Patents by Inventor Daniel James Nichols

Daniel James Nichols 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: 20240367711
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus are disclosed herein to center a steering wheel. An example vehicle includes a steering assistance system, an axle including a wheel, memory, and a processor to execute instructions to identify a first position of the wheel, detect a request to move the wheel to a second position, adjust the wheel from the first position to the second position via the steering assistance system, disengage the steering assistance system, the disengagement of the steering assistance system to cause the wheel to move to a third position, the third position offset from the second position by an angular offset in a first direction, adjust the wheel to a fourth position, the fourth position offset from the second position by the angular offset in a second direction different than the first direction, and disengage the steering assistance system, the disengagement of the steering assistance system to cause the wheel to move to the second position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 12, 2024
    Publication date: November 7, 2024
    Inventors: Daniel James Nichols, William James Bouse, Justin Sekula, Alex Parker, Zhongzhou Yang, Timothy Panagis, Zheng Tan, Bo Lin
  • Patent number: 12091106
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus are disclosed herein to center a steering wheel. An example vehicle includes a steering assistance system, an axle including a wheel, memory, and a processor to execute instructions to identify a first position of the wheel, detect a request to move the wheel to a second position, adjust the wheel from the first position to the second position via the steering assistance system, disengage the steering assistance system, the disengagement of the steering assistance system to cause the wheel to move to a third position, the third position offset from the second position by an angular offset in a first direction, adjust the wheel to a fourth position, the fourth position offset from the second position by the angular offset in a second direction different than the first direction, and disengage the steering assistance system, the disengagement of the steering assistance system to cause the wheel to move to the second position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2022
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2024
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Daniel James Nichols, William James Bouse, Justin Sekula, Alex Parker, Zhongzhou Yang, Timothy Panagis, Zheng Tan, Bo Lin
  • Patent number: 12005974
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus are disclosed herein to center a steering wheel. An example vehicle includes a steering position sensor to identify a steering wheel position, a pinion angle identifier to compare a first steering position angle to a second steering position angle, the second steering position angle corresponding to a centered steering wheel position, and an angle modifier to adjust the first steering position angle to match the second steering position angle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2024
    Assignee: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Daniel James Nichols, William James Bouse, Justin Sekula, Alex Parker, Zhongzhou Yang
  • Publication number: 20220289276
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus are disclosed herein to center a steering wheel. An example vehicle includes a steering position sensor to identify a steering wheel position, a pinion angle identifier to compare a first steering position angle to a second steering position angle, the second steering position angle corresponding to a centered steering wheel position, and an angle modifier to adjust the first steering position angle to match the second steering position angle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 15, 2021
    Publication date: September 15, 2022
    Inventors: Daniel James Nichols, William James Bouse, Justin Sekula, Alex Parker, Zhongzhou Yang
  • Publication number: 20220289270
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus are disclosed herein to center a steering wheel. An example vehicle includes a steering assistance system, an axle including a wheel, memory, and a processor to execute instructions to identify a first position of the wheel, detect a request to move the wheel to a second position, adjust the wheel from the first position to the second position via the steering assistance system, disengage the steering assistance system, the disengagement of the steering assistance system to cause the wheel to move to a third position, the third position offset from the second position by an angular offset in a first direction, adjust the wheel to a fourth position, the fourth position offset from the second position by the angular offset in a second direction different than the first direction, and disengage the steering assistance system, the disengagement of the steering assistance system to cause the wheel to move to the second position..
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 2, 2022
    Publication date: September 15, 2022
    Inventors: Daniel James Nichols, William James Bouse, Justin Sekula, Alex Parker, Zhongzhou Yang, Timothy Panagis, Zheng Tan, Bo Lin