Patents Assigned to Global Technologies LLC
  • Patent number: 7287796
    Abstract: A cargo net assembly for a vehicle is described that includes a storage receptacle. The storage receptacle is mounted to the inside of the roof of the vehicle. Pivotable doors may be opened to allow the net to be lowered with a base plate into a use position. The base plate is held in place when deployed by right and left anchors. A latch assembly is provided to latch the doors in their closed position. The latch assembly is opened by a dual cable acting upon dual bell crank cams.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2007
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Anthony Coles, Fredrik Overgaard
  • Patent number: 7287509
    Abstract: A method to control injection timing for an internal combustion engine having a plurality of injectors in at least a cylinder, the method comprising of directly injecting a fuel to at least a cylinder of an internal combustion engine, and adjusting a timing and number of injections as an alcohol amount in the fuel varies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2007
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies LLC
    Inventor: Diana Brehob
  • Patent number: 7287521
    Abstract: A system for an internal combustion engine, the engine having an intake and exhaust manifold, the system comprising of a heat exchanger configured to extract energy from engine exhaust gases; a catalyst coupled between said heat exchanger and the exhaust manifold of the engine; a spark plug in a cylinder of the engine; and a controller to operate the engine to perform spark ignition of a mixture of air and fuel in said cylinder during an engine cold start, where said air is heated with the energy before being inducted into said cylinder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2007
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies LLC
    Inventor: Jialin Yang
  • Patent number: 7287492
    Abstract: A system for an engine, comprising of a cylinder located in the engine, a fuel delivery system for varying relative delivery amounts of a first and second injection type into said cylinder, and a controller configured to adjust a parameter affecting flow through the engine in response to said relative delivery amounts of said first and second injection type.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2007
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Thomas G. Leone, Robert A. Stein, Jeffrey C. Lyjak
  • Patent number: 7287371
    Abstract: A method is described for operating an engine coupled to an upstream and downstream emission control device that stores and reacts oxidants such as NOx. The method transitions from lean to stoichiometric or rich operation under various conditions. The amount of fuel used during the stoichiometric or rich operation is minimized by using an upstream three-way catalyst primarily used for NOx storage, and a downstream three-way catalyst primarily used for oxygen storage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2007
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies LLC
    Inventors: Christian Thomas Goralski, Jr., Gopichandra Surnilla
  • Publication number: 20070247003
    Abstract: A power supply system is provided that can operate with energy storage units of varying voltages and temperatures, that can correct voltage and temperature deviations, and that can continue to provide power when an energy storage unit is inoperable. A power supply system is also provided that can recondition an energy storage unit during vehicle operation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 21, 2006
    Publication date: October 25, 2007
    Applicant: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Ronald Elder, Michael Degner
  • Publication number: 20070246944
    Abstract: A collision safety system for use with a motor vehicle includes a hood mounted to the vehicle movable between an open position and a closed position. A latch mechanism positioned adjacent the hood releasably engages a striker bar extending from the hood. The latch mechanism includes a spring operative to move the striker bar, a locking cam configured to releasably secure the striker bar and a pawl disposed on a latch bracket is movable between a latched position engaging the locking cam and a deployed position away from the locking cam. A primary hood release device is operatively connected to the pawl and is in communication with a remote source that is configured to transmit an activation signal to the primary hood release device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 5, 2006
    Publication date: October 25, 2007
    Applicants: Ford Global Technologies, LLC, BGM Engineering, Inc.
    Inventors: Srinivasan Sundararajan, Joseph Mazur, Louis Brown
  • Patent number: 7284368
    Abstract: A system is described for improving engine and vehicle performance by considering the effects of exhaust conditions on catalyst particle growth. Specifically, engine operation is adjusted to reduce operating in such conditions, and a diagnostic routine is described for determining the effects of any operation that can cause such particle growth. Further, routines are described for controlling various vehicle conditions, such as deceleration fuel shut-off, to reduce effects of the particle growth on emission performance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2007
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies LLC
    Inventors: Gopichandra Surnilla, Harendra S. Gandhi, Christian T. Goralski, Jr., Robert W. McCabe, George Graham, Hungwen Jen
  • Patent number: 7285869
    Abstract: A method is disclosed for estimating engine power output for an engine in a hybrid electric vehicle powertrain that includes an electric motor and an electric generator. Selected powertrain variables, including electric motor torque and electric generator torque, are used in determining desired vehicle traction wheel torque and an estimated engine power. A calibrated delay in calculating estimated engine power following a time sampling of the values for motor torque and generator torque avoid inertial effects.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2007
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Fazal Syed, Ming Kuang, John Czubay
  • Patent number: 7284366
    Abstract: In an apparatus having an internal combustion engine, a compressor for compressing engine intake gases, a particulate filter for filtering particulate matter from engine exhaust, an exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) system for recirculating exhaust gases from a location downstream of the particulate filter to a location upstream of the compressor, and a particulate filter function detector configured to detect a failure of the particulate filter, a method of operating the engine, including receiving a signal from the particulate filter function detector, comparing the signal from the particulate filter function detector to a predetermined signal threshold, determining if the signal received from the particulate filter function detector meets a predetermined condition relative to the predetermined signal threshold; and reducing a flow of exhaust gas through the EGR system if the signal meets the predetermined condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2007
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: Eric Kurtz
  • Patent number: 7284988
    Abstract: A coupling system that allows maximum flexibility for vehicle users to relocate, remove or replace electrical and/or mechanical devices throughout the interior of a vehicle, with several slot openings formed in the vehicle structure and coupling components which provide the connections of the devices to the vehicle, via the slots.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2007
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Laurens van den Acker, Jose Paris-Gonzalez, Ronald Miller, Gary Strumolo, David Wagner, Bryan Goodman, David DiMeo
  • Patent number: 7284506
    Abstract: A method of operating an internal combustion engine including at least a combustion chamber having a piston disposed therein, wherein the combustion chamber is configured to receive air, a first fuel and a second fuel to form a substantially homogeneous mixture, and wherein the piston is configured to compress said mixture so that auto-ignition of said mixture is achieved is disclosed. The method comprises varying the amount of at least one of the first fuel and the second fuel that is received by the combustion chamber to adjust the timing of auto-ignition, where the first fuel includes diesel fuel and the second fuel includes such low cetane fuels as: methanol and ethanol.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2007
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Harold Sun, Zafar Furcan Shaikh
  • Patent number: 7284514
    Abstract: A system for improving engine operation during a condition of engine controller degradation is presented. According to one aspect of the description, the engine may continue to operate if the performance of one engine controller is degraded.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2007
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: Duane Grider
  • Patent number: 7284788
    Abstract: An energy-absorbing underrun protection system for a vehicle. The energy-absorbing underrun protection system is comprised of a deformable construction adapted for deforming along a longitudinal axis to absorb crash energy. This deformable construction has a torque arm member extending substantially perpendicularly therefrom for receiving an impact load offset from the longitudinal axis and bending the deformable construction toward the impact load.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2007
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Saeed Barbat, Gregory Frederick, Li Chai, Phillip Przybylo, Xiaowei Li
  • Patent number: 7281770
    Abstract: A braking system 12 for use with an electric vehicle 10 including an electric motor/generator assembly 14, and a conventional electrical energy storage device 16. Motor/generator 14 selectively drives wheels 20 of vehicle 12. The braking system 12 includes a motor control module 26 which is communicatively coupled to motor/generator 14 and which selectively causes motor/generator 14 to provide a regenerative braking function at wheels 20 of vehicle 10. Braking system 10 further includes an antiskid braking system which selectively provides friction braking at wheels 20 and 24 of vehicle 10. The braking system 12 is effective to detect antiskid braking events at each of the wheels 20, 24, to selectively provide an antiskid braking function at each of wheels 20, 24 where the antiskid braking events are detected, and to selectively disable the regenerative braking function only when an antiskid braking event is detected at either of wheels 20.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2000
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2007
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Patrick Joseph Curran, Dale Scott Crombez, Asi Perach
  • Patent number: 7281761
    Abstract: A unique and versatile seating system for automobiles is provided. The seating system includes aspects to improve the functionality of the seating arrangement while maintaining the safety and comfort of the automotive seats. In certain embodiments, the seating system includes a reversible automotive seat that includes a seat cushion and a backrest. The backrest is movable between a forward seating position and a rearward seating position and includes an integrated restraint system which is operable to secure an occupant seated when the backrest is in either the forward or rearward seating positions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2007
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Gregory Philip Brown, Warren Nally, Thomas Green
  • Patent number: 7281597
    Abstract: A shield (20) for an automotive vehicle (10) is provided to lessen the impact force to a foreign body by absorbing energy or converting energy from the foreign body with the shield (20). The shield (20) has a ramped surface (22), an inner surface (24), and a periphery (26) delineating the inner surface (24) from the ramped surface (22). The inner surface (24) is further refined into an upper area (28) and a lower area (30), where a ridge (32) extends from the inner surface (24) portioning the upper area (28) from the lower area (30). At least one rib (34) is connected to the ridge (32) and extends from the inner surface (24), whereby the ridge (32) or the rib (34) may absorb energy or divert direct contact into sliding contact when the ramped surface (22) is impacted by a foreign body reducing the impact force upon the foreign body. Also, a method of using a shield (20) in an automotive vehicle 10 is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2007
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Robert Pellillo, Wei Wang, Kumar Mahadevan, Jiamaw Doong
  • Patent number: D553053
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2007
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Mark McChesney, James Kuo, Patrick Schiavone, Chelsia Lau
  • Patent number: D553766
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2007
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Edward Golden, Darrell Behmer, Melvin Betancourt, Solomon Song, Shawn Wehrly, Addam Ebel, Sang Kim, Garen Nicoghosian
  • Patent number: D554033
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2007
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Matthew Hill, David Woodhouse