Patents by Inventor Dustin A. Crooks

Dustin A. Crooks 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).

  • Systems and methods for alerting drivers of excessive tongue weight
    Patent number: 10946710
    Abstract: A vehicle includes a suspension that includes a front suspension and a rear suspension, a trailer hitch configured to removably connect to a tongue of a trailer, at least one front suspension transducer configured to generate a front suspension displacement signal, at least one rear suspension transducer configured to generate a rear suspension displacement signal, and an electronic control unit. The electronic control unit is configured to receive the front suspension displacement signal, receive the rear suspension displacement signal, and generate an alert of an excessive tongue weight condition based on one or more of the front suspension displacement signal and the rear suspension displacement signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2021
    Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.
    Inventor: Dustin A. Crooks
  • SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR ALERTING DRIVERS OF EXCESSIVE TONGUE WEIGHT
    Publication number: 20200047579
    Abstract: A vehicle includes a suspension that includes a front suspension and a rear suspension, a trailer hitch configured to removably connect to a tongue of a trailer, at least one front suspension transducer configured to generate a front suspension displacement signal, at least one rear suspension transducer configured to generate a rear suspension displacement signal, and an electronic control unit. The electronic control unit is configured to receive the front suspension displacement signal, receive the rear suspension displacement signal, and generate an alert of an excessive tongue weight condition based on one or more of the front suspension displacement signal and the rear suspension displacement signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 8, 2018
    Publication date: February 13, 2020
    Applicant: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.
    Inventor: Dustin A. Crooks