Patents by Inventor Gregory A. Kaepp

Gregory A. Kaepp 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: 6969084
    Abstract: A bumper assembly for a motor vehicle includes a bumper structure having a bumper beam adapted for attachment to a structure of a motor vehicle such as a frame or rails, or the like. A hitch is attached to the bumper beam, and a bumper cover conceals the bumper beam. The bumper cover has an opening for accessing the hitch and an access door for selectively concealing the hitch. The access door is mounted to the bumper structure such that the access door will be retained upon the bumper structure not only when the access door is concealing the hitch but also when the access door is open to allow an accessory such as a trailer to be coupled to the hitch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2005
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies Inc.
    Inventors: Gregory A. Kaepp, Conrad M. Kudelko, Robert T. Laster, Irfan Sharif
  • Patent number: 5799293
    Abstract: A method for designing a product using a set of parameters and a set of instructions provided by a user is disclosed wherein the method includes the steps of receiving the set of parameters and the set of instructions to establish requirements of the product, determining a first calculation based on a calculated reason, performing the first calculation using the set of parameters and the set of instructions to achieve a first solution, communicating the first calculation to the user, communicating the calculated reason for performing the first calculation to the user, reviewing a set of second calculations, determining a preferred second calculation from the set of second calculations based on a second calculated reason, performing the preferred second calculation using the set of parameters and the set of instructions and the first solution, communicating the preferred second calculation to the user, and communicating the second calculated reason for performing the preferred second calculation to the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 1996
    Date of Patent: August 25, 1998
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Gregory A. Kaepp
  • Patent number: 5748943
    Abstract: An adaptive CAD system, comprising: (a) gathering data consisting of at least one of (i) human generated information and techniques, and (ii) machine generated information and rules; (b) processing the gathered data by instructions to produce processed knowledge containing script without a product or part design; (c) recursively editing the processed knowledge to continuously improve the script to form an executable part design, such processing being carried out by inputting into the editing process at least one of (i) recently learned data, (ii) associative techniques, relations and features, and (iii) knowledge-based rules and instructions and (d) inputting the history of step (c) into processed knowledge, such inputting creating captured improvement criteria, that is iteratively and recursively feeding back into either the recursive editing process or into processing of step (b) to effect evolvement of an executable design form.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 1995
    Date of Patent: May 5, 1998
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Gregory A. Kaepp, Beverly J. Becker