Patents Assigned to For Global Technologies, LLC
  • On-board and wireless vehicle charging systems with shared components
    Patent number: 10427532
    Abstract: A vehicle includes a traction battery, an on-board charging system (OBCS), and a wireless power transfer system (WPTS). Each of the OBCS and WPTS is configured to selectively use a same rectifier such that the rectifier rectifies output of the OBCS and rectifies output of the WPTS to provide power to the traction battery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2019
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Mohamed Elshaer, Chingchi Chen, Mark J. Ferrel, John Paul Gibeau
  • Storage container with latch for seating assembly
    Patent number: 10428564
    Abstract: A storage container for a vehicle seating assembly includes a base of the storage container affixed to a seatback. A panel is coupled to the base. A latch mechanism is disposed in the base and adjacent to the panel, wherein the latch mechanism is selectively operable between locked and unlocked positions to move the panel between respective secured and unsecured positions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2019
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Adam D. Ewel, Johnathan Andrew Line, Spencer Hoernke, Jimmy Moua, Rodney Charles Brinker
  • Hitch assist system with trailer height estimation and hitch coupler identification
    Patent number: 10430672
    Abstract: A system and methods related to hitch assist are provided herein. An imager captures rear-vehicle images. A processor is configured to extract trailer and ground features from the captured images, compute vehicle motion displacement based on optical flow of the ground features, estimate a height of each trailer feature based on vehicle motion displacement and optical flow of the trailer features, and determine a trailer height based on the estimated heights of at least a portion of the trailer features.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2019
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Yi Zhang, Dongran Liu, Vidya Nariyambut murali
  • Load-limiting seatbelt assembly
    Patent number: 10427640
    Abstract: A seatbelt assembly includes a seatbelt retractor, a support spaced from the seatbelt retractor, and a webbing retractably engaged with the seatbelt retractor. The webbing is moveable relative to the support. The seatbelt assembly includes a magnet and a conductive material adjacent the magnet. One of the magnet and the conductive material is fixed to the support, and the other of the magnet and the conductive material is moveable by the webbing relative to the support.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2019
    Assignee: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Jeffrey Tien Vo, Brian Robert Spahn, Benjamin Yilma
  • Vehicle and vehicle air compressor system
    Patent number: 10427724
    Abstract: A vehicle includes a truck bed, docking plate, baseplate, latching system, air compressor, and air storage tank. The truck bed has a side panel extending upward from a floor panel. The docking plate is secured to an internal surface of the side panel. The baseplate has first and second opposing external surfaces. The latching system extends from the first surface and engages the docking plate to secure the baseplate thereto. The air compressor and the air storage tank are each secured to the second surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2019
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Johnathan Andrew Line, Gregory Hagedorn
  • Textile treatment compositions including quternary bis-imidazoline compounds derived from linear tetramines useful to improve moisture management and provide antimicrobial protection
    Patent number: 10428454
    Abstract: The present invention provides strategies to improve the moisture management properties of textiles while retaining high comfort levels. The treatments also help to protect textiles against microbial growth. The treatment strategies of the present invention are based at least in part on the use of cationic bis-imidazoline(s) and their salts. Quaternized bis-imidazoline cations and their salts are particularly preferred.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2019
    Assignee: Dow Global Technologies LLC
    Inventors: Sandeep Nikam, Ritesh Gulabani, Yogaraj Nabar, Prashant Tatake
  • Illuminating vehicle assembly and illumination method
    Patent number: 10427595
    Abstract: An exemplary illuminating vehicle assembly includes, among other things, a lens having an outer perimeter, a diffuser beneath the lens, and a light source configured to emit light that passes through the diffuser to illuminate the lens. The light source is disposed outside the outer perimeter. An exemplary illumination method includes, among other things, transmitting light from a light source through a diffuser, and transmitting light from the diffuser through a lens. The light source is outside an outer perimeter of the lens.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2019
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Joseph Myszka, Paul Kenneth Dellock, Stuart C. Salter, David Brian Glickman, Mehran Niksimaee
  • Vehicle localization using cameras
    Patent number: 10430968
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a system for determining a position of a vehicle includes an image sensor, a top-down view component, a comparison component, and a location component. The image sensor obtains an image of an environment near a vehicle. The top-down view component is configured to generate a top-down view of a ground surface based on the image of the environment. The comparison component is configured to compare the top-down image with a map, the map comprising a top-down light LIDAR intensity map or a vector-based semantic map. The location component is configured to determine a location of the vehicle on the map based on the comparison.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2019
    Assignee: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Sarah Houts, Alexandru Mihai Gurghian, Vidya Nariyambut Murali, Tory Smith
  • Storage for seating assembly
    Patent number: 10427611
    Abstract: A vehicle seating assembly includes a seatback. The seatback includes a rear portion and a substantially horizontal strap including first and second ends fixed to the rear portion. The substantially horizontal strap further includes an intermediate attachment area fixed to the rear portion between the first and second ends.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2019
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Patrick Vanderpool, Dustin Shedlarski, Victoria Leigh Schein, Timothy Owen Hamlin
  • Noise reducing brake pads
    Patent number: 10428884
    Abstract: A brake pad for a motor vehicle is provided. The brake pad includes a body having upper and lower edges and a friction surface extending between the upper and lower edges for engaging a rotor. A notch is located along a section of the upper edge of the brake pad. The notch has an arc length of about ¼ to about ½ of an arc length of the pad and a depth of about ? to about ? of a height of the pad. During engagement with the rotor, the notch is configured to reduce squeal noise caused by tangential modes of the rotor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2019
    Assignee: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Yuri Anatoly Karpenko, Charles K. Evans, J. Chris Oakwood, Peter Kowalow
  • Asymmetrical surface groove patterns for permanent magnet machine rotors
    Patent number: 10432047
    Abstract: A rotor for a permanent magnet machine includes a first and second stack of same laminations. The laminations are configured to rotate about an axis and define poles and axial grooves on a circumferential surface that are asymmetric about a centerline of each of the poles. The stacks are coupled such that the second stack is flipped relative to the first stack and centerlines of the first stack are aligned with centerlines of the second stack.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2019
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Feng Liang, Lusu Guo, Michael W. Degner
  • Adjustable mount apparatus for use with vehicles and related methods
    Patent number: 10427731
    Abstract: Adjustable mount apparatus for use with vehicles and related methods are disclosed. An example apparatus includes a mount for a vehicle. The mount has a first portion to receive an object to be carried by the mount and a second portion that is pivotably coupled to the first portion. The second portion is to slidably couple to a right or left side of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2019
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Kevin Joseph Favero, MIchael J. Gardynik, Kevin A. Gustafson, Austin Murphy, Steven Frank
  • Automotive wiring harness flat cable end termination
    Patent number: 10431906
    Abstract: An electrical distribution apparatus is adapted for use in a wiring harness of an automotive electrical system. A flat flexible cable has an insulating substrate embedding a plurality of flat wires. The flat cable has a cable end wherein the wires extend as exposed blade fingers, each finger having at least one lateral fold stacking a thickness of the respective finger. A ferrule is crimped over each stacked finger. A plurality of contact bodies each has a coupler end and a crimp end. Each crimped end has a pair of legs crimped onto a respective ferrule. A carrier block has a plurality of bores each receiving a respective coupler end. The carrier block carrying the coupler ends is configured to plug into an electronic module connector in the automotive electrical system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2019
    Assignee: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Glenn Richard Reed, Paul J. Nicastri
  • Traction battery assembly having multipiece busbar module
    Patent number: 10431803
    Abstract: A traction battery includes cells stacked in an array and having terminals, and endplates sandwiching the array. A busbar module extends between the endplates and includes slots and busbars interleaved along a length of the busbar module. The terminals extend through the slots and connect to the busbars. The busbar module includes a pair of end pieces and a center piece that are separately formed and secured together by connection features.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2019
    Assignee: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Francisco Fernandez-Galindo, Daniel Paul Roberts, Steven Droste
  • Hitch assist system and method
    Patent number: 10427716
    Abstract: A hitch assist system and method are provided herein. A device is configured to detect a hitch coupler of a trailer and a controller is in communication with the device. The controller is configured to generate a boundary area projecting from the hitch coupler, define a vehicle backup path toward the trailer if a tow hitch of the vehicle is located inside the boundary area, and determine a steering angle for steering the vehicle along the vehicle backup path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2019
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Li Xu, Kyle Simmons, Chen Zhang, Eric Hongtei Tseng
  • Hitch assist system with hitch coupler identification feature and hitch coupler height estimation
    Patent number: 10427717
    Abstract: A hitch assist system and method are provided herein. An imager is configured to capture one or more images containing a trailer having a hitch coupler. A touchscreen display is configured to show a view of the trailer and register one or more touch events thereon for specifying a location of the hitch coupler. A controller is configured to generate an icon at the specified location of the hitch coupler.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2019
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Yi Zhang, Erick Michael Lavoie
  • Vehicle suspension support
    Patent number: 10427484
    Abstract: A vehicle suspension support includes a housing including an opening to receive an upper end of a damper and a top mount bushing fixed to an upper surface of the housing, the top mount bushing having an aperture aligned with the opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2019
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Brett Anderson, Jeffrey Lipa
  • Vehicle light assembly
    Patent number: 10427593
    Abstract: A light assembly is provided herein. The light assembly includes a pair of light assemblies disposed on opposing sides of a rear portion of a vehicle. Each light assembly includes a housing and a lens. A light source is disposed in the housing and is configured to create a first predefined illumination pattern. A controller is configured to selectively activate the first illumination pattern from one of the pair of housings corresponding to a direction of a vehicle steering wheel rotation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2019
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Aaron Bradley Johnson, Stuart C. Salter, Paul Kenneth Dellock, Stephen Kenneth Helwig
  • Vehicle front lower grille
    Patent number: D861546
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2019
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: David Dewitt, Todd Willing, Max Wolff
  • Vehicle wheel
    Patent number: D861564
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2019
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: David Dewitt, Todd Willing, Max Wolff, Mark Wright