Patents by Inventor Craig Lechlitner

Craig Lechlitner 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: 12110002
    Abstract: Responsive to a user request, a controller operates an engine of a vehicle while parked to charge a traction battery to a target state of charge that exceeds a maximum state of charge limit, used during drive of the vehicle by an electric machine, in advance of a predefined period of time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2024
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Stephen Thomas Powell, Samuel Johnson, Garrett Carlson, Craig Lechlitner
  • Patent number: 12077147
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for operating a driveline of a hybrid vehicle during conditions when a temperature of a motor/generator is increasing. In one example, a method is provided that adjusts engine speed as a function of motor/generator temperature while maintaining engine power output when driver demand wheel power is constant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2022
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2024
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Craig Lechlitner, Lucas Kizer, Carol Louise Okubo, Bryan Whitney D Belt
  • Publication number: 20230017528
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for operating a driveline of a hybrid vehicle during conditions when a temperature of a motor/generator is increasing. In one example, a method is provided that adjusts engine speed as a function of motor/generator temperature while maintaining engine power output when driver demand wheel power is constant.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 28, 2022
    Publication date: January 19, 2023
    Inventors: Craig Lechlitner, Lucas Kizer, Carol Louise Okubo, Bryan Whitney D. Belt
  • Patent number: 11505175
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for operating a driveline of a hybrid vehicle during conditions when a temperature of a motor/generator is increasing. In one example, a method is provided that adjusts engine speed as a function of motor/generator temperature while maintaining engine power output when driver demand wheel power is constant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2022
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Craig Lechlitner, Lucas Kizer, Carol Louise Okubo, Bryan Whitney D Belt
  • Patent number: 11407404
    Abstract: A vehicle includes an engine, a continuously variable transmission including an input shaft coupled to the engine, an output shaft, an electric machine, and a gearing arrangement. The electric machine is configured to actuate the gearing arrangement to change a speed ratio between the input and output shafts. A controller is programmed to, responsive to a request to manually shift the transmission to one of a predetermined number of virtual discrete speed ratios and the engine being OFF, command starting of the engine regardless of a driver-demand torque and operate the electric machine to shift the transmission to the one of the speed ratios.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2022
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Tyler James-Ray Kaldobsky, Craig Lechlitner, Seth Anthony Bryan
  • Publication number: 20220194359
    Abstract: A vehicle includes an engine, a continuously variable transmission including an input shaft coupled to the engine, an output shaft, an electric machine, and a gearing arrangement. The electric machine is configured to actuate the gearing arrangement to change a speed ratio between the input and output shafts. A controller is programmed to, responsive to a request to manually shift the transmission to one of a predetermined number of virtual discrete speed ratios and the engine being OFF, command starting of the engine regardless of a driver-demand torque and operate the electric machine to shift the transmission to the one of the speed ratios.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 17, 2020
    Publication date: June 23, 2022
    Inventors: Tyler James-Ray Kaldobsky, Craig Lechlitner, Seth Anthony Bryan
  • Patent number: 11273686
    Abstract: This disclosure relates to an electrified vehicle having a control strategy for managing battery and cabin cooling. A corresponding method is also disclosed. An example electrified vehicle includes a cabin thermal management system configured to thermally condition a cabin of the electrified vehicle. The cabin thermal management system includes a compressor. The vehicle further includes a battery thermal management system configured to thermally condition a battery of the electrified vehicle, and a controller configured issue an instruction to reduce the speed of the compressor based, at least in part, on a speed of the electrified vehicle and a temperature of the battery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2022
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Jennifer Helen Chang, Christopher Michael Kava, Craig Lechlitner, Brett Allen Dunn
  • Patent number: 11236825
    Abstract: A vehicle includes an engine, a continuously variable transmission, and a controller. The controller, responsive to a request to manually shift the continuously variable transmission and the engine being on, operates the continuously variable transmission atone of a predetermined number of discrete ratios such that a speed of the engine changes by at least a predetermined amount.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2022
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Craig Lechlitner, Seth Anthony Bryan, Tyler James-Ray Kaldobsky
  • Publication number: 20210291629
    Abstract: This disclosure relates to an electrified vehicle having a control strategy for managing battery and cabin cooling. A corresponding method is also disclosed. An example electrified vehicle includes a cabin thermal management system configured to thermally condition a cabin of the electrified vehicle. The cabin thermal management system includes a compressor. The vehicle further includes a battery thermal management system configured to thermally condition a battery of the electrified vehicle, and a controller configured issue an instruction to reduce the speed of the compressor based, at least in part, on a speed of the electrified vehicle and a temperature of the battery.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 19, 2020
    Publication date: September 23, 2021
    Inventors: Jennifer Helen Chang, Christopher Michael Kava, Craig Lechlitner, Brett Allen Dunn
  • Patent number: 11085389
    Abstract: A method for operating a vehicle that may be automatically stopped and started is described. In one example, the method includes inhibiting automatic engine stopping in response to a temperature of an emissions device exceeding a threshold temperature. In addition, additional actions may be taken to reduce the temperature of the emissions device when automatic engine stopping is inhibited.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2021
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Lucas Kizer, Craig Lechlitner
  • Publication number: 20210171009
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for operating a driveline of a hybrid vehicle during conditions when a temperature of a motor/generator is increasing. In one example, a method is provided that adjusts engine speed as a function of motor/generator temperature while maintaining engine power output when driver demand wheel power is constant.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 9, 2019
    Publication date: June 10, 2021
    Inventors: Craig Lechlitner, Lucas Kizer, Carol Louise Okubo, Bryan Whitney D. Belt
  • Publication number: 20200361468
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for operating a continuously variable transmission (CVT) of a driveline of a vehicle during a request for engine compression braking. In one example, a method may include, responsive to an engine compression braking request, operating a CVT via a controller to adjust engine speed according to an engine speed-to-vehicle speed profile selected based on a power-based target engine speed for the engine compression braking request. The power-based target engine speed may vary continuously with driver demanded power and a battery charge power limit of the vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 17, 2019
    Publication date: November 19, 2020
    Inventors: Bryan Whitney Belt, Carol Okubo, Craig Lechlitner
  • Patent number: 10836391
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for operating a continuously variable transmission (CVT) of a driveline of a vehicle during a request for engine compression braking. In one example, a method may include, responsive to an engine compression braking request, operating a CVT via a controller to adjust engine speed according to an engine speed-to-vehicle speed profile selected based on a power-based target engine speed for the engine compression braking request. The power-based target engine speed may vary continuously with driver demanded power and a battery charge power limit of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2020
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Bryan Whitney Belt, Carol Okubo, Craig Lechlitner
  • Patent number: 10632996
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for enhancing reverse driving torque in a powersplit hybrid electric vehicle powertrain. In one example, a method may include accelerating an engine via a generator functioning as a motor, any number of times, to provide an engine braking torque that may increase a reverse driving torque to enable the vehicle to be propelled in reverse at a vehicle speed above a threshold vehicle speed. In this way, reverse gradability may be improved and customer satisfaction increased.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2020
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Craig Lechlitner, Kenneth Frederick, Floyd Cadwell
  • Publication number: 20180326988
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for enhancing reverse driving torque in a powersplit hybrid electric vehicle powertrain. In one example, a method may include accelerating an engine via a generator functioning as a motor, any number of times, to provide an engine braking torque that may increase a reverse driving torque to enable the vehicle to be propelled in reverse at a vehicle speed above a threshold vehicle speed. In this way, reverse gradability may be improved and customer satisfaction increased.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 9, 2017
    Publication date: November 15, 2018
    Inventors: Craig Lechlitner, Kenneth Frederick, Floyd Cadwell