Patents by Inventor Douglas J. Rogan

Douglas J. Rogan 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: 11851061
    Abstract: A hitch assist system for a vehicle comprises an imaging system that receives image data of a hitch ball and trailer coupler, and a controller. The controller estimates a distance between a point on each of the hitch ball and trailer coupler. The points are parallel to a plane defined by a surface beneath the hitch ball and trailer coupler. The controller tracks the distance with a pixel-domain comparison between each of the points responsive to the distance being less than a first threshold, and maneuvers, via steering and braking systems, the vehicle along a path such that the distance is indicative of the points being coaxial.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2023
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Luke Niewiadomski, Douglas J. Rogan, Nikhil Nagraj Rao, Vidya Nariyambut Murali, Bruno Sielly Jales Costa
  • Patent number: 11787436
    Abstract: A system for assisting in aligning a vehicle for hitching with a trailer includes a steering system that adjusts a steering angle of the vehicle, a braking system that adjusts a speed of the vehicle, an imaging system that receives image data of a trailer disposed in an area proximate the vehicle, and a controller. The controller detects, within a threshold distance defined from a stationary point on the vehicle and the trailer, a position of a coupler from the image data, and, responsive to the position being less than the threshold distance, a status of the trailer based on the image data being indicative of a position of a hitch ball relative to the coupler within a second threshold. The controller maneuvers, via the steering and braking systems, the vehicle based on the status.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2023
    Assignee: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Luke Niewiadomski, Bruno Sielly Jales Costa, Nikhil Nagraj Rao, Douglas J. Rogan
  • Publication number: 20220315034
    Abstract: A system for assisting in aligning a vehicle for hitching with a trailer includes a steering system that adjusts a steering angle of the vehicle, a braking system that adjusts a speed of the vehicle, an imaging system that receives image data of a trailer disposed in an area proximate the vehicle, and a controller. The controller detects, within a threshold distance defined from a stationary point on the vehicle and the trailer, a position of a coupler from the image data, and, responsive to the position being less than the threshold distance, a status of the trailer based on the image data being indicative of a position of a hitch ball relative to the coupler within a second threshold. The controller maneuvers, via the steering and braking systems, the vehicle based on the status.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 21, 2022
    Publication date: October 6, 2022
    Applicant: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Luke Niewiadomski, Bruno Sielly Jales Costa, Nikhil Nagraj Rao, Douglas J. Rogan
  • Patent number: 11390294
    Abstract: A system for assisting in aligning a vehicle for hitching with a trailer includes a steering system that adjusts a steering angle of the vehicle, a braking system that adjusts a speed of the vehicle, an imaging system that receives image data of a trailer disposed in an area proximate the vehicle, and a controller. The controller detects, within a threshold distance defined from a stationary point on the vehicle and the trailer, a position of a coupler from the image data, and, responsive to the position being less than the threshold distance, a status of the trailer based on the image data being indicative of a position of a hitch ball relative to the coupler within a second threshold. The controller maneuvers, via the steering and braking systems, the vehicle based on the status.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2022
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Luke Niewiadomski, Bruno Sielly Jales Costa, Nikhil Nagraj Rao, Douglas J. Rogan
  • Patent number: 10962980
    Abstract: A vehicle system comprises a hitch ball mounted on a vehicle. The system further comprises a plurality of sensor devices comprising an ultrasonic sensor and an image sensor. A controller is configured to process image data from the image sensor identifying a coupler position of a trailer. The controller is further configured to process ultrasonic data from the ultrasonic sensor identifying a proximity of the trailer. Based on the proximity of the trailer, the system is configured to identify the trailer in a detection range of the image sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2021
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Luke Niewiadomski, Erick Michael Lavoie, Eric L. Reed, Chen Zhang, Roger Arnold Trombley, Douglas J. Rogan, Bruno Sielly Jales Costa
  • Publication number: 20210086785
    Abstract: A system for assisting in aligning a vehicle for hitching with a trailer includes a steering system that adjusts a steering angle of the vehicle, a braking system that adjusts a speed of the vehicle, an imaging system that receives image data of a trailer disposed in an area proximate the vehicle, and a controller. The controller detects, within a threshold distance defined from a stationary point on the vehicle and the trailer, a position of a coupler from the image data, and, responsive to the position being less than the threshold distance, a status of the trailer based on the image data being indicative of a position of a hitch ball relative to the coupler within a second threshold. The controller maneuvers, via the steering and braking systems, the vehicle based on the status.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 25, 2019
    Publication date: March 25, 2021
    Applicant: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Luke Niewiadomski, Bruno Sielly Jales Costa, Nikhil Nagraj Rao, Douglas J. Rogan
  • Publication number: 20210061280
    Abstract: A hitch assist system for a vehicle comprises an imaging system that receives image data of a hitch ball and trailer coupler, and a controller. The controller estimates a distance between a point on each of the hitch ball and trailer coupler. The points are parallel to a plane defined by a surface beneath the hitch ball and trailer coupler. The controller tracks the distance with a pixel-domain comparison between each of the points responsive to the distance being less than a first threshold, and maneuvers, via steering and braking systems, the vehicle along a path such that the distance is indicative of the points being coaxial.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 26, 2019
    Publication date: March 4, 2021
    Applicant: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Luke Niewiadomski, Douglas J. Rogan, Nikhil Nagraj Rao, Vidya Nariyambut Murali, Bruno Sielly Jales Costa
  • Publication number: 20200073398
    Abstract: A vehicle system comprises a hitch ball mounted on a vehicle. The system further comprises a plurality of sensor devices comprising an ultrasonic sensor and an image sensor. A controller is configured to process image data from the image sensor identifying a coupler position of a trailer. The controller is further configured to process ultrasonic data from the ultrasonic sensor identifying a proximity of the trailer. Based on the proximity of the trailer, the system is configured to identify the trailer in a detection range of the image sensor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 30, 2018
    Publication date: March 5, 2020
    Applicant: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Luke Niewiadomski, Erick Michael Lavoie, Eric L. Reed, Chen Zhang, Roger Arnold Trombley, Douglas J. Rogan, Bruno Sielly Jales Costa