Page 47 - Methods For Monitoring And Diagnosing The Efficiency Of Catalytic Converters A Patent - oriented Survey

Introduction 29

Chapter 4 presents a comparison of the methods discussed in Chapters 1,2 and 3
The measuring arrangements of all three methods are summarized in fig. 11 and Table 7 [l].
In fig. 11, the different sensors used as well as their installation positions are clearly indicated.

The methods are presented in chronological order per patent applicant, starting fiom the older
methods till the most recent ones. This helps to evaluate how a patent applicant has improved
his methods in time. The main criteria for the order of presentation of the patent applicants are:

a) patent applicants with the earliest presentation dates of such methods and
b) patent applicants with the largest production of such methods.

Air Flow
4
M Wf
internal combustion engine
0000

Ternperatwe
t sensor
1 I

Fig. I I (fiom [l], p. 174)

Each patent disclosure is given by its publication number followed by the year of publication
e.g. US5177463 (1993). Only one published member per family of documents (i.e. documents
published in different countries by the same patent applicant and having the same priority
number and date) is given. In most of the cases the earliest published family document number
is given.
A patent number index, an inventors index, a company index and a subject index is found at the
end ofthe book.