Patents by Inventor Chris James Hocking

Chris James Hocking 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: 10759255
    Abstract: Controlling a vehicle includes determining that an occupancy status of the vehicle is unoccupied, estimating a remaining unoccupied time, and controlling a climate-control system according to climate-control parameters based on at least the occupancy status and the remaining unoccupied time. A climate-control parameter is a value or set of values for an attribute or attributes of vehicle climate control, such as a power status for the climate-control system as a whole, a target temperature for a passenger cabin, power statuses corresponding to individual climate zones of the passenger cabin, and target temperatures for the individual climate zones.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2020
    Assignee: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Kenneth James Miller, Thomas G. Leone, Christopher Alan Lear, Chris James Hocking
  • Patent number: 10246073
    Abstract: A hybrid-electric vehicle includes a power system, a controller, a driver seat, a passenger seat, a back seat, and sensors. The controller is in communication with the sensors and the power system. The seats are coupled, directly or indirectly, to the power system. The sensors are configured to detect occupancy of the driver, passenger, and back seats. The controller is programmed to receive occupancy data from the sensors, determine an occupancy status based on the occupancy data, set an operating parameter for the power system based on the occupancy status, and control the power system in accordance with the parameter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2019
    Assignee: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Kenneth James Miller, Thomas G. Leone, Christopher Alan Lear, Chris James Hocking
  • Patent number: 10196994
    Abstract: A vehicle includes a transmission, a torque converter coupled to the transmission, a controller in communication with the transmission and the torque converter; a driver seat, a passenger seat, and a back seat coupled to the transmission, and sensors configured to detect occupancy of the seats. The sensors are in communication with the controller. The controller is programmed to receive data from the sensors, determine an occupancy status based on the occupancy data, set an engine operating parameter of one of the transmission and the torque converter based on the occupancy status, and control one of the transmission and the torque converter to operate according to the parameter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2019
    Assignee: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Thomas G. Leone, Kenneth James Miller, Chris James Hocking
  • Patent number: 10036333
    Abstract: A vehicle includes a transmission; a torque converter coupled to the transmission; a controller in communication with the transmission and the torque converter; a driver seat, a passenger seat, and a back seat coupled to the transmission; and sensors configured to detect user occupancy of the seats. The sensors are in communication with the controller. The controller is programmed to receive data from the sensors, determine an occupancy status based on the occupancy data, set an engine operating parameter of one of the transmission and the torque converter based on the occupancy status, and control one or both of the transmission and the torque converter to operate according to the parameter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2018
    Assignee: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Thomas G. Leone, Kenneth James Miller, Chris James Hocking
  • Publication number: 20180022182
    Abstract: Controlling a vehicle includes determining that an occupancy status of the vehicle is unoccupied, estimating a remaining unoccupied time, and controlling a climate-control system according to climate-control parameters based on at least the occupancy status and the remaining unoccupied time. A climate-control parameter is a value or set of values for an attribute or attributes of vehicle climate control, such as a power status for the climate-control system as a whole, a target temperature for a passenger cabin, power statuses corresponding to individual climate zones of the passenger cabin, and target temperatures for the individual climate zones.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 20, 2016
    Publication date: January 25, 2018
    Applicant: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Kenneth James Miller, Thomas G. Leone, Christopher Alan Lear, Chris James Hocking
  • Publication number: 20170328292
    Abstract: A vehicle includes a transmission, a torque converter coupled to the transmission, a controller in communication with the transmission and the torque converter; a driver seat, a passenger seat, and a back seat coupled to the transmission, and sensors configured to detect occupancy of the seats. The sensors are in communication with the controller. The controller is programmed to receive data from the sensors, determine an occupancy status based on the occupancy data, set an engine operating parameter of one of the transmission and the torque converter based on the occupancy status, and control one of the transmission and the torque converter to operate according to the parameter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 16, 2016
    Publication date: November 16, 2017
    Applicant: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Thomas G. Leone, Kenneth James Miller, Chris James Hocking
  • Publication number: 20170328287
    Abstract: A vehicle includes a transmission; a torque converter coupled to the transmission; a controller in communication with the transmission and the torque converter; a driver seat, a passenger seat, and a back seat coupled to the transmission; and sensors configured to detect user occupancy of the seats. The sensors are in communication with the controller. The controller is programmed to receive data from the sensors, determine an occupancy status based on the occupancy data, set an engine operating parameter of one of the transmission and the torque converter based on the occupancy status, and control one or both of the transmission and the torque converter to operate according to the parameter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 16, 2016
    Publication date: November 16, 2017
    Applicant: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Thomas G. Leone, Kenneth James Miller, Chris James Hocking
  • Publication number: 20170327104
    Abstract: A hybrid-electric vehicle includes a power system, a controller, a driver seat, a passenger seat, a back seat, and sensors. The controller is in communication with the sensors and the power system. The seats are coupled, directly or indirectly, to the power system. The sensors are configured to detect occupancy of the driver, passenger, and back seats. The controller is programmed to receive occupancy data from the sensors, determine an occupancy status based on the occupancy data, set an operating parameter for the power system based on the occupancy status, and control the power system in accordance with the parameter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 14, 2016
    Publication date: November 16, 2017
    Applicant: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Kenneth James Miller, Thomas G. Leone, Christopher Alan Lear, Chris James Hocking