Patents Assigned to Global Technologies LLC
  • ELECTRIC BICYCLE
    Publication number: 20160031516
    Abstract: A bicycle includes a frame including first and second segments pivotable relative to each other between a folded position and an unfolded position. A magnet is fixed relative to the first segment. An electromagnet is fixed relative to the second segment and disposed in a magnetic field of the magnet when the frame is in the folded position. A controller is configured to power the electromagnet to repel the magnet to unfold the frame.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 21, 2015
    Publication date: February 4, 2016
    Applicant: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Bruce Southey, Simon Potticary, James Neugebauer, Torsten Gerhardt, Richard Craven, Lloyd James, Jonathan Mundy
  • ELECTRIC BICYCLE
    Publication number: 20160031517
    Abstract: A bicycle includes a frame including first and second segments pivotable relative to each other between a folded position and an unfolded position. The first segment has a first face and the second segment has a second face facing the first face in the unfolded position. A hinge is disposed between the first and second faces. A locking device extends through at least one of the first and second faces.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 21, 2015
    Publication date: February 4, 2016
    Applicant: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: James Neugebauer, Bruce Southey, James Lloyd, Richard Craven, Torsten Gerhardt, Simon Potticary, Jonathan Mundy
  • ELECTRIC BICYCLE
    Publication number: 20160031513
    Abstract: A bicycle includes a handlebar and a vibration generator supported on the handlebar. A sensor is configured to detect an overcoming vehicle. A controller is configured to activate the vibration generator when the sensor detects an overcoming vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 21, 2015
    Publication date: February 4, 2016
    Applicant: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: James Neugebauer, Bruce Southey, James Lloyd, Torsten Gerhardt, Richard Craven, Simon Potticary, Jonathan Mundy
  • POLYURETHANE ENCAPSULATE
    Publication number: 20160031765
    Abstract: Embodiments relate to a polyurethane coating film that has improved water barrier properties combined with mechanical strength. According to embodiments, a polyurethane encapsulate includes a polyurethane film that is a reaction product of an aromatic isocyanate and a polyol, and the polyol includes a butylene oxide based polyether polyol in an amount of at least 35 wt % based on a total weight of the polyol. The polyurethane encapsulate further includes a particulate material that is enclosed by the polyurethane film.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 24, 2014
    Publication date: February 4, 2016
    Applicant: Dow Global Technologies LLC
    Inventors: Avery L Watkins, Juan Carlos Medina, Dwight D. Latham
  • ELECTRIC BICYCLE
    Publication number: 20160031524
    Abstract: An electric bicycle includes a motor and a controller. A heart rate monitor is programmed to communicate a heart rate signal representing a heart rate of an occupant to the controller. The controller is programmed to receive a destination distance of the electric bicycle relative to a predetermined destination. The controller is programmed to provide instruction to adjust power to the motor based at least on the heart rate signal and the destination distance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 21, 2015
    Publication date: February 4, 2016
    Applicant: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Torsten Gerhardt, Jonathan Mundy, James Lloyd, James Neugebauer, Simon Potticary, Richard Craven, Bruce Southey
  • ELECTRIC BICYCLE
    Publication number: 20160031507
    Abstract: A bicycle includes a frame and a seat post removably engaged with the frame. A light source is supported by the seat post. A power source is supported by the seat post. A switch is disposed between the light source and the power source.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 21, 2015
    Publication date: February 4, 2016
    Applicant: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: James Neugebauer, Torsten Gerhardt, Bruce Southey, Simon Potticary, James Lloyd, Richard Craven, Jonathan Mundy
  • ELECTRIC BICYCLE
    Publication number: 20160031506
    Abstract: An apparatus includes a bicycle frame defining a bore, and a bicycle seat assembly including a post received in the bore. An indicating unit is configured to indicate a first position of the post along the bore for a first user and a second position of the post along the bore for a second user. An identification unit is configured to identify the first user and the second user. A computing device includes a processor and a memory, the memory storing instruction such that the processor is programmed to instruct the indicating unit to indicate the first position when the identification unit identifies the first user and to instruct the indicating unit to indicate the second position when the identification unit identifies the second user.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 21, 2015
    Publication date: February 4, 2016
    Applicant: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: James Lloyd, Jonathan Mundy, Bruce Southey, Simon Potticary, James Neugebauer, Torsten Gerhardt, Richard Craven
  • ELECTRIC BICYCLE
    Publication number: 20160031514
    Abstract: A bicycle includes a computing device including a processor and a memory. The processor is programmed to communicate with a user input device of a vehicle when the bicycle is docked to the vehicle. The processor is programmed to communicate with a mobile device when the bicycle is undocked from the vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 21, 2015
    Publication date: February 4, 2016
    Applicant: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Torsten Gerhardt, James Lloyd, Jonathan Mundy, Bruce Southey, James Neugebauer, Simon Potticary, Richard Craven
  • ELECTRIC BICYCLE
    Publication number: 20160031525
    Abstract: An electric bicycle includes a crank, a driving gear and a driven gear spaced from each other, and a belt engaged with the driving gear and the driven gear. An electric motor is coupled to the driving gear. A freewheel is disposed between the crank and the driving gear. At least a portion of the motor is concentric about the freewheel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 21, 2015
    Publication date: February 4, 2016
    Applicant: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Richard Craven, Simon Potticary, Torsten Gerhardt, James Lloyd, Jonathan Mundy, Bruce Southey, James Neugebauer
  • Method and apparatus for identification verification and purchase validation
    Patent number: 9251512
    Abstract: A computer implemented method includes receiving a request for payment-related information at a wireless device. The method also includes communicating between the wireless device and a paired vehicle computing system (VCS) to verify the presence of a known vehicle. Further, the method includes transmitting requested payment-related information, responsive to the verification of the presence of the known vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2016
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Joseph Carl Beiser, Michael Raymond Westra
  • Plug-in vehicle eco charging mode
    Patent number: 9248756
    Abstract: A system for controlling battery charging in a vehicle includes a traction battery and a controller. The controller is configured to charge the traction battery to a SOC that is less than a maximum SOC based on an amount of charge predicted to be received from an anticipated regenerative braking event. The regenerative braking event is anticipated to occur during the next drive cycle. The target SOC may be set such that, upon occurrence of the anticipated regenerative braking event, the traction battery achieves the maximum SOC.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2016
    Assignee: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Elaine Y. Chen, Jimmy Kapadia
  • Air cooler having a condensation trap and method for air cooler operation
    Patent number: 9250006
    Abstract: A condensate trap upstream of an engine cylinder is provided. The condensate trap includes a condensate containment shelf positioned within an outlet manifold of an air cooler, above a lower side of the outlet manifold, and extending from a first lateral side of the outlet manifold to a second lateral side of the outlet manifold, the condensate containment shelf and a outlet port housing forming a condensate restriction in direct fluidic communication with an outlet port of the outlet manifold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2016
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Jim Raymond Palm, Charles Allen Cockerill, Shuya Shark Yamada
  • Vehicle system passive notification using remote device
    Patent number: 9251694
    Abstract: A method of vehicle monitoring includes monitoring one or more vehicle safety systems while a vehicle is in operation to detect an unsafe condition. The method also includes sending an alert to a handheld device if an unsafe condition is detected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2016
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Robert Bruce Kleve, John Robert Van Wiemeersch, Thomas Lee Miller, Steven Yellin Schondorf, Karl Douglas Vandivier, Paul Aldighieri
  • Vehicle front end structure
    Patent number: 9248868
    Abstract: A vehicle front end structure includes a longitudinally extending upper tube, and a longitudinally extending lower tube. The upper and lower tubes are conjoined to each other along a substantial portion of the total length of the tubes. The front end structure also includes a coupling bracket that is secured to an outer wall of each of the upper and lower tubes near a rear edge of the tubes. The coupling bracket also includes an extension tab cantilevered from the rear edge of the tubes. Additionally, the front end structure includes a hinge pillar defining a first vertical mounting surface secured to an inner wall of the upper and lower tubes. The hinge pillar also defines a second vertical mounting surface secured to the extension tab of the coupling bracket.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2016
    Assignee: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Dragan B. Stojkovic, Colleen Marie Hoffman, Kimberly Ann Lazarz, Robert G. Starbowski, Donald L. Jordan
  • Methods for joining more than two panels together
    Patent number: 9249816
    Abstract: An assembly for a vehicle and a method of making an assembly including more than three panels stacked together and joined by self-piercing rivets or by clinch joints. A first panel and a second panel are joined together at a first attachment point. A third panel and the first panel are joined together at a second attachment point. A fourth panel and the third panel are joined together at a third attachment point. The first, second and third attachment points are spaced apart to avoid interference between the self-piercing rivets or the clinch joints.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2016
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Jason Douglas Scott, Aindrea McKelvey Campbell, Amanda Kay Freis
  • Laterally tiltable, multitrack vehicle
    Patent number: 9248857
    Abstract: A laterally tiltable, multitrack vehicle is disclosed. The vehicle includes a vehicle body and at least three wheels, first and second wheels of the three wheels being assigned to a common axle to form a first wheel pair. The vehicle includes at least one wheel control part suspending each of the first and second wheels of the wheel pair from the vehicle body. At least one resilient element supports each wheel control part on the vehicle body. The resilient element has a non-linear spring characteristic with a spring rate which increases in a compression direction and decreases in a rebound direction. The vehicle may be a motor vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2016
    Assignee: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Robert Spahl, Edmund Halfmann, Torsten Gerhardt, Marc Simon
  • Vehicle auto-stop control in the vicinity of an emergency vehicle
    Patent number: 9249742
    Abstract: A stop/start vehicle includes an engine and a stop/start system that selectively prevents an auto stop or auto start of the engine in response to a detected vehicle proximity and direction of travel relative to an emergency vehicle. The stop/start system may be programmed to prevent an auto stop of the engine in response to a detected proximity to an emergency vehicle where the emergency vehicle is traveling in the same direction as the stop/start vehicle, or in response to a detected proximity to an emergency vehicle where the stop/start vehicle is located within an intersection. The stop start system may also be programmed to prevent an auto start of the engine in response to the engine being stopped, and further in response to a detected proximity to an emergency vehicle where the emergency vehicle is traveling in cross traffic relative to the stop/start vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2016
    Assignee: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Sangeetha Sangameswaran, Mathew Alan Boesch, George Edmund Walley, John A. Lockwood
  • Spark plug fouling detection for ignition system
    Patent number: 9249774
    Abstract: A method for determining a level of spark plug fouling and providing an indication to change the spark plugs of an ignition system is provided. The method includes providing a dwell command on a control wire of an ignition system and generating an indication of a recommendation to change a spark plug of the ignition system based upon a current on the control wire.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2016
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Garlan J. Huberts, Qiuping Qu
  • Methods and systems for launching a vehicle
    Patent number: 9248829
    Abstract: Systems and methods for improving operation of a hybrid vehicle are presented. In one example, an engine is started and idled before engine torque is required so that driveline torque response may be improved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2016
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Dennis Craig Reed, Alex O'Connor Gibson, Jeffrey Allen Doering, Adam Nathan Banker, Seung-Hoon Lee
  • Methods and apparatus for state dependent micro-interaction fulfillment
    Patent number: 9248841
    Abstract: A system includes a processor configured to begin an instance of a micro-interaction, requiring a driver response to an issued query for completion. The processor is also configured to receive an occupant-issued wait command instructing delay of the micro-interaction. Further, the processor is configured to wait for a predetermined time period in accordance with the occupant-issued wait command and then re-present the micro-interaction for completion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2016
    Assignee: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Perry Robinson MacNeille, Kwaku O. Prakah-Asante, Oleg Yurievitch Gusikhin, Gary Steven Strumolo