Patents Assigned to Ford Global Technologies, LLC
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Patent number: 11951878Abstract: A vehicle is provided that includes a vehicle body defining a cabin interior, a plurality of seats located within the cabin interior, each seat having an adjustable seat base and an adjustable seat back, a monitoring system for detecting and monitoring a pet within the cabin interior, and a controller processing signals generated by the monitoring system and determining a location of the pet based on the monitored signals, the controller further controlling at least one of the adjustable seat base and adjustable seat back of a seat based on the determined location of the pet so that the seat is configured to accommodate the pet.Type: GrantFiled: May 4, 2021Date of Patent: April 9, 2024Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLCInventors: Stuart C. Salter, Hussein H. Berry, Annette Lynn Huebner, Marguerite Lynn Kimball, David Brian Glickman, Gregory Paul Thomas, John Robert Van Wiemeersch
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Patent number: 11951950Abstract: A vehicle seating assembly is provided that includes a seat that includes a base and a removable support member pivotably coupled to the base and movable between a closed position and an open position. The vehicle seating assembly further includes a seatback and an attachment assembly disposed between the removable support member and the base.Type: GrantFiled: August 13, 2021Date of Patent: April 9, 2024Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLCInventors: Eduardo Arturo Aguilar Ruelas, Jonathan Eli Contla Valenzuela, Amparo Sonia Sala Macias, Jessica Yobana Mayo Anzurez
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Patent number: 11951893Abstract: A modular robot system which may be configured to accommodate packages of varying sizes is provided. The modular robot may include a base have omni-directional wheels and cameras and sensors, one or more modular containers, and a lid, which may be releasably linked together to form a small, medium or larger units. The base, one or more modular containers, and the lid may be electrically linked to provide information to be used in a number of ways. For example, the electrical link may allow two or more modular robots to communicate with each other, enable external displays of multiple modules to act as one large unit, control the motion of the drawers, e.g., allowing them to open/close, and allow the processor(s) in the lid to communicate with the drive system of the omni-directional wheels. A set of alternating interlocking rails and tracks on corresponding surfaces enable the various layers of the modular robot to interlock with one another.Type: GrantFiled: December 23, 2020Date of Patent: April 9, 2024Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLCInventor: John Galin
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Patent number: 11951927Abstract: An assembly includes a vehicle seat having a seat bottom and a seatback supported by the seat bottom. The assembly includes an airbag supported by the seatback. The airbag is inflatable to an inflated position. The assembly includes a seatbelt webbing extending from the seatback to the airbag. The seatbelt webbing is between the airbag and the seatback in the inflated position. The assembly includes a pyrotechnic device supported by the seat bottom and operatively coupled to the airbag.Type: GrantFiled: January 5, 2023Date of Patent: April 9, 2024Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLCInventors: Mohammad Omar Faruque, Dean M. Jaradi, S. M. Iskander Farooq
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Publication number: 20240112454Abstract: A system and method includes determining uncertainty estimation in an object detection deep neural network (DNN) by retrieving a calibration dataset from a validation dataset that includes scores associated with all classes in an image, including a background (BG) class, determining background ground truth boxes in the calibration dataset by comparing ground truth boxes with detection boxes generated by the object detection DNN using an intersection over union (IoU) threshold, correcting for class imbalance between ground truth boxes and background ground truth boxes in a ground truth class by updating the ground truth class to include a number of background ground truth boxes based on a number of ground truth boxes in the ground truth class, estimating uncertainty of the object detection DNN based on the class imbalance correction, and updating output data sets of the object detection DNN based on the class imbalance correction.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 14, 2022Publication date: April 4, 2024Applicant: Ford Global Technologies, LLCInventors: Sandhya Bhaskar, Nikita Jaipuria, Jinesh Jain, Shreyasha Paudel
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Publication number: 20240109507Abstract: An assembly includes a vehicle roof and a vehicle floor spaced from the vehicle roof. The assembly includes a seat supported by the vehicle floor. The seat is rotatable about an axis of rotation from a forward-facing position to a rearward-facing position and the seat being movable along a vehicle-longitudinal axis. The assembly includes a post elongated from the vehicle floor to the vehicle roof. The post is slidable along the vehicle roof and the vehicle floor along the vehicle-longitudinal axis adjacent the seat. The assembly includes an airbag supported by the post.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 29, 2022Publication date: April 4, 2024Applicant: Ford Global Technologies, LLCInventors: Mohammad Omar Faruque, Dean M. Jaradi, S.M. Iskander Farooq
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Publication number: 20240109407Abstract: A structural assembly for an electric vehicle includes a battery structure, a pair of mounting structures, lower fasteners and upper fasteners. The battery structure is configured to house power storage units. Each mounting structure is secured to a respective side of the battery structure. Each lower fastener extends through a lower portion of a respective mounting structure and a bottom portion of a respective rocker of the vehicle body. Each upper fastener extends through an upper portion of the respective rocker and a top portion of the respective mounting structure. The upper fasteners secure the battery pack and the vehicle body at an upper attachment point and the lower fasteners secure the battery pack and the vehicle body at a lower attachment point. The lower attachment point is vertically offset from the upper attachment point.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 30, 2022Publication date: April 4, 2024Applicant: Ford Global Technologies, LLCInventor: Ari Garo Caliskan
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Publication number: 20240113376Abstract: A grounding assembly for a battery enclosure includes a washer including a first serrated surface and a second serrated surface opposite the first serrated surface, a fastener including a serrated surface configured to mate with the second serrated surface of the washer, and a seal disposed on the washer. The first serrated surface is configured to remove a non-conductive coating from the battery enclosure. The seal is configured to form a watertight barrier between the washer and the battery enclosure.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 30, 2022Publication date: April 4, 2024Applicant: Ford Global Technologies, LLCInventors: Samuel Jeffrey Tomlinson, Alexander Robert Rink, Nathaniel Conti
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Publication number: 20240108130Abstract: A rack system for a cargo space of a commercial vehicle having a rack with at least one shelf and at least one adjusting device for adjusting the shelf about a pivot axis extending in the width direction of the rack between a loading and unloading setting and a transport setting, In order to provide a rack system that can be used more efficiently and more ergonomically, the adjusting device is designed in such a way that a tilt angle of the shelf in the transport setting is greater than in the loading and unloading setting, and a load surface of the shelf in the transport setting faces away from an access side of the rack.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 25, 2023Publication date: April 4, 2024Applicant: Ford Global Technologies, LLCInventors: Jeroen Lem, Marcel Grein, Ilya Popov
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Publication number: 20240110019Abstract: A method of manufacturing an elastic polymer aerogel material includes dissolving tire waste in a first portion of a solvent to form a first mixture; dissolving a polymer having at least one double carbon-carbon bond in a second portion of the solvent to form a second mixture; combining the first mixture and the second mixture, wherein the tire waste reacts with the polymer having at least one double carbon-carbon bond to form a reactant gel; and undergoing a solvent exchange on the reactant gel followed by freeze drying the reactant gel to form the elastic polymer aerogel material. The tire waste includes natural rubber, synthetic polymers, steel, and curing systems, and the elastic polymer aerogel material defines a 3D porous structure.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 14, 2023Publication date: April 4, 2024Applicant: Ford Global Technologies, LLCInventors: Haibo Zhao, Katherine Avery Vozar, Alper Kiziltas, Deborah Frances Mielewski
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Publication number: 20240109485Abstract: A vehicle-aided detection system for a vehicle is provided herein. The vehicle-aided detection system includes an end effector that is movable in an operating environment and coupled to a cargo bed via a robotic arm. A sensor system is configured to detect the end effector and at least one person in the operating environment. A controller is configured to process information received from the sensor system and to determine a physical profile of at least one person. The controller then determines whether user-worn equipment is equipped by the at least one person.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 30, 2022Publication date: April 4, 2024Applicant: Ford Global Technologies, LLCInventors: Stuart C. Salter, Brendan Diamond, Mario Anthony Santillo, Keith Weston, David Brian Glickman
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Publication number: 20240109460Abstract: A vehicle includes a body defining a cabin interior, a seat assembly having a seat base, a seat back and a plurality of actuators configured to adjust ergonomic positions of the seat assembly. The vehicle has a first imaging system located in the cabin interior and configured to capture first images of an upper body of an occupant seated on the seat assembly, and a second imaging system configured to capture second images of a lower body of the occupant seated on the seat assembly. A controller processes the first and second images to determine dimension data and position data of the occupant and determines an adjusted ergonomic configuration of the seating assembly, and controls the actuators to adjust the seat assembly to the adjusted ergonomic configuration.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 30, 2022Publication date: April 4, 2024Applicant: Ford Global Technologies, LLCInventors: Josue Rodrigo Rangel Sanchez, Alexis Alcantara, Armando Ayala Huaracha, Paula Rocio Moreno Roa, Jesus Munoz
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Publication number: 20240112147Abstract: This disclosure is generally directed to systems and methods related to providing assistance services to a disabled vehicle. In an example embodiment, a method executed by a first processor in a vehicle may involve detecting an event that places the vehicle in a disabled condition; transmitting information associated with the event to a second processor; and detecting an arrival of a assistance vehicle that is dispatched by the second processor based on an automated evaluation of the information associated with the event. The second processor, which can be, for example, a part of a server computer, may evaluate the information in order to identify an assistance vehicle having equipment for providing the assistance service. In an example scenario, the disabled vehicle and/or the assistance vehicle can be an autonomous vehicle.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 30, 2022Publication date: April 4, 2024Applicant: Ford Global Technologies, LLCInventors: Keith Weston, Brendan Diamond, Jordan Barrett, Michael Alan Mcnees, Andrew Denis Lewandowski
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Publication number: 20240111291Abstract: Building infrastructure and robot coordination methods and systems are disclosed herein. An example method can include preregistering an autonomous vehicle with a building controller of a building to inform the building controller of arrival of the autonomous vehicle and a delivery request for a package, the delivery request specifying a recipient of the package, the recipient having a location in the building. The method can include determining completion of a validation routine with the autonomous vehicle, assigning a task management plan to the autonomous vehicle, the task management plan determining how the autonomous vehicle navigates through the building to deliver the package to the location, and tracking the autonomous vehicle through the building.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 30, 2022Publication date: April 4, 2024Applicant: Ford Global Technologies, LLCInventors: Geoffrey Horowitz, Yifan Chen, Sarah Garrow, Gregory Linkowski, Meghna Menon, Songan Zhang
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Publication number: 20240109495Abstract: A rack system for a cargo space of a commercial vehicle is provided having a rack with at least one shelf and a movement device for moving the rack between a transport position, in which the rack can be arranged completely in the cargo space, and an access position, in which the rack can be arranged at least partially outside the cargo space. In order to provide a rack system which can be used more efficiently in respect of available cargo space, the rack system has a receiving unit for at least partially receiving at least one cargo item which can be arranged in the rack, wherein the receiving unit is arranged on the shelf so as to be displaceable in a depth direction of the rack.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 26, 2023Publication date: April 4, 2024Applicant: Ford Global Technologies, LLCInventors: Marcel Grein, Jeroen Lem, Ilya Popov
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Patent number: 11945403Abstract: A vehicle for improved user authentication is provided. The vehicle includes a biometric sensor; and a controller programmed to initiate a biometric authentication of a user within a vicinity of a vehicle using data received from the biometric sensor, and responsive to occurrence of a secondary trigger condition initiated by the user to gain access to the vehicle, complete the authentication to grant or deny access to the user. A system for remote management of lockout states for a vehicle is provided. A server is programmed to receive a lockout notification from the vehicle, responsive to occurrence of a failed access attempt using an access modality, the lockout notification including contextual information with respect to the occurrence of the failed access attempt; and send, responsive to the lockout notification, an indication of an administrative action to be performed by the vehicle.Type: GrantFiled: January 11, 2021Date of Patent: April 2, 2024Assignee: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLCInventors: Ryan Edwin Hanson, Ali Hassani, Hemanth Yadav Aradhyula, John Robert Van Wiemeersch, Hamid Golgiri
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Patent number: 11949085Abstract: A battery system includes a first battery module, a second battery module, and a thermoresistant spacer disposed between the first battery module and the second battery module. The thermoresistant spacer may be a thermoresistant urethane foam or a silicon pad and may include thermoresistant additives, which may include at least one of melamine resin powder, aerogel particles, and milled oxidized polyacrylonitrile fibers. A flame retardant material may be disposed over at least a surface of the thermoresistant spacer.Type: GrantFiled: January 14, 2022Date of Patent: April 2, 2024Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLCInventors: Bhaskara Rao Boddakayala, Deborah Frances Mielewski, Alper Kiziltas, Haibo Zhao
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Patent number: 11945391Abstract: A vehicle includes a vehicle body including a roof and a pillar. The vehicle includes a track supported by the roof and elongated along a cross-vehicle axis. The vehicle includes a headliner slideable along the track from a stowed position to a deployed position. The headliner in the stowed position extends along the roof and in the deployed position extends along the pillar.Type: GrantFiled: December 15, 2022Date of Patent: April 2, 2024Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLCInventors: S. M. Iskander Farooq, Dean M. Jaradi, Mohammad Omar Faruque
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Patent number: D1020569Type: GrantFiled: November 5, 2021Date of Patent: April 2, 2024Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLCInventors: Todd Willing, Max Wolff, Max Tran, David Dewitt, Seungyup Baek
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Patent number: D1021720Type: GrantFiled: June 28, 2022Date of Patent: April 9, 2024Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLCInventors: Joel Piaskowski, Doyle Letson, Christopher Walter, Omead Dorandish, Christopher Stevens