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:
Oct. 16, 2001
Filed:
Mar. 15, 2000
Lynn Edward Davison, Saline, MI (US);
Ford Global Technologies, Inc., Dearborn, MI (US);
Abstract
A method is presented for diagnosing an engine coolant temperature sensor and an engine thermostat. Engine coolant temperature is estimated based on engine operating conditions, such as engine speed, net engine torque, air flow, fuel-air ratio, exhaust gas temperature, etc., and a characteristic of the thermostat. The estimate is compared to the actual reading of the engine coolant temperature sensor in order to detect degradation in the performance of the sensor or the engine thermostat. If degradation is detected, the estimated engine coolant temperature can be used for various engine control strategies, such as electronic fuel injection, thereby improving vehicle performance, fuel efficiency, and emission control.