Charles James Debiasi

54811767, Jan 2, 1996

Jul 5, 1994

8/270570

Charles J. DeBiasi - Allen Park MI
Vikas Tuteja - Novi MI
Zeljko Deljevic - Westland MI
John F. Renehan - South Lyon MI

Ford Motor Company - Dearborn MI

H02J 100

322 7

An enhanced charging system for a motor vehicle includes an alternator, a voltage regulator, and an engine controller. The voltage regulator and engine controller are connected by two circuits. One of the circuits provides the engine controller with a measure of the torque about to be applied to the engine by the alternator. The other circuit allows the engine controller to command the target voltage at which the voltage regulator is to control the alternator. The engine controller determines the target voltage based on intake air temperature, a measure of the temperature of the air at the intake of the engine. The engine controller then modifies the target voltage based on (1) whether the throttle of the engine is near wide-open-throttle; (2) whether the brakes of the vehicle are applied; and (3) whether the alternator is about to apply an increased torque to the engine.

52835278, Feb 1, 1994

Jun 28, 1991

7/723475

Charles J. DeBiasi - Allen Park MI

Ford Motor Company - Dearborn MI

F02P 1700
G01R 3106

324391

Methods and apparatus for detecting low impedance short circuits in a secondary winding circuit of a coil of a distributorless ignition system (DIS) by analyzing spark discharge signals on a primary winding of the ignition coil. In one embodiment, the duration times of the spark discharge signals are compared to a threshold spark duration time, with a low impedance short circuit being indicated if the threshold spark duration time is exceeded. In another embodiment, two or more spark dwell signals are applied to the primary of the ignition coil for each spark event of each associated pair of engine cylinders. A first or base time period is determined for the first dwell signal by measuring the time it takes the first dwell signal to produce a preselected current flow in the primary winding. A second time period is then determined by measuring the time it takes the second dwell signal to produce the same preselected current flow in the primary winding. The second time period is then compared to the first time period to determine whether a short circuit exists in the secondary winding circuit.

49228749, May 8, 1990

Jun 30, 1989

7/374036

Charles J. DeBiasi - Allen Park MI
Wesley D. Boyer - Dearborn MI

Ford Motor Company - Dearborn MI

F02P 515

123417

A distributed processing system in an automotive environment achieves enhanced noise immunity and reduces the processing burden and background loop time of the master controller by providing for communication of signals between a master controller and a slave controller by pulse width modulated communication signals. In a preferred embodiment, the communicated signal is a spark advance which is transmitted to an ignition module for implementing spark events in an internal combustion engine. The spark advance pulse width is a linearly decreasing function of spark advance value since increased spark advance is associated with an increase in engine speed. The spark advance is encoded into a pulse width signal according to a method which simplifies decoding of the spark advance information in the ignition module.

49131230, Apr 3, 1990

Mar 23, 1989

7/327886

Charles J. DeBiasi - Allen Park MI
Wesley D. Boyer - Dearborn MI

Ford Motor Company - Dearborn MI

F02D 515

123609

Control of spark timing of an ignition system for an internal combustion engine uses a feedback correction signal which is a function of back EMF generated in the primary winding of an ignition coil in response to current change in the secondary winding of the ignition coil due to spark breakdown.

50884654, Feb 18, 1992

May 24, 1991

7/705676

Charles J. DeBiasi - Allen Park MI
Viren B. Merchant - Canton MI
James B. Maurer - Farmington Hills MI
Larry A. Hardy - Riverview MI

Ford Motor Company - Dearborn MI

F02D 4106
F02P 5145

123491

This invention includes a method and apparatus for starting an internal combustion engine with a reduced starting time. That is, there is a reduced delay before the first combustion event occurs in the engine. Only a single engine position sensor is used. The method includes injecting fuel into a cylinder before true engine position is determined and applying an ignition pulse to the cylinder and firing the ignition coil after fuel has been injected into the cylinder. Advantageously, injecting fuel for the cylinder is done after determining the engine is turning and determining the engine has a rotational rate below a predetermined parameter.

49694430, Nov 13, 1990

Sep 5, 1989

7/402317

Charles J. DeBiasi - Allen Park MI

Ford Motor Company - Dearborn MI

F02P 1100
F02P 1700

123481

An open secondary coil of an ignition coil is detected by the use of a reverse current in the primary of the ignition coil to indicate the occurrence of an open secondary coil.

51742675, Dec 29, 1992

Jul 22, 1991

7/734377

Charles J. DeBiasi - Allen Park MI

Ford Motor Company - Dearborn MI

F02P 1700

123643

Spark discharge signals monitored on primary windings of ignition coils of a coil per plug (CPP) ignition system are used to identify which cylinder of a cylinder pair is in compression and which cylinder in a cylinder pair is in exhaust. Once determined, the cylinder pair can be tracked such that the primary windings do not need to be monitored further. In one embodiment of the invention, the duration times of substantially simultaneous spark discharge signals in cylinders of a pair of cylinders are compared to one another. The shorter duration time signal indicates the cylinder in the compression cycle. One cylinder pair may be tested two or more times or one or more additional cylinder pairs may be tested to verify cylinder identification. In a second embodiment of the invention, two or more spark dwell signals are applied to the primary windings of the ignition coils for each spark event of a pair of cylinders. The time periods required for the second dwell signals to produce current flows in the primary windings equal to a predetermined current value is determined for each of the cylinders.