Patents by Inventor Andrew Niedert

Andrew Niedert 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).

  • Publication number: 20240132054
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus to prevent trailer sway are disclosed. An example apparatus to prevent trailer sway of a trailer coupled to a vehicle includes prediction circuitry to predict, based on sensor data from one or more sensors of the vehicle, whether a trailer sway condition associated with the vehicle is likely to occur, and control activation circuitry to, in response to the prediction that the trailer sway is likely to occur, activate at least one vehicle control of the vehicle to prevent the trailer sway condition from occurring, the at least one vehicle control to include applying torque to at least one of one or more trailer wheels of the trailer or one or more vehicle wheels of the vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 19, 2022
    Publication date: April 25, 2024
    Inventors: Keith Weston, Andrew Denis Lewandowski, Matthew Johnson, Brendan Diamond, Jordan Barrett, Andrew Niedert, Lars Niklas Pettersson
  • Publication number: 20240075784
    Abstract: Methods, apparatus, systems, and articles of manufacture to determine the load of a vehicle via calibrate a suspension sensor are disclosed herein. An example vehicle described herein includes a force transducer, an actuator coupled to the force transducer, memory including instructions and a processor to execute the instructions to engage the actuator to a bottom surface of a vehicle, apply a first force to the bottom surface via the actuator, determine a first displacement of a first suspension component of the vehicle, and calibrate a first sensor of the vehicle based on the first force and the first displacement.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 1, 2022
    Publication date: March 7, 2024
    Inventors: Keith Weston, Francis Aroyehun, David Michael Russell, Andrew Niedert
  • Patent number: 11922693
    Abstract: Methods, apparatus, systems, and articles of manufacture are disclosed to generate an augmented environment including a weight indicator for a vehicle. An example disclosed system includes a camera to capture image data including a first location of an object in a vehicle, processor circuitry to execute instructions to generate a map of loads on the vehicle, and a user interface to present an augmented environment identifying the first location of the object and a load correlated with the object, the load correlated with the object based on the map of loads.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Inventors: Anton Rogness, Peter Simeon Lazarevski, Joshua Rajasingh, Andrew Niedert, Elliott Pearson
  • Patent number: 11879768
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus to generate an augmented environment including a weight indicator for a vehicle are disclosed herein. An example apparatus disclosed herein includes memory including stored instructions, a processor to execute the instructions to generate a map of loads on a vehicle based on load data associated with a sensor of the vehicle, determine a load condition of the vehicle based on the map of loads, correlate a first load of the map of loads with an object identified using live video data received from a camera, and generate an augmented environment identifying at least one of a location of the object, the first load correlated with the object, or the load condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2024
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Anton Rogness, Peter Simeon Lazarevski, Joshua Rajasingh, Andrew Niedert, Elliott Pearson
  • Publication number: 20230410528
    Abstract: Methods, apparatus, systems, and articles of manufacture to determine the load of a vehicle via camera-based height measurement are disclosed herein. An example vehicle described herein includes a suspension assembly associated with a wheel, a first feature, a first camera, and a processor to execute instructions to capture, via the first camera, a first image including the first feature and a second feature, the first feature and a second feature having a first spatial relationship in the first image, capture, via the first camera, a second image including the first feature and the second feature, the first feature and the second feature having a second spatial relationship in the second image, and determine, based on a difference between the first spatial relationship and the second spatial relationship, a deflection of the suspension assembly.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 21, 2022
    Publication date: December 21, 2023
    Inventors: Keith Weston, Michael Alan McNees, Lorne Forsythe, Andrew Niedert, Francis Aroyehun
  • Publication number: 20230364999
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for adjusting regenerative braking in response to normal loads applied to each of a vehicle's wheels coupled to an electric machine. In one example, a regenerative braking torque for a wheel may be adjusted in response to a normal load that is applied to the wheel as wheel load changes during vehicle braking.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 10, 2022
    Publication date: November 16, 2023
    Inventors: Lars Niklas Pettersson, Matthew Johnson, Brendan Diamond, Keith Weston, Andrew Lewandowski, Andrew Niedert
  • Patent number: 11787248
    Abstract: Modular double pin load sensing hitches including two-piece pin mounts are disclosed herein. An example apparatus disclosed herein includes a pin mount including a first piece, and a second piece, separate from and to be disposed opposite to the first piece. The apparatus further includes and a receiver tube including a first mounting ear to be coupled to the first piece via a first pin and a second mounting ear to be coupled to the second piece via a second pin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2023
    Assignee: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Kevin Stanton Giaier, Andrew Niedert, Elliott Pearson, Anton Rogness, Johannes Gießibl, Chad Reed
  • Publication number: 20230311598
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for a hitch including multiple pins coupled to an outboard frame are disclosed. An apparatus comprising a hitch including a first pin oriented in a first direction and a second pin oriented in a second direction different than the first direction, the first pin and the second pin to couple the hitch to a frame of a vehicle, and a load manager to determine a load condition based on sensor data from at least one of the first pin or the second pin.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 7, 2023
    Publication date: October 5, 2023
    Inventors: Bryce Reinert, Kevin Giaier, Andrew Niedert, Carl Montgomery
  • Publication number: 20230211641
    Abstract: Methods, apparatus, systems, and articles of manufacture for trailers with adjustable batteries are disclosed herein. An example trailer disclosed herein includes a platform, a battery disposed at a first location relative to the platform, a drive to move the battery relative to the platform, and a controller to determine a first load distribution on the platform and in response to determining the first load distribution on the platform does not satisfy a first threshold, adjust a position of the battery, via the drive, to a second location relative to the platform.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 5, 2022
    Publication date: July 6, 2023
    Inventors: Stuart C. Salter, Lorne Forsythe, Hussein Berry, Andrew Niedert, Darrel Alan Recker, Aaron Bradley Johnson
  • Patent number: 11685205
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for a hitch including multiple pins coupled to an outboard frame are disclosed. An example apparatus disclosed herein include a hitch including a first pin, a second pin parallel to the first pin, a third pin orthogonal to the first pin, and a fourth pin parallel to the third pin, wherein the first pin, the second pin, the third pin and the fourth pin are to couple the hitch to a frame of a vehicle. The example apparatus includes a load manager to determine a load condition based on sensor data from at least one of the first pin, the second pin, the third pin, or the fourth pin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2023
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Bryce Reinert, Kevin Stanton Giaier, Andrew Niedert, Carl Montgomery
  • Publication number: 20230191859
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for a dual reacting, single load sensing element coupled to a hitch receiver are disclosed herein. An example computer readable medium comprising instructions, which when executed, cause one or more processors to determine a location of a hitch ball of a hitch of a vehicle, determine a load condition of the hitch based on the location and data received from a sensor of a first pin of the hitch, the hitch including a second pin, the first pin to react loads in a first direction and a second direction, the second pin to react loads in the first direction and in response to the load condition satisfying an alert threshold, alert a user of the load condition.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 16, 2023
    Publication date: June 22, 2023
    Inventors: Andrew Niedert, Kevin Stanton Giaier, Elliott Pearson, Anton Rogness, Johannes Gießibl, Chad Reed
  • Publication number: 20230143282
    Abstract: Methods, apparatus, systems and articles of manufacture are disclosed to facilitate a single pin load sensor coupled to a hitch receiver, the sensor to measure one or more loads on the hitch receiver. An example non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprising machine-readable instructions that, when executed, cause a processor to at least capture, via a camera coupled to a vehicle, an image of a hitch of the vehicle, analyze the image to determine position data of a mount of the hitch, and calculate an actual load on the hitch based on the position data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 5, 2023
    Publication date: May 11, 2023
    Inventors: Andrew Niedert, Anton Rogness, Elliott Pearson, Joshua Rajasingh, Peter Simeon Lazarevski
  • Publication number: 20230141344
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus to determine vehicle weight are disclosed. An example apparatus includes a suspension airbag, a pump fluidly coupled to the suspension airbag, the pump to control a fluid pressure in the suspension airbag to cause ride height adjustments for a vehicle, a motor operatively coupled to the pump, and processor circuitry to calculate a weight of the vehicle based on an offset between (a) a first motor input that causes the vehicle to rise or lower when the vehicle is unloaded and (b) a second motor input that causes the vehicle to rise or lower when the vehicle is carrying a load.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 10, 2023
    Publication date: May 11, 2023
    Inventors: Andrew Niedert, Peter Simeon Lazarevski, Rinku Patel, Anton Rogness, Elliott Pearson, Joshua Rajasingh, Salvador Padilla
  • Publication number: 20230123744
    Abstract: Methods, apparatus, systems and articles of manufacture are disclosed for payload estimation and fault detection using hitch integrated sensors. An example apparatus includes a pin orientation determiner to determine a first orientation of a first pin and a second orientation of a second pin, the first pin and the second pin disposed within a hitch and calculate a relative orientation of the first pin and the second pin based on the first orientation and the second orientation. The example apparatus further includes a hitch condition detector to determine if a physical change has occurred in the hitch by comparing the relative orientation to an installation orientation of the first pin and the second pin.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 19, 2022
    Publication date: April 20, 2023
    Inventors: Kevin Stanton Giaier, Andrew Niedert, Elliott Pearson, Anton Rogness
  • Publication number: 20230107447
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus are disclosed for a load-sensing hitch utilizing a system of strain gauges. An example apparatus includes a receiver tube, a side member, a crossbar coupled to the receiver tube and the side member, the cross including a support including a first end, a second end and a mid-portion located between the first end and the second end, the mid-portion having a cross-sectional area smaller than the cross-sectional area of the first end or the cross-sectional area of the second end and a strain gauge disposed within the mid-portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 12, 2022
    Publication date: April 6, 2023
    Inventors: Kevin Stanton Giaier, Bryce Reinert, Andrew Niedert, Joshua Norwood, Jorge Rivas, Peter Kowalow, Rebecca Giaier
  • Patent number: 11607919
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for a dual reacting, single load sensing element coupled to a hitch receiver are disclosed herein. An example apparatus includes a hitch configured to be coupled to a vehicle, the hitch including a crossbar, a receiver tube, and a pin housing coupled to the receiver tube. The pin housing includes a first pin including a load sensor, the first pin reacting loads in a first direction and a second direction and a second pin, the second pin reacting loads in the first direction, the first pin and the second pin acting as the only load path between the receiver tube and the crossbar.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2023
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Andrew Niedert, Kevin Stanton Giaier, Elliott Pearson, Anton Rogness, Johannes Gießibl, Chad Reed
  • Patent number: 11589443
    Abstract: Automatic drive mode lighting systems and methods are disclosed herein. An example method can include determining when a drive mode of a vehicle is an off-road mode, determining when a speed of the vehicle is below a speed threshold, determining when a location of the vehicle corresponds to an off-road location, and automatically activating off-road lighting for the vehicle when the drive mode is in an off-road mode, the speed is below the speed threshold, and the location corresponds to an off-road location.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2023
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Andrew Niedert, Christopher Berchin, Nicholas Scheufler, Seth Goslawski
  • Patent number: 11560031
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus to determine vehicle weight are disclosed. An example apparatus includes a vehicle controller configured to control a motor operatively coupled to a suspension system to raise or lower a vehicle. The vehicle controller is to also determine a first parameter of the motor while controlling the motor to raise or lower the vehicle when the vehicle is unloaded. The vehicle controller is to also determine a second parameter of the motor while controlling the motor to raise or lower the vehicle when the vehicle is at least partially loaded. The vehicle controller is to also calculate a weight of the vehicle based on the first and second parameters of the motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2023
    Assignee: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Andrew Niedert, Peter Simeon Lazarevski, Rinku Patel, Anton Rogness, Elliott Pearson, Joshua Rajasingh, Salvador Padilla
  • Patent number: 11560028
    Abstract: Methods, apparatus, systems and articles of manufacture are disclosed for payload estimation and fault detection using hitch integrated sensors. An example apparatus includes a pin orientation determiner to determine a first orientation of a first pin and a second orientation of a second pin, the first pin and the second pin disposed within a hitch and calculate a relative orientation of the first pin and the second pin based on the first orientation and the second orientation. The example apparatus further includes a hitch condition detector to determine if a physical change has occurred in the hitch by comparing the relative orientation to an installation orientation of the first pin and the second pin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2023
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Kevin Stanton Giaier, Andrew Niedert, Elliott Pearson, Anton Rogness
  • Patent number: 11548334
    Abstract: Methods, apparatus, systems and articles of manufacture are disclosed to facilitate a single pin load sensor coupled to a hitch receiver, the sensor to measure one or more loads on the hitch receiver. An example apparatus includes a load sensing pin coupled to a hitch receiver of a vehicle, the load sensing pin disposed in a cavity of a crossbar that is to couple the hitch receiver to the vehicle, wherein the load sensing pin is to measure a load transferred from the hitch receiver to the crossbar.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2023
    Assignee: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Andrew Niedert, Anton Rogness, Elliott Pearson, Joshua Rajasingh, Peter Simeon Lazarevski