Patents by Inventor Howard A. Kell

Howard A. Kell 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).

  • Method of preventing odometer fraud
    Patent number: 5924057
    Abstract: A method is provided for preventing odometer fraud on a vehicle having a multiplex ring including a plurality of vehicle control modules in electrical communication with each other. The multiplex ring includes a cluster control module with an odometer display. The method includes: a) displaying an odometer mileage variable; b) periodically storing the displayed odometer mileage variable in a non-volatile memory location in the cluster control module; and c) periodically storing the displayed odometer mileage variable in a non-volatile memory location in at least one of the vehicle control modules other than the cluster control module, thereby increasing the level of difficulty of odometer tampering.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 1997
    Date of Patent: July 13, 1999
    Assignee: Ford Motor Company
    Inventor: Howard A. Kell