Patents by Inventor Doug B. Thornburg

Doug B. Thornburg 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: 10678530
    Abstract: Systems, devices, and methods are disclosed for determining whether to provide an over-the-air (OTA) update to a vehicle. An example method includes determining an update characteristic of a pending software update for a vehicle. The method also includes determining a vehicle battery state of charge (SOC) threshold based on the update characteristic. The method further includes modifying the threshold based on a location of the vehicle. The method still further includes determining a SOC of a battery of the vehicle. And the method yet further includes responsively providing the pending software update to the vehicle based on the SOC and the threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2020
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Sangeetha Sangameswaran, Jason Michael Miller, William C. Dierker, Doug B. Thornburg
  • Patent number: 10629081
    Abstract: Accelerometer-based external sound monitoring for backup assistance in a vehicle. The vehicle includes an accelerometer mounted on an internal surface of a rear window of the vehicle, a rear view camera, and a processor. The processor identifies a source of a sound that causes vibrations on the rear window that are captured by the accelerometer. The processor also categorizes the sound and provides an alert based on a category of the sound.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2020
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Mahmoud Yousef Ghannam, Brian Bennie, Scott Andrew Amman, Joshua Wheeler, Doug B. Thornburg
  • Patent number: 10525921
    Abstract: An example vehicle for monitoring windshield vibrations for vehicle collision detection includes a windshield, a vibration sensor coupled to the windshield to detect window vibrations of the windshield, a first accelerometer to detect vehicle body vibrations of a vehicle body, and a restraint control module. The restraint control module is to detect an event based upon the window vibrations and determine whether the event is a collision event or a non-collision event responsive to comparing the window vibrations and the vehicle body vibrations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2020
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Mahmoud Yousef Ghannam, Joshua Wheeler, Brian Bennie, Scott Andrew Amman, Doug B. Thornburg
  • Publication number: 20190212997
    Abstract: Systems, devices, and methods are disclosed for determining whether to provide an over-the-air (OTA) update to a vehicle. An example method includes determining an update characteristic of a pending software update for a vehicle. The method also includes determining a vehicle battery state of charge (SOC) threshold based on the update characteristic. The method further includes modifying the threshold based on a location of the vehicle. The method still further includes determining a SOC of a battery of the vehicle. And the method yet further includes responsively providing the pending software update to the vehicle based on the SOC and the threshold.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 9, 2018
    Publication date: July 11, 2019
    Inventors: Sangeetha Sangameswaran, Jason Michael Miller, William C. Dierker, Doug B. Thornburg
  • Patent number: 10308225
    Abstract: Method and apparatus are disclosed for accelerometer-based windshield wiper monitoring. A vehicle includes an accelerometer affixed to a vehicle window, a windshield wiper to actuate across the vehicle window, and a processor. The processor is configured to determine an acoustic profile corresponding to the windshield wiper based on structure-borne audio data received from the accelerometer, determine whether a bandlimited decibel level of the acoustic profile exceeds a threshold, and responsively provide an alert via a vehicle display.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2019
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Joshua Wheeler, Scott Amman, Doug B. Thornburg, Brian Bennie, Mahmoud Ghannam
  • Publication number: 20190130756
    Abstract: Method and apparatus are disclosed for accelerometer-based external sound monitoring for backup assistance in a vehicle. An example vehicle includes an accelerometer mounted on an internal surface of a rear window of the vehicle, a rear view camera, and a processor. The processor identifies a source of a sound that causes vibrations on the rear window that are captured by the accelerometer. The processor also categorizes the sound and provides an alert based on a category of the sound.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 2, 2017
    Publication date: May 2, 2019
    Inventors: Mahmoud Yousef Ghannam, Brian Bennie, Scott Andrew Amman, Joshua Wheeler, Doug B. Thornburg
  • Patent number: 10266168
    Abstract: Various embodiments of the present disclosure provide systems and methods for predictive road sensing to minimize transient electrical load issues in a vehicle. More specifically, various embodiments include a system and method for minimizing electrical load issues in a vehicle by sensing a vehicle's surroundings using sensing devices (such as sensors, or a camera), utilizing detected road condition information to determine a need for starting and/or operating a motor, and preemptively soft starting the motors to avoid a spike in transient load for the vehicular control system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2019
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: Doug B. Thornburg
  • Publication number: 20190061697
    Abstract: Method and apparatus are disclosed for accelerometer-based windshield wiper monitoring. A vehicle includes an accelerometer affixed to a vehicle window, a windshield wiper to actuate across the vehicle window, and a processor. The processor is configured to determine an acoustic profile corresponding to the windshield wiper based on structure-borne audio data received from the accelerometer, determine whether a bandlimited decibel level of the acoustic profile exceeds a threshold, and responsively provide an alert via a vehicle display.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 22, 2017
    Publication date: February 28, 2019
    Inventors: Joshua Wheeler, Scott Amman, Doug B. Thornburg, Brian Bennie, Mahmoud Ghannam
  • Publication number: 20190047500
    Abstract: Method and apparatus are disclosed for monitoring windshield vibrations for vehicle collision detection. An example vehicle includes a windshield, a vibration sensor coupled to the windshield to detect window vibrations of the windshield, a first accelerometer to detect vehicle body vibrations of a vehicle body, and a restraint control module. The restraint control module is to detect an event based upon the window vibrations and determine whether the event is a collision event or a non-collision event responsive to comparing the window vibrations and the vehicle body vibrations.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 10, 2017
    Publication date: February 14, 2019
    Inventors: Mahmoud Yousef Ghannam, Joshua Wheeler, Brian Bennie, Scott Andrew Amman, Doug B. Thornburg
  • Patent number: 10049654
    Abstract: Method and apparatus are disclosed for accelerometer-based external sound monitoring. A vehicle includes accelerometers, speakers, and an infotainment head unit. The accelerometers are affixed to windows of the vehicle. The speakers are located inside the vehicle in the vicinity of the accelerometers. Each of the speakers is uniquely associated with one of the accelerometers. The infotainment head unit, when the vehicle is not in motion and when a signal is received from one of the accelerometers, plays the signal only on the associated one of the speakers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2018
    Assignee: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Joshua Wheeler, Scott Andrew Amman, Doug B. Thornburg, Brian Bennie, Mahmoud Yousef Ghannam
  • Patent number: 9875591
    Abstract: Systems and methods for phone-as-a-key range extension are disclosed. An example disclosed vehicle includes an integrated antenna array with a plurality of antenna located on a roof of the vehicle. The plurality of antenna includes a personal area network antenna. The example vehicle also includes a personal area network module communicatively connected to the personal area network antenna. Additionally, the vehicle includes a key phone unit communicatively connected to the personal area network module. The example key phone unit performs key fob functions as requested by an authorized mobile device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2018
    Assignee: Ford Global Techologies, LLC
    Inventors: Brock Watters, Doug B. Thornburg
  • Publication number: 20170309098
    Abstract: Systems and methods for phone-as-a-key range extension are disclosed. An example disclosed vehicle includes an integrated antenna array with a plurality of antenna located on a roof of the vehicle. The plurality of antenna includes a personal area network antenna. The example vehicle also includes a personal area network module communicatively connected to the personal area network antenna. Additionally, the vehicle includes a key phone unit communicatively connected to the personal area network module. The example key phone unit performs key fob functions as requested by an authorized mobile device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 26, 2016
    Publication date: October 26, 2017
    Inventors: Brock Watters, Doug B. Thornburg
  • Publication number: 20170036676
    Abstract: Various embodiments of the present disclosure provide systems and methods for predictive road sensing to minimize transient electrical load issues in a vehicle. More specifically, various embodiments include a system and method for minimizing electrical load issues in a vehicle by sensing a vehicle's surroundings using sensing devices (such as sensors, or a camera), utilizing detected road condition information to determine a need for starting and/or operating a motor, and preemptively soft starting the motors to avoid a spike in transient load for the vehicular control system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 6, 2015
    Publication date: February 9, 2017
    Inventor: Doug B. Thornburg