Patents Assigned to Ford Global Technologies, LLC
  • Publication number: 20200247282
    Abstract: A vehicle seat assembly includes a seatback rotationally coupled to a base at a first pivot. A securing pin is coupled with the seatback. An inertial latch is operable about a second pivot to define an idle position defined by the inertial latch biased distal from the securing pin. A deployed position is defined by an opposing directional force biasing the inertial latch into selective engagement with the securing pin wherein the seatback is maintained in a predetermined rotational position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 6, 2019
    Publication date: August 6, 2020
    Applicant: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: Macit Aktas
  • Publication number: 20200247329
    Abstract: An apparatus includes a housing defining a chamber and including a panel including at least one aperture, at least one sensor fixed inside the chamber and having a field of view through a lens and the aperture, at least one annular disc attached to the sensor concentrically around the lens and including a radially outer edge contactlessly exposed to the chamber, and at least three vanes extending from the disc to the panel and arranged radially asymmetrically around the disc.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 5, 2019
    Publication date: August 6, 2020
    Applicant: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Michael Robertson, JR., Segundo Baldovino, Venkatesh Krishnan, Sunil Patil, Raghuraman Surineedi
  • Publication number: 20200247365
    Abstract: A method (500) for protection of a vehicle (100), the method comprising: receiving information from a sensor (502); comparing the information with known signatures indicative of a likely attack (504); determining whether a known signature indicative of a likely attack is present (506); and if a known signature indicative of a likely attack is present, placing at least one system of the vehicle into a heightened state of alert (508).
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 3, 2020
    Publication date: August 6, 2020
    Applicant: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Tarik Safir, Gabriel Mitchell, Sam Harris, James Nicholas Murray, Aaron Abentheuer, Betsy Fields Smith
  • Publication number: 20200249046
    Abstract: Exemplary embodiments described in this disclosure are generally directed to systems and methods for predicting a travel destination of an automobile based at least in part on identifying a category of an attire worn by an individual who is an occupant of the automobile or is moving towards the automobile with the intention of entering the vehicle. The attire may be one of various categories such as a business attire category, a business-casual attire category, a casual attire category, or a social attire category. The travel destination may be additionally predicted based on other factors such as an attire worn by a co-occupant of the automobile and historical data associated with the occupant and/or the co-occupant. The historical data may include a record of times at which the occupant traveled to a particular destination and the attire worn by the occupant when traveling to the destination.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 4, 2019
    Publication date: August 6, 2020
    Applicant: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: Scott Mayberry
  • Publication number: 20200249043
    Abstract: A computer is programmed to determine a target area to project, along a planned travel path of a vehicle, a symbol based on detecting a target object. The computer is further programmed to actuate a light source to project the symbol moving within the target area.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 20, 2020
    Publication date: August 6, 2020
    Applicant: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Stuart C. Salter, Venkatesh Krishnan, Paul Kenneth Dellock
  • Publication number: 20200247354
    Abstract: A restraint system includes a seat defining a centerline and including a seat bottom and a seatback. A pair of upper retractors are disposed on the seatback, a pair of lower retractors are disposed on the seat bottom, and a pair of middle retractors are disposed on the seat between the pairs of upper and lower retractors. Each pair of retractors includes one retractor disposed on each side of the centerline.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 6, 2019
    Publication date: August 6, 2020
    Applicant: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Dean M. Jaradi, Mohammad Omar Faruque, S.M. Iskander Farooq
  • Publication number: 20200249262
    Abstract: A system for testing a plurality of electrical circuits includes a first remote cooperative testing device including a testing component and a first transceiver and a second remote cooperative testing device including a conductive component and a second transceiver. In response to receiving instructions from a remote computing device, the first remote cooperative testing device locates a first electrical circuit and a second electrical circuit and selectively positions the testing component to electrically couple a first portion of the first electrical circuit to a first portion of the second electrical circuit at a first node, and the second remote cooperative testing device selectively positions the conductive component to electrically couple a second portion of the first electrical circuit to a second portion of the second electrical circuit at a second node, thereby forming a testing circuit between the first node and the second node.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 29, 2020
    Publication date: August 6, 2020
    Applicant: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Rajarshi Roychowdhury, David Jeffeory Berels, Mahmoud Yousef Ghannam, Scott Mayberry
  • Publication number: 20200247356
    Abstract: A vehicle seating assembly includes a seatback with a frame assembly having first and second portions. A primary structure extends between the first and second portions and defines a seating surface. A secondary structure extends between the first and second portions. A retractor mechanism is disposed on one of the first and second portions and is selectively positionable in an unlocked, a locked, or a pre-tensioned position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 5, 2019
    Publication date: August 6, 2020
    Applicant: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Spencer Robert Hoernke, Johnathan Andrew Line, Scott Holmes Dunham, Jimmy Moua
  • Publication number: 20200249693
    Abstract: A system, comprising a computer that includes a processor and a memory, the memory storing instructions executable by the processor to receive authentication an operator of a service controller from a server computer, identify a vehicle by scanning a physical code with the service controller and pair the service controller with the vehicle. The vehicle can be operated with the service controller.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 1, 2019
    Publication date: August 6, 2020
    Applicant: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Kathryn Hamilton, Michael Adel Awad Alla, Ray Siciak
  • Publication number: 20200247470
    Abstract: A vehicle system is disclosed herein. The system includes a hitch ball mounted on a vehicle. A controller is configured to identify a coupler position of a trailer and control motion of the vehicle to an aligned position, wherein the hitch ball is aligned with the coupler position. The controller is further configured to initiate a vehicle agitation routine after the vehicle has reached the aligned position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 31, 2019
    Publication date: August 6, 2020
    Applicant: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: James Dottavio, Ross Dykstra Pursifull
  • Publication number: 20200249698
    Abstract: This disclosure is generally directed to systems and methods for using an autonomous vehicle to provide navigation assistance to a delivery robot. In one exemplary implementation, the delivery robot is transported by the autonomous vehicle to a delivery destination such as a residence or a workplace. The delivery robot disembarks at the delivery destination for delivering a package to a recipient at the residence or workplace. A computer system in the autonomous vehicle communicates with a navigation assistance system of the autonomous vehicle to obtain information pertaining to a terrain between the autonomous vehicle and a package drop-off spot at the residence or workplace, and uses the information to generate a route map of the terrain. The autonomous vehicle may transmit the route map and/or navigation instructions derived from the route map, to the delivery robot to assist the delivery robot navigate around obstacles and reach the package drop-off spot.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 4, 2019
    Publication date: August 6, 2020
    Applicant: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Jianbo Lu, Justin Miller, Sanghyun Hong
  • Publication number: 20200247345
    Abstract: An assembly includes a vehicle interior component. The assembly includes an airbag mounted to the vehicle interior component. The assembly includes a deployable panel supported by the vehicle interior component adjacent the airbag, the deployable panel being movable relative to the vehicle interior component between a retracted position and an extended position. The assembly includes a spring between the vehicle interior component and the deployable panel. The spring biases the deployable panel toward the extended position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 31, 2019
    Publication date: August 6, 2020
    Applicant: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: SRINIVAS REDDY MALAPATI, MANGESH KADAM
  • Publication number: 20200249009
    Abstract: A method for capturing and measuring translation and/or rotation of a component moving relative to a reference system includes providing a marker on the component and providing a measurement system having a camera arranged in the reference system. The marker has at least three points which do not lie on a straight line on an upper side of the marker and the camera has an evaluation unit and memory that stores a geometry of the upper side including the at least three points. The camera is aligned with the at least three points and a first image of the marker located in a first portion is captured and stored and a scond image of the marker in a second position that is different than the first position is stored. Also, translation and/or rotation of the component in three-dimensional space between the first position and the second position is calculated.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 6, 2020
    Publication date: August 6, 2020
    Applicant: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: Arne Heymer
  • Publication number: 20200247463
    Abstract: A computer includes a processor and a memory, the memory storing instructions executable by the processor to initiate a calibration based on a portable device stability and a steering wheel angle, detect a vehicle pedal actuation, and, then, based on a portable device acceleration, determine a calibration vector between a portable device coordinate system and a vehicle coordinate system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 1, 2019
    Publication date: August 6, 2020
    Applicant: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Yu Seung Kim, Chun-Yu Chen
  • Publication number: 20200247285
    Abstract: A seating assembly is attached to the floor and includes a seat that is rotationally operable relative to a seatback. A retention device is attached to the seat. When the seat is pivoted upright to a stadium position, the retention device is selectively deployable from a stored position to a cargo storage position that defines an enclosure at least partially defined by the seat and the floor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 6, 2019
    Publication date: August 6, 2020
    Applicant: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: James Hugh Fowler, Marcos Silva Kondrad, Kevin Wayne Preuss
  • Publication number: 20200247197
    Abstract: A vehicle control system comprises a sensor configured to capture sensor data and a controller configured to identify a coupler position of a trailer in the sensor data. The controller is further configured to control a vehicle alignment routine aligning the hitch with the coupler position and control an emergency braking operation in response to detecting an obstruction in the sensor data. The controller is configured to suppress the emergency braking operation in response to the obstruction corresponding to the coupler in the sensor data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 4, 2019
    Publication date: August 6, 2020
    Applicant: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Luke Niewiadomski, Eric L. Reed, Roger Arnold Trombley, Robert D. Klosek
  • Publication number: 20200247309
    Abstract: A system includes at least one sensor; a plurality of lamps fixed relative to the sensor; at least one vehicle component attached to the lamps; and a computer communicatively coupled to the lamps, the at least one sensor, and the at least one vehicle component. The computer is programmed to sequentially activate the lamps, determine that an intensity for at least one of the lamps is below a respective intensity threshold based on data from the sensor during the sequential activations of the lamps, and actuate the at least one vehicle component in response to one of the intensities being below the respective intensity threshold.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 6, 2019
    Publication date: August 6, 2020
    Applicant: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: David Michael Herman, Ashwin Arunmozhi
  • Patent number: 10731028
    Abstract: A material includes a base polymer, cellulose fibers dispersed through the base polymer, a pigment coloring the base polymer and the cellulose fibers, and a sealant selected from epoxidized soybean oil and polyolefin. The sealant coats and seals the cellulose fibers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2020
    Assignee: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Richard Gall, Paul Kenneth Dellock, Stuart Salter, Talat Karmo, LaRon Michelle Brown
  • Patent number: 10733400
    Abstract: Ride-share status information of an autonomous ride-share vehicle is made available to potential passengers by transmitting a status data record an HMI device outside the vehicle. The data record (D?) is projected onto a projection area selected outside the vehicle using a projection device (8) of the motor vehicle. The projected data record (D?) is read-in using a reading device (10), such as a camera, of the HMI device. The HMI device decodes the read-in data record (D?), and provides the status information to a potential passenger on the HMI device (4) based on the decoded data record (D?).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2020
    Assignee: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventor: Maximilian Engelke
  • Patent number: 10730267
    Abstract: A badge may include an amorphous metal shell having a visible surface and an opposed back surface, and a plastic base molded to the back surface. The badge may also include a polymer visible layer molded to a portion of the visible surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2020
    Assignee: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Paul Kenneth Dellock, Michael A. Musleh, Stuart C. Salter, David Brian Glickman, Richard Gall