Patents by Inventor Andrew MONTICELLO

Andrew MONTICELLO 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).

  • Patent number: 12005902
    Abstract: A vehicle control system for reducing turn radius of a vehicle may include electric motors associated with front and rear wheels of the vehicle. The system may further include a plurality of vehicle sensors to receive information including driving surface type, vehicle speed and handwheel position. The system may also include a controller operably coupled to the electric motors and the sensors to control wheel slip during a turn based on the driving surface type, the vehicle speed and the handwheel position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2024
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Brendan Diamond, Keith Weston, Matthew Johnson, Andrew Monticello
  • Patent number: 11746871
    Abstract: A method for mitigating torque steer in a vehicle having a steering axle with a limited slip differential and a pair of output members. The limited slip differential includes a pair of differential outputs and a clutch. The method includes: operating the limited slip differential with the clutch in the first condition; determining that the vehicle is in a state in which a torque steer condition is occurring or is likely to occur; and operating the clutch to reduce a torque differential between the differential outputs to mitigate the torque steer condition. A vehicle with a steering axle and a controller that is configured to operate a clutch in the steering axle to attenuate torque steer is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2023
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Keith Weston, Jonathan Michael Graves, Andrew Monticello, Brent Clark
  • Patent number: 11718174
    Abstract: An all-wheel-drive vehicle includes a primary axle operably coupled to an engine and a secondary axle having an input operably coupled to the engine a first halfshaft, a second halfshaft, a first clutch selectively connecting the first halfshaft to the input, and a second clutch selectively connecting the second halfshaft to the input. A transmission has an input coupled to the engine and output coupled to the primary drive axle. A driveshaft couples a power-transfer unit and the input, and a third clutch selectively couples the output to the driveshaft. A controller is programmed to, during a power-limiting routine, command a torque to the engine based on closed-loop feedback control such that the torque decreases when a calculated slip of a selected one of the first and second clutches is greater than a target slip of the selected clutch and increases when the calculated slip is less than the target slip.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2023
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Nicholas Harris, Andrew Monticello, Kyle Culek, Ashok E. Rodrigues
  • Publication number: 20220379722
    Abstract: A vehicle includes a powertrain having a powerplant and a clutch that selectively couples the powerplant to an axle. A controller is programmed to, in response to the powertrain being in a power-limiting routine, command a torque to the powerplant based on an error between a target slip of the clutch and a slip of the clutch.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 25, 2021
    Publication date: December 1, 2022
    Inventors: Nicholas Harris, Andrew Monticello, Kyle Culek, Ashok E. Rodrigues
  • Patent number: 11486480
    Abstract: An electronic locking differential includes a lock ring and a coil that moves the lock ring to engage gears of the electronic locking differential, an energy storage capacitor that powers the coil during at least a portion of engagement of the lock ring with the gears, and a controller. The controller charges the energy storage capacitor to a first predefined voltage prior to the engagement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2022
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Stuart C. Salter, Brian James Andonian, Gustavo Luis Garcia, Jihong Guo, Andrew Monticello, Joseph Daniel
  • Publication number: 20220324452
    Abstract: A vehicle control system for reducing turn radius of a vehicle may include electric motors associated with front and rear wheels of the vehicle. The system may further include a plurality of vehicle sensors to receive information including driving surface type, vehicle speed and handwheel position. The system may also include a controller operably coupled to the electric motors and the sensors to control wheel slip during a turn based on the driving surface type, the vehicle speed and the handwheel position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 9, 2021
    Publication date: October 13, 2022
    Inventors: Brendan Diamond, Keith Weston, Matthew Johnson, Andrew Monticello
  • Publication number: 20220260145
    Abstract: A method for mitigating torque steer in a vehicle having a steering axle with a limited slip differential and a pair of output members. The limited slip differential includes a pair of differential outputs and a clutch. The method includes: operating the limited slip differential with the clutch in the first condition; determining that the vehicle is in a state in which a torque steer condition is occurring or is likely to occur; and operating the clutch to reduce a torque differential between the differential outputs to mitigate the torque steer condition. A vehicle with a steering axle and a controller that is configured to operate a clutch in the steering axle to attenuate torque steer is also provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 17, 2021
    Publication date: August 18, 2022
    Applicant: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Keith Weston, Jonathan Michael Graves, Andrew Monticello, Brent Clark
  • Patent number: 11407308
    Abstract: A system includes a differential, sensors, and a controller. The differential is operable in a first differential mode in which a first shaft and a second shaft are allowed to rotate at different speeds, and a second differential mode in which the differential inhibits relative rotation between the first and second shafts. The sensors are configured to measure vehicle operating conditions. The controller is in communication with the sensors and the differential. The controller, when the vehicle mode is selected, is configured to determine if an intended path of the vehicle is straight, determine if a vehicle speed is less than a predetermined vehicle speed, and operate the differential in the second differential mode for a predetermined time period in response to the controller determining that the intended path of the vehicle is straight and the vehicle speed is less than the predetermined vehicle speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2022
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Keith Weston, Daniel Joseph Dunn, Matthew Johnson, Andrew Monticello, Jonathan Michael Graves
  • Patent number: 11167592
    Abstract: A vehicle includes an axle having driven wheels each with an associated wheel-speed sensor and the vehicle includes a yaw rate sensor. A controller is programmed to, responsive to a request to reprogram a track width of the driven axle, receive signals from the wheel speed sensors and the yaw rate sensor to learn a track width of the driven axle based on the signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2021
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Scott Wilson, Andrew Monticello
  • Publication number: 20200198397
    Abstract: A vehicle includes an axle having driven wheels each with an associated wheel-speed sensor and the vehicle includes a yaw rate sensor. A controller is programmed to, responsive to a request to reprogram a track width of the driven axle, receive signals from the wheel speed sensors and the yaw rate sensor to learn a track width of the driven axle based on the signals.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 19, 2018
    Publication date: June 25, 2020
    Inventors: Scott WILSON, Andrew MONTICELLO
  • Patent number: 10071729
    Abstract: A vehicle includes a trailer hitch, an axle having an electronic limited slip differential, and a controller. The electronic limited slip differential includes a variable torque capacity lockup clutch. The controller is programmed to, in response to detecting the presence of a trailer connected to the trailer hitch and an increase in vehicle speed, increase the lockup clutch torque by a first torque adjustment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2018
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Andrew Monticello, Lucian Lippok, Keith Weston
  • Patent number: 9873426
    Abstract: A vehicle includes friction brakes, an axle, and a controller. The axle has an electronic limited-slip differential that includes a variable torque capacity lockup clutch. The controller is programmed to, in response to a difference between desired and actual yaw rates exceeding a first threshold, increase the torque of the lockup clutch to decrease the difference between the desired and actual yaw rates. The controller is further programmed to, in response the difference between desired and actual yaw rates exceeding a second threshold that is greater than the first threshold, increase the torque of the friction brakes to decrease the difference between the desired and actual yaw rates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2018
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Anthony Paskus, Neil Hurst, Marshall Erin Bates, Ashok E. Rodrigues, Andrew Monticello, Michael Edward Brewer
  • Publication number: 20170361834
    Abstract: A vehicle includes friction brakes, an axle, and a controller. The axle has an electronic limited-slip differential that includes a variable torque capacity lockup clutch. The controller is programmed to, in response to a difference between desired and actual yaw rates exceeding a first threshold, increase the torque of the lockup clutch to decrease the difference between the desired and actual yaw rates. The controller is further programmed to, in response the difference between desired and actual yaw rates exceeding a second threshold that is greater than the first threshold, increase the torque of the friction brakes to decrease the difference between the desired and actual yaw rates.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 21, 2016
    Publication date: December 21, 2017
    Inventors: Anthony PASKUS, Neil HURST, Marshall Erin BATES, Ashok E. RODRIGUES, Andrew MONTICELLO, Michael Edward BREWER
  • Publication number: 20170327108
    Abstract: A vehicle includes a trailer hitch, an axle having an electronic limited slip differential, and a controller. The electronic limited slip differential includes a variable torque capacity lockup clutch. The controller is programmed to, in response to detecting the presence of a trailer connected to the trailer hitch and an increase in vehicle speed, increase the lockup clutch torque by a first torque adjustment.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 16, 2016
    Publication date: November 16, 2017
    Inventors: Andrew MONTICELLO, Lucian LIPPOK, Keith WESTON
  • Patent number: 9784354
    Abstract: A vehicle includes a differential, a clutch configured to lock the differential, and a controller. The controller is programmed to, in response to a condition or specified drive mode associated with locking the differential, adjust a clutch torque to lock the differential. The controller is further programmed to, in response to an output speed of the differential exceeding a threshold during the condition, decrease the clutch torque to allow the clutch to slip.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2017
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: Andrew Monticello
  • Publication number: 20170089439
    Abstract: A vehicle includes a differential, a clutch configured to lock the differential, and a controller. The controller is programmed to, in response to a condition or specified drive mode associated with locking the differential, adjust a clutch torque to lock the differential. The controller is further programmed to, in response to an output speed of the differential exceeding a threshold during the condition, decrease the clutch torque to allow the clutch to slip.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 24, 2015
    Publication date: March 30, 2017
    Inventor: Andrew MONTICELLO