Gm Global Technolgoy Operations, Inc.

Delphi Technologies, Inc.

National Semiconductor Corporation

Stephen Paul Sanders

Nick S Kapsokavathis

Lawrence Dean Hazelton

Joyce D Carsey

Thomas Wayne Newman

Frederic Jacquot

Jos Lang

Peter James Maloney

Charles Robert Harrington

Nick M Johnson

Chun F Cheah

Carl D Wright

An actuator includes a motor operated by a controller through a pulse width modulation drive signal applied to a drive circuit that drives the motor. The actuator has an output shaft connected to a coupling structure for manipulating a device such as a variable geometry turbine (VGT) or an exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) valve. The device has a range of motion limited by first and second mechanical stops located at opposing low and high ends of the range. The controller learns the location of the mechanical stops during calibration. An external control unit transmits a desired position to the actuator. A protocol allows the external control unit to implicitly request a positioning mode by virtue of what value range the desired position falls into. The controller is configured to limit the drive signal to a non-harmful level when one of the positioning modes calls for pushing the device against one of the stops.

Method for controlling a holding force against, and limiting impact with travel limit positions

A voltage sensing system that has a pair of input leads having a first input lead, and a second input lead each sensing a non-grounded voltage, and an amplifier coupled to the pair of input leads, the amplifier generating an amplifier output voltage in response to a voltage on the first input lead, a voltage on the second input lead and an offset voltage. The system further includes a controller for receiving the amplifier output voltage and determining an operating range, and an offset voltage generator for generating the offset voltage, the offset voltage generator altering the offset voltage in response to the operating range determined by the controller. An oxygen sensing system using a sample resistance for sensing a bi-directional current may be coupled to the voltage sensing system. A method for sensing air-to-fuel ratio includes sampling an input voltage drop derived from a pumping current across a sampling resistance. The input voltage is indicative of air-to-fuel ratio. The input voltage drop is amplified in response to an offset voltage to generate an amplified output voltage indicative of air-to-fuel ratio. An operating range is determined in response to the amplified output voltage. The offset voltage is then adjusted in response to the operating range.

Controller for use with wide range oxygen sensor

A fuel composition sensor provides to a voltage divider comprising sensor and reference capacitors a voltage which oscillates between two voltages at a comparatively low frequency, such as 6 KHz, for lower power dissipation, but which switches fast to produce periodic fast voltage changes across the voltage divider to produce voltage spikes at the junction of the capacitors indicative of the capacitance ratio and thus of fuel composition.

Capacitive fuel composition sensor with slow oscillator and high speed

A fuel composition sensor for a fuel line carrying a mixture of two fuels provides a fuel composition signal VOUT to an engine control computer having a computer analog reference voltage ECM referenced to a computer ground EGD. The sensor has a sensor analog reference voltage VREF referenced to a sensor ground GND, which may differ from the computer ground EGD. An input isolation amplifier derives the sensor analog reference voltage VREF relative to GND ratiometrically from the computer analog reference voltage ECM referenced to EGD; and an output isolation amplifier derives the fuel composition signal VOUT referenced to EGD ratiometrically from the difference between a fuel composition responsive sensor signal VSIG and its minimum possible value, corresponding to a sensed fuel composition of only one of the fuels, relative to GND. The sensor may comprise a capacitive voltage divider and provide sensor voltage VSIG also having a maximum value corresponding to a sensed fuel composition of only the other fuel. If the range of possible values of VSIG is compressed, the isolation amplifier may provide a gain greater than one to better match the available input range of the computer. The minimum value of the fuel composition signal may be set detectably greater than EGD so that a value of EGD signals a sensor fault.

Capacitive fuel composition sensor with ground isolation

In a fuel composition sensor in which a fast step voltage is applied to a capacitive voltage divider comprising a sensor capacitance and a reference capacitance in series, a padding capacitor is connected in parallel with the sensor capacitor to produce a more linear output across the full range of fuel composition. The value of the padding capacitor is sufficient to produce a capacitance ratio of the voltage divider substantially less than one and, in particular, less than two thirds.

Capacitive fuel composition sensor with padding capacitor

An airflow sensor in a flat chip configuration having sensing elements on only one side is subject to causing turbulence in the airflow which has a deleterious effect on the flow signal. The turbulence is diminished or prevented and sensitivity is enhanced by tilting the plane of the sensor a few degrees to the flow direction. Flow in both directions through a passage is measured by bending the passage at the sensor location so that the flow in either direction is inclined to the surface carrying the sensing elements. Flow in both directions through a straight passage is measured by providing the sensor with sensing elements on both sides and mounting the sensor at a tilt so that flow in both directions is inclined to a surface of the sensor.

Growing community of inventors

Millington, MI, United States of America

Stephen Paul Sanders