Patents by Inventor Adam VanAntwerp

Adam VanAntwerp has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Systems, vehicles, and methods for vehicle stability control and trailer brake control collaboration
    Patent number: 11891037
    Abstract: A system for controlling a trailer brake output circuit includes an electronic control unit having one or more processors and one or more memory modules. The trailer brake output circuit is configured to output a trailer brake output signal. Machine readable instructions cause the electronic control unit to: receive a signal from a vehicle stability control system indicating that a vehicle stability control flag is set, generate the trailer brake output signal in response to the vehicle stability control flag being set such that the trailer brake output signal ramps up to a target value over a predefined period of time, maintain the trailer brake output signal at the target value while the vehicle stability control flag is set, and output the trailer brake output signal such that the trailer brake output signal ramps down from the target value when the vehicle stability control flag changes from set to not set.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2024
    Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.
    Inventors: Adam VanAntwerp, Corey Zwegers, Stephen Robertson, Takayuki Goto, Yuichi Shimizu
  • Systems, vehicles, and methods for trailer sway control
    Patent number: 11498536
    Abstract: A system for a vehicle and a trailer connected to the vehicle is provided. The system includes a trailer brake output circuit configured to output a trailer brake output signal, and an electronic control unit. The electronic control unit is configured to determine whether a value of a yaw rate of the trailer connected to the vehicle becomes greater than a threshold value, change a yaw rate oscillation counter in response to determining that the value of the yaw rate of the trailer becomes greater than the threshold value, instruct the trailer brake output circuit to output the trailer brake output signal to the trailer in response to the yaw rate oscillation becoming a first value, and activate trailer sway control in response to the yaw rate oscillation becoming a second value. The second value is greater than the first value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2022
    Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.
    Inventors: Adam VanAntwerp, Corey Zwegers, Stephen Robertson, Takayuki Goto, Yuichi Shimizu
  • Systems, vehicles, and methods for controlling trailer brake output in collaboration with dynamic electronic parking brake
    Patent number: 10967839
    Abstract: A vehicle control system of a vehicle includes a trailer brake control electronic control unit (ECU), which in turn includes a trailer brake output circuit. The trailer brake control ECU is configured to receive an electronic parking brake (EPB) state flag and a vehicle acceleration message. The dynamic EPB state flag indicates one of an ON state and an OFF state of a dynamic EPB, and the vehicle acceleration message indicates an acceleration of the vehicle. The trailer brake control ECU outputs, via the trailer brake output circuit, a trailer brake signal based on the acceleration of the vehicle indicated by the received vehicle acceleration message in response to determining that the received dynamic EPB state flag indicates the ON state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2021
    Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.
    Inventors: Adam VanAntwerp, Corey Zwegers, Stephen Robertson, Takayuki Goto, Yuichi Shimizu
  • SYSTEMS, VEHICLES, AND METHODS FOR CONTROLLING TRAILER BRAKE OUTPUT IN COLLABORATION WITH DYNAMIC ELECTRONIC PARKING BRAKE
    Publication number: 20200247372
    Abstract: A vehicle control system of a vehicle includes a trailer brake control electronic control unit (ECU), which in turn includes a trailer brake output circuit. The trailer brake control ECU is configured to receive an electronic parking brake (EPB) state flag and a vehicle acceleration message. The dynamic EPB state flag indicates one of an ON state and an OFF state of a dynamic EPB, and the vehicle acceleration message indicates an acceleration of the vehicle. The trailer brake control ECU outputs, via the trailer brake output circuit, a trailer brake signal based on the acceleration of the vehicle indicated by the received vehicle acceleration message in response to determining that the received dynamic EPB state flag indicates the ON state.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 31, 2019
    Publication date: August 6, 2020
    Applicant: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.
    Inventors: Adam VanAntwerp, Corey Zwegers, Stephen Robertson, Takayuki Goto, Yuichi Shimizu
  • SYSTEMS, VEHICLES, AND METHODS FOR TRAILER SWAY CONTROL
    Publication number: 20200247371
    Abstract: A system for a vehicle and a trailer connected to the vehicle is provided. The system includes a trailer brake output circuit configured to output a trailer brake output signal, and an electronic control unit. The electronic control unit is configured to determine whether a value of a yaw rate of the trailer connected to the vehicle becomes greater than a threshold value, change a yaw rate oscillation counter in response to determining that the value of the yaw rate of the trailer becomes greater than the threshold value, instruct the trailer brake output circuit to output the trailer brake output signal to the trailer in response to the yaw rate oscillation becoming a first value, and activate trailer sway control in response to the yaw rate oscillation becoming a second value. The second value is greater than the first value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 31, 2019
    Publication date: August 6, 2020
    Applicant: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.
    Inventors: Adam VanAntwerp, Corey Zwegers, Stephen Robertson, Takayuki Goto, Yuichi Shimizu
  • SYSTEMS, VEHICLES, AND METHODS FOR VEHICLE STABILITY CONTROL AND TRAILER BRAKE CONTROL COLLABORATION
    Publication number: 20200247373
    Abstract: A system for controlling a trailer brake output circuit includes an electronic control unit having one or more processors and one or more memory modules. The trailer brake output circuit is configured to output a trailer brake output signal. Machine readable instructions cause the electronic control unit to: receive a signal from a vehicle stability control system indicating that a vehicle stability control flag is set, generate the trailer brake output signal in response to the vehicle stability control flag being set such that the trailer brake output signal ramps up to a target value over a predefined period of time, maintain the trailer brake output signal at the target value while the vehicle stability control flag is set, and output the trailer brake output signal such that the trailer brake output signal ramps down from the target value when the vehicle stability control flag changes from set to not set.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 31, 2019
    Publication date: August 6, 2020
    Applicant: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.
    Inventors: Adam VanAntwerp, Corey Zwegers, Stephen Robertson, Takayuki Goto, Yuichi Shimizu