Patents Assigned to Ford Global Technologies, LLC
  • Publication number: 20240123953
    Abstract: A system for braking a host vehicle. A memory storing instructions executable by a processor includes instructions to actuate friction brakes in the host vehicle when a brake condition occurs. The brake condition includes that the host vehicle is parked on a roadway, a person is located exterior to the host vehicle, and an approaching vehicle will come within a distance threshold of the host vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 17, 2022
    Publication date: April 18, 2024
    Applicant: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Brendan Francis Diamond, Stuart C. Salter, Kenneth McHugh, Keith Weston
  • Publication number: 20240126594
    Abstract: A computer includes a processor and a memory, and the memory stores instructions executable by the processor to execute an application in an isolated software environment on a controller of a vehicle; upon receiving a command from the application to actuate a component of the vehicle, prevent the command from being transmitted to the component; and upon receiving the command, transmit the command to a location in the memory.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 13, 2022
    Publication date: April 18, 2024
    Applicant: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Abdullah Ali Husain, Anushree Nagvekar, Srujan Reddy Maram, Nasser Shuaibi, Vyacheslav Zavadsky, Satish Rayarapu, Mirela Ioana Fonoage
  • Publication number: 20240124010
    Abstract: A vehicle driving assistance system is disclosed. The system may include a transceiver configured to receive a source location and a destination location for a user trip, a user driving information and road information associated with a plurality of geographical zones between the source location and the destination location. The system may further include a processor configured to calculate a user driving index based on the user driving information. Further, the processor may be configured to calculate a zone index for each geographical zone based on the road information. The processor may be further configured to correlate the user driving index and the zone index, and calculate a driver assistance index for each geographical zone based on the correlation. The processor may perform a control action when the calculated driver assistance index is greater than a predetermined threshold.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 13, 2022
    Publication date: April 18, 2024
    Applicant: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Syed Amaar Ahmad, Azin Neishaboori
  • Publication number: 20240129888
    Abstract: Rider identification systems and methods using motion sensing are disclosed herein. An example method includes obtaining a location of a mobile device associated with an individual, obtaining sensor data from the mobile device that includes a first motion profile, the sensor data also including environment information around the location, generating a motion model for the individual using the environment information, generating a second motion profile using the motion model, comparing the second motion profile to the first motion profile, and confirming when the second motion profile matches the first motion profile to confirm that the individual is at the location.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 12, 2022
    Publication date: April 18, 2024
    Applicant: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: David Michael Herman, Alexander George Shanku
  • Publication number: 20240127137
    Abstract: Systems and methods for fleet management for a fleet of vehicles include collecting data associated with the fleet of vehicles including data associated with a plurality of vehicle operations affecting degradation of each vehicle in the fleet of vehicles, determining a composite score associated with the fleet of vehicles based on the collected data, the composite score associated with both an average score for the fleet and a standard deviation score associated with each vehicle in the fleet of vehicles, wherein a higher composite score relates to a slower degradation of the fleet of vehicles, and altering assignment of the plurality of vehicle operations assigned to each vehicle in the fleet of vehicles based on the composite score data to enable a higher composite score by equalizing an average degradation of the fleet of vehicles.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 13, 2022
    Publication date: April 18, 2024
    Applicant: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Stuart C. Salter, Sanjay Dayal, Ryan O'Gorman, Pietro Buttolo
  • Publication number: 20240123946
    Abstract: A sensor assembly includes a blower, a sensor, an air nozzle positioned to receive airflow from the blower and eject the airflow onto the sensor, an air pump positioned to eject airflow onto the sensor, and a heater mounted to the air pump and positioned to heat airflow passing through the air pump.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 12, 2022
    Publication date: April 18, 2024
    Applicant: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Venkatesh Krishnan, Rashaun Phinisee, Michael Robertson, JR., Segundo Baldovino, LaRon Michelle Brown
  • Publication number: 20240123807
    Abstract: A structural assembly for an electric vehicle includes a vehicle frame, a battery structure, a pair of mounting structures, and a plurality of fasteners. The vehicle frame includes opposed longitudinal rails. The battery structure is disposed between the opposed longitudinal rails and includes a battery housing configured to house power storage units. Each mounting structure is secured to a respective side of the battery housing and supports a corresponding longitudinal rail. The plurality of fasteners extend through a corresponding mounting structure of the pair of mounting structures and a corresponding longitudinal rail of the opposed longitudinal rails to secure the vehicle frame and the battery structure to each other. An outer periphery of the corresponding mounting structure is substantially flush with an outer periphery of the corresponding longitudinal rail.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 14, 2022
    Publication date: April 18, 2024
    Applicant: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Henry W. Hausler, Patrick Daniel Maguire, Scott J. Bell, Conor Daniel Hennessey
  • Publication number: 20240123942
    Abstract: A vehicle puddle lamp assembly including a housing, a lens coupled to the housing, and a printed circuit board mounted to the housing. At least one near-infrared light source to emit near-infrared light through the lens is coupled to the printed circuit board. A palm image sensor is also coupled to the printed circuit board. The palm image sensor is configured to detect a palm vein pattern illuminated by the near-infrared light and reflected from a user's palm through the lens.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 13, 2022
    Publication date: April 18, 2024
    Applicant: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Prashant Dubey, Roy Daniel Chapman, Christopher Storms
  • Publication number: 20240125611
    Abstract: Systems and methods for optimizing routes and water usage are disclosed herein. An example method includes determining calendar data for a traveler, the calendar data including trip information for a trip, determining a current water supply for the traveler, determining water generation capability of a vehicle used by the traveler for the trip, predictively determining a water estimate for the trip, determining when the water supply and the water generation capability substantially correspond to the water estimate, and providing an alert to the traveler when the water supply and the water generation capability are insufficient relative to the water estimate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 13, 2022
    Publication date: April 18, 2024
    Applicant: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Robert D. Bedard, Douglas Raymond Martin
  • Publication number: 20240129301
    Abstract: A gateway device or the like in a vehicle can receive a packet from a device, such as an electronic control unit in the vehicle, via a port to a vehicle network. Upon determining that the device is defined on the vehicle network and not authenticated to the vehicle network, it can be determined whether the packet is an authentication packet. Upon determining that the packet is an authentication packet, it can be attempted to authenticate the device until authentication is successful or a threshold number of attempts is exceeded. Upon determining that the threshold number of attempts is exceeded, the port can be disabled.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 13, 2022
    Publication date: April 18, 2024
    Applicant: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Yangho Kim, Rajesh Balaji Vijayan
  • Publication number: 20240127048
    Abstract: A system is disclosed that includes a computer that includes a processor and a memory, the memory including instructions executable by the processor to acquire real world sensor data from a mobile platform for a first time period. The real world sensor data from the mobile platform can be input to a first neural network to predict sensor data of the mobile platform for a second time period that is prior to the first time period. The predicted sensor data and the real world sensor data can be input to a simulation of the mobile platform; wherein the simulation outputs predicted real world operation of the mobile platform based on the predicted sensor data for the second time period and the real world sensor data for the first time period.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 18, 2022
    Publication date: April 18, 2024
    Applicant: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: David Michael Herman, Shaheer Zafar
  • Publication number: 20240123808
    Abstract: A structural assembly for an electric vehicle includes a vehicle frame and a battery structure. The vehicle frame is distinct from a vehicle body and includes a front section, a rear section and a mid-section disposed between the front and rear sections. The mid-section includes opposed longitudinal rails. The battery structure is configured to house power storage units and is disposed between the opposed longitudinal rails. The battery structure includes a battery housing secured to the opposed longitudinal rails of the mid-section. The mid-section and the battery housing are combined into a unitized structure that is removably secured to the front and rear sections of the vehicle frame.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 14, 2022
    Publication date: April 18, 2024
    Applicant: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Henry W. Hausler, Conor Daniel Hennessey, Scott J. Bell, Patrick Daniel Maguire
  • Publication number: 20240123874
    Abstract: A system for reconfiguring a seating assembly within a vehicle, the system comprising identifying an adjacent surface within an interior of the vehicle, calculating a distance between the seating assembly and the adjacent surface, wherein the configuration is an occupiable seating configuration, and further wherein the occupiable seating configuration has a mode chosen from a forward facing mode and a rearward facing mode, storing the distance between the seating assembly and the adjacent surface, receiving a user input to transition the seating assembly from one occupiable seating configuration mode chosen from the forward facing mode and the rearward facing mode toward the other mode, and controlling the configuration of the seating assembly to transition from one occupiable seating configuration mode chosen from the forward facing mode and the rearward facing mode toward the other of the forward facing mode and the rearward facing mode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 13, 2022
    Publication date: April 18, 2024
    Applicant: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Marcos Silva Kondrad, Patrick Maloney, Kevin VanNieulande, Kevin Wayne Preuss, Johnathan Andrew Line
  • Publication number: 20240125000
    Abstract: A method of plating a substrate includes etching at least a portion of a surface of the substrate to form voids within the surface. The substrate includes a composite material with a network of electrically conductive nanostructures dispersed therein. Electrodes are attached to the substrate, it is placed in a bath of a first electrically conductive metal, and a voltage is applied to the substrate through the electrodes to deposit a first electrically conductive metal layer onto the surface of the substrate, and a second electrically conductive metal layer is electroplated thereon.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 14, 2022
    Publication date: April 18, 2024
    Applicant: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Deborah Frances Mielewski, Paul Kenneth Dellock, LaRon Michelle Brown, Stuart C. Salter, Alper Kiziltas
  • Publication number: 20240127642
    Abstract: A computer includes a processor and a memory, and the memory stores instructions executable by the processor to receive time-series data from sensors of a vehicle, determine an efficiency of the vehicle, and determine a probability of a fault occurring in the vehicle based on the time-series data and on the efficiency. The efficiency is energy consumption by the vehicle per distance traveled by the vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 13, 2022
    Publication date: April 18, 2024
    Applicant: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Chris Wolf, Nicholas B. Chase, Michael W. Degner
  • Publication number: 20240129637
    Abstract: When multiple display screens share data from different control units, the screens may flicker or have other anomalies when the control units are not synced. A system and method for detecting flickering or other anomalies includes receiving a video feed of a display screen to be tested, recording, from the video feed, a video file of a predetermined length that includes a plurality of frames, selecting a region of interest in a frame of the video file to define a template image; and performing a pattern matching between the template image and a pattern image of respective frames in the video file to detect anomalies.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 17, 2022
    Publication date: April 18, 2024
    Applicant: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Ivan Abel Rodriguez, Enrique Gonzalez
  • Publication number: 20240123939
    Abstract: A vehicle includes a first pillar and a second pillar spaced along a vehicle-longitudinal axis. The first pillar and the second pillar define a door opening therebetween. An airbag is above the door opening in an uninflated position and is inflatable across the door opening to an inflated position. A cable is above the door opening when the airbag is in the uninflated position. The cable extends across the door opening from the first pillar to the second pillar when the airbag is in the inflated position. A pyrotechnic retractor is below the airbag and the cable when the airbag is in the uninflated position. The pyrotechnic retractor is connected to the cable.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 12, 2022
    Publication date: April 18, 2024
    Applicant: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Mohammad Omar Faruque, Dean M. Jaradi, S.M. Iskander Farooq, Saeed D. Barbat
  • Patent number: 11959758
    Abstract: The disclosure is generally directed to systems and methods for optimizing vehicle deployment. A software application is used to obtain information about a travel route. The information is used to evaluate an energy storage depletion characteristic of a battery that is used to operate a battery-operated vehicle and to determine whether the battery-operated vehicle can be deployed on the travel route. One of the factors that can affect the energy storage depletion characteristic of the battery is ambient temperature, because battery performance may be adversely affected by extreme temperatures. Consequently, a range of operation of the battery-operated vehicle may be impacted if the travel route has extreme ambient temperatures. If the evaluation indicates that the energy storage depletion characteristic of the battery is unsuitable for the travel route, another battery-operated vehicle with a better battery may be deployed on the travel route.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Brendan Diamond, Erik J. Christen
  • Patent number: 11960621
    Abstract: Systems and methods for protecting privacy for safety, comfort, and infotainment of one or more occupants of an autonomous vehicle are disclosed. For example, the system may capture image data indicative of an interior of the autonomous vehicle via one or more cameras integrated with the autonomous vehicle. The captured image data is then transformed to remove personal identification information of the one or more occupants, and the transformed image data may be analyzed to identify a concern, e.g., an occupant safety concern or a vehicle safety concern. The level of concern may be determined, and a mitigation strategy may be deployed based on the safety concern identified.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Raj Sohmshetty, Vikas Rajendra, Scott Mayberry
  • Patent number: 11958430
    Abstract: A vehicle includes a first pillar and a second pillar spaced along a vehicle-longitudinal axis. The first pillar and the second pillar define a door opening therebetween. An airbag is above the door opening in an uninflated position and is inflatable across the door opening to an inflated position. A cable is above the door opening when the airbag is in the uninflated position. The cable extends across the door opening from the first pillar to the second pillar when the airbag is in the inflated position. A pyrotechnic retractor is below the airbag and the cable when the airbag is in the uninflated position. The pyrotechnic retractor is connected to the cable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Mohammad Omar Faruque, Dean M. Jaradi, S. M. Iskander Farooq, Saeed D. Barbat