Patents Assigned to Ford Global Technologies, LLC
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Publication number: 20240163277Abstract: A system and method for performing a secure operation on a vehicle, such as to to re-key a vehicle, includes transmitting, from a computing device such as a service tool, a service tool request to an access management server over a wide area network, receiving over the wide area network, at the service tool, a secure service response from the access management server upon a verification of the service tool request, the secure service response containing a secure payload, and transmitting the secure payload to secure controller of a specific vehicle being serviced over a vehicle communication interface regardless of whether the service tool is connected to the wide area network.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 16, 2022Publication date: May 16, 2024Applicant: Ford Global Technologies, LLCInventors: Aaron Bonnell-Kangas, Farhan Ehsan, Eugene Karpinsky, Margherita Trupiano
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Publication number: 20240158595Abstract: A foam material includes the reaction product of a polyol mixture and an isocyanate mixture, and a MXene filler in an amount up to about 0.5 wt. %. A method of forming the foam material includes adding a MXene filler in an amount up to about 0.5 wt. % into one of a polyol mixture and an isocyanate mixture, the MXene filler being in the form of layered flakes, combining the MXene filler, one of the polyol mixture and the isocyanate mixture, and a bonding enhancer to form a first liquid component into a high shear exfoliation mixer. During mixing, the MXene filler is delaminated into single layers, each of the single layers being arranged in random orientations, which is then combined with the other of the polyol mixture or the isocyanate mixture to form the foam material.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 10, 2022Publication date: May 16, 2024Applicant: Ford Global Technologies, LLCInventors: Deborah Frances Mielewski, Alper Kiziltas, Stuart C. Salter, Paul Kenneth Dellock, Sandeep Tamrakar
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Publication number: 20240162519Abstract: A power module, such as a power module of a traction powertrain of an electrified vehicle, includes a power module cell arranged in a stack that defines a coolant supply manifold and a coolant return manifold. The power module cell includes a power stage having a substrate. The substrate includes first microchannels configured to input coolant from the supply manifold and impeded from outputting coolant to the return manifold, second microchannels configured to output coolant to the return manifold and impeded from inputting coolant from the supply manifold, and third microchannels crisscrossing and connecting the first and second microchannels in fluid communication.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 15, 2022Publication date: May 16, 2024Applicant: Ford Global Technologies, LLCInventors: Man Prakash Gupta, Alfredo R. Munoz, Michael W. Degner, Zhuxian Xu
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Publication number: 20240157871Abstract: A vehicle lighting system is disclosed. The vehicle lighting system may include a display unit configured to operate in a plurality of display modes. The display unit may be mounted on a vehicle rear top portion. The vehicle lighting system may further include a processor that may be configured to obtain trigger event information associated with the display unit. Based on the trigger event information, the processor may select a display mode from the plurality of display modes, and may activate the display unit responsive to the selection.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 10, 2022Publication date: May 16, 2024Applicant: Ford Global Technologies, LLCInventors: Keith Weston, Brendan Diamond, John Robert Van Wiemeersch, Stuart C. Salter, Aaron Bradley Johnson
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Publication number: 20240159625Abstract: A test apparatus for simulating off-road conditions for a motor vehicle includes a platform, front and rear roller assemblies, a driveshaft and at least one resistance assembly. Each of the front roller assembly and the rear roller assembly is coupled to the platform and configured to receive a pair of wheels of the motor vehicle. The driveshaft is secured between the front roller assembly and the rear roller assembly and configured to transmit rotary power from one of the front roller assembly and the rear roller assembly to the other of the front roller assembly and the rear roller assembly. Each resistance assembly is coupled to at least one of the front and rear roller assemblies and is configured to vary a resistance of the at least one of the front and rear roller assemblies. An orientation of the platform is adjustable.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 22, 2024Publication date: May 16, 2024Applicant: Ford Global Technologies, LLCInventors: Timothy Pistole, Mark Thomas Weston
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Publication number: 20240162508Abstract: A method for detecting a capacity of a battery, such as a traction battery of an electrified vehicle, includes varying a charge current provided to the battery and measuring a terminal voltage of the battery as the charge current is being varied. An estimator, that utilizes voltage feedback based on a model of the battery to provide state and parameter estimations of the battery, is driven with the terminal voltage to estimate a state-of-charge (SOC) of the battery. The capacity of the battery may be detected based in part on the SOC.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 16, 2022Publication date: May 16, 2024Applicant: Ford Global Technologies, LLCInventors: Yonghua Li, Richard Dyche Anderson
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Publication number: 20240162507Abstract: A battery, such as a traction battery for an electrified vehicle (EV), includes a battery sensor, such as a battery pack sensing module (BPSM), arranged internally within a housing of the battery. The battery further includes one or more battery cell arrays arranged within the housing. Each battery cell array including battery cells and a printed circuit board (PCB) electrically connected with voltage sense leads associated with the battery cells. The battery further includes a primary PCB arranged within the housing and electrically connected to the battery cell array PCBs. The battery sensor is electrically connected to the primary PCB to establish an electrical connection with the battery cell array PCBs whereby the battery sensor can sense the voltages of the battery cells.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 15, 2022Publication date: May 16, 2024Applicant: Ford Global Technologies, LLCInventors: Daniel Paul Roberts, Francisco Fernandez-Galindo, Liam E. West, Mateusz Zadrozny
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Publication number: 20240161618Abstract: A system for accessing vehicle sensor data. The system includes receiving vehicle sensor data and a vehicle location associated with the vehicle sensor data from a publisher vehicle. A subscriber request for remote data is received from a service subscriber. The subscriber request includes a request location. A match condition is determined. The match condition includes a vehicle location match between the request location and the vehicle location. The vehicle sensor data is transmitted to the service subscriber upon the occurrence of the match condition.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 11, 2022Publication date: May 16, 2024Applicant: Ford Global Technologies, LLCInventors: Bhagyashri Satyabodha Katti, Nithya Somanath, Kwaku O. Prakah-Asante, Harald Christian Martinez, Ayush Shah, Joseph Wisniewski
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Patent number: 11984787Abstract: An endplate for an electric machine may include a disc-like body defining at least one opening and a corresponding channel extending therefrom, the channel extending from the at least one opening to a distal diameter of the body, the opening configured to allow coolant to pass therethrough, and a lip arranged around a circumference of the body and extending therefrom, the lip configured to guide the coolant into the at least one opening to supply coolant at an end winding of a stator of the electric machine.Type: GrantFiled: January 31, 2020Date of Patent: May 14, 2024Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLCInventors: Nathan Radl, Emily Yang
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Patent number: 11981354Abstract: Systems and methods for mitigating certain spoofing of vehicle features are disclosed herein. An example method can include determining input torque values obtained from a steering torque sensor associated with a steering wheel of a vehicle, wherein the input torque values are obtained over a period of time, determining road disturbances using a road disturbance model, applying a driver model that is indicative of human driver hands-on-wheel behaviors, determining when input torque values are indicative of a spoof or human interaction with the steering wheel using the input torque values, the road disturbance model, and the driver model, and executing a remediating measure when the input torque values are indicative of the spoof.Type: GrantFiled: April 1, 2022Date of Patent: May 14, 2024Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLCInventors: David Michael Herman, Catherine Marie Amodeo, Yashanshu Jain, Christopher Colarusso
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Patent number: 11980288Abstract: A locking system for retractable and removable bins, and methods of use thereof, are provided. The locking system includes a retractable latch disposed within a carrier sized and shaped to receive one or more delivery bins. The locking system further includes a first retention feature disposed on the bin and configured to receive the latch in a first locked configuration where horizontal and vertical movement of the bin relative to the latch is prohibited. Additionally, the locking system includes a second retention feature disposed on the bin distal to the first retention feature and configured to receive the latch in a second locked configuration. The second retention feature has an opening such that, in the second locked configuration, vertical movement of the bin relative to the latch is permitted to thereby remove the bin from the latch through the opening.Type: GrantFiled: April 19, 2022Date of Patent: May 14, 2024Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLCInventors: Kurt Michael Lundeen, Raj Sohmshetty, Ireneusz Trybula, Sam Hoff
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Patent number: 11981203Abstract: A system comprises a computer having a processor and a memory, the memory storing instructions executable by the processor to monitor conditions of a roadway as a vehicle travels the roadway while an adaptive cruise control feature of the vehicle is active, identify an expected condition change based on the monitoring the conditions of the roadway, determine a preferred power state for an engine of the vehicle based on the expected condition change, determine that an engine power state transition is planned for the engine, the engine power state transition including transitioning the engine from a current power state to a planned power state, and resolve the engine power state transition based on the preferred power state.Type: GrantFiled: February 18, 2022Date of Patent: May 14, 2024Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLCInventors: Jordan Barrett, Keith Weston, Brendan Francis Diamond, Andrew Denis Lewandowski
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Patent number: 11981341Abstract: An example apparatus includes a profile manager to determine whether a user of a vehicle has a corresponding profile stored in memory based on a personalized vehicle key associated with the user, in response to determining that the profile for the user is not available, receive one or more inputs from the user via a display, the one or more inputs including a loading condition threshold and a corresponding response to exceeding the loading condition threshold, and generate the profile for the user based on the one more inputs from the user; and a vehicle feature modifier to modify a feature of the vehicle when a load condition of the vehicle satisfies the loading condition threshold to limit or disable operation of the vehicle based on the corresponding response to exceeding the loading condition threshold, the feature modified based upon the profile.Type: GrantFiled: June 25, 2021Date of Patent: May 14, 2024Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLCInventors: Andrew Niedert, Peter Simeon Lazarevski, Anton Rogness, Elliott Pearson, Joshua Rajasingh
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Patent number: 11981372Abstract: A vehicle includes a panel that defines an aperture. The vehicle also includes a cover operably coupled to the panel. The cover is operable between a first condition and a second condition. In the first condition, the cover conceals the aperture. In the second condition, access to the aperture is provided. The vehicle further includes an electrical connector coupled to the cover, such that the electrical connector moves with the cover as the cover moves between the first and second conditions. Movement of the cover from the first condition to the second condition reveals the electrical connector.Type: GrantFiled: May 28, 2021Date of Patent: May 14, 2024Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLCInventors: Keith Daugherty, Christopher John Mazur, William J. Kistler, Christopher Holland, Miguel A. Garrido, Gabriela De Jesus Grajales
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Patent number: 11981264Abstract: A device holder assembly that includes a body and a housing coupled to the body. A drive assembly is rotatably coupled to the housing. A leg assembly that includes a first leg and a second leg is coupled to the housing. A first rack gear is coupled to the first leg and the drive assembly. A second rack gear is coupled to the second leg and the drive assembly. The drive assembly permits instantaneous movement of the first leg and the second leg. A first finger is rotatably coupled to the first leg and a second finger is coupled to the second leg. The first finger has a first finger outer surface and the second finger has a second finger outer surface that are generally coplanar with the body outer surface when the first finger and the second finger are in a retracted position.Type: GrantFiled: June 15, 2022Date of Patent: May 14, 2024Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLCInventors: Rafael Rego, Tuan Quoc Nguyen, Bradley Berner, Michael Arbaugh, Gary Vincent Morales, Robert Charles Shipley
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Patent number: 11981224Abstract: A vehicle charging station includes a shroud configured to guide a vehicle charge plug that is lowered from a vehicle toward a charge connector as the vehicle moves toward the charging station. The vehicle charge plug and the charge connector have contacts arranged on a connector face that is generally perpendicular to a surface on which the vehicle charging station rests.Type: GrantFiled: April 26, 2022Date of Patent: May 14, 2024Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLCInventors: Christopher Westfall, Hannah Bailey, Jacob Mathews
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Patent number: 11983969Abstract: Systems and methods for modeling electric vehicle towing are disclosed herein. An example method includes determining that a trailer is connected to a vehicle, generating a surface mapping of the trailer based on output of a sensor assembly of the vehicle, predicting a drag coefficient of the trailer based on the surface mapping, estimating a drag force based on the drag coefficient and the surface mapping, calculating an estimated range for the vehicle based on the drag force, and displaying the estimated range on a human machine interface of the vehicle.Type: GrantFiled: January 27, 2021Date of Patent: May 14, 2024Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLCInventors: Erik Biberstein, Stuart C. Salter, Justin Carmen Campanaro, Katherine Howard-Cone, Jacob Doan
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Patent number: 11981288Abstract: This disclosure is generally directed to systems and methods for eliminating false activation of components of a vehicle when the vehicle is parked in a garage. Example components can be a door lock, a door latch, a door activation servomotor, or a light. In an example method, a vehicle entry authorization system of a vehicle operates a sensor system to obtain dimensional information of an interior portion of the garage. The vehicle entry authorization system may then detect a presence of a mobile device (such as a smartphone, smart device, or a vehicle key fob) and determines the location of the mobile device based on the dimensional information. If the mobile device is located outside the garage, the vehicle entry authorization system refrains from activating a component of the vehicle. However, if the mobile device is located inside the garage, the vehicle entry authorization system activates the component.Type: GrantFiled: August 24, 2021Date of Patent: May 14, 2024Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLCInventors: Stuart Salter, Kristopher Brown, John Van Wiemeersch, Hussein Berry
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Patent number: 11981216Abstract: A power system includes a battery and a controller. The controller inhibits charge of the battery according to voltage or current values sensed before and after contactors electrically connected to the battery are commanded to open and indicating that a leakage resistance associated with one of the contactors increases after the one of contactors is commanded to open, and a duration of a continuous voltage drop across another of the contactors after the another of the contactors is commanded to open exceeds a threshold.Type: GrantFiled: January 13, 2021Date of Patent: May 14, 2024Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLCInventors: Baojin Wang, Chingchi Chen, Benjamin A. Tabatowski-Bush, Aaron Walker, Rui Wang, Xianzhi Gong, Xu Wang, John Paul Gibeau
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Patent number: D1026748Type: GrantFiled: August 25, 2022Date of Patent: May 14, 2024Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLCInventors: Joel Piaskowski, Doyle Letson, Christopher Walter, Omead Dorandish, Christopher Stevens