Patents by Inventor Clayton Benjamin Ford

Clayton Benjamin Ford 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: 11904761
    Abstract: This disclosure relates to an exterior lighting system for a motor vehicle. An example system includes a plurality of lights configured to illuminate an area adjacent the motor vehicle, a plurality of sensors, and a controller configured to selectively activate and deactivate the lights based on signals from the sensors. The example system includes various aspects configured to preserve energy, including reducing the polling rate of sensors corresponding to deactivated lights, increasing light intensity in proportion to the speed of detected motion, and only illuminating those lights that correspond to locations of a recognized user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Stuart C. Salter, Hussein Berry, Clayton Benjamin Ford, Paul Kenneth Dellock, David Brian Glickman, Dave Diamond
  • Publication number: 20230392430
    Abstract: A system includes a first panel and a second panel. The first panel is configured to be movably mounted within a vehicle structure to move between an open position and a closed position. The second panel is moveable independently of the first panel within the vehicle structure by a drive mechanism between a deployed position and a non-deployed position. The second panel is automatically or selectively moved to the deployed position to provide a privacy mode within a passenger compartment.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 6, 2022
    Publication date: December 7, 2023
    Inventors: Stuart C. Salter, Chester Stanislaus Walawender, Paul Kenneth Dellock, Michael John Harmon, Jesse Rene Diephuis, David Brian Glickman, Clayton Benjamin Ford, Hussain Z. Tajmahal
  • Publication number: 20230360446
    Abstract: A vehicle includes a wireless transceiver configured to receive sampled data from a vehicle assistance device, the sampled data being from a plurality of sampling locations by the vehicle assistance device; and a controller programmed to generate a driving path using the plurality of sampling locations, and responsive to arriving at one of the sampling locations, adjust a vehicle setting using the sampled data corresponding to the one of the sampling locations.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 5, 2022
    Publication date: November 9, 2023
    Inventors: Clayton Benjamin FORD, Ryan Wayne WARNER, Mark VOJTISEK, Anna Frances Hardig HENDRICKSON
  • Patent number: 11708062
    Abstract: A system and method of controlling components of a vehicle are disclosed. The method includes the steps of sensing a current position of a rear closure panel with a closure panel position sensor, sensing a speed of the vehicle with a speed sensor, and sensing a current environmental condition with an environmental precipitation sensor. The method also includes adjusting a degree of openness of at least one window as a result of the closure panel position sensor indicating that the rear closure panel is in an open position, the speed sensor indicating that a speed of the vehicle is greater than zero kilometers per hour (kph), and the current environmental condition that is indicated by the environmental precipitation sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2023
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Stuart C. Salter, Paul Kenneth Dellock, David Brian Glickman, David M. Diamond, Clayton Benjamin Ford, Alexander Douglas Long
  • Publication number: 20220324309
    Abstract: A system for a vehicle includes a first closure panel of the vehicle operable between open and closed positions, a second closure panel of the vehicle operable between open and closed positions, at least one sensor that is coupled to the first closure panel and that detects precipitation, and a controller that prompts movement of the first closure panel from a first open position to a second open position based on the detected precipitation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 13, 2021
    Publication date: October 13, 2022
    Applicant: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Stuart C. Salter, Annette Lynn Huebner, Kristopher Karl Brown, David Michael Diamond, Clayton Benjamin Ford
  • Publication number: 20220325569
    Abstract: A system for a vehicle comprises first and second closure panels of the vehicle that are operable between open and closed positions, and at least one sensor coupled to the first closure panel that detects an obstruction in a pivot path of the second closure panel. The first closure panel forms at least a portion of a rear gate assembly of the vehicle. A controller receives data from the at least one sensor and prompts a vehicle action based on the received data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 13, 2021
    Publication date: October 13, 2022
    Applicant: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Stuart C. Salter, Annette Lynn Huebner, Kristopher Karl Brown, David Michael Diamond, Clayton Benjamin Ford
  • Publication number: 20220327873
    Abstract: A system for a vehicle includes a human-machine interface, a microphone that detects sound, a sound source device that emits sound, and a controller that prompts pairing of the sound source device and the microphone, such that the sound source device emits sound corresponding to the sound detected by the microphone. The controller prompts pairing of the sound source device and the microphone in response to at least one of (i) the vehicle entering a reverse mode, and (ii) receiving a user input entered into the human-machine interface via selection of an input option by a user, wherein the input option is made accessible for selection by the user in response to the vehicle entering the reverse mode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 13, 2021
    Publication date: October 13, 2022
    Applicant: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Stuart C. Salter, Annette Lynn Huebner, Kristopher Karl Brown, David Michael Diamond, Clayton Benjamin Ford
  • Publication number: 20220324308
    Abstract: A system for a vehicle having a trailer coupled thereto includes a rear gate assembly of the vehicle having a first closure panel operable between an open position and a closed position. The system also includes at least one sensor coupled to the first closure panel. The system further includes a controller that prompts execution of a security measure in response to the at least one sensor detecting a person within a predetermined proximity of at least a portion of the trailer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 13, 2021
    Publication date: October 13, 2022
    Applicant: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Stuart C. Salter, Annette Lynn Huebner, Kristopher Karl Brown, David Michael Diamond, Clayton Benjamin Ford
  • Publication number: 20220314957
    Abstract: A system and method of controlling components of a vehicle are disclosed. The method includes the steps of sensing a current position of a rear closure panel with a closure panel position sensor, sensing a speed of the vehicle with a speed sensor, and sensing a current environmental condition with an environmental precipitation sensor. The method also includes adjusting a degree of openness of at least one window as a result of the closure panel position sensor indicating that the rear closure panel is in an open position, the speed sensor indicating that a speed of the vehicle is greater than zero kilometers per hour (kph), and the current environmental condition that is indicated by the environmental precipitation sensor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 5, 2021
    Publication date: October 6, 2022
    Applicant: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Stuart C. Salter, Paul Kenneth Dellock, David Brian Glickman, David M. Diamond, Clayton Benjamin Ford, Alexander Douglas Long
  • Publication number: 20220289103
    Abstract: A liftgate lighting system for a vehicle includes a liftgate assembly having a first liftgate panel and a second liftgate panel. Each of the first liftgate panel and the second liftgate panel is operable between an opened position and a closed position. The second liftgate panel has a proximal end and a distal end. A sensor proximate to the proximal end of the second liftgate panel. The sensor defines a sensor field. A lamp assembly is coupled to the second liftgate panel. A controller is communicatively coupled to the lamp assembly. The controller activates the lamp assembly and the lamp assembly directs light to a ground area proximate to the second liftgate panel when the lower liftgate panel is in the opened position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 10, 2021
    Publication date: September 15, 2022
    Applicant: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Stuart C. Salter, Paul Kenneth Dellock, Peter Phung, Clayton Benjamin Ford, David M. Diamond, Aaron Bradley Johnson
  • Patent number: 11440462
    Abstract: A liftgate lighting system for a vehicle includes a liftgate assembly having a first liftgate panel and a second liftgate panel. Each of the first liftgate panel and the second liftgate panel is operable between an opened position and a closed position. The second liftgate panel has a proximal end and a distal end. A sensor proximate to the proximal end of the second liftgate panel. The sensor defines a sensor field. A lamp assembly is coupled to the second liftgate panel. A controller is communicatively coupled to the lamp assembly. The controller activates the lamp assembly and the lamp assembly directs light to a ground area proximate to the second liftgate panel when the lower liftgate panel is in the opened position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2022
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Stuart C. Salter, Paul Kenneth Dellock, Peter Phung, Clayton Benjamin Ford, David M. Diamond, Aaron Bradley Johnson
  • Publication number: 20220185170
    Abstract: This disclosure relates to an exterior lighting system for a motor vehicle. An example system includes a plurality of lights configured to illuminate an area adjacent the motor vehicle, a plurality of sensors, and a controller configured to selectively activate and deactivate the lights based on signals from the sensors. The example system includes various aspects configured to preserve energy, including reducing the polling rate of sensors corresponding to deactivated lights, increasing light intensity in proportion to the speed of detected motion, and only illuminating those lights that correspond to locations of a recognized user.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 14, 2020
    Publication date: June 16, 2022
    Inventors: Stuart C. Salter, Hussein Berry, Clayton Benjamin Ford, Paul Kenneth Dellock, David Brian Glickman, Dave Diamond
  • Patent number: 11247635
    Abstract: A system for providing access to a vehicle includes first and second closure panels of the vehicle that are operable between open and closed positions. The system also includes a sensing system of the vehicle that senses at least one characteristic of a user positioned in an exterior environment of the vehicle. The system further includes a controller that determines a load carrying condition of the user based on the at least one characteristic of the user sensed by the sensing system. The controller prompts movement of the first closure panel from the closed position to the open position based on a determination of a first load carrying condition of the user. The controller also prompts movement of the first and second closure panels from the closed positions to the open positions based on a determination of a second load carrying condition of the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2022
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Stuart C. Salter, Annette Lynn Huebner, Kristopher Karl Brown, David Michael Diamond, Clayton Benjamin Ford