Patents by Inventor Kenneth M. Follen
Kenneth M. Follen has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
-
Publication number: 20220258716Abstract: Systems, apparatuses, and methods disclosed herein relate to a system including a vehicle accessory and a controller coupled to the vehicle accessory. The controller is configured to receive internal vehicle information including information about the vehicle accessory; receive external static information based on a position of the vehicle; receive external dynamic information based on the position and a time of travel of the vehicle at the position; and control operation of the vehicle accessory based on the internal vehicle information, the external static information, and the external dynamic information.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 9, 2022Publication date: August 18, 2022Applicant: CUMMINS INC.Inventors: Kenneth M. Follen, Arun Prakash Thunga Gopal, Archit N. Koti, Mugdha S. Sane, Vivek A. Sujan, Pinak Jayant Tulpule
-
Publication number: 20220242394Abstract: Methods and systems for improving fuel economy and reducing emissions of a vehicle with an electric motor, an engine and an energy storage device are disclosed. The methods and systems involve obtaining lookahead information and current state information, wherein the lookahead information includes a predicted vehicle speed, and the current state information includes a current state of charge (SOC) for the energy storage device coupled to the electric motor; and determining, based on the lookahead information and the current state information, a target power split between the energy storage device and the engine.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 13, 2020Publication date: August 4, 2022Inventors: Archit N. Koti, Rohinish Gupta, Xing Jin, Kenneth M. Follen, Arun Prakash Thunga Gopal, Manik Narula
-
Patent number: 11396300Abstract: Disclosed are various techniques to optimize load delivery management of multiple vehicles along route. The optimization can involve evaluating vehicle-in-front information along with look ahead data to determine a recommended speed target and/or idle stop times and durations. The optimization can also involve determining bottleneck conditions from one or more vehicles and/or one or more infrastructure conditions and providing one or more recommended actions in response thereto.Type: GrantFiled: June 5, 2019Date of Patent: July 26, 2022Assignee: Cummins Inc.Inventors: Archit N. Koti, Jairo Andres Sandoval Leon, Vivek Anand Sujan, Patrick J. Shook, Apurva Arvind Chunodkar, Kenneth M. Follen
-
Patent number: 11325578Abstract: Systems, apparatuses, and methods disclosed herein include a system including a heating, venting, and air conditioning (HVAC) system and a controller coupled to the HVAC system. The controller is configured to receive internal vehicle information, external static information, and external dynamic information, and to control operation of the HVAC system based on the internal vehicle information, external static information, and external dynamic information.Type: GrantFiled: June 8, 2020Date of Patent: May 10, 2022Assignee: Cummins Inc.Inventors: Kenneth M. Follen, Arun Prakash Thunga Gopal, Archit N. Koti, Mugdha S. Sane, Vivek A. Sujan, Pinak Jayant Tulpule
-
Publication number: 20220118980Abstract: The enclosed disclosure relates to hybrid vehicles and systems with an engine, a drivetrain with a clutch and a transmission, an electric machine, and a controller. The controller receives lookahead information within a lookahead window and present state information of the hybrid vehicle. The controller determines a predicted coasting opportunity exceeding a predetermined threshold within the lookahead window and determines a cruise control reference speed, a power split between the engine and the electric machine, and a timing of enabling engine-off coasting during the coasting opportunity. The controller deactivates the engine and disengages the clutch at a start of the coasting opportunity when the engine-off coasting is enabled.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 21, 2020Publication date: April 21, 2022Inventors: Rohinish Gupta, Jonathan A. Dickson, Kenneth M. Follen, Apurva Arvind Chunodkar, Arun Prakash Thunga Gopal, Manik Narula
-
Patent number: 11247552Abstract: Systems, apparatuses, and methods disclosed provide for receiving internal hybrid vehicle information, external static information, and external dynamic information; determining a propulsion power for the hybrid vehicle at a particular location at a particular time based on at least one of the internal hybrid vehicle information, the external static information, and the external dynamic information, and wherein in response to the determined potential propulsion power, predicting a shift event at the particular location at the particular time; determining a current state of charge of a battery, wherein the battery is operatively coupled to an electric motor in the hybrid vehicle; and managing the state of charge of the battery at the particular location at the particular time based on the current state of charge and the determined propulsion power to eliminate the need for the potential shift event at the particular location at the particular time.Type: GrantFiled: August 2, 2016Date of Patent: February 15, 2022Assignee: Cummins, Inc.Inventors: Kenneth M. Follen, Arun Prakash Thunga Gopal, Vivek A. Sujan, Pinak Jayant Tulpule, Mugdha S. Sane
-
Patent number: 11046309Abstract: One embodiment is a method of operating an electronic control system (ECS) to control an engine to propel a vehicle. The method comprises receiving a throttle command, determining an operation to increase engine cycle efficiency by reducing engine torque below a magnitude corresponding to the throttle command and below a torque curve limit over a first vehicle operation segment and permitting an increase in engine torque above the torque curve limit over a second vehicle operation segment, controlling the engine to output torque below the magnitude corresponding to the throttle command and below the torque curve limit over the first vehicle operation segment, and controlling the engine to output torque above the torque curve limit over the second vehicle operation segment in response to a second received throttle command and constrained by an extended limit on operation of the engine above the torque curve limit.Type: GrantFiled: October 24, 2017Date of Patent: June 29, 2021Assignee: Cummins Inc.Inventors: Apurva Arvind Chunodkar, Kenneth M. Follen, Mugdha S. Sane, Srinivas Chakravarthy Bathula, Arun Prakash Thunga Gopal, Vivek A. Sujan
-
Publication number: 20210192959Abstract: Systems and apparatuses include one or more processing circuits comprising one or more memory devices coupled to one or more processors, the one or more memory devices configured to store instructions thereon that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to: determine at least one reason for a deserter to exit a first platoon; determine a deserter position within the first platoon; communicate the deserter exit to the first platoon after determination of the at least one reason for the deserter to exit the first platoon based at least in part on the deserter position; adapt a behavior of the first platoon to allow the deserter to exit the first platoon; and reconfigure the remaining vehicles from the first platoon into a second platoon.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 8, 2021Publication date: June 24, 2021Applicant: Cummins Inc.Inventors: Vivek Anand Sujan, Phani Kiran Vajapeyazula, Govindarajan Kothandaraman, Jingxuan Liu, Kenneth M. Follen
-
Publication number: 20210188246Abstract: A controls system for a range-extended electric vehicle comprising an overall system control unit, an engine control module configured to control a range extender of the range-extended electric vehicle, power electronics configured to control a generator of the range-extended electric vehicle, and a supervisory control module coupled between the overall system control unit and the engine control module and the power electronics, the supervisory control module configured to receive information from the overall system control unit and provide commands to the engine control module and the power electronics.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 18, 2020Publication date: June 24, 2021Inventors: Ke Li, Kenneth M. Follen, John P. Kresse
-
Publication number: 20210179070Abstract: A vehicle system includes a powertrain including an electric motor operatively coupled with an automated manual transmission and an electronic control system including a gear shift control module, a transmission control module, and a motor control module in operative communication with one another over one or more controller area networks. The electronic control system includes supervisory controls configured to configured to arbitrate between a plurality of motor operation requests received over the one or more controller area networks to select a winning motor operation request, the plurality of motor operation requests including the operator torque request, evaluate one or more shift inhibit conditions, and command the electric motor to provide the winning motor operation request when none of the one or more shift inhibit conditions evaluate as true.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 17, 2021Publication date: June 17, 2021Inventors: Harsha Ravindra Ademane, John P. Kresse, III, Arun Prakash Thunga Gopal, Kenneth M. Follen
-
Patent number: 10988140Abstract: A powertrain including a prime mover and an electronically controllable clutch. The powertrain structured selectably engages the clutch to provide power from the prime mover to drive one or more ground contacting wheels and to selectably disengage the clutch to decouple with one or more ground contacting wheels. The electronic control system operatively communicates with the prime mover and the electronically controllable clutch, and uses a predictive cruise control (PCC) controller and an idle coast management (ICM) controller, to control vehicle speed during concurrent operation of the PCC controller and the ICM controller.Type: GrantFiled: December 15, 2017Date of Patent: April 27, 2021Assignee: Cummins Inc.Inventors: Kenneth M. Follen, Vivek Anand Sujan, Daniel Reed Dempsey, Tejas Shrikant Kinjawadekar, Craig Michael Calmer, Jairo Andres Sandoval Leon, Oruganti Prashanth Sharma
-
Patent number: 10971017Abstract: Methods, systems and apparatuses for inter-vehicle communication, fusion of sensor information, and information sharing resulting from inter-vehicle communication are disclosed along with control of one or more vehicles in response to information from one or more other vehicles.Type: GrantFiled: October 31, 2018Date of Patent: April 6, 2021Assignee: Cummins Inc.Inventors: Pinak Jayant Tulpule, Govindarajan Kothandaraman, Edmund P. Hodzen, Kenneth M. Follen, Archit N. Koti
-
Patent number: 10960884Abstract: A system, method, and apparatus include a controller structured to predict a change in speed of a vehicle in advance of upcoming terrain and inhibit a coasting event if the speed exceeds a limit. In one form a velocity of the vehicle is predicted using a physics based model of the vehicle within a look ahead window in front of a vehicle. Such a look ahead window can be distance or time based. In another, speed of a vehicle is monitored during a coasting event and is compared against a threshold to determine whether to remain coasting or re-engage an engine to a driveline. The threshold is a function of road grade, and permits a larger deviation from set speed at low grade than at high grade. The function can be based on road grade and vehicle weight.Type: GrantFiled: June 11, 2020Date of Patent: March 30, 2021Assignee: Cummins Inc.Inventors: Oruganti Prashanth Sharma, Kenneth M. Follen, Tejas Shrikant Kinjawadekar, Vivek Anand Sujan, Daniel Reed Dempsey, Apurva Chunodkar, Nathanael G. Long, Jairo Andres Sandoval Leon
-
Publication number: 20210086652Abstract: Systems, apparatuses, and methods disclosed herein include managing, by a controller, a state of charge of a battery of a hybrid vehicle at a particular location at a particular time based on a determined potential propulsion power for the vehicle; responsive to determining a downhill grade at the particular location, determining, by the controller, an amount of braking energy available during traversal of the downhill grade; and discharging, by the controller, the battery to direct energy to at least one of a generator or an electrified accessory of the hybrid vehicle before the downhill grade to enable reception of at least a portion of the determined amount of braking energy available.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 8, 2020Publication date: March 25, 2021Applicant: Cummins Inc.Inventors: Kenneth M. Follen, Arun Prakash Thunga Gopal, Vivek A. Sujan, Pinak Jayant Tulpule, Mugdha S. Sane
-
Patent number: 10943490Abstract: Systems and apparatuses include a controller including a circuit structured to communicate with a platoon of vehicles, determine a platoon rank order, determine final separation distances between vehicles, affect operation of each vehicle to achieve the platoon rank order and final separation distances, monitor the platoon of vehicles to determine if a deserter is leaving the platoon of vehicles or if a critical change has occurred, determine an updated platoon rank order, and determine an updated final separation distances between vehicles.Type: GrantFiled: October 29, 2018Date of Patent: March 9, 2021Assignee: Cummins, Inc.Inventors: Vivek Anand Sujan, Phani Kiran Vajapeyazula, Govindarajan Kothandaraman, Jingxuan Liu, Kenneth M. Follen
-
Patent number: 10935127Abstract: A control system, apparatus, and method integrates vehicle speed management and predicted gear shifting of a vehicle by determining current and future engine power requirements from the current and forward-looking route conditions to improve performance, drivability, and/or fuel economy of the vehicle over what is achievable through conventional gear state selection via static calibration tables and conventional shifting strategies. The selection of the vehicle reference speed is responsive to a gear selection to provide increased fuel economy, decreased trip time or combinations thereof.Type: GrantFiled: July 22, 2019Date of Patent: March 2, 2021Assignee: Cummins Inc.Inventors: Apurva A. Chunodkar, Zachary A. Knutson, Kenneth M. Follen, Vivek A. Sujan
-
Patent number: 10894482Abstract: Systems, apparatuses, and methods disclosed herein provide for receiving internal hybrid vehicle information, external static information, and external dynamic information; determining a propulsion power for the hybrid vehicle at a particular location at a particular time based on at least one of the internal hybrid vehicle information, the external static information, and the external dynamic information; determining a current state of charge of a battery, wherein the battery is operatively coupled to an electric motor in the hybrid vehicle; and managing a state of charge of the battery at the particular location at the particular time based on the current state of charge and the determined propulsion power.Type: GrantFiled: August 4, 2016Date of Patent: January 19, 2021Assignee: Cummins, Inc.Inventors: Kenneth M. Follen, Arun Prakash Thunga Gopal, Vivek A. Sujan, Pinak Jayant Tulpule, Mugdha S. Sane
-
Publication number: 20200346649Abstract: A system, method, and apparatus include a controller structured to predict a change in speed of a vehicle in advance of upcoming terrain and inhibit a coasting event if the speed exceeds a limit. In one form a velocity of the vehicle is predicted using a physics based model of the vehicle within a look ahead window in front of a vehicle. Such a look ahead window can be distance or time based. In another, speed of a vehicle is monitored during a coasting event and is compared against a threshold to determine whether to remain coasting or re-engage an engine to a driveline. The threshold is a function of road grade, and permits a larger deviation from set speed at low grade than at high grade. The function can be based on road grade and vehicle weight.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 11, 2020Publication date: November 5, 2020Inventors: Oruganti Prashanth Sharma, Kenneth M. Follen, Tejas Shrifant Kinjawadekar, Vivek Anand Sujan, Daniel Reed Dempsey, Apurva Chunodkar, Nathanael G. Long, Jairo Andres Sandoval Leon
-
Publication number: 20200298819Abstract: Systems, apparatuses, and methods disclosed herein include a system including a heating, venting, and air conditioning (HVAC) system and a controller coupled to the HVAC system. The controller is configured to receive internal vehicle information, external static information, and external dynamic information, and to control operation of the HVAC system based on the internal vehicle information, external static information, and external dynamic information.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 8, 2020Publication date: September 24, 2020Applicant: Cummins Inc.Inventors: Kenneth M. Follen, Arun Prakash Thunga Gopal, Archit N. Koti, Mugdha S. Sane, Vivek A. Sujan, Pinak Jayant Tulpule
-
Patent number: 10717440Abstract: A system, method, and apparatus include a controller structured to predict a change in speed of a vehicle in advance of upcoming terrain and inhibit a coasting event if the speed exceeds a limit. In one form a velocity of the vehicle is predicted using a physics based model of the vehicle within a look ahead window in front of a vehicle. Such a look ahead window can be distance or time based. In another, speed of a vehicle is monitored during a coasting event and is compared against a threshold to determine whether to remain coasting or re-engage an engine to a driveline. The threshold is a function of road grade, and permits a larger deviation from set speed at low grade than at high grade. The function can be based on road grade and vehicle weight.Type: GrantFiled: April 26, 2018Date of Patent: July 21, 2020Assignee: Cummins Inc.Inventors: Oruganti Prashanth Sharma, Kenneth M. Follen, Tejas Shrikant Kinjawadekar, Vivek Anand Sujan, Daniel Reed Dempsey, Apurva Chunodkar, Nathanael G. Long, Jairo Andres Sandoval Leon