Ford Global Technolgoies, LLC

Christopher Kirk Davey

Robert Joseph Jerger

Michael Igor Kluzner

David Robert Nader

Michael John Cullen

Donald Fenwick Dickison

Chad Evert Esselink

Rajya Adibhatla

Gerald P Humphreys, Jr

Salwan H Ishac

Robert Roy Jentz

Michael James Uhrich

Jeffrey Scott Hepburn

Kenneth John Behr

Bradley J Hieb

Robert Sarow Baskins

Paul Raymond Willette

Ziad Zaghati

Anand J Shah

Steven Dinsdale

A computer-implemented method includes receiving a restore command to restore a vehicle computing system (VCS) system state. The method further includes restoring a base system state to a known, functional state and obtaining a list of applications previously installed on the VCS. The method also includes for each application previously installed on the VCS, finding a version of the application compatible with the restored base system state. Also, the method includes installing the version of each application compatible with the restored base system state.

Methods and apparatus for software updating

Method and apparatus for software updating

A system for determining a temperature of exhaust gases from an engine is provided. The system includes an exhaust gas sensor having an electric heating coil. The sensor communicates with exhaust gases from the engine. The system further includes an electrical circuit for generating a signal indicative of the resistance of the heating coil when the coil is not energized. Finally, the system includes a controller receiving the signal and calculating the temperature of the exhaust gases based on the signal.

Exhaust gas temperature measurement utilizing an exhaust gas sensor

A method of determining the type of fuel being burned in an engine by analyzing the signal provided by a exhaust gas oxygen sensor signal is disclosed. The determination is based on the ratio of the value of certain characteristics of the signal during the lean and rich portions of the signal.

Method and apparatus for inferring fuel mixture

A catalytic monitoring method for an engine having two engine banks of which each coupled to one of two catalytic converters using first and second exhaust gas oxygen sensors respectively, upstream and downstream of one catalytic converter. Third and fourth exhaust gas oxygen sensors are respectively coupled upstream and downstream of the other catalytic converter. Switch ratios are determined for each of the engine banks based on the switching ratios of each upstream and downstream pair of exhaust gas oxygen sensors. A combination of the switch ratios is used to determine overall catalytic converter system performance.

Catalytic monitoring method

Method and system are provided for monitoring performance of a catalytic converter coupled to an exhaust of an internal combustion engine supplied with fuel from a fuel tank where the fuel can include a first fuel and second fuel in concentrations that vary from one refueling to the next. A ratio indicative of catalytic converter exhaust gas conversion efficiency is determined from signals provided by an exhaust gas sensor disposed upstream and an exhaust gas sensor disposed downstream relative to the catalytic converter, and a ratio threshold value indicative of a malfunctioning catalytic converter is adjusted in dependence on the concentration of one of the first fuel and second fuel in the fuel in the fuel tank.

Method for catalyst monitoring using flex fuel

A method of detecting catalytic converter deterioration based on the ratio of the arc length or the number of transitions of signals from sensors upstream and downstream of the converter where ratio determination is restricted to predefined air mass ranges within corresponding predefined engine speed/load ranges in order to avoid areas of engine speed and load instability that might impair test to test repeatability of the deterioration detection.

Method and system for monitoring a catalytic converter

A catalytic monitoring method for an engine having two engine banks of which each coupled to one of two catalytic converters using first and second exhaust gas oxygen sensors, respectively upstream and downstream of one catalytic converter. Third and fourth exhaust gas oxygen sensors are respectively coupled upstream and downstream of the other catalytic converter. Switch ratios are determined for each of the engine banks based on the switching ratios of each upstream and downstream pair of exhaust gas oxygen sensors. A combination of the switch ratios is used to determine overall catalytic converter system performance.

An adaptive catalytic monitoring method for an engine having two engine banks each coupled to one of two catalytic converters uses first and second exhaust gas oxygen sensors respectively upstream and downstream of one catalytic converter. Third and fourth exhaust gas oxygen sensors are respectively coupled upstream and downstream of the other catalytic converter. Switch ratios are determined for each of the engine banks based the switching ratios of each upstream and downstream pair of exhaust gas oxygen sensors, with the switch ratio being adjusted by an adjustment gain that is a function of airflow and a catalytic converter characteristic. A combination of the adjusted switch ratios is used to determine overall catalytic converter system performance.

A system and method for monitoring catalytic converter efficiency monitor the switch ratio of upstream and downstream exhaust gas oxygen sensors based on an acceptable temperature range of the catalytic converter. In one embodiment, catalytic converter temperature is determined based on exhaust gas temperature. The exhaust gas temperature may be used to infer the temperature of the catalytic converter mid-bed. The efficiency may be determined based on a correspondence with a number of mass air flow ranges. The system and method may also use vehicle speed and EGR to assure that the monitor samples data during repeatable, robust load-speed-temperature conditions. Switch data is stored in keep-alive memory to increase the confidence of the efficiency determination due to a larger data collection phase. A filter having a cycle based constant may be used to filter a current switch ratio before incorporating it into an average switch ratio.

System and method for monitoring a catalytic converter

A system and method for monitoring emissions by monitoring performance of a catalytic converter using a predetermined indicated threshold value include determining a current value for the indicator based on signals generated by at least one exhaust gas sensor, modifying a historical indicator value based on the current value, and adjusting the predetermined indicator threshold based on the historical indicator value. The predetermined indicator threshold is adjusted provided various adapt criteria are satisfied. The historical indicator value is compared to the threshold to determine whether to generate a malfunction indicator signal. In one embodiment, emissions are indicated using a switch ratio based on the number of switches or transitions for upstream and downstream exhaust gas oxygen sensors.

System and method for monitoring a catalytic converter using adaptable

A system and method for monitoring efficiency of a catalytic converter count switches of at least one upstream sensor interposed the engine and the converter and count switches of a downstream sensor, interposed the converter and atmosphere, during a definite time period after a switch of the at least one upstream sensor to account for propagation delay of exhaust gases traveling between the at least one upstream and downstream sensor. Upstream sensor switches may optionally be counted only if predetermined entry conditions are satisfied while downstream switches occurring during respective definite time periods after an upstream switch are counted without regard to the entry conditions. A switch ratio based on the number of switches of the at least one upstream sensor and switches of the downstream sensor is used to monitor conversion efficiency of the catalyst. The system and method may include selecting a current air flow range from a plurality of air flow ranges and associating sensor switches and/or switch ratios with corresponding air flow ranges to compensate for the propagation delay. In inferred sensor signal base on dual upstream sensors may be used to trigger the definite time periods and calculate the switch ratio(s).

Adaptive time window to synchronize pre- and post-catalyst oxygen sensor

A method and system for estimating the midbed temperature of a catalytic converter in an exhaust system of an internal combustion engine. A rate of change in the speed of the engine is sensed and an estimated number of misfires occurring in the engine over a predetermined number of cylinder filling events is determined based on the sensed rate of change in engine speed. An instantaneous temperature of exhaust gas at the exhaust flange is determined based on the estimated rate of misfires. An instantaneous temperature at the midbed point of the catalytic converter is then determined based on the instantaneous temperature of exhaust gas at the exhaust flange. The instantaneous temperature at the midbed point is compared to a predetermined temperature threshold and the estimate rate of misfires is compared to a predetermined misfire rate threshold. A malfunction signal is then generated if both the instantaneous temperature at the midbed point exceeds the predetermined temperature threshold and the estimated rate of misfires exceeds the predetermined misfire rate threshold. A method for monitoring catalyst degradation is also disclosed.

Method and system for estimating a midbed temperature of a catalytic

A system and method for monitoring catalytic converter efficiency monitor the switch ratio of upstream and downstream exhaust gas oxygen sensors based on an acceptable temperature range of the catalytic converter mid-bed for each of a number of mass air flow ranges. The system and method also use vehicle speed and EGR to assure that the monitor samples data during repeatable, robust load-speed-temperature conditions. Switch data is stored in keep-alive memory to increase the confidence of the efficiency determination due to a larger data collection phase. A filter having a cycle based constant is used to filter a current switch ratio before incorporating it into an average switch ratio.

A method and system for monitoring the efficiency of a catalytic converter include determining a ratio of signal arc lengths from an upstream exhaust gas sensor and a downstream exhaust gas sensor which generate signals indicative of oxygen content in the exhaust upstream and downstream, respectively, relative to the converter. A controller processes the signals to determine the ratio of the arc length of the rear or downstream sensor signal to the arc length of the front or upstream sensor signal over a test period. The arc length is calculated by summing over the test period a series of incremental arc lengths for each incremental time interval in the test period. An incremental signal length may be calculated using the square root of the sum of the square of the change in value of a signal during an incremental time interval and the square of the duration of the incremental time interval. The ratio is indicative of the efficiency of the converter which may be compared with subsequently generated ratios to monitor converter efficiency over time.

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Novi, MI, United States of America

Christopher Kirk Davey