John M Irons

Title: Innovations of John M Irons

Introduction

John M Irons is a notable inventor based in Greenwood, IN (US). He has made significant contributions to the field of engine control systems, holding a total of 5 patents. His work focuses on enhancing engine performance and data management within automotive systems.

Latest Patents

One of his latest patents is a "Duty cycle monitoring system for an engine." This system and method for monitoring engine performance utilizes a monitoring micro-controller that integrates with an engine/vehicle controller to receive data indicative of the current operating conditions of the engine/vehicle. A duty cycle map is defined within the micro-controller by a plurality of sectors bounded by a specific performance curve based on two or more engine operating parameters, such as engine torque and speed. Each sector corresponds to a range of values for the specific operating parameters. During iterations of the monitoring routine, current data indicative of the specific engine operating parameters is sensed and compared with the range of values for each duty cycle sector. A duty cycle parameter, such as elapsed time or fuel consumption, is maintained for each sector. When the current engine operating conditions fall within a particular target sector, its corresponding duty cycle parameter is updated. This process is continued over several iterations to define a duty cycle map over a predetermined number of engine operating hours. In one embodiment, a long-term map is accumulated between engine rebuilds. In another embodiment, the long-term duty cycle map is augmented by sequentially accessed short-term maps, each storing duty cycle information for much shorter engine hours. The duty cycle maps can be used to evaluate engine maintenance requirements or suggest modifications to engine control routines and fueling strategies.

Another significant patent is the "Method and apparatus for transfer of data between cache and flash memory in an internal combustion engine control system." In this microprocessor-based automotive control system, a caching technique is operable to move areas of the flash memory into and out of the cache. The flash memory is updated by the contents of the cache each time a new access is attempted to an area of flash memory or after a predefined time period has elapsed since such an access has been attempted. A software algorithm is operable to modify a request for access to an odd flash memory address so that the request properly points to an address of the cache that contains the actual data of interest.

Career Highlights

John M Irons has worked with Cummins Engine Company, Inc.,