATIONAL PRODUCTS INC.
    Inventors: Christian Reisenberger, Frederic Morin
  • Patent number: 10508609
    Abstract: When imbalance diagnosis is not executed, target fuel pressure is set based on a rotation speed and volumetric efficiency of an engine, and when the imbalance diagnosis is executed, fuel pressure smaller than the target fuel pressure settable when the imbalance diagnosis is not executed is set as the target fuel pressure, and a high-pressure fuel pump that supplies fuel to a delivery pipe connected to the in-cylinder injection valve, is driven and controlled such that detected fuel pressure becomes the target fuel pressure. With this, it is possible to execute the imbalance diagnosis with higher accuracy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2019
    Assignees: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha, Toyota Technocraft Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Keisuke Nagakura, Jun Hattori
  • Patent number: 10502156
    Abstract: An engine includes a fuel injector, an atmospheric pressure sensor, and an engine controller coupled to the fuel injector. The atmospheric pressure sensor detects the atmospheric pressure. The engine controller includes a first control device and a second control device. The first control device is configured to determine whether the engine is in a steady state or a transient state. The second control device is configured to calculate a fuel injection timing in the steady state, a the fuel injection timing in the transient state, and an atmospheric pressure correction process for correcting the fuel injection timing on the basis of the atmospheric pressure. The atmospheric correction process is performed only in the steady state to avoid redundancy. The engine controller outputs a final injection timing to the fuel injector as a result of the calculated fuel injection timing and the calculated atmospheric correction process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2019
    Assignee: YANMAR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Tomohiro Otani, Atsuhito Iwase
  • Patent number: 10458493
    Abstract: A control device according to an embodiment includes a storage, a determining unit, and a driving unit. The storage stores therein information on a hysteresis area of an actuator. The determining unit determines, based on a control mode, a target current value according to the hysteresis area whose information is stored in the storage. The driving unit supplies a driving current according to the target current value determined by the determining unit to the actuator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2019
    Assignee: FUJITSU TEN Limited
    Inventors: Sumiaki Hashimoto, Natsuki Yokoyama
  • Patent number: 10450987
    Abstract: A method of operating a fuel injector of an internal combustion engine includes setting a value of a target fuel quantity to be injected by the fuel injector, initializing a value of a fuel quantity requested from the fuel injector to the value of the target fuel quantity, and correcting the value of the requested fuel quantity. A first learning cycle is performed to correct the value of the requested fuel quantity in which a difference between the target fuel quantity and the injected fuel quantity is calculated and added to the requested fuel quantity to provide a corrected value. The corrected value of the requested fuel quantity is used to determine a reference value of an energizing time that causes the fuel injector to inject a fuel quantity corresponding to the target fuel quantity. The fuel injector is operated based on the determined reference value of the energizing time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2019
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Serena Tordin, Valerio Nuzzo, Paul Leonardo Claude, Angelo Cancellieri
  • Patent number: 10450996
    Abstract: During rapid warm-up operation, a CPU executes full lift injection processing, in which a nozzle needle reaches a maximum lift amount, in an intake stroke of each cylinder of a four-cylinder internal combustion engine, and then executes partial lift injection processing, in which the nozzle needle does not reach the maximum lift amount, in a compression stroke. On the other hand, during learning of injection characteristics of partial lift injection processing, the CPU executes full lift injection processing after executing partial lift injection processing, both of which are executed within a predetermined period in an intake stroke. The CPU learns the injection characteristics based on an inflection point in the temporal change of the induced electromotive force in a coil following the end of the partial lift injection processing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2019
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Tomohiro Nakano
  • Patent number: 10393051
    Abstract: An internal-combustion-engine fuel injection control device which can accurately control a boosted voltage applied to a fuel injection valve during fuel injection and can control a variation in a fuel injection amount without increasing a size or a cost of the fuel injection control device even when a width of a fuel injection driving pulse to drive the fuel injection valve is small is provided. A fuel injection control device includes a boosting operation control unit configured to start a boosting operation at predetermined timing regardless of an amount of a detected voltage when the detected voltage is higher than a threshold voltage for starting boosting and is lower than a threshold voltage for stopping boosting.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2019
    Assignee: Hitachi Automotive Systems, Ltd.
    Inventors: Takao Fukuda, Hideyuki Sakamoto, Masahiro Toyohara, Yoshihisa Fujii, Osamu Mukaihara, Mitsuhiko Watanabe, Takeshi Konno
  • Patent number: 10385814
    Abstract: A method refreshes an injection law of a fuel injector to be tested in an injection system. The method comprises steps of establishing a desired fuel quantity for the fuel injector to be tested, performing at least one first measurement opening of the fuel injector to be tested in a test actuation time, determining a pressure drop in a common rail during the first measurement opening of the fuel injector to be tested, determining a first fuel quantity that is fed during the first measurement opening, calculating a second fuel quantity as a difference between the desired fuel quantity and the first fuel quantity, and performing a second completion opening of the fuel injector to be tested for feeding the second fuel quantity needed to reach the desired fuel quantity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2019
    Assignee: Magneti Marelli S.p.A.
    Inventors: Stefano Sgatti, Marco Parotto, Gabriele Serra, Fabio Sensi
  • Patent number: 10385788
    Abstract: Fuel injection accuracy of gaseous fuel injectors is important for efficient engine operation. However, the performance of the injectors varies from part to part and across their lifetime, and when an injector is under performing according to its specification it is often unknown what is causing the problem. An apparatus for operating a gaseous fuel injector in an engine comprises a mass flow sensor that generates a signal representative of the mass flow rate of the gaseous fuel in a supply conduit in the engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2019
    Assignee: WESTPORT POWER INC.
    Inventors: Alan B. Welch, Colin W. Blair, Hamed Karimi Sharif
  • Patent number: 10352234
    Abstract: An engine control apparatus controls includes a cleaning mode to clean a deposit generated in an intake system of an engine. The engine control apparatus includes a generation source calculator, a deposit calculator, and a mode controller. The generation source calculator is configured to calculate an attached generation source amount on the basis of a temperature of the intake system. The attached generation source amount is an amount of a generation source, of the deposit, attached to the intake system. The deposit calculator is configured to calculate an attached deposit amount that is an amount of the deposit attached to the intake system, on the basis of the attached generation source amount and the temperature of the intake system. The mode controller is configured to execute the cleaning mode, when the attached deposit amount is greater than an execution threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2019
    Assignee: SUBARU CORPORATION
    Inventor: Shota Tobe
  • Patent number: 10344702
    Abstract: A system and methods for operating four in-line cylinders with common rail injection is described that comprises operating a first cylinder group without a compression and power stroke injection, but with an exhaust stroke injection while operating a second cylinder group with at least a compression stroke injection. In this way, the unburned fuel injected during the exhaust stroke enriches the exhaust-gas flow and further allows heating of the exhaust aftertreatment system. In one example provided, the first cylinder group is further configured to operate in an exhaust heating mode while also operating in a power generating mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2019
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: Yasser Mohamed sayed Yacoub
  • Patent number: 10344715
    Abstract: A fuel vapor control system for a vehicle includes a fuel vapor canister that traps fuel vapor from a fuel tank of the vehicle. A purge valve opens to allow fuel vapor flow to an intake system of an engine and closes to prevent fuel vapor flow to the intake system of the engine. An electrical pump pumps fuel vapor from the fuel vapor canister to the purge valve. A pressure sensor measures a pressure within a conduit at a location between the electrical pump and the purge valve. A purge control module, based on the pressure measured using the pressure sensor at the location between the electrical pump and the purge valve, controls at least one of a speed of the electrical pump and opening of the purge valve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2019
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Martino Casetti, Darrell W. Burleigh, Bruce A. Church
  • Patent number: 10337441
    Abstract: An engine control system of a vehicle includes a cylinder control module a first air per cylinder (APC) module, an adjustment module, and a fuel control module. The cylinder control module determines a target fraction of activated cylinders of an engine. The first APC module determines a first APC value based on an intake manifold pressure and an air temperature. The adjustment module determines an APC adjustment value based on the target fraction of activated cylinders. The first APC module also determines a second APC value based on the first APC value and the APC adjustment value. The fuel control module controls fuel injection based on the second APC value and a target air/fuel mixture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventor: Gregory P. Matthews
  • Patent number: 10294878
    Abstract: A turbocharger control system of a vehicle includes a trigger module that generates a trigger signal when a transmission of the vehicle is in one of (i) park and (ii) neutral. A wastegate target module, in response to the generation of the trigger signal, sets a target opening of a turbocharger wastegate to a predetermined opening and independently of a position of an accelerator pedal. The predetermined opening is greater than zero percent opening of the turbocharger wastegate. A wastegate actuator module actuates the turbocharger wastegate based on the target opening of the turbocharger wastegate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2019
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Maqsood Rizwan Ali Khan, Mark R. Claywell, Scott M. Reilly
  • Patent number: 10267253
    Abstract: A booster circuit installed in a fuel injection device of an internal combustion engine, wherein malfunctions and characteristic changes of the booster circuit are detected, among which the detection distinguishes between decreases in capacity caused by deterioration or broken wires in a booster capacitor, and failures of a current monitor circuit, coil, externally connected fuel injection valve, and other components. The range of decrease in boost voltage when the fuel injection valve is opened is monitored, as is the range of increase per switch performed in order to restore the boost voltage. This makes it possible to detect malfunctions and characteristic changes of the booster circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2019
    Assignee: Hitachi Automotive Systems, Ltd.
    Inventors: Atsushi Okonogi, Takao Fukuda
  • Patent number: 10232924
    Abstract: An engine control device includes an obtaining unit, a determining unit, and a control unit. The obtaining unit obtains model information on an engine based on a signal from a sensor, the sensor detecting a rotation of a camshaft unit. The determining unit determines whether the model information obtained by the obtaining unit matches stored model information. The control unit gives a warning to a user when the determining unit determines that the model information is not matched and controls the engine corresponding to the stored model information when the determining unit determines the model information is matched.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2019
    Assignee: SUZUKI MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masaya Nishio, Tomohiko Miyaki
  • Patent number: 10227940
    Abstract: The objective of the present invention is to provide a control device for an engine that enables precise control of the equivalence ratio. The system from the fuel injection amount to the output from a LAF sensor is modeled as an injection amount-sensor output model by means of a model equation containing model parameters and a lag coefficient. The system from the equivalence ratio to the LAF sensor output is modeled as a port equivalence ratio-sensor output model by means of a model equation containing the lag coefficient. The control device is equipped with: a feedback-use identifier that successively identifies values for the model parameters; a LAF lag compensation-use identifier that successively identifies values for the lag coefficient; and a stoichiometric driving mode controller that determines the value of a fuel injection amount.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2019
    Assignees: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD., DELPHI INTERNATIONAL OPERATIONS LUXEMBOURG S.A.R.L.
    Inventors: Yuji Yasui, Hideki Matsunaga, Hans Hardam, Toshiharu Takahashi, Masatoshi Yamada, Hiroshi Uike
  • Patent number: 10221801
    Abstract: A closed loop control system for a fuel pump based on characteristics of speed, pressure, and current. The pressure generated by the pump system is increased at the point in time when the pump system is working against a dead head system (i.e., coasting) to a level that a calibration valve is opened to a determined working point. By measuring the characteristic phase current as a function of the speed, the characteristic is able to be compared, with the pre-calibrated value of the hardware to perform an error compensation algorithm. The error compensation is overlaid with the standard pressure characteristic as a function of speed and phase current, and uses the pre-calibrated opening pressure value (i.e., the inflection point) of the calibration valve and/or in addition the change of the speed to the initial (first calibration), or to a sliding average therefrom.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2019
    Assignee: Continental Automotive Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Andreas Sausner, Marc Völker
  • Patent number: 10215148
    Abstract: A method diagnoses a no-start condition in a powertrain having an engine and a starter system operable for starting the engine. The starter system includes a battery, solenoid relay, starter solenoid, and starter motor. The method includes recording starter data over a calibrated sampling duration in response to a requested start event when the solenoid relay is enabled, including a cranking voltage and engine speed. If no battery current sensor is used, the method derives a resistance ratio using an open-circuit voltage and a minimum cranking voltage of the battery. When such a sensor is used, the method derives a battery and starter resistance. A fault mode of the starter system is then identified via a controller using the starter data and either the resistance ratio or the battery and starter resistances. A control action executes that corresponds to the identified fault mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2019
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Shengbing Jiang, Xinyu Du
  • Patent number: 10180113
    Abstract: A control system for an internal combustion engine, which is capable of controlling fuel injection valves while causing valve-closing delay time periods, which occur with the valves actually mounted on the engine, to be reflected thereon, thereby making it possible to improve exhaust emission characteristics and fuel economy performance. The ECU of the control system performs initial value-specific control in fuel injection control and ignition timing control, such that initial value acquisition conditions are satisfied, so as to calculate the initial values of the valve-closing delay time periods when the initial value acquisition conditions are satisfied. When normal-time control is performed, the valve-opening time periods of the valves are calculated using the initial values of the valve-opening time periods, and the valves are controlled to be open over the valve-opening time periods.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 15, 2019
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Tatsuo Yamanaka, Susumu Nakajima, Naoki Yokoyama, Kenji Hirose, Hidekazu Hironobu, Seiichi Hosogai
  • Patent number: 10176913
    Abstract: An output driving circuit outputs an output current to a solenoid incorporated in a vehicle through an output terminal. A detection resistor connected between the output terminal and the output driving circuit. An amplification unit configured to output an analog detection signal generated by amplifying a voltage between both ends of the detection resistor. A current generation circuit configured to output a reference current. A reference resistor connected between the current generation circuit and a ground and configured to output a reference voltage according to the reference current. An A/D converter configured to convert the analog detection signal into a digital detection signal using the reference voltage as a reference. A control circuit configured to control the output current output from the output driving circuit according to the digital detection signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2019
    Assignee: RENESAS ELECTRONICS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Satoshi Kondo, Kazuaki Kubo, Noriyuki Itano
  • Patent number: 10161307
    Abstract: Technology is provided for a bilateral engine control system for use on a multi-cylinder opposed piston engine. The system includes first and second sets of injectors, each set mountable on first and second sides of an engine. Each injector is in fluid communication with a corresponding cylinder of the engine. First and second engine control units are each connected to a respective set of injectors. First and second crankshaft speed sensors are connected to respective engine control units. The first engine control unit independently controls the first set of injectors based on a first speed signal and the second engine control unit independently controls the second set of injectors based on a second speed signal. The first engine control unit and the second engine control unit are configured to activate corresponding injectors of the first and second sets of injectors at substantially the same time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2018
    Assignee: Fairbanks Morse LLC
    Inventors: Raymond Gosz, Omar Elkolaly
  • Patent number: 10156199
    Abstract: A drive control circuitry and an electronic control circuitry for controlling energization of a plurality of fuel injection valves. The plurality of fuel injection valves including a second fuel injection valve currently injecting fuel and a first fuel injection valve which, of the plurality of fuel injection valves, was last energized before the second fuel injection valve. When an energization start interval between a start of energization of the first fuel injection valve and a start of energization of the second fuel injection valve is longer than or equal to a peak reaching time of the first fuel injection valve, an energization time of the second fuel injection valve is extended as the energization start interval reduces. When the energization start interval is shorter than the peak reaching time, the energization time of the second fuel injection valve is reduced as the energization start interval reduces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2018
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Tomohiro Nakano, Eiji Murase, Rihito Kaneko, Masanao Idogawa
  • Patent number: 10094319
    Abstract: Various methods are provided for operating a fuel pump. In one example, a method of operating a fuel pump comprises iteratively reducing an on-duration of a low pressure fuel pump pulse, until a peak outlet pressure of the fuel pump decreases from a peak outlet pressure corresponding to a previous pulse, to identify a minimum pulse duration, and applying a pulse having the minimum pulse duration to the fuel pump.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2018
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Joseph Norman Ulrey, Ross Dykstra Pursifull
  • Patent number: 10087866
    Abstract: A fuel injection system for an internal combustion engine includes a fuel injector and an engine control system. The engine control system is configured to send electrical fuel injection signals to the fuel injector to open the fuel injector, monitor a current amplitude of electrical fuel injection signals, detect the mechanical openings of the fuel injector based on the monitored current amplitudes of electrical fuel injection signals according to inflection points between a decreasing slope and an increasing slope in the monitored current amplitudes of electrical fuel injection signals, calculate time delays between the sent electrical fuel injection signals and the mechanical openings of the fuel injector, and set durations of electrical fuel injection signals based on the calculated time delays.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2018
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Seng Hung Tervin Tan, Jin Seo Park, Patrick Leteinturier
  • Patent number: 10054077
    Abstract: A method for operating a fuel injector having at least one injection orifice that is controlled by an injector needle, in which pressure variations during the opening and/or closing of the injector needle are ascertained with the aid of a sensor. In order to determine the opening/closing instant of the injector needle, a variable that characterizes the velocity of sound of a pressure wave by the opening and/or closing is measured, and the wave propagation time, by which the needle or valve opening/closing instant is corrected, is inferred therefrom.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2018
    Assignee: ROBERT BOSCH GMBH
    Inventors: Hanna Zimmer, Stephan Olbrich
  • Patent number: 10048160
    Abstract: A method is disclosed for diagnosing a valve assembly having valve members serially arranged along a flow channel of the valve assembly connecting at least one inlet and at least one outlet of the valve assembly. All of the serially arranged valve members of the valve assembly are opended to allow fluid to flow through the flow channel. The flow of fluid through the flow channel is measured by at least one sensor. At least one of the valve members is openend, and at least one sensor checks for fluid leakage caused by at least one faulted valve member. The at least one sensor may include a flow sensor, e.g., a mass flow sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2018
    Assignee: SIEMENS AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT
    Inventors: Thomas Gnoss, Michael Heger, Rainer Lochschmied, Anton Pallek, Mike Schmanau, Bernd Schmiederer, Martin Wetzel, Armin Wiegand
  • Patent number: 10043681
    Abstract: A fluid supply system includes a pressure tank configured to contain a pressurized gas and a fluid, a delivery point configured to be connected to a point of use, a recirculation piping connecting the pressure tank to the delivery point, and a return pump connected to the recirculation piping. The recirculation piping defines a circulation path for the fluid from the pressure tank through the delivery point and back to the pressure tank. The return pump is downstream of the delivery point and upstream of the pressure tank in the circulation path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2018
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Ching-Jung Hsu, Yung-Ti Hung, Chun-Feng Hsu, Nan-Peng Cheng
  • Patent number: 10041430
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a system for adjusting a fuel injector drive signal during a fuel injection event wherein the system comprises an engine having a fuel injector, a fuel control module configured to generate control signals corresponding to a desired fueling profile of a fuel injection event, and a fueling profile interface module that outputs drive profile signals to the fuel injector in response to the control signals to cause the fuel injector to deliver an actual fueling profile, wherein the fueling profile interface module changes the drive profile signals during the fuel injection event in response to a parameter signal indicating a characteristic of the actual fueling profile.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2018
    Assignee: CUMMINS INC.
    Inventors: Jalal Syed, Ulf Carlsson, Rodney J. Hemmerlein, Douglas W. Memering
  • Patent number: 10018137
    Abstract: A control device for a fuel injection system includes a CPU which generates a drive signal for instructing execution of compression by a fuel pump; a fuel pump drive circuit which controls application of electric power to a solenoid of the fuel pump based on the drive signal; a boost circuit provided with a capacitor for storing electric power to be used for driving an injector; a charging circuit which leads a current generated when the application of electric power to the solenoid is stopped to the capacitor; and an excess electric power consumption circuit which consumes excess electric power of the capacitor. While fuel injection from the injector is stopped, the CPU counts the number of times the fuel pump is driven and turns off the drive signal so as to stop driving the fuel pump as soon as the drive count has exceeded a predetermined count value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2018
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD
    Inventor: Tatsuo Yamanaka
  • Patent number: 9970349
    Abstract: To enhance responsivity of temperature sensor detecting an engine temperature. A temperature sensor component 40 includes a metal washer 42. The temperature sensor component 40 transfers the engine temperature to a sensor body 46 via the heat transfer washer 42. A cylinder portion 8 of a cylinder block 64 has two bosses 30. The washer 42 of the temperature sensor component 40 is fixed to the boss 30 together with the electronic control unit 20.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2018
    Assignees: Yamabiko Corporation, Walbro LLC
    Inventors: Takuo Yoshizaki, Kosuke Matsumoto, Hisato Osawa, Yuuta Kobayashi, Hiroki Ogasawara
  • Patent number: 9926879
    Abstract: An electronic control unit that calculates an injection standby period, which is a period from an energization start point of the solenoid to a point at which the fuel injection valve opens, and adjusts an energization period of the solenoid in accordance with the calculated injection standby period. The electronic control unit of the control apparatus for a fuel injection valve then measures a reference fall detection period, which is a period from the energization start point to a reference fall detection point, and sets the injection standby period to be longer as the reference fall detection period is longer. Here, the reference fall detection point is a point at which the excitation current detected by the current detection circuit falls below a reference current value, which is smaller than a peak current value, while the excitation current decreases after reaching the peak current value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2018
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Tomohiro Nakano, Eiji Murase, Rihito Kaneko
  • Patent number: 9915570
    Abstract: Accurate measurement and monitoring of a computer room air conditioning unit's cooling production, distribution, and consumption is necessary to optimize effectiveness and efficiency and minimize redundancy. A mass air flow monitoring device comprises an array of sensor modules and a controller module with display, user interface, and I/O for third party connectivity. The device monitors temperature, pressure, water content, and quantity of airflow in a CRAC's supply air stream and return air stream and compares the two measurements to determine the amount of energy, or enthalpy, put into or taken out of the air. The result, displayed in watts, allows for the efficient control of production, distribution, and usage of supply air from the CRAC unit. Over or under provisioning can be quickly identified and corrected and, when used in conjunction with power consumption monitoring, a “watts of cooling for watts of power consumption” efficiency metric can be provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2018
    Assignee: DCIM Solutions, LLC
    Inventor: Anthony Gennello
  • Patent number: 9897055
    Abstract: A method and system is disclosed for delivering a cryogenically stored fuel in a gaseous state into the air intake system of a gaseous fuelled internal combustion engine. The method comprises determining the flow rate capacity in the engine system's fuel delivery line, comparing the determined flow rate capacity to a required flow rate demand and supplying fuel in gaseous state directly from the vapor space of the cryogenic storage vessel to the fuel delivery line that supplies fuel to the engine, when the flow rate capacity is equal to or higher than the required flow rate demand. The method further comprises activating a cryogenic pump to deliver fuel to the internal combustion engine from the liquid space of the cryogenic storage vessel when the determined flow rate capacity is lower than the required flow rate demand.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2018
    Assignee: WESTPORT POWER INC.
    Inventors: Gregory A. Batenburg, Anuja S. Bengali, Gage Garner
  • Patent number: 9897021
    Abstract: A system includes a combustion engine having an intake manifold and an exhaust manifold, an exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) system coupled to the combustion engine and configured to route exhaust generated by the combustion engine from the exhaust manifold to the intake manifold, and a first knock sensor coupled to the combustion engine and configured to measure vibrations of the combustion engine and output a first vibration signal. The system also includes a controller communicatively coupled to the combustion engine, the knock sensor, the EGR system, or any combination thereof. The controller is configured to determine a peak firing pressure (PFP) within the combustion engine and control operations of both the combustion engine and the EGR system based on the PFP.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2018
    Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Jeffrey Jacob Bizub, Dhruval Bhatt
  • Patent number: 9874189
    Abstract: A method is disclosed to determine the opening degree of injectors in cylinders of a combustion engine, where the combustion engine has at least three cylinders. The injectors are connected to a fuel accumulator in a common rail fuel injection system; the fuel supply to the fuel accumulator is interrupted; and subsequently a test injection of fuel is carried out into at least two and, at most, all but for one cylinder at a time, in different combinations, at such a time that the injection does not cause any combustion in the cylinders. The pressure decreases caused in connection with the different test injections are measured, and the pressure decrease that is attributable to at least one specific injector is calculated based thereupon, which is, in turn, used in the determination of the injector's opening degree.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2018
    Assignee: SCANIA CV AB
    Inventor: Daniel Bjurefors
  • Patent number: 9874156
    Abstract: The present invention is equipped with: a valve opening/closing timing control mechanism that sets the opening/closing timing of an exhaust valve; and a lock mechanism that holds the rotation phase of the valve opening/closing timing control mechanism in a first lock phase, in which the open state of the exhaust valve is maintained when the intake valve opens.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2018
    Assignee: AISIN SEIKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Masaki Kobayashi, Masaaki Kaneko, Seiichi Fujimoto
  • Patent number: 9869264
    Abstract: A computer-implemented method for calculation and output of control pulses by a control unit having a first computing unit and a second computing unit, wherein the control pulses are output by the control unit to an internal combustion engine. The calculation of the control pulses is optimized in that the first computing unit calculates a control pulse pattern with triggering information for multiple future control pulses at a first sampling rate using prior state data of the engine, and transmits the calculated control pulse pattern to the second computing unit, that the second computing unit at a second sampling rate that is greater than the first sampling rate of the first computing unit corrects the triggering information of the control pulses that are currently to be output using current state data of the engine, and that control pulses are output to the engine based on the corrected triggering information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2018
    Assignee: dSPACE digital signal processing and control engineering GmbH
    Inventors: Laszlo Juhasz, Dirk Berneck
  • Patent number: 9857404
    Abstract: A method for determining a resistance value of a plural number of actuating devices is provided. The method features a step of the application of a test current pulse at each of the plural number of actuating devices. Moreover, the method features the step of the evaluation of a total current of output currents of the plural number of actuating devices engaging on the test current pulses at a measuring resistor, in order to determine the resistance value of the plural number of actuating devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignee: ZF FRIEDRICHSHAFEN AG
    Inventors: Horst Kiebler, Ralf Brauchle, Kristian Mueller, Peter Sigg
  • Patent number: 9850910
    Abstract: To enhance responsivity of temperature sensor detecting an engine temperature. A temperature sensor component 40 includes a metal washer 42. The temperature sensor component 40 transfers the engine temperature to a sensor body 46 via the heat transfer washer 42. A cylinder portion 8 of a cylinder block 64 has two bosses 30. The washer 42 of the temperature sensor component 40 is fixed to the boss 30 together with the electronic control unit 20.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2017
    Assignee: Yamabiko Corporation
    Inventors: Kosuke Matsumoto, Takuo Yoshizaki, Yuuta Kobayashi, Hisato Osawa
  • Patent number: 9845783
    Abstract: A multi-mode powertrain system including an internal combustion engine, a high-voltage electric machine and a high-voltage electric power system is described. A method for controlling the multi-mode powertrain system includes, in response to an operator initiating a jumpstart, electrically connecting the high-voltage electric power system to a remote electric power source and energizing contactors between the high-voltage electric power system and the remote electric power source. Electric power flow through an auxiliary power module electrically connected to the high-voltage electric power system that supplies electric power to an accessory device is minimized. Engine starting parameters are modified, and the internal combustion engine is started by controlling, via a controller, the high-voltage electric machine to spin the internal combustion engine, and controlling operation of the internal combustion engine based upon the modified engine starting parameters to effect starting.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2017
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Russell K. Steele, James F Crawford, Stephen D Gurski
  • Patent number: 9828923
    Abstract: A control device for an internal combustion engine, which can accurately estimate an intake air amount introduced from an intake system into an internal combustion engine, is provided. The control device calculates the change amount of an air amount in an upstream section upstream of a throttle valve of the intake system based on the pressure and temperature of air in the upstream section; calculates a throttle passage air amount flowing out to an intake manifold, which is a section downstream of the throttle valve, based on the change amount and an introduced air amount flowing into a supercharger; and calculates the intake air amount based on the throttle passage air amount.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2017
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI JIDOSHA KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hitoshi Toda, Toshiyuki Miyata