Patents by Inventor David D Dicks

David D Dicks 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: 9663075
    Abstract: An automotive vehicle has an electric parking brake (EPB) and an electronic control unit (ECU) configured to control the EPB. The ECU is configured to control the EPB to apply it upon determining that a driver is not present in the vehicle. The ECU is configured to determine whether the driver is present in the vehicle or not based at least upon there having been or not having been a steering input. The ECU is configured to determine that there has been a steering input when a steering torque signal from an electric power steering system of the vehicle has changed by at least a threshold amount during a set period of time based and determine that there has not been a steering input when the steering torque signal has not changed by at least the threshold amount during the set period of time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2017
    Assignee: FCA US LLC
    Inventors: Paul H Stoloff, David Myzienski, David D Dicks
  • Publication number: 20170043752
    Abstract: An automotive vehicle has an electric parking brake (EPB) and an electronic control unit (ECU) configured to control the EPB. The ECU is configured to control the EPB to apply it upon determining that a driver is not present in the vehicle. The ECU is configured to determine whether the driver is present in the vehicle or not based at least upon there having been or not having been a steering input. The ECU is configured to determine that there has been a steering input when a steering torque signal from an electric power steering system of the vehicle has changed by at least a threshold amount during a set period of time based and determine that there has not been a steering input when the steering torque signal has not changed by at least the threshold amount during the set period of time.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 13, 2015
    Publication date: February 16, 2017
    Inventors: Paul H. Stoloff, David Myzienski, David D. Dicks
  • Patent number: 9151383
    Abstract: A method for interactive transmission garage shifts includes receiving a request for a transmission garage shift; controlling the transmission to bring the vehicle to a stop state based on determining that the vehicle is rolling backwards on a grade above a predetermined grade threshold and at a speed below a predetermined speed threshold; controlling an electric park brake (EPB) to hold the vehicle at the stop state; controlling the transmission to engage a dog clutch so as to place the transmission in a forward drive gear; and controlling the EPB to i) deactivate if the dog clutch is determined to be engaged, or ii) maintain activation to maintain the vehicle at the stop state if the dog clutch is determined to be disengaged.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2015
    Assignee: FCA US LLC
    Inventors: Joseph B. Adams, Changwei Cao, Jason P. Frisch, David D. Dicks, Richard G. Mayer, Joseph J. Sobczak, William Mayhew, Raymond J. Tessier, Jr.
  • Publication number: 20140358388
    Abstract: A method for interactive transmission garage shifts includes receiving a request for a transmission garage shift; controlling the transmission to bring the vehicle to a stop state based on determining that the vehicle is rolling backwards on a grade above a predetermined grade threshold and at a speed below a predetermined speed threshold; controlling an electric park brake (EPB) to hold the vehicle at the stop state; controlling the transmission to engage a dog clutch so as to place the transmission in a forward drive gear; and controlling the EPB to i) deactivate if the dog clutch is determined to be engaged, or ii) maintain activation to maintain the vehicle at the stop state if the dog clutch is determined to be disengaged.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 23, 2014
    Publication date: December 4, 2014
    Inventors: Joseph B. Adams, Changwei Cao, Jason P. Frisch, David D. Dicks, Richard G. Mayer, Joseph J. Sobczak, William Mayhew, Raymond J. Tessier, JR.
  • Patent number: 6817337
    Abstract: A cover connector has posts which support a cover over an air intake manifold of an automotive vehicle engine, and also support fuel rails and ignited cable separator clips. Each post has a screw on the lower end adapted to thread into an anchorage of the air intake manifold, a clamping flange to clamp a mounting tab on one of the fuel rails down on the anchorage, a support flange to support an end of one of the cable separator clips, and a retainer to hold the end of the cable clip down on the support flange.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2004
    Assignee: DaimlerChrysler Corporation
    Inventors: Andrew J Siring, David D Dicks, Mathew Brockett