The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Mar. 12, 1996
Filed:
Sep. 30, 1994
Alan D Brailsford, Dearborn, MI (US);
Douglas R Hamburg, Bloomfield Hills, MI (US);
Eleftherios M Logothetis, Birmingham, MI (US);
Mohammed Yussouff, Lincoln Park, MI (US);
Ford Motor Company, Dearborn, MI (US);
Abstract
A control system and method maintains engine air/fuel operation near stoichiometry (104-178) in response to exhaust gas oxygen sensors (44,52) positioned both upstream and downstream of a catalytic converter (50). A non-catalytic exhaust gas oxygen sensor (54), having non-catalytic electrode, is positioned downstream of the converter (50) and its output voltage (Vo) monitored. Pumping current (Ip) is applied to an electrode of the non-catalytic sensor at a predetermined magnitude (IPREF) from a pumping current generator (56). When the output voltage (Vo) is detected at a predetermined high voltage range (302-318) an indication of degraded converter efficiency is provided (320).