Patents Assigned to ZF CV SYSTEMS GLOBAL GMBH
  • Patent number: 12223675
    Abstract: A method for determining an articulation angle between a towing vehicle and a trailer, wherein the trailer can be imaged in single images with single-image pixels using a camera system. The method includes determining a point cloud from at least one single image and forming at least one planar reference surface from adjacent object points of the point cloud that lie in a same plane. The method further includes reading in at least one single image, in which the trailer coupled to the towing vehicle is imaged, and determining at least one partial surface and fitting the at least one previously formed planar reference surface to the at least one determined partial surface by applying a geometric transformation. The method further includes determining the articulation angle between the towing vehicle and the trailer as a function of a rotational component of the applied geometric transformation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2025
    Assignee: ZF CV SYSTEMS GLOBAL GMBH
    Inventor: Tobias Klinger
  • Patent number: 12208833
    Abstract: A method for controlling a vehicle within a confined site, the method including, following a determination that there is no steering system available in a vehicle that can be controlled by steering control signals generated in automated fashion in order to influence a steering angle of wheels of a steered vehicle axle of the vehicle in automated fashion, specifying a path between a starting area and a specified destination area within the confined site, and generating drive control signals and steering braking control signals such that, during subsequent automated control of a drive system and of a brake system using the control signals, the vehicle moves from the starting area along the path to the specified destination area, and the steering angle varies owing solely to automated control of the brakes of the brake system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2025
    Assignee: ZF CV SYSTEMS GLOBAL GMBH
    Inventors: Ralph-Carsten Luelfing, Klaus Plaehn, Janik Ricke
  • Patent number: 12194997
    Abstract: A method for controlling a subject vehicle with a braking system, a drive system and a distance control system, wherein the distance control system is configured to control an actual following distance between the subject vehicle and a vehicle ahead to a predetermined target following distance, wherein the target following distance is predetermined as a function of an activated operating mode of the distance control system, including performing a plausibility check by checking whether V2X data is exchanged or can be exchanged between the vehicle ahead and the subject vehicle over a V2X connection, and activating, if no V2X data is exchanged or can be exchanged between the vehicle ahead and the subject vehicle over the V2X connection, a first operating mode in which a first target following distance is predetermined as a function of a reaction time of a driver of the subject vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2025
    Assignee: ZF CV SYSTEMS GLOBAL GMBH
    Inventor: Thomas Dieckmann
  • Patent number: 12091083
    Abstract: A method may determine transformation parameters for a transformation of a position of a vehicle between a first coordinate system and a second coordinate system. In the method, a trajectory may be traveled with the vehicle in a step. In another step, the positions of the vehicle while traveling the trajectory may be acquired in the first coordinate system with a first position detection system, and in the second coordinate system with a second position detection system. In a further step, transformation parameters between the coordinate systems may be derived based on the positions of the vehicle acquired in the coordinate systems, and based on at least one geometric parameter of the trajectory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2024
    Assignee: ZF CV SYSTEMS GLOBAL GMBH
    Inventors: Ulrich Reith, Tomas Szabo
  • Patent number: 12094219
    Abstract: A method for inspecting a vehicle on a site with a management system, including determining whether at least one vehicle on the site intends to make a departure from a stoppage place, generating a control command by the management system, and transmitting the control command to the inspection vehicle such that the inspection vehicle moves along an inspection path to the stoppage place. The method further includes detecting an environment around the inspection vehicle at the stoppage place by the sensor system while a detection zone of the at least one sensor is oriented at least in some regions at a subregion beneath the vehicle and/or at the vehicle. The method further includes determining, in dependence on the sensor signals generated by the sensor system, whether there is an impediment by which the departure of the vehicle is impeded, in order to carry out a pre-departure check.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2022
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2024
    Assignee: ZF CV SYSTEMS GLOBAL GMBH
    Inventors: Thomas Dieckmann, Janik Ricke
  • Patent number: 11945425
    Abstract: A method for braking a vehicle, including checking whether a trigger criterion for braking the vehicle is present, and if the trigger criterion is satisfied, causing a conditioning braking pulse through brief pulsed braking such that passengers experience brief braking of the vehicle, and immediately thereafter initiating a braking phase in which the vehicle is braked in at least two partial braking regions by an actual ego deceleration that varies with respect to time, wherein each partial braking region is extended over a partial braking interval and merge into one another without the actual ego deceleration changing abruptly, and the actual ego deceleration in at least one of the partial braking regions is changed continuously over the respective partial braking interval such that a different actual jerk is obtained in each partial braking region, and wherein the actual jerk behaves degressively over at least some partial braking regions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2024
    Assignee: ZF CV SYSTEMS GLOBAL GMBH
    Inventors: Richard Matthaei, Thomas Dieckmann, Waldemar Kamischke, Janik Ricke
  • Publication number: 20240051537
    Abstract: A method is disclosed for controlling a change in the direction of travel of a working vehicle between forward travel and rearward travel or vice versa. The working vehicle has an electronically controllable hydrostatic travel drive, a power-operated brake system with at least one electronically controllable brake circuit, and an electronic brake-control unit for controlling the travel drive and the brake circuit. While the vehicle is traveling in a first direction, a change in the direction of travel is triggered by a switchover of the hydrostatic travel drive by means of an assigned manual operating element. To reduce the mechanical loading, the deceleration of the working vehicle can be assisted by automatically actuating the brakes of the electronically controllable brake circuit, where these brakes are actuated by being triggered by the switchover of the operating element and are released by the time the vehicle comes to a standstill.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 31, 2022
    Publication date: February 15, 2024
    Applicant: ZF CV SYSTEMS GLOBAL GMBH
    Inventors: Mirko Brütt, Michael Haverkamp, Jan Spremberg
  • Patent number: 11745698
    Abstract: A vehicle security system is provided for a vehicle having a braking system that includes a parking brake, the parking brake being capable of being switched between a driving position and a braking position. The vehicle security system is configured to secure the vehicle after an accident. The vehicle security system comprises a control unit configured to ascertain an accident of the vehicle and to switch the parking brake of the vehicle into the braking position in response to ascertaining an accident of the vehicle, and a sensor configured to capture and make available first vehicle data that represent a rotary location of the vehicle. The control unit is configured to carry out the ascertainment of an accident on the basis of the first vehicle data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2023
    Assignee: ZF CV SYSTEMS GLOBAL GMBH
    Inventor: Janik Ricke
  • Patent number: 11384807
    Abstract: A brake caliper for a vehicle brake is provided. The vehicle brake includes a pair of brake pads, configured to be coupled to the brake caliper, and a disc positioned between the brake pads. The brake caliper includes an adjuster unit mounted to the brake caliper. The adjuster unit includes a gearwheel configured to be rotary driven in a first direction, and an adjuster nut operatively coupled with the gearwheel and configured to be operatively coupled with one of the brake pads, such that a rotational movement of the gearwheel in the first direction is converted, by the adjuster nut, into an axial movement of the brake pad towards the disc. The gearwheel is mounted in the brake caliper such that the gearwheel is axially fixed relative to the brake caliper, while the adjuster nut and the gearwheel are in an axially slidable engagement with respect to one another.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2022
    Assignee: ZF CV SYSTEMS GLOBAL GMBH
    Inventors: Paul Henning, Przemyslaw Kowalski
  • Patent number: 11303078
    Abstract: An electrical connector for transferring electrical signals between a tractor vehicle and a trailer vehicle is provided, the electrical connector including a connector plug and a connector socket in compliance with an industry standard. The connector socket includes a plurality of male contact terminals, and the connector plug includes a corresponding plurality of female contact terminals. The connector plug and the connector socket include a secondary electrical connection to support bidirectional data communication between a tractor vehicle and a trailer vehicle with greater bandwidth. The secondary electrical connection can include an additional electrical contact within a male part for engaging an additional electrical pin within a female part, wherein the male part and the female part are joined to, but laterally offset from, the connector plug and the connector socket.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2022
    Assignee: ZF CV SYSTEMS GLOBAL GMBH
    Inventors: Wolfgang Hahn, Dirk Wohltmann, Jon Morrison, David Gatti