Patents Assigned to Ford Global Technologies, LLC
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Publication number: 20250092820Abstract: A method for detecting belt slip in a starter system for starting an internal combustion engine of a motor vehicle, the starter system including a belt-driven integrated starter generator. A control unit of the motor vehicle evaluates a belt slip as detected if a determined belt slip value exceeds a limit value. The belt slip value is determined to belong to a defined time window T, which opens after a start of the internal combustion engine. This determination takes into account at least one change in velocity over time value of the starter generator within the time window T. A motor vehicle with a control unit designed to carry out the method is also included.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 20, 2024Publication date: March 20, 2025Applicant: Ford Global Technologies, LLCInventors: Tobias Emig, Ke Fan, Tianyuan Zhou
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Publication number: 20250095169Abstract: A computer that includes a processor and a memory, the memory includes instructions executable by the processor to estimate a relative rotation between a ground view image and an aerial view image with a rotation estimator. A ground feature map and a confidence map corresponding to the ground view image are projected to an aerial feature map corresponding to the aerial view image according to the relative rotation to create a projected overhead-view feature map. A translation difference is determined between the projected overhead-view feature map and the aerial feature map using spatial correlation. A high-definition estimated three degree-of-freedom pose of a ground view camera is determined based on the relative rotation and the translation difference.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 18, 2023Publication date: March 20, 2025Applicants: Ford Global Technologies, LLC, Australian National UniversityInventors: Yujiao Shi, Hongdong Li, Akhil Perincherry, Ankit Girish Vora
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Publication number: 20250091534Abstract: A computer includes a processor and a memory, and the memory stores instructions executable by the processor to receive sensor data from an optical sensor of a vehicle, determine a predicted effect of sunlight on at least a portion of a field of view of the optical sensor, determine an adjustment to the sensor data based on the predicted effect of the sunlight, and actuate a component of the vehicle based on the sensor data and the adjustment.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 14, 2023Publication date: March 20, 2025Applicant: Ford Global Technologies, LLCInventor: Michael Schoenberg
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Publication number: 20250091517Abstract: A heated running board for a motor vehicle includes a substrate formed by an additive manufacturing process and a pre-fabricated heater embedded within the substrate. The pre-fabricated heater is not formed by the additive manufacturing process. A system for operating a heated running board for a motor vehicle includes the heated running board, at least one sensor, and a controller. The controller is configured to receive signals from the at least one sensor and supply power to the pre-fabricated heater to control a temperature of the pre-fabricated heater based on at least one operational characteristic from the at least one sensor.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 19, 2023Publication date: March 20, 2025Applicant: Ford Global Technologies, LLCInventors: Keith Weston, David D. Friske, Brendan Diamond
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Patent number: 12252105Abstract: A vehicle includes a powertrain having a powerplant and a transmission. The transmission has an input shaft operably coupled to the powerplant and an output shaft operably coupled to driven wheels. A vehicle controller is programmed to, in response to a brake pedal being applied, a speed of the output shaft being less than a threshold speed, and a position of an accelerator pedal being less than a threshold position, automatically engage friction brakes regardless of road grade and continue engagement of the friction brakes despite subsequent release of the brake pedal such that the friction brakes are engaged to hold the vehicle stationary independent of the road grade. The controller is further programmed to release the friction brakes in response to a position of the accelerator pedal being greater than a second threshold position.Type: GrantFiled: December 14, 2020Date of Patent: March 18, 2025Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLCInventors: Anna Katherine Gabara, Markian Oleh Diakiw, Richard Grubke
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Patent number: 12254445Abstract: A tool application system for a vehicle may include a database configured to maintain an inventory of items on a vehicle, and a server configured to receive a request for at least one item relating to a worksite from a technician, compare the request for the at least one item to the inventory, determine that the item is not part of the inventory, transmit a part request to at least one location based on at least one factor, and transmit instructions to the vehicle in response to receiving a response to the request from the location confirming availability of the item.Type: GrantFiled: August 16, 2022Date of Patent: March 18, 2025Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLCInventors: Stuart C. Salter, Brendan F. Diamond, Meghan Preiss, Annette Lynn Huebner, Lia Pillen
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Patent number: 12252043Abstract: A vehicle seating assembly includes a seat, a seatback, a track assembly, a front anchor, a rear anchor, and a first gear. The seatback is coupled to the seat. The seatback is pivotable relative to the seat. The track assembly is configured to couple the seat to a floor of a vehicle. The rear anchor is coupled to the seat and configured to engage with the track assembly. The front anchor is coupled to the seat and configured to engage with the track assembly. A position of the seat relative to the front anchor and the second anchor is adjustable. The first gear extends between the front anchor and the seat. The first gear defines a guide slot therein that receives a guide pin. Movement of the first gear adjusts a position of a front region of the seat relative to a rear region of the seat.Type: GrantFiled: March 9, 2023Date of Patent: March 18, 2025Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLCInventor: Macit Aktas
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Patent number: 12253568Abstract: A strategy selection method for estimating a charge time includes, when a target state of charge for a traction battery is a full charge, establishing an estimated time required to charge the traction battery using a first strategy, and when a target state of charge for the traction battery is less than a full charge, establishing the estimated time required to charge the traction battery using a different, second strategy.Type: GrantFiled: May 6, 2022Date of Patent: March 18, 2025Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLCInventors: Charles Everett Badger, II, Dima Alame
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Patent number: 12252379Abstract: A vehicle winch control assembly includes, among other things, a winch, and a vehicle input device that is reassigned to control the winch. The vehicle input device can be an accelerator pedal. A vehicle winch control method includes, among other things, reassigning a vehicle input device, and, after the reassigning, controlling a winch using the vehicle input device.Type: GrantFiled: July 7, 2021Date of Patent: March 18, 2025Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLCInventors: Stuart C. Salter, William Wurz, Ryan J. O'Gorman, Peter Phung, David Brian Glickman
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Instrument panel topper system for dual horizon display with encapsulated passenger side airbag door
Patent number: 12252090Abstract: An instrument panel for vehicles includes a substrate and a an airbag door assembly having one or more gaps forming openings. The substrate includes a breakaway web below the airbag door assembly. An upper skin extends over a portion of the substrate and the airbag door assembly. Foam is disposed between the substrate and the upper skin. An airbag module is positioned below the breakaway web. When deployed, the airbag causes the breakaway web and foam above the airbag door assembly to rupture.Type: GrantFiled: September 5, 2024Date of Patent: March 18, 2025Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLCInventors: Yoon Kim, Israel Martinez Martinez, Alejandro Nieto Gaspar, Francisco Ronquillo Melendez, Thomas Junior Luckett -
Patent number: 12251981Abstract: A component for a vehicle suspension system that includes a circular first housing that defines a first aperture. A first intermediate portion is coupled to a first end portion of the first housing and has a length that is less than a diameter of the first aperture. A circular second housing is coupled to the first intermediate portion and defines a second aperture. A second intermediate portion is coupled to a second end portion of the first housing. A bracket is coupled to the second intermediate portion, the bracket has a first surface, a second surface, and a plurality of apertures defined on the first surface. The plurality of apertures extend from the first surface to the second surface.Type: GrantFiled: February 2, 2023Date of Patent: March 18, 2025Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLCInventors: Joe L. Buchwitz, John Joseph Uicker, Sean Christopher Remisoski
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Patent number: 12252039Abstract: An electrified vehicle includes an electric machine, a traction battery selectively connected to the electric machine, a human-machine interface (HMI), and a controller programmed to, after receiving a signal from the HMI enabling towed vehicle operation of the electrified vehicle, control the electric machine to generate a regenerative braking torque in response to deceleration of the electrified vehicle exceeding an associated deceleration threshold and road grade being below a road grade threshold. The controller may also be programmed to control friction brakes of the electrified vehicle in response to the deceleration exceeding the associated threshold. The controller may control brake lights of the electrified vehicle in response to the regenerative braking and/or friction braking. Regenerative and friction braking may be released in response to acceleration exceeding a corresponding threshold.Type: GrantFiled: July 22, 2022Date of Patent: March 18, 2025Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLCInventors: William David Treharne, Thomas Anthony Vassa, Anthony Paul Magagnoli
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Publication number: 20250088084Abstract: A deburring gauge system that includes a gauge set, a gauge holder secured to the gauge set, and a controller. The gauge set is configured to be at least partially inserted into a slot set of a stator. Each gauge part of the gauge set includes a body having a shape that corresponds to a shape of a respective slot of the slot set. The body of each gauge part includes an abrasive portion extending along a length of the body. The controller is in communication with the gauge holder and configured to move the gauge holder in a first direction toward the stator so that the abrasive portion of the body is at least partially inserted into the respective slot and move the gauge holder in a second direction away from the stator so that the abrasive portion of the body is removed from the respective slot.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 8, 2023Publication date: March 13, 2025Applicant: Ford Global Technologies, LLCInventors: Franco Leonardi, Michael W. Degner
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Publication number: 20250083610Abstract: A vehicle device for cargo space of a vehicle includes a container configured to be arranged behind a rear bench seat in an installed state and having an access on the vehicle cab side. A headrest is mounted on the rear bench seat displaceably between an upper position and a lower position. The container and the headrest are arranged on a common axis that is configured to be oriented parallel to a longitudinal axis of the vehicle in the upper position of the headrest. A pivotable lid is designed to open and close the container. The opening of the container is free in the lower position of the headrest.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 3, 2024Publication date: March 13, 2025Applicant: Ford Global Technologies, LLCInventors: Nils Kuether, Carsten Schauf
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Publication number: 20250083634Abstract: A seatbelt retractor includes a frame and a spool rotatably supported by the frame. A ring is coaxial with the spool on a rotational axis and is selectively lockable with the spool. A locking device is operatively coupled between the spool and the ring to rotationally engage the spool with the ring in a locked position and rotationally disengage the spool from the ring in an unlocked position. One of the ring or the frame defines a recess and a tab is fixed to and extends from the other of the ring or the frame into the recess. When the locking device is in the locked position, the tab is elastically deformable relative to the ring and the frame when rotational force on the ring relative to the frame about the rotational axis exceeds a deformation threshold to allow rotation of the ring relative to the frame.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 8, 2023Publication date: March 13, 2025Applicant: Ford Global Technologies, LLCInventors: Mohammad Omar Faruque, Dean M. Jaradi
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Publication number: 20250085429Abstract: A computer includes a processor and a memory, and the memory stores instructions executable by the processor to generate a set of points from a measurement scan obtained by a lidar sensor and to generate an expected termination distance of the set of points based on a neural implicit representation of the set of points. The instructions may additionally be to compute a loss function that includes a relatively low margin correlated with the variance or standard deviation of a training distribution centered at a learned point of the set of points based on the expected termination distance of the learned point, the learned point being learned by the neural implicit representation. The instructions may additionally be to generate a keyframe from the set of points and to generate a pose of the lidar sensor based on the keyframe.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 8, 2023Publication date: March 13, 2025Applicants: Ford Global Technologies, LLC, THE REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGANInventors: Seth Isaacson, Pou-Chun Kung, Katherine Skinner, Manikandasriram Srinivasan Ramanagopal, Ramanarayan Vasudevan
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Publication number: 20250085398Abstract: A sensor assembly can include a bracket mounted to a vehicle roof in an attachment area of the vehicle roof. The bracket may cover the attachment area and the bracket may include a cantilevered portion extending in a vehicle-forward direction from a forwardmost point of the attachment area. A sensor can be mounted to, or within, the cantilevered portion forward of the forwardmost point.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 13, 2023Publication date: March 13, 2025Applicant: Ford Global Technologies, LLCInventors: Michael Robertson, JR., Segundo Baldovino, Venkatesh Krishnan
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Publication number: 20250084510Abstract: An alloy includes a mixture of aluminum, tin and magnesium. An amount of the magnesium is between about 2.5% and 6.5% by weight of the mixture. The alloy is binder jet printed and liquid phase sintered.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 7, 2023Publication date: March 13, 2025Applicants: Ford Global Technologies, LLC, The University of Western Australia, The University of MelbourneInventors: Graham Schaffer, Tim Sercombe, Tesfaye Molla, Yang Huo, Mei LI, Mark Meinhart, John Cornell, Ampaiphan Atthapreyangkul, Jincheng Wang, Andrew Youssef, Sean Oakley, Joss Doak-Smith
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Publication number: 20250086346Abstract: A method of performing a finishing operation on a surface of a component includes: acquiring, by a sensing system, an image of the surface of the component; retrieving a CAD model of the surface of the component; comparing the image of the surface of the component with the CAD model of the surface of the component; determining at least one target area on the surface of the component where a difference in a geometry between the image and the CAD model of the surface of the component exceeds a threshold; and displaying at least one visual overlay corresponding to the at least one target area on a real-world content or a virtual content.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 7, 2023Publication date: March 13, 2025Applicant: Ford Global Technologies, LLCInventors: Raj Sohmshetty, Elizabeth Bullard, Chris Schultz, Jeff Tornabene, Martin Smets, Jian Wan, Lorne Forsythe, Kyle Saul, Ramesh Parameswaran
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Publication number: 20250083524Abstract: A device assembly of a vehicle that includes a display housing where a display is attached to the front of the housing and a receiver is attached to the rear of the housing. The receiver couples to a receiver mount on the vehicle. An interlock connection exists between the display housing and the receiver mount. When the interlock connection is locked, triggered by the car being in a dynamic state, the display housing cannot be slidably decoupled from the receiver mount. When the interlock connection is unlocked, triggered by the vehicle being in a static state, the display housing can be slidably decoupled from the receiver mount.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 11, 2023Publication date: March 13, 2025Applicant: Ford Global Technologies, LLCInventors: Michael John Harmon, Leyna Hirsch, Hussain Z. Tajmahal
