Patents Assigned to Ford Global Technologies, LLC
  • CARBON NANOSTRUCTURE ENHANCED RECYCLED POLYMER MATERIAL
    Publication number: 20240092983
    Abstract: A composite material includes a recycled polymer matrix, a continuous network of linked carbon nanostructures dispersed within the recycled polymer matrix, and a compatibilizer. The recycled polymer matrix is in an amount of at least 90 wt. %. The continuous network of linked carbon nanostructures is in an amount between 0.5 wt. % to 1.0 wt. %. The compatibilizer is in an amount of about 3.0 wt. %.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 20, 2022
    Publication date: March 21, 2024
    Applicant: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Deborah Frances Mielewski, Paul Kenneth Dellock, Mohan Kamath, Stuart C. Salter, Alper Kiziltas
  • Powertrain torque control during a transmission shift
    Patent number: 11932254
    Abstract: A vehicle includes an engine, a transmission, and a controller. The engine is configured to generate power. The transmission is configured to transfer power from the engine to at least one drive wheel to propel the vehicle. The controller is programmed to, in response to a command to shift the transmission and a corresponding command to decrease a torque of the engine to less than a threshold corresponding to a spark retard limit during the shift, (i) increase the pressure of an oncoming clutch to engage the oncoming clutch, (ii) retard an engine spark at the spark retard limit to reduce the torque of the engine to the threshold during the engagement of the oncoming clutch, and (iii) shutdown at least one cylinder of the engine to further reduce the torque of the engine to less than the threshold during the engagement of the oncoming clutch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Cory Benson LaRoche, Stephen Michael Cicala, Jianping Zhang, Bradley Dean Riedle, Jesse D. L. Brunais, Michael Simon, Leonard Dziubinschi
  • Vehicle and corresponding powertrain control system
    Patent number: 11932112
    Abstract: A vehicle includes an engine, an electric machine, a clutch, and a controller. The clutch is disposed between the engine and the electric machine. The controller is programmed to, in response to an engine start, close the clutch to transfer power from the electric machine to the engine to start the engine. The controller is further programmed to, in response to the engine start, control a torque capacity of the clutch during the engine start according to a model of a pressure applied to the clutch. The controller is further programmed to, in response to the engine start, control the torque of the electric machine based on an adjusted torque capacity of the clutch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2023
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Corey James Blue, Samuel Melville Glauber, Timothy Baxendale, Bradley D Riedle
  • System and method to identify a location of an occupant in a vehicle
    Patent number: 11932256
    Abstract: The disclosure generally pertains to systems and methods for identifying a location of an occupant in a vehicle. In an example method, a processor deconvolves a vocal utterance by an occupant of a vehicle and also determines an angle of arrival of the vocal utterance. The location of the occupant in the vehicle is then identified by the processor based on evaluating the deconvolved vocal utterance and the angle of arrival of the vocal utterance. Deconvolving the vocal utterance can involve applying a cabin impulse response to the vocal utterance for eliminating undesirable effects that may be imposed upon the vocal utterance by acoustic characteristics of the cabin of the vehicle (echo, sound reflections, sound damping, reverberation etc.). In some applications, the processor may refer to a lookup table to estimate a location of the occupant in the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Ranjani Rangarajan, Leah Busch, Karthik Krishnamurthy, Nikhitha Bekkanti
  • Apparatus and method for producing a film-covered component
    Patent number: 11931970
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for producing a film-covered component, having at least one assembly nest with at least one component section, on which a component to be covered can be arranged includes operating a film severing device. The film severing device is arranged on the assembly nest and has a severing element. The film severing device surrounds the component section at least partially laterally at a distance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Torsten Voigt, Aydemir Kaplangiray, Stefan Martin Buerger
  • Drive assist optimization systems and methods using artificial intelligence
    Patent number: 11932271
    Abstract: Systems and methods for predicting an optimal use level of a driver assist system are provided. The system may collect historical driver behavior and road condition data, and train an optimization prediction model using the historical data, e.g., via machine learning or artificial intelligence. Moreover, the system may collect real-time driver behavior and road condition data, and predict an optimal use level of the driver assist system based on the real-time data using the trained optimization prediction model. The system may then send feedback to the driver assist system when the optimal use level falls outside a predetermined threshold, such that the driver assist system may be unavailable or have reduced functionality until the optimal use level improves.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Amin Ariannezhad, Navid Tafaghodi Khajavi, Mohsen Bahrami, Mohammad Nekoui
  • Additive manufactured cushioned component
    Patent number: 11932142
    Abstract: A seat assembly includes a cushioned component having a lattice matrix. An air bladder assembly is covered by the lattice matrix. The air bladder assembly includes a plurality of air bladders supported on a platform assembly. Each air bladder includes a body portion operable between deflated and inflated conditions. Each air bladder includes a connection stem. A support plate includes a plurality of access apertures disposed therethrough. The air bladder assembly is operably coupled to the support plate. Each air bladder is aligned with at least one access aperture of the plurality of access apertures. A carrier assembly includes a plurality of mounting apertures disposed through an outer surface thereof. The carrier assembly receives the connection stem of each air bladder through at least one mounting aperture of the plurality of mounting apertures of the carrier assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Megan Romelfanger, Victoria Leigh Schein, Brian Boland, Patrick Maloney, Alex Perkins, Marcos Silva Kondrad
  • Extruded sealed fastener
    Patent number: 11931945
    Abstract: A method of forming a plurality of fasteners includes extruding a continuous strip of material, the continuous strip defining a base portion, a tip portion, and a stem portion extending between the base portion and the tip portion. A portion of material is removed from the continuous strip of material along the tip portion such that a plurality of tip portions are separated from each other and spaced apart, each tip portion having at least one flexible tab. The continuous strip of material is then extruded through a foaming die, wherein the flexible tabs are elastically displaced away from the base portion during a foaming process such that a foam material fills a cavity of the foaming die to form a sealing element around the stem portion. Portions of the continuous strip between each of the tip portions are separated to produce a plurality of individual sealed fasteners.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Paul Kenneth Dellock, Stuart C. Salter, David Brian Glickman
  • Determination of a tendency of a passenger to get motion sickness in a vehicle
    Patent number: 11931520
    Abstract: A method for detecting the tendency of a passenger of a vehicle to get motion sickness by using a rod and frame test is disclosed. An image designed to carry out a rod and frame test is displayed in the vehicle. The rod and the frame each enclose an angle greater than 0 degrees and less than 90 degrees with a horizontal spatial axis and/or a vertical spatial axis. A request is issued to correct the rod into a vertical or horizontal position by means of an input device. An input carried out by the passenger to correct the rod is recorded. The rod and frame test is evaluated by an evaluation device based on the recorded input of the passenger, and at least one measure is issued to prevent and/or combat the occurrence of motion sickness, depending on the result of the evaluation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Eike Schmidt, Jelte Egbert Bos, Stefan Wolter, Florian Golm
  • Vehicle having deployable work desk
    Patent number: 11932154
    Abstract: A vehicle includes a cabin interior, a dashboard located in the cabin interior, and a desk supported on the dashboard and movable between a stowed position on the dashboard and a deployed position extending outward from the dashboard, the desk comprising a plurality of interconnected panels having arms configured to engage a track to bend around at least a portion of the dashboard, and wherein the desk operably moves along the track when moved between the stowed position and the deployed position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Stuart C. Salter, David Brian Glickman, Dustin Shedlarski, Micah Jones, Ryan Welch
  • Mobile device tethering for a remote parking assist system of a vehicle
    Patent number: 11932165
    Abstract: Method and apparatus are disclosed for mobile device tethering for a remote parking assist system of a vehicle. A vehicle includes a camera and a body control module. The body control module sends an instruction to a mobile device and captures, with the camera, an image of the mobile device. The body control module also analyzes the image to determine an initial location of the mobile device relative to the vehicle, and based on the initial location, performs dead reckoning on the mobile device to track the mobile device. When the mobile device is within a threshold distance, the body control module enables autonomous parking.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Hamid M. Golgiri, John Robert Van Wiemeersch, Erick Michael Lavoie, Vivekanandh Elangovan
  • Vehicle having sliding console
    Patent number: 11932156
    Abstract: A vehicle is provided that includes a vehicle body defining a cabin interior and comprising a front row of seats and a rear row of seats, a plurality of seats located within the cabin interior, and a monitoring system for detecting and monitoring a pet or passenger within the cabin interior. The vehicle also includes a movable center console positioned between a pair of the forward row of seats and forward of the rear row of seats and comprising a holder for holding a drink container, and a controller processing signals generated by the monitoring system and determining a location of the detected pet or passenger on the rear row of seats based on the processed signals, the controller further controlling the movable console between a forward first position and a rearward second position closer to the rear row of seats.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Stuart C. Salter, Hussein H. Berry, Annette Lynn Huebner, Marguerite Lynn Kimball, David Brian Glickman, Gregory Paul Thomas, John Robert Van Wiemeersch
  • Systems and methods for smart containers configured for moving goods
    Patent number: 11934202
    Abstract: A smart container for transporting items in transportation vehicles, e.g., an autonomous vehicle (AV), having heating/cooling capabilities, security features, unloading/loading assistance, and/or GPS cellular tracking for positional awareness, and methods of use thereof, are provided. The smart container includes an inductive charging module for receiving power from the vehicle. The container may provide information to facilitate delivery. When the vehicle arrives at a delivery destination, the customer may be provided a map of containers within the vehicle, and a specific container may provide an indication that it is the correct container. The customer may then provide a code to access the container. If a container is improperly removed, an alarm may be triggered and a notification may be provided to a third party.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Stuart Salter, Peter Phung, Adam Carlson, Benjamin Richer, Annette Huebner
  • Vehicle front upper grille
    Patent number: D1018385
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Todd Willing, Ehab Kaoud, Sean Tant, Jiacheng Liu
  • Vehicle front upper grille
    Patent number: D1018386
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Todd Willing, Ehab Kaoud, Sean Tant, Jiacheng Liu
  • Vehicle front upper grille
    Patent number: D1018387
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Todd Willing, Ehab Kaoud, Sean Tant, Jiacheng Liu
  • Vehicle rear lower bumper cover
    Patent number: D1018392
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Joel Piaskowski, Doyle Letson, Christopher Walter, Omead Dorandish, Christopher Stevens
  • Vehicle rear lower bumper cover
    Patent number: D1018393
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Joel Piaskowski, Doyle Letson, Christopher Walter, Omead Dorandish
  • Vehicle rear box lower
    Patent number: D1018412
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Todd Willing, Max Wolff, Max Tran, David Dewitt, Seungyup Baek
  • Vehicle tail lamp
    Patent number: D1018922
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Ehab Kaoud, William K. Moore, Richard L. Howard, Joshua P. Henry, Samuel R. Haire