Patents by Inventor Nate Rolfes

Nate Rolfes 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).

  • Patent number: 9102271
    Abstract: A vehicle trailer backup assist system and method includes a hitch angle detection apparatus and a target monitor controller. The target monitor controller processes images acquired of the trailer towed by a towing vehicle to assist with placement of a target on the trailer. The target monitor controller also monitors the target and provides feedback to the user as to proper positioning of the target on the trailer. A target move detection routine detects movement of a target by processing the pixels of the image to determine if a new trailer has been connected. Further, a trailer connection monitoring routine monitors for a changed trailer based on loss of the hitch angle or target for a predetermined time period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2015
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Roger Arnold Trombley, Sudipto Aich, Nate Rolfes, Erick Michael Lavoie
  • Patent number: 9037349
    Abstract: A system and method for configuring a trailer backup assist system. The system and method communicates predetermined trailer parameters, which are embedded on a tag attached to the trailer, to a controller in the trailer backup assist system. A trailer backup assist system is configured using the predetermined trailer parameters and the configured trailer backup assist system is activated to operate using the trailer parameters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2015
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies
    Inventors: Roger Arnold Trombley, Thomas Edward Pilutti, Erick Michael Lavoie, Christopher Nave, John Shutko, Rich Lanoue, Bradley G. Hochrein, Nate Rolfes
  • Publication number: 20150066296
    Abstract: A system and method for configuring a trailer backup assist system. The system and method communicates predetermined trailer parameters, which are embedded on a tag attached to the trailer, to a controller in the trailer backup assist system. A trailer backup assist system is configured using the predetermined trailer parameters and the configured trailer backup assist system is activated to operate using the trailer parameters.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 27, 2013
    Publication date: March 5, 2015
    Applicant: Ford Global Technologies
    Inventors: Roger Arnold Trombley, Thomas Edward Pilutti, Erick Michael Lavoie, Christopher Nave, John Shutko, Rich Lanoue, Bradley G. Hochrein, Nate Rolfes
  • Publication number: 20140058614
    Abstract: A vehicle trailer backup assist system and method includes a hitch angle detection apparatus and a target monitor controller. The target monitor controller processes images acquired of the trailer towed by a towing vehicle to assist with placement of a target on the trailer. The target monitor controller also monitors the target and provides feedback to the user as to proper positioning of the target on the trailer. A target move detection routine detects movement of a target by processing the pixels of the image to determine if a new trailer has been connected. Further, a trailer connection monitoring routine monitors for a changed trailer based on loss of the hitch angle or target for a predetermined time period.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 31, 2013
    Publication date: February 27, 2014
    Applicant: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Roger Arnold Trombley, Sudipto Aich, Nate Rolfes, Erick Michael Lavoie
  • Patent number: 8169341
    Abstract: A park assist system for parking a vehicle in a target parking space includes a sensing system. The sensing system determines whether there is a sufficient slot length in a target parking space too small to complete a parking maneuver in a single maneuver, but large enough to complete a parking maneuver in more than one maneuver. During each of the more than one parking maneuvers, the driver is prompted to execute a calculated steering trajectory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2012
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Salvador Toledo, Dirk Gunia, Kay C. Müller, Torsten Wey, Nate Rolfes, Janet Meise, Marcus Kalabis
  • Publication number: 20110080305
    Abstract: A park assist system for parking a vehicle in a target parking space includes a sensing system. The sensing system determines whether there is a sufficient slot length in a target parking space too small to complete a parking maneuver in a single maneuver, but large enough to complete a parking maneuver in more than one maneuver. During each of the more than one parking maneuvers, the driver is prompted to execute a calculated steering trajectory.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 7, 2009
    Publication date: April 7, 2011
    Applicant: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Salvador Toledo, Dirk Gunia, Kay C. Müller, Torsten Wey, Nate Rolfes, Janet Meise, Marcus Kalabis
  • Publication number: 20050225117
    Abstract: A cargo box of a truck, such as a pickup truck, may include a horizontal bed having a front, a rear, a first side and a second side, with a transverse oriented front wall extending vertically upward from the front of the bed and having a front top rail located a first height above the bed, a first rear pillar extending upward from the bed adjacent to the rear and the first side of the bed, and a second rear pillar extending upward from the bed adjacent to the rear and the second side of the bed. The cargo box may also include a first side wall, extending between the front wall and the first rear pillar, having a first lower portion fixed to the first side of the bed, and a first fold-out fender located above the first lower portion and pivotable about a first generally horizontal axis between a substantially vertical closed position and a substantially horizontal open position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 30, 2004
    Publication date: October 13, 2005
    Inventors: Peter Miskech, Nate Rolfes, Jason Lind, Chris Bowser, Donald Nakic