Patents Assigned to Ford Global Technologies, LLC
  • Publication number: 20200254848
    Abstract: A cooling and heating system for a motor vehicle comprises a heat pump, a controller, a low temperature radiator in thermal communication with the heat pump, a passenger cabin heat exchanger in thermal communication with the heat pump, and a defrost system comprising a bypass coolant loop in selective fluid communication with the low temperature radiator. When in the heating mode, the controller opens a solenoid valve and activates a coolant heater in the bypass coolant loop upon detecting operation of the heat pump outside of a predetermined normal operating range and upon detecting an ambient temperature below a predetermined temperature. The controller de-activates the coolant heater upon detecting operation of the heat pump within the predetermined normal operating range. The controller may also de-activate close the solenoid upon detecting operation of the heat pump within the predetermined normal operating range.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 11, 2019
    Publication date: August 13, 2020
    Applicant: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventor: Ronald Richard Semel
  • Publication number: 20200254905
    Abstract: A roller assembly for a vehicle seating assembly is provided. The roller assembly includes an anchor rotatably coupled with a vehicle seating support. An axle extends from the anchor. A first roller is positioned on the axle. A second roller is positioned on the axle and between the first roller and the anchor. A spacer is positioned on the axle and flush with the second roller.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 11, 2019
    Publication date: August 13, 2020
    Applicant: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: Alan George Dry
  • Publication number: 20200256764
    Abstract: A method includes simulating an impact between a simulated wheel and a simulated vehicle assembly, the simulated vehicle assembly including a simulated vehicle component that is a computer-aided-design model of a vehicle component. The method includes determining, based on the simulated impact, an impact angle between the simulated wheel and the simulated vehicle assembly. The method includes impacting an impactor with the vehicle component at the impact angle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 8, 2019
    Publication date: August 13, 2020
    Applicant: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: JAMIL M. ALWAN, MAYA MAKHLOUF, THIAG SUBBIAN, DJAMAL EDDINE MIDOUN
  • Publication number: 20200255001
    Abstract: A computer includes a processor and a memory, the memory storing instructions executable by the processor to, upon determining that a yaw rate for a host vehicle is below a threshold, identify a front corner point of a target, and to suppress threat mitigation when a time to collision between the host vehicle and front corner point of the target exceeds a time threshold.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 11, 2019
    Publication date: August 13, 2020
    Applicant: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Purushothaman Rayalsamy, Christopher Pontisakos, Alex Maurice Miller
  • Patent number: 10737679
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for entering into a parked state in a hybrid electric vehicle that includes a dual clutch transmission. In one example, a driveline operating method comprises in response to a first condition, engaging a first gear and engaging a second gear of a dual clutch transmission in response to a request to enter a vehicle park state where an output of a transmission is held from rotating, and in response to a second condition, engaging a third gear and engaging a fourth gear of a dual clutch transmission in response to a request to enter a vehicle park state. In this way, a park state may be entered into without the use of a park pawl, which may reduce costs associated with the vehicle and which may prevent issues associated with degradation of the park pawl.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2020
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: Steven Anatole Frait
  • Patent number: 10737544
    Abstract: Systems and methods to control suspension of a vehicle are disclosed. An example apparatus includes one or more processors coupled to a vehicle. The one or more processors are to generate road profile data while the vehicle is moving and generate suspension control data based on the road profile data. A suspension of the vehicle is to be adjusted based on the suspension control data. The one or more processors also determine a distance traveled by the vehicle during a time interval. The time interval is associated with generating the road profile data or adjusting the suspension. The one or more processors also adjust the suspension based on the suspension control data, the distance, and a preview distance associated with the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2020
    Assignee: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Timothy Panagis, Phil Lenius, Uwe Hoffmann
  • Patent number: 10738729
    Abstract: An engine line is described herein that includes a first engine including a front end accessory drive system and a second engine including a greater number of cylinders than the first engine and a front end accessory drive system. The engine line further includes a generator, in different manufacturing arrangements, mounting to each of the front engine accessory drive systems in the first and second engines in a common location.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2020
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Bas van den Heuvel, Wilbert Hemink, Klaus-Peter Heinig, Anselm Hopf, Joerg Bonse
  • Patent number: 10737693
    Abstract: A system and a method are described. The method includes: receiving sensed input from a vehicle sensor suite; using the input, providing a first output; determining that a vehicle-lane confidence level is less than a threshold; and then instead, providing a second output, wherein the first and second outputs comprise lane-correction data, wherein the second output is determined using an estimation filter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2020
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Quazi Farooqi, Xingping Chen, Michael Hafner, Darrel Alan Recker
  • Patent number: 10737700
    Abstract: A vehicle includes a step-ratio automatic transmission having clutches engageable to provide forward and reverse gears, an electric machine selectively coupled to the transmission, a main pump powered by the electric machine and supplying oil to actuate selected transmission clutches, a gear selector configured for selecting a transmission gear, and a controller configured to stop the electric machine when the gear selector selects park or neutral, to operate the electric machine in a speed control mode using a higher controller gain in response to the gear selector selecting forward or reverse while the electric machine is stopped until the electric machine and the main pump reach a first speed threshold to reduce engagement delay of at least one of the transmission clutches, and to operate the electric machine using a lower controller gain when the electric machine and the main pump exceed the first speed threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2020
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Xiaoyong Wang, Rajit Johri, Mark Steven Yamazaki, Jeffrey Allen Doering, Ming Lang Kuang, Wei Liang
  • Patent number: 10737597
    Abstract: A seating assembly includes a seat having a seating surface, a first conductor, a second conductor, and a plurality of thermoelectric devices arranged between the first conductor and the second conductor in an elongated strip located proximate the seating surface. A voltage is applied to the thermoelectric devices to thermodynamically influence the seating surface. An air mover is in fluid communication with the thermoelectric devices. A conductive grease is disposed between the first conductor and the plurality of thermoelectric devices, and a conductive adhesive is disposed between the second conductor and the plurality of thermoelectric devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2020
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Alan George Dry, Johnathan Andrew Line
  • Patent number: 10742403
    Abstract: A vehicle includes a controller. The controller is configured to send a nonce encrypted according to a symmetric encryption key. The nonce is sent responsive to receiving a pair request over a personal area network from a nomadic device outside the vehicle. The controller is further configured to initialize a secure connection using a random key and permit vehicle access according to data received via the secure connection. The initialization is responsive to receiving a concatenation of the random key and an incrementation of the nonce encrypted with the symmetric encryption key.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2020
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Jochen Schubert, Thomas Nelson
  • Patent number: 10737592
    Abstract: A seat includes a seat-bottom frame, a seat-back frame rotatable relative to the seat-bottom frame between a forward position and a rearward position, and a first wedge and a second wedge on opposite side of the seat-back frame. The first wedge extends from the seat-back frame in the forward position to the seat-bottom frame, and the second wedge extends from the seat-back frame in the rearward position to the seat-bottom frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2020
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Saied Nusier, Mohamed Ridha Baccouche, Jamel E. Belwafa
  • Patent number: 10739258
    Abstract: In order to obtain information about a salt-state of a road independently of drivers, a method that generates information about the salt-state of a road is specified that includes a determination of salt-state-dependent measurement values, processing of the measurement values into information about the salt-state of the road and outputting of the information about the salt-state of the road. A corresponding device that generates information about the salt-state of a road comprises sensors that determine of salt-state-dependent measurement values, a processing unit that is configured to process determined measurement values into information about the salt-state of the road, and output the information about the salt-state of the road.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2020
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Frederic Stefan, Uwe Gussen, Christoph Arndt, Frank Petri
  • Patent number: 10738726
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for adjusting heater power of an oxygen sensor. In one example, a method for an engine includes adjusting heater power of a heating element of the oxygen sensor when the heater power increases by a threshold amount. The method includes subsequently increasing heater power back to a baseline power level responsive to a temperature of the heating element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2020
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Gopichandra Surnilla, Michael McQuillen, Daniel A. Makled, Richard E. Soltis, Stephen B. Smith
  • Patent number: 10738520
    Abstract: A multi-position door hinge is coupled to a vehicle and includes a first hinge having a pin support, a pin, and a key. The multi-position door hinge additionally includes a second hinge having a receiving cam, a key way, and a cam groove. The multi-position door hinge is formed by coupling the first hinge to the second hinge by positioning the pin in the receiving cam with the key positioned in the key way.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2020
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: William Reese Cherry, Matthew B. Rutman
  • Patent number: 10738524
    Abstract: A vehicle includes: a frame, a rotatable door; an inhibitor comprising: an arm extending through a selective gate including: upper and lower springs respectively biasing upper and lower rollers against the arm; upper and lower stoppers configured to, upon activation, compress the upper and lower rollers against the arm, thus stopping rotation of the door; sensors, processor(s) configured to: activate and deactivate the stoppers based on sensed events.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2020
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Jorge Gomez Melchor, Jesus Marini Parissi, Oscar Saavedra
  • Patent number: 10737600
    Abstract: A seating assembly includes a seat and a seatback pivotally coupled with the seat. The seatback includes a seatback carrier formed from expanded polypropylene. The seatback carrier includes first and second side walls and an upper wall that together define a lower opening. A metallic support member is molded within the seatback carrier. The metallic support member includes an upper portion extending below the upper wall between the first and second side walls. The metallic support member also includes a lower portion extending across the lower opening. A cushion assembly is disposed on the seatback carrier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2020
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Johnathan Andrew Line, Spencer Robert Hoernke, Marcos Silva Kondrad
  • Patent number: 10742967
    Abstract: A display system for a motor vehicle is provided. The display system comprises a holographic projector assembly and a steering wheel assembly. The steering wheel assembly includes a ring-shaped member configured to be held by a driver of the vehicle and rotated about a central axis in order to steer the vehicle. The holographic projector assembly is configured to produce a holographic image inside a central region about which the ring-shaped member circumferentially extends.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2020
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Marcus Hoggarth, Jasper Dekker, Edward Rose
  • Patent number: 10741882
    Abstract: A battery system has a battery cell including a can and tabs, flexible circuits on and electrically isolated from the can, and electrically connected with the tabs, and a monolithic integrated circuit. The monolithic integrated circuit is mounted to the can via thermally conductive adhesive such that the can and monolithic integrated circuit are electrically isolated from one another. The monolithic integrated circuit is also wire bonded to the flexible circuits, and configured to measure and transmit data about the battery cell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2020
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Benjamin A. Tabatowski-Bush, John Paul Gibeau, Chingchi Chen
  • Patent number: 10737584
    Abstract: A system for a vehicle including a traction battery, electrical loads, and a controller configured to, during a charge operation, activate the loads such that charge current output by a charger is consumed by the loads and charge current input to the battery approaches zero to update a state of charge (SOC) value of the battery, and deactivate the loads upon completion of the update such that charge current input to the battery increases.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2020
    Assignee: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Yuan Zhang, Rui Wang, Xu Wang