Relative Rotational Position Patents (Class 73/114.26)
  • Patent number: 11788501
    Abstract: A spark plug adapter device for an internal combustion engine, comprising a first housing having a central bore configured to engage with an electrical harness at a proximal end and having an external thread formed at a distal end. The spark plug adapter device further comprising a second housing having a central bore and an internal thread provided at a proximal end thereof to mate with the external thread formed on the distal end of the first housing and an external thread formed at a distal end to facilitate mating with the internal combustion engine. Moreover, the first housing and the second housing may engage to define an internal space into which a spark plug is received, such that the first and second housings encapsulate the spark plug.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2023
    Inventor: Donald Woodward
  • Patent number: 11365676
    Abstract: An internal combustion engine includes a crankcase that defines a crank chamber, a crankshaft that has a crank housed in the crank chamber and is rotatably supported on the crankcase, a cylinder block that is joined to the crankcase and defines a plurality of cylinders in a horizontally-opposed arrangement, a to-be-detected body that rotates integrally with the crankshaft, and a detection sensor that extends through the crankcase from an upper face of the crankcase, is made to face a trajectory of the to-be-detected body, and generates a pulse signal in response to movement of the to-be-detected body. Thus, in a so-called horizontally-opposed internal combustion engine, a structure for disposing a detection sensor that can detect the angular velocity of a crankshaft with high precision is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2022
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshiyuki Ikebe, Makoto Harada, Fumihiko Matsubara, Toshiaki Deguchi
  • Patent number: 11307116
    Abstract: A method for controlling production of microticks from a crank sensor signal continuously generated by engine RPM may include: dividing the crank sensor signal within a present period of the crank sensor signal to produce the microticks having a first period through the controller; monitoring the number of microticks produced through the controller; and controlling production of the microticks having the first period by using a direct memory access (DMA) based on the monitoring result through the controller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2022
    Assignee: HYUNDAI AUTOEVER CORP.
    Inventor: Tae Gyu Kang
  • Patent number: 11150745
    Abstract: A device can include a processor; memory operatively coupled to the processor; a planar display operatively coupled to the processor where the planar display includes an axis normal to the planar display; media circuitry operatively coupled to the processor; motion sensing circuitry operatively coupled to the processor; and processor-executable instructions to instruct the device to, responsive to sensed rotational motion of the device about the axis that corresponds to a rotational reference frame, render video media to the display in a stationary reference frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2021
    Inventors: Glenn Kreisel, Benjamin Bloch
  • Patent number: 11006485
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to an induction heating device. A loaded-object sensor according to the present disclosure is arranged concentrically and centrally in the working coil. Thus, the sensing coil and the working coil are adjacent to each other. When a current for the heating operation is applied to the working coil, an induction voltage is generated in the sensing coil by magnetic force generated by the current applied to the working coil. According to the present disclosure, a limiting circuit is used to reduce the induction voltage generated in the sensing coil when the heating operation of the working coil is performed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2021
    Assignee: LG ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventors: Jea Shik Heo, Gwangrok Kim, Heejun Lee
  • Patent number: 10883854
    Abstract: A sensor wheel for detecting the rotational position of a camshaft, elevations and depressions being developed along the circumference of the sensor wheel, which respectively form a segment, which may be detected by a sensor sensitive to magnetic fields when the sensor wheel is in motion, the sensor wheel comprising a long elevation, a medium length elevation and a short elevation as well as a long depression, a medium length depression and a short depression, the long elevation being as long as the long depression, the medium length elevation being as long as the medium length depression, the short elevation being as long as the short depression. The ratio of the length of the long elevation to the length of the medium length elevation is the same as the ratio of the length of the medium length elevation to the length of the short elevation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2021
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventor: Ralf Drescher
  • Patent number: 10731601
    Abstract: A cylinder head cover structure for an engine includes a cylinder head cover. The cylinder head cover includes a metal cover member forming one end of the cylinder head cover in an engine length direction and a portion adjacent to the one end, and a resin cover member forming a portion of the cylinder head cover other than the metal cover member. The metal cover member is provided with a cam angle sensor attachment to which a cam angle sensor is attached, the cam angle sensor detecting a rotational position of a camshaft of the engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2020
    Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Takashi Kashiwabara, Suguru Fukui
  • Patent number: 10415494
    Abstract: Various embodiments may adjust fuel injections to account for phase differences of the piston stroke and the valve strokes of a reciprocating-piston engine. For example: measuring dynamic pressure oscillations assigned of the air in the intake tract or the gas in the outlet tract; determining a crankshaft phase angle signal; determining the phase positions of selected signal frequencies of the oscillations in relation to the signal; determining lines of equal phase positions based on the phase positions of the selected frequencies; determining a common intersection point of the lines by projection into a common plane spanned by inlet valve stroke phase difference and outlet valve stroke phase difference and signal-frequency-dependent phase shifting; determining the inlet and outlet phase difference from the common intersection point; determining the piston stroke phase difference from the phase shift; and adjusting an amount of a fuel injection based on the determined differences.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2019
    Assignee: CONTINENTAL AUTOMOTIVE GMBH
    Inventors: Tobias Braun, Josef Kainz
  • Patent number: 10404195
    Abstract: The present invention discloses a method for controlling an electric machine, having an encoder wheel which has a multiplicity of teeth and at least one reference marking, having the steps: detecting the dynamics of the electric machine, detecting the positions of the teeth on the encoder wheel in relation to the at least one reference marking if the electric machine exhibits low dynamics, calculating a rotational speed of the electric machine on the basis of at least the detected positions, and controlling the electric machine on the basis of at least the calculated rotational speed. Furthermore, the present invention discloses a drivetrain and a vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2019
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Hans-Peter Groeter, Klaus Ries-Mueller
  • Patent number: 10309870
    Abstract: A fixture assembly includes a primary gage member, camshaft gages, a crankshaft gage and an engine gage, all of which have planar datum surfaces that are each dimensionally located relative to the primary gage member planar datum surface. The engine gage includes an engine datum surface, and is sized and shaped to receive, support and dimensionally locate the engine. An engine block datum surface is configured to be positioned on the engine datum surface thereby locating the engine relative to the primary gage member datum surface. The primary, first, second and engine datum surfaces are fixed in a parallel relationship to each other so as to form a parallel alignment system such that when the fixture assembly datum surfaces engage and form parallel alignment with the corresponding engine datum surfaces, the camshafts and crankshaft are angularly located in a predetermined angular orientation for proper timing of the engine assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2019
    Assignee: FCA US LLC
    Inventors: Kenneth D Dudek, Mark S Hannon
  • Patent number: 10190562
    Abstract: An apparatus includes a dynamo-electric machine driving an engine, and a calculator calculating an increment in a crank angular acceleration of the engine every certain period from a base time after the driving of the engine by the dynamo-electric machine. The apparatus further includes a determiner determining that the engine has started by the dynamo-electric machine on a condition that the increment calculated by the calculator exceeds a standard value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2019
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI JIDOSHA KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Satoshi Maeda, Hideo Matsunaga, Hitoshi Kamura, Koetsu Fujiwara
  • Patent number: 10139312
    Abstract: A method for sensing reverse rotation of an engine in vehicle includes: detecting tooth period ratios using a crankshaft angle detection sensor and storing the detected tooth period ratios in a buffer of an electronic control unit (ECU); calculating a tooth period ratio between a measured tooth period and a tooth period measured just before thereof; determining whether the tooth period ratio is greater than a first reference value; updating the tooth period value stored in the buffer by measuring the recent tooth period if the tooth period ratio is greater than the first reference value; calculating the tooth period ratio using the updated tooth period value; and determining a reverse rotation state of the engine by checking whether the change shows a predetermined pattern after a change in the value of the tooth period ratio is observed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2018
    Assignee: HYUNDAI MOTOR COMPANY
    Inventors: Tae-Kwang Eom, Jung-Suk Han, Chang-Hyun Lim
  • Patent number: 10132718
    Abstract: A motor vehicle computer includes an input port connected to a crankshaft sensor and a module for processing signals received from the crankshaft sensor. The computer includes: a first adapting module, suited to making the signals, provided by a crankshaft sensor of a first type, conform to an input predefined format of the processing module; a second adapting module, suited to making the signals, provided by a crankshaft sensor of a second type, conform to the input format of the processing module; a routing unit suited to connecting the input port to the first or to the second adapting module; a unit for detecting the type of the crankshaft sensor connected to the input port; and a unit for commanding the routing unit according to the type of crankshaft sensor detected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2018
    Assignees: CONTINENTAL AUTOMOTIVE FRANCE, CONTINENTAL AUTOMOTIVE GMBH
    Inventor: Yannick Leroy
  • Patent number: 9658082
    Abstract: A method for determining an absolute angular position of a crankshaft target of an internal combustion engine, including a plurality of teeth for which at least one signal is acquired representing the passage of each tooth in front of a sensor as a function of time comprising: i. generating during a phase with the engine running an absolute angular position from the at least one signal and from a period of a tooth; ii. continuously determining during a phase of stopping the engine when determination of the period is not possible, a number of teeth passing in front of the sensor; and iii. during a phase of restarting the engine, using a number of teeth to reduce the cycle synchronization time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2017
    Assignees: IFP ENERGIES NOUVELLES, SILICON MOBILITY
    Inventors: Thierry Lepage, Farid Tahiri
  • Patent number: 9631579
    Abstract: Seal assemblies for a pre-chamber assembly include a pre-chamber body having an outer chamber surface; a pre-chamber tip; a seal covering area carried by the pre-chamber tip; at least one hard seal between the seal covering area of the pre-chamber tip and the pre-chamber body; at least one elastomeric seal between the seal covering area of the pre-chamber tip and the pre-chamber body; a fuel inlet passage in the pre-chamber body; a fuel discharge passage disposed in fluid communication with the fuel inlet passage; and a drill passage in the pre-chamber body adjacent to the seal covering area and aligned with the fuel discharge passage, the drill passage and the fuel discharge passage disposed at an angle other than 90 degrees with respect to the outer chamber surface of the pre-chamber body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2017
    Inventor: Charles S. Powers
  • Patent number: 9523627
    Abstract: A method for determining segment times of a sensor wheel of an internal combustion engine, the sensor wheel being non-rotatably connected to a crankshaft of the internal combustion engine, marks being situated along the circumference of the sensor wheel, and the crankshaft of the internal combustion engine covering predetermined angle ranges during the segment times. Tooth times are determined as time intervals between two marks of the sensor wheel; a low-pass filtering is applied to the determined tooth times, and filtered tooth times are determined as a result of the low-pass filtering. Segment times of the sensor wheel are determined as a sum of filtered tooth times of a certain number of successive marks of the sensor wheel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2016
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventor: Jens Boettcher
  • Patent number: 9502155
    Abstract: A seal assembly includes a first shield tube surrounding a signal wire and a second shield tube surrounding the signal wire. The seal assembly includes an electrically insulating barrier positioned between the first shield tube and the second shield tube and through which the signal wire extends. The insulating barrier includes a first conductive layer on a first side of the insulating barrier and a second conductive layer on an opposing second side of the insulating barrier. The first shield tube is electrically connected to the first conductive layer and the second shield tube is electrically connected to the second conductive layer such that the first shield tube, first conductive layer, second shield tube, and second conductive layer are electrically insulated from the signal wire.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2016
    Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventor: James Michael Lustig
  • Patent number: 9324513
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for evaluating the mechanical performances of a switchgear device comprising at least one pole. Each pole comprises: a pair of contacts (12, 14); a support arm (16) for a first contact (14); a mechanism (22) for driving the support arm (16) comprising a rotary poles shaft (20) and energy accumulation means capable of driving a movement of the said arm in order to place the contacts (12, 14) in an open position. The method consists in: measuring the angle of rotation (?) of the poles shaft (20) over a period of opening the contacts (12, 14); retrieving from the measurements at least one specific value; comparing the said specific value with specific initial operational specifications of the switchgear device; diagnosing the mechanical wear performances of the drive mechanism (22) as a function of a comparative state between the specific values obtained and those of the operational specifications.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2016
    Assignee: SCHNEIDER ELECTRIC INDUSTRIES SAS
    Inventor: Francois Cazals
  • Patent number: 9212647
    Abstract: A vibration waveform of a knock-specific frequency component of an internal combustion engine is calculated over a plurality of ignition cycles of the internal combustion engine according to an output of a knock sensor and an output of a crank angle sensor. An actual ignition timing is calculated by detecting a position corresponding to a crank angle at which a standard deviation of the vibration waveform exceeds a predetermined first determination level as a vibration position by combustion of the internal combustion engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2015
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventor: Yuhei Matsushima
  • Patent number: 9068905
    Abstract: A method determines a rotational speed of a driveshaft of an internal combustion engine. The rotating driveshaft assumes different rotary positions at different times. An average gradient of rotary speed for the driveshaft is determined at at least two rotary positions. Subsequently, an average rotational speed for the driveshaft is obtained from a past average gradient of rotary speed at at least one later point in time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2015
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Matthias Cwik, Markus Roessle, Ewald Mauritz, Stefan Tumback
  • Patent number: 9022001
    Abstract: A system for a vehicle, includes a rockback detection module and a starter disabling module. The rockback detection module receives a crankshaft position signal from a bi-directional crankshaft sensor and selectively indicates that a crankshaft of an engine is rotating in a first direction based on the crankshaft position signal. The engine rotates in a second direction that is opposite to the first direction when the engine is running. The starter disabling module disables current to a starter motor when the crankshaft is rotating in the first direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2015
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventor: Robert Douglas Shafto
  • Publication number: 20150114097
    Abstract: Process for identifying edges on a camshaft target (30) having a plurality of teeth on the periphery thereof, the plurality of teeth forming a series of M edges when the camshaft rotates through one revolution, the process including the following steps: calculating, for each of the M edges, the characteristic: CP ? ( j ) = [ ? i = 1 N ? ? P ? ( j - i + 1 ) + ? i = 3 ? ? N 4 ? ? N - 1 ? ? P ? ( j - i ) ? i = N 3 ? ? N - 1 ? ? P ? ( j - i ) ] N ? 1 P(i) denoting the angular distance between the edge i and the preceding edge, during the movement of the camshaft target, calculating, during an edge detection, an index: CT ? ( k ) = [ ? i = 1 N ? ? T ? ( k - i + 1 ) + ? i = 3 ? ? N 4 ? ? N - 1 ? ? T ? ( k - i ) ? i = N 3 ? ? N - 1 ? ? T ? ( k - i ) ] N ? 1 T(i) denoting the time elapsed since the appearance of the edge i?1 to the ed
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 4, 2013
    Publication date: April 30, 2015
    Inventors: Pierre Zouboff, Jerome Lachaize
  • Publication number: 20140360254
    Abstract: A camshaft position pulse-generating wheel having a plurality of teeth on its circumference at irregular angular distances and one tooth edge in each case, at least at 0°, 90°, 120°, 180°, 240° and 270° of its circumference, and a device for ascertaining a camshaft position. In this position, the camshaft position pulse-generating wheel is connected, in a torsionally fixed manner, to a camshaft of a four-stroke internal combustion engine having at least one cylinder and a camshaft position sensor to detect a position of a tooth edge of the camshaft position pulse-generating wheel. For determining the camshaft position, per revolution of the camshaft and per cylinder of the internal combustion engine, either exclusively a camshaft position is assigned to a position of a negative tooth edge of the camshaft position pulse-generating wheel or to a position of a positive or a negative tooth edge of the camshaft position pulse-generating wheel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 9, 2014
    Publication date: December 11, 2014
    Applicant: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Carsten Deringer, Paul Stuckert, Ralf Drescher, Ulrich-Michael Nefzer
  • Publication number: 20140311230
    Abstract: A method for determining segment times of a sensor wheel of an internal combustion engine, the sensor wheel being non-rotatably connected to a crankshaft of the internal combustion engine, marks being situated along the circumference of the sensor wheel, and the crankshaft of the internal combustion engine covering predetermined angle ranges during the segment times. Tooth times are determined as time intervals between two marks of the sensor wheel; a low-pass filtering is applied to the determined tooth times, and filtered tooth times are determined as a result of the low-pass filtering. Segment times of the sensor wheel are determined as a sum of filtered tooth times of a certain number of successive marks of the sensor wheel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 11, 2014
    Publication date: October 23, 2014
    Applicant: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventor: Jens BOETTCHER
  • Publication number: 20140182365
    Abstract: A crank angle detection apparatus may include a crank gear provided to be rotated together with a crankshaft, a balance gear provided to be rotated together with a balance shaft and engaged with the crank gear so that the balance shaft is rotated in accordance with rotation of the crankshaft, and a crank angle sensor configured to sense rotation of the balance gear or the crank gear and detect a rotation angle of the crankshaft.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 15, 2013
    Publication date: July 3, 2014
    Applicant: Hyundai Motor Company
    Inventor: Younghun Ahn
  • Patent number: 8667937
    Abstract: A first target wheel has an opening and rotates about an axis of rotation to move the opening along a generally circular path. A second target wheel adjacent the first target wheel has a second projection projecting into the opening of the first target wheel with the second projection being movable along the generally circular path. A single sensor is positioned adjacent the generally circular path and senses movement of the opening and the second projection past the sensor. An electronic controller may be used to process signals from the sensor to determine the relative angular difference between the first target wheel and the second target wheel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 11, 2014
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventor: Christopher Gallmeyer
  • Patent number: 8656762
    Abstract: A method for detecting a first rotation angle of a first shaft of an engine is provided, whereby a first marking carrier with sensor-readable markings is provided, whereby the markings form a first marking pattern that has marking sections having at least one first and a second marking section. The first marking carrier is scanned by a first sensor and a first sensor signal is generated. The first sensor signal is modulated by the markings on the marking carrier. A correlation between a time course of the first sensor signal and a time signal is made by a computing unit. A first marking section is recovered from the first sensor signal by the computing unit, and then, a first exclusion criterion for excluding the first stored marking section is determined from the recovered first marking section. The first stored marking section is then excluded by the first exclusion criteria.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2014
    Assignee: dSPACE digital signal processing and control engineering GmbH
    Inventor: Wolfgang Hoetzel
  • Patent number: 8528389
    Abstract: In a rotation angle sensor attaching structure for detecting rotation of a rotational angle detection object shaft through a reduction gear, an outer race of a bearing is force fitted in and secured to a central portion of the reduction gear, and an inner race of the bearing is secured to a supporting wall by a supporting bolt. A sensor-connecting element of a rotation angle sensor, which extends across a head portion of the supporting bolt, is secured integrally to an outer side face of the reduction gear. Such arrangement achieves a minimal size of the rotation angle sensor attaching structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2013
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Toshiyuki Sato, Masaki Cho, Takahiro Imafuku
  • Publication number: 20130104635
    Abstract: A method for detecting a first rotation angle of a first shaft of an engine is provided, whereby a first marking carrier with sensor-readable markings is provided, whereby the markings form a first marking pattern that has marking sections having at least one first and a second marking section. The first marking carrier is scanned by a first sensor and a first sensor signal is generated. The first sensor signal is modulated by the markings on the marking carrier. A correlation between a time course of the first sensor signal and a time signal is made by a computing unit. A first marking section is recovered from the first sensor signal by the computing unit, and then, a first exclusion criterion for excluding the first stored marking section is determined from the recovered first marking section. The first stored marking section is then excluded by the first exclusion criteria.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 26, 2012
    Publication date: May 2, 2013
    Applicant: dSpace digital signal processing and control engineering GmbH
    Inventor: dSpace digital signal processing and control engineering GmbH
  • Patent number: 8371157
    Abstract: A method for determining engine crankshaft position determines the position of a rotating crankshaft using one or many crankshaft position sensors. The sensor output signals representing crankshaft position are digitized and specific timing positions are derived. The sampled timing positions are compared to a known position template to determine crankshaft position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2013
    Assignee: BG Soflex LLC.
    Inventors: Bruce Bowling, Albert Grippo
  • Patent number: 8327694
    Abstract: Disclosed is a method for adapting mechanical tolerances of a timing wheel of a sensor unit of an internal combustion engine of a hybrid drive of a vehicle, the hybrid drive having at least one second motor, in particular an electric motor, in addition to the internal combustion engine, and the internal combustion engine being operated in a desired operating mode during adaptation operation. It is provided that the desired operating mode is performed in such a way that the internal combustion engine is driven using the second motor, in particular an electric motor, and no fuel is supplied to the internal combustion engine. A corresponding device is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2012
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Andreas Roth, Armin Huber, Jens Boettcher
  • Patent number: 8302466
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for detecting a cam phase of an engine provided with a variable valve timing mechanism able to vary a rotating phase of a camshaft relative to a crankshaft of the engine, which apparatus and method can detect the rotating phase in a short cycle. There is provided a cam angle sensor having a configuration of outputting a cam angle signal at each time when the camshaft rotates by a unit angle. At the same time, by lengthening an output cycle of the cam angle signal on a part thereof or by using a second cam angle sensor able to detect a reference cam angle position, a cam angle position to which individual cam angle signal corresponds is detected. Then, the rotating phase of the camshaft relative to the crankshaft can be detected, based on the detection result of the cam angle position based on the cam angle signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2012
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventor: Hirokazu Shimizu
  • Publication number: 20120227696
    Abstract: A first target wheel has an opening and rotates about an axis of rotation to move the opening along a generally circular path. A second target wheel adjacent the first target wheel has a second projection projecting into the opening of the first target wheel with the second projection being movable along the generally circular path. A single sensor is positioned adjacent the generally circular path and senses movement of the opening and the second projection past the sensor. An electronic controller may be used to process signals from the sensor to determine the relative angular difference between the first target wheel and the second target wheel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 7, 2011
    Publication date: September 13, 2012
    Applicant: CATERPILLAR INC.
    Inventor: Christopher Gallmeyer
  • Patent number: 8256280
    Abstract: Disclosed is an arrangement structure for a sensor to be mounted to an engine of a vehicle, wherein the engine is arranged in an engine compartment 2 of the vehicle in a posture allowing a crankshaft 8 of the engine to be oriented in a widthwise direction of the vehicle. The arrangement structure comprises a driveshaft 50 arranged along a vehicle-rearward lateral surface of the engine 1 facing in a rearward direction of the vehicle, to rotatably drive a front wheel, and a flange section 28a provided as a joining section between two members (12, 15) constituting the engine 1, to protrude in the rearward direction of the vehicle and at a height position below that of the driveshaft 50, wherein the sensor 42 is mounted to the vehicle-rearward lateral surface of the engine 1 at a height position located above the flange section 28a and in overlapping relation with the driveshaft 50 when viewed from a rear side of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2012
    Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Akinobu Aoki, Masaaki Sato, Nobuhiro Fujii, Kenji Kashiyama, Noriyoshi Okii, Tomohiro Koguchi, Fumie Kitakaze, Atsushi Hisano
  • Patent number: 8250910
    Abstract: A method for incrementally ascertaining a rotation angle of a shaft, in particular of a crankshaft of an internal combustion engine, the shaft being connected to a sensor wheel having teeth and tooth gaps, and at least one sensor being associated with the sensor wheel, the sensor generating a square-wave signal as an output signal which may assume a first value or a second value, and a signal edge being associated with a tooth edge, and the position in time of a counteredge with respect to the edge encoding a direction of rotation, an assignment of a direction of rotation reversal point to a tooth of the sensor wheel or a tooth gap of the sensor wheel being encoded by the position in time of the counteredge with respect to the edge, the rotation angle being ascertained by adding an increment for each signal edge to a counter, after a direction of rotation reversal while a tooth passes the sensor, a half-increment, having a sign of the direction of rotation after the direction of rotation reversal, being incre
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2012
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Eduard Rolew, Uwe Kassner
  • Patent number: 8229646
    Abstract: A method (and corresponding apparatus) for monitoring gas turbine blades. The output from an eddy current sensor monitoring the movement of turbine blades past the sensor is processed to determine when the signal train from the sensor omits a signal or pulse corresponding to one of the shaft's full complement of blades. The signal processor compares sensed blade periods with average blade periods.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2012
    Assignee: Weston Aerospace Limited
    Inventors: Wojciech Konrad Kulczyk, Anthony Palmer, Matthew Clifton-Welker
  • Patent number: 8204674
    Abstract: In an apparatus for controlling an engine, an input switching unit switches an input signal to be inputted to an input path from a crank signal to a cam signal when it is determined that the crank signal is abnormal. An event signal generating unit generates a crank-input event signal while it is determined that the crank signal is abnormal by an abnormality determining unit. The crank-input event signal has a level that repetitively changes in a predetermined direction. Each level change of the crank-input event signal is synchronized with a corresponding level change of the crank signal. A monitoring unit monitors a level change of the crank-input event signal while it is determined that the crank signal is abnormal by the abnormality determining unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2012
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventor: Haruhiko Kondo
  • Patent number: 8170777
    Abstract: To reduce the complexity of an indicating system 6 on an internal combustion engine for determining a parameter, the invention provides that on the basis of the measured variable a computing unit 8 for the indicating system 6 computes crank angle information, and on the basis of the crank angle information thus computed and the measured variable determines an engine parameter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2012
    Assignee: AVL List GmbH
    Inventors: Gernot Fernitz, Klaus Leitmeier, Josef Moik, Rüdiger Teichmann, Klaus-Christoph Harms, Martin Rzehorska
  • Patent number: 8109136
    Abstract: In order to acquire the angular position of a shaft of an internal combustion engine of a motor vehicle, in particular a crankshaft or a camshaft, a shaft angle sensor and a shaft angle sensor system are proposed. The shaft angle sensor has a magnetic transducer element and a magnetic sensor element. Either the magnetic transducer element or the magnetic sensor element is capable of being connected fixedly to the shaft. The magnetic sensor element produces at least one angle signal that is transmitted wirelessly to a base station by a transmitter device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2012
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventor: David Moessner
  • Patent number: 8100104
    Abstract: An internal combustion engine crankshaft assembly includes a crankshaft having an output device, such as a flywheel or crankshaft damper, fastened to the crankshaft. An electronic engine control device is positioned between the crankshaft and the output device. The electronic engine control device includes a generally planar base which contacts both the output device and the crankshaft. The planar base is coated with a pressure-responsive friction-promoting material which causes the output device to be torsionally locked with respect to the crankshaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2012
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies
    Inventors: Leon A. Widdall, Rick L. Williams, Patrick B. Morgan
  • Patent number: 8099998
    Abstract: An engine control system, controller, and method for estimating a stopped engine crank angle of an internal combustion engine. Typical crank sensors do not output a reliable crank signal when the engine is about to stop, and do not indicate crank direction which is necessary to determine if engine bounce-back occurs. A crank sensor signal is analyzed as the engine coasts to a stop so that a coast-down model can be adjusted to accurately estimate the stopped engine crank angle. A bounce-back model is also used to estimate an engine bounce-back angle and to make further corrections to the estimated stopped engine crank angle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2012
    Assignee: Delphi Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Martin Müller
  • Patent number: 8091411
    Abstract: An engine control system, controller, and method for estimating a bounce back angle of an internal combustion engine. Typical crank sensors do not indicate crank direction, a feature that would be useful to determine if an engine reversal occurs leading to the engine accumulating a bounce back angle. A crank sensor signal is analyzed as the engine coasts to a stop so an engine reversal can be detected. After an engine reversal is detected, the crank sensor signal is analyzed to determine the bounce back angle. Engine reversal is detected by determining that the crank shaft has decelerated by more than a threshold value, or that the crank shaft has decelerated and then subsequently accelerated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2012
    Assignee: Delphi Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Gary C. Fulks
  • Publication number: 20110308307
    Abstract: A test machine comprising a driver (10) connected to an input shaft (42), the input shaft (42) having an axis of rotation (CL1), an output shaft (43) having an axis of rotation (CL2), a driveshaft (40) connected between the input shaft and the output shaft by a universal joint (41) and a universal joint (410), a rotational angle (?) for the first universal joint (41) and a rotational angle (?2) for the second universal joint (410) are in-phase, and the input shaft axis of rotation (CL1) and the output shaft axis of rotation (CL2) are parallel to each other and are offset from each other such that the output shaft speed varies sinusoidally with respect to the input shaft speed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 17, 2010
    Publication date: December 22, 2011
    Inventors: Dean Schneider, Imtiaz Ali
  • Publication number: 20110290010
    Abstract: An engine control system, controller, and method for estimating a bounce back angle of an internal combustion engine. Typical crank sensors do not indicate crank direction, a feature that would be useful to determine if an engine reversal occurs leading to the engine accumulating a bounce back angle. A crank sensor signal is analyzed as the engine coasts to a stop so an engine reversal can be detected. After an engine reversal is detected, the crank sensor signal is analyzed to determine the bounce back angle. Engine reversal is detected by determining that the crank shaft has decelerated by more than a threshold value, or that the crank shaft has decelerated and then subsequently accelerated.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 27, 2010
    Publication date: December 1, 2011
    Applicant: DELPHI TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventor: Gary C. Fulks
  • Patent number: 8047181
    Abstract: A device is disclosed for sensing the speed of an EMD 567/645/710 two-cycle diesel engine having a crankcase, electronic fuel injectors and an electronic control system for controlling the electronic fuel injectors. The device includes a spline shaft sized for insertion into the crankcase of the engine so that the spline shaft rotates with the engine, a gear operably secured to the spline shaft to rotate with the spline shaft and sized to rotate with the engine in a 1:1 ratio, and at least one electronic sensor located adjacent the gear to sense rotation of the gear. The at least one electronic sensor is connectable to the electronic control system to provide electronic signals to the electronic control system for determining when to inject fuel with the electronic fuel injectors. Also disclosed is a method for retrofitting the engine and a kit for retrofitting the engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2011
    Assignee: Haynes Corporation
    Inventors: Edward H. Harrison, Keith Mulder, Edward A Schlairet
  • Patent number: 8041502
    Abstract: The engine misfire detection process according to one aspect of the invention first makes tentative detection on the occurrence or the non-occurrence of an engine misfire in execution of both vibration control and rotation speed control. In response to the tentative detection of an engine misfire, the engine misfire detection process subsequently makes final detection on the occurrence or the non-occurrence of an engine misfire. In the event of no final detection of an engine misfire, the engine misfire detection process makes tentative detection and final detection on the occurrence or the non-occurrence of an engine misfire in prohibition of the vibration control. In the event of still no final detection of an engine misfire, the engine misfire detection process makes tentative detection and final detection on the occurrence or the non-occurrence of an engine misfire in further prohibition of the rotation speed control.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2011
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hikokazu Akimoto
  • Patent number: 8033165
    Abstract: An accelerator sensor that is mounted on an engine block may be used to detect vibration of a compression ignition engine, and the detected vibration signal is analyzed to determine the combustion timing of the engine. A method for detecting combustion timing may include measuring a block vibration signal generated in a combustion process of an engine, setting up a frequency area that is to be analyzed in the block vibration to divide the frequency area into wavelet scales, executing continuous wavelet transformations of the divided wavelet scales to extract respective result values thereof and to calculate differences between former result values and latter result values, comparing the calculated difference value with a predetermined value to store crank angles of pertinent timing if the calculated difference values exceed the predetermined value, and averaging the stored crank angles to determine combustion timing in a case that all wavelet scales are processed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2011
    Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, SNU R&DB Foundation
    Inventors: Jang Heon Kim, Kyoung Doug Min, Seung Mok Choi, Seonguk Kim
  • Publication number: 20110224922
    Abstract: A method is provided for improved diagnostics of an internal combustion engine that includes cylinders, a crankshaft, crankshaft rotation angle sensor (CRAS), a vibro-sensor, a logic-mark sensor, each sensor produces respective signals. The method contemplates receiving the signals dividing them into a plurality of idling cycles, determining the crankshaft's position based on stochastic filtration, quasicontinuous representation of the signal, the Kalman filter, a nonlinear stochastic filter, based on CRAS characteristics and quasicontinuous representation, determining the Riesz generator basis function based on technical characteristics of the vibro-sensor, secondary discreeting of the signals with a replacement of argument, discreeting of a reciprocal function, obtaining a discrete wavelet transform, obtaining a continuous wavelet transform, obtaining a discrete wavelet transform of a reciprocal function, and producing output data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 15, 2010
    Publication date: September 15, 2011
    Inventors: Sergey Kirillov, Aleksandr Kirillov, Nikolai Laskin
  • Patent number: 7984644
    Abstract: A method of operating an engine includes determining a relative position between a first camshaft and a second camshaft during a startup event of the engine when the first camshaft is at a first home position and the second camshaft is at a second home position. The first home position is a first preset angular position of the first camshaft relative to a crankshaft. The second home position is a second preset angular position of the second camshaft relative to the crankshaft when the engine is in an OFF state. The method includes generating a first estimate of the first home position. The method also includes diagnosing a mis-build of the engine based on the relative position, the first estimate and a second estimate of the second home position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2011
    Inventors: Andrew P Bagnasco, Kenneth J. Cinpinski
  • Patent number: 7975534
    Abstract: A crankshaft reversal detection system includes a sensor module and a control module that communicates with the sensor module. The sensor module detects position of a belt tensioner that communicates with a crankshaft driven accessory drive belt. The control module determines a rotational direction of the crankshaft pulley based on the position of the belt tensioner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2011
    Inventors: Mike M. Mc Donald, William C. Albertson