Patents by Inventor Thomas Lee Goodson

Thomas Lee Goodson 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: 9337832
    Abstract: A vehicle proximity switch and method are provided having sensitivity control. The switch includes a proximity sensor, such as a capacitive sensor, installed in a vehicle and providing a sense activation field. Control circuitry processes the activation field to sense user activation of the switch by comparing the activation field to a threshold. The threshold is adjusted down when a substantially stable sensor signal is detected below the threshold for a minimum time period, and the threshold is adjusted up when a sensor signal greater than the threshold by a predetermined value is detected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2016
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Pietro Buttolo, Stuart C. Salter, Cornel Lewis Gardner, Thomas Lee Goodson, James Stewart Rankin
  • Patent number: 9184745
    Abstract: A proximity switch assembly and method for detecting activation of a proximity switch assembly is provided. The assembly includes a plurality of proximity switches each having a proximity sensor providing a sense activation field and control circuitry processing the activation field of each proximity switch to sense activation. The assembly and method detects a signal associated with each proximity switch, determines a rate of change of the signal associated with the first switch and a rate of change of the signal associated with a neighboring second switch and determines whether to activate the first switch based on at least one of the first rate of signal change and second rate of signal change.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2015
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Stuart C. Salter, Pietro Buttolo, Cornel Lewis Gardner, Thomas Lee Goodson
  • Patent number: 9065447
    Abstract: A proximity switch assembly and method for detecting activation of the proximity switch assembly is provided. The assembly includes a plurality of proximity switches each providing a sense activation field and control circuitry processing the activation field of each proximity switch to sense activation. The control circuitry monitors the signal responsive to the activation field, determines a rate of change in signal amplitude for each signal, and generates an adaptive time delay based on the control circuitry. The control circuitry further detects a peak amplitude of the signal and determines activation of the switch after expiration of the time delay following the peak amplitude detection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2015
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Pietro Buttolo, Stuart C. Salter, Cornel Lewis Gardner, Thomas Lee Goodson, James Stewart Rankin
  • Patent number: 8975903
    Abstract: A vehicle proximity switch and method are provided having learned sensitivity control. The switch includes a proximity sensor, such as a capacitive sensor, installed in a vehicle and providing a sense activation field. Also included is sense control circuitry processing the activation field to sense user activation of the switch by comparing the activation field to a threshold. The switch further includes sensitivity control circuitry learning a user sensitivity based on user activation of a sensor and controlling the sensitivity of one or more proximity switches.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2015
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Stuart C. Salter, Pietro Buttolo, Cornel Lewis Gardner, Thomas Lee Goodson
  • Publication number: 20130328616
    Abstract: A vehicle proximity switch and method are provided having sensitivity control. The switch includes a proximity sensor, such as a capacitive sensor, installed in a vehicle and providing a sense activation field. Control circuitry processes the activation field to sense user activation of the switch by comparing the activation field to a threshold. The threshold is adjusted down when a substantially stable sensor signal is detected below the threshold for a minimum time period, and the threshold is adjusted up when a sensor signal greater than the threshold by a predetermined value is detected.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 6, 2012
    Publication date: December 12, 2013
    Applicant: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Pietro Buttolo, Stuart C. Salter, Cornel Lewis Gardner, Thomas Lee Goodson, James Stewart Rankin
  • Publication number: 20130271203
    Abstract: A proximity switch assembly and method for detecting activation of a proximity switch assembly is provided. The assembly includes a plurality of proximity switches each having a proximity sensor providing a sense activation field and control circuitry processing the activation field of each proximity switch to sense activation. The assembly and method detects a signal associated with each proximity switch, determines a rate of change of the signal associated with the first switch and a rate of change of the signal associated with a neighboring second switch and determines whether to activate the first switch based on at least one of the first rate of signal change and second rate of signal change.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 11, 2012
    Publication date: October 17, 2013
    Applicant: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Stuart C. Salter, Pietro Buttolo, Cornel Lewis Gardner, Thomas Lee Goodson
  • Publication number: 20130271202
    Abstract: A proximity switch assembly and method for detecting activation of the proximity switch assembly is provided. The assembly includes a plurality of proximity switches each providing a sense activation field and control circuitry processing the activation field of each proximity switch to sense activation. The control circuitry monitors the signal responsive to the activation field, determines a rate of change in signal amplitude for each signal, and generates an adaptive time delay based on the control circuitry. The control circuitry further detects a peak amplitude of the signal and determines activation of the switch after expiration of the time delay following the peak amplitude detection.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 11, 2012
    Publication date: October 17, 2013
    Applicant: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Pietro Buttolo, Stuart C. Salter, Cornel Lewis Gardner, Thomas Lee Goodson, James Stewart Rankin
  • Publication number: 20120312676
    Abstract: A vehicle proximity switch and method are provided having learned sensitivity control. The switch includes a proximity sensor, such as a capacitive sensor, installed in a vehicle and providing a sense activation field. Also included is sense control circuitry processing the activation field to sense user activation of the switch by comparing the activation field to a threshold. The switch further includes sensitivity control circuitry learning a user sensitivity based on user activation of a sensor and controlling the sensitivity of one or more proximity switches.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 9, 2011
    Publication date: December 13, 2012
    Inventors: Stuart C. Salter, Pietro Buttolo, Cornel Lewis Gardner, Thomas Lee Goodson