Patents by Inventor Christopher Edward PEDLAR

Christopher Edward PEDLAR 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: 10569778
    Abstract: A vehicle having a manual transmission, adaptive cruise control, and an electric motor/generator includes electric creep and electric crawl modes that use the electric motor/generator to propel the vehicle when in traffic. Creep mode may be enabled and the engine stopped automatically when the transmission is in neutral and the vehicle is stationary. Crawl mode may be activated when the creep mode and the adaptive cruise control are enabled to use the electric motor/generator and adaptive cruise control to maintain a target distance to a forward vehicle. The creep mode may be canceled responsive to brake pedal activation. The creep mode and crawl mode may be canceled and the engine started responsive to clutch pedal or accelerator pedal activation. The creep mode and crawl mode may be deactivated responsive to battery charge level being below a threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2020
    Assignee: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Christopher Edward Pedlar, Anthemios Philemon Petridis, David Hesketh
  • Patent number: 10502174
    Abstract: A vehicle and associated method of operating a vehicle having an engine, a user interface configured to select a start-stop mode, and a controller communicating with the engine and the user interface automatically shutdown and restart the engine, and inhibit the automatic engine shutdown or restart responsive to any of a first group of inhibitors, or alternatively, any of the first group and a second group of inhibitors depending on the start-stop mode selected via the user interface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2019
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Christopher Edward Pedlar, David Hesketh
  • Patent number: 10293673
    Abstract: A system for providing electric creep in a manual transmission vehicle having an accelerator pedal, a brake pedal, and an engine uses an electric motor configured to provide creep torque to a transmission output shaft when the manual transmission is in neutral, the electric creep mode is activated and the engine is auto-stopped. The system may provide forward or reverse creep torque. The system may cancel the electric creep in response to a vehicle door opening, a driver unbuckling a seatbelt, or depressing the accelerator pedal or the clutch pedal, or shifting the manual transmission out of neutral.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2019
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Christopher Edward Pedlar, David Hesketh
  • Patent number: 10221822
    Abstract: A vehicle and method of controlling a vehicle having an engine and braking system having an associated braking pressure include stopping the engine responsive to the brake pressure being above a first threshold, restarting the engine responsive to the brake pressure falling below a second threshold, reducing the second threshold for a predetermined time after the vehicle speed falls below a speed threshold, and resetting the second threshold after the predetermined time. The predetermined time may be modified based on input from a user interface or a user-selected vehicle operating mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2019
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Christopher Edward Pedlar, David Hesketh, Gary David Paisley, Dilli Raj Poudel
  • Publication number: 20180274510
    Abstract: A vehicle and associated method of operating a vehicle having an engine, a user interface configured to select a start-stop mode, and a controller communicating with the engine and the user interface automatically shutdown and restart the engine, and inhibit the automatic engine shutdown or restart responsive to any of a first group of inhibitors, or alternatively, any of the first group and a second group of inhibitors depending on the start-stop mode selected via the user interface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 23, 2018
    Publication date: September 27, 2018
    Applicant: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Christopher Edward PEDLAR, David HESKETH
  • Patent number: 10072625
    Abstract: A vehicle start-stop system includes an engine and a controller. The controller is programmed to operate the system in a first mode when a first input is selected, and in a second mode when a second input is selected. The controller is further programmed to inhibit engine stop in response to being in the first mode and an evaporator temperature having a first value, and stop the engine in response to being in the second mode and the evaporator temperature having the first value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2018
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: David Hesketh, Themi Philemon Petridis, Ian Halleron, Christopher Edward Pedlar
  • Publication number: 20180156178
    Abstract: A vehicle and method of controlling a vehicle having an engine and braking system having an associated braking pressure include stopping the engine responsive to the brake pressure being above a first threshold, restarting the engine responsive to the brake pressure falling below a second threshold, reducing the second threshold for a predetermined time after the vehicle speed falls below a speed threshold, and resetting the second threshold after the predetermined time. The predetermined time may be modified based on input from a user interface or a user-selected vehicle operating mode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 1, 2017
    Publication date: June 7, 2018
    Applicant: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Christopher Edward PEDLAR, David HESKETH, Gary David PAISLEY, Dilli Raj POUDEL
  • Publication number: 20180099673
    Abstract: A vehicle having a manual transmission, adaptive cruise control, and an electric motor/generator includes electric creep and electric crawl modes that use the electric motor/generator to propel the vehicle when in traffic. Creep mode may be enabled and the engine stopped automatically when the transmission is in neutral and the vehicle is stationary. Crawl mode may be activated when the creep mode and the adaptive cruise control are enabled to use the electric motor/generator and adaptive cruise control to maintain a target distance to a forward vehicle. The creep mode may be canceled responsive to brake pedal activation. The creep mode and crawl mode may be canceled and the engine started responsive to clutch pedal or accelerator pedal activation. The creep mode and crawl mode may be deactivated responsive to battery charge level being below a threshold.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 9, 2017
    Publication date: April 12, 2018
    Applicant: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Christopher Edward PEDLAR, Anthemios Philemon PETRIDIS, David HESKETH
  • Publication number: 20170260954
    Abstract: A vehicle start-stop system includes an engine and a controller. The controller is programmed to operate the system in a first mode when a first input is selected, and in a second mode when a second input is selected. The controller is further programmed to inhibit engine stop in response to being in the first mode and an evaporator temperature having a first value, and stop the engine in response to being in the second mode and the evaporator temperature having the first value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 30, 2017
    Publication date: September 14, 2017
    Inventors: David HESKETH, Themi Philemon PETRIDIS, Ian HALLERON, Christopher Edward PEDLAR
  • Publication number: 20170072943
    Abstract: A system for providing electric creep in a manual transmission vehicle having an accelerator pedal, a brake pedal, and an engine uses an electric motor configured to provide creep torque to a transmission output shaft when the manual transmission is in neutral, the electric creep mode is activated and the engine is auto-stopped. The system may provide forward or reverse creep torque. The system may cancel the electric creep in response to a vehicle door opening, a driver unbuckling a seatbelt, or depressing the accelerator pedal or the clutch pedal, or shifting the manual transmission out of neutral.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 9, 2016
    Publication date: March 16, 2017
    Applicant: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Christopher Edward PEDLAR, David HESKETH
  • Publication number: 20140309910
    Abstract: A method of controlling an engine of a stop-start enabled motor vehicle is disclosed in which the conditions used to determine whether to stop or start the engine are changed based upon whether maximum driver comfort or maximum fuel economy are requested by a driver of the motor vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 31, 2014
    Publication date: October 16, 2014
    Applicant: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: David HESKETH, Themi Philemon PETRIDIS, Ian HALLERON, Christopher Edward PEDLAR