Patents by Inventor Howard Robert FROST

Howard Robert FROST 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: 11580862
    Abstract: A control system for a vehicle includes an engine controller operable to determine a requested engine torque in response to a cruise control set command and a cruise control offset value, determine an engine torque command in response to the requested engine torque and a torque limit, and control operation of an engine in response to the engine torque command. The control system also includes a platooning controller operable to determine and provide to the engine controller the cruise control set command, the cruise control offset value and the torque limit effective to cause the engine controller to control the engine to provide a desired following distance between the vehicle and a second vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2023
    Assignee: Cummins Inc.
    Inventors: Vivek Anand Sujan, Christine L. Hilmer, Ethan Charles Seifer, Howard Robert Frost
  • Publication number: 20200301444
    Abstract: A control system for a vehicle includes an engine controller operable to determine a requested engine torque in response to a cruise control set command and a cruise control offset value, determine an engine torque command in response to the requested engine torque and a torque limit, and control operation of an engine in response to the engine torque command. The control system also includes a platooning controller operable to determine and provide to the engine controller the cruise control set command, the cruise control offset value and the torque limit effective to cause the engine controller to control the engine to provide a desired following distance between the vehicle and a second vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 9, 2020
    Publication date: September 24, 2020
    Inventors: Vivek Anand Sujan, Christine L. Hillmer, Ethan Charles Seifer, Howard Robert Frost
  • Publication number: 20200173802
    Abstract: Systems and apparatuses include a vehicle locator circuit that is structured to receive GPS signal coordinates and a road parameter associated with the GPS signal coordinates. The vehicle locator circuit is further structured to identify a current road segment associated with the GPS coordinates. A map data circuit is structured to store the road parameter and GPS signal coordinates associated with the current road segment. A route response circuit is structured to determine look-ahead parameters characterizing a future road segment based on input received from the vehicle locator circuit and the map data circuit, and a communication interface is structured to communicate the look-ahead parameters to an engine control module for improving vehicle performance during travel on the future road segment.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 7, 2018
    Publication date: June 4, 2020
    Inventors: Arun Prakash Thunga Gopal, Vivek Anand Sujan, Kenneth M. Follen, Howard Robert Frost, Jaidev Khatri, Pinak Jayant Tulpule, Apurva Arvind Chunodkar, Mugdha S. Sane, Yared G. Tadesse, Tejas Shrikant Kinjawadekar, Archit N. Koti, Xuan Feng, Patrick J. Shook, Feng Liu
  • Publication number: 20190389450
    Abstract: An apparatus includes a torque circuit and a clutch circuit. The torque circuit is structured to monitor a torque demand level of an engine. The clutch circuit is structured to (i) disengage an engine clutch of a transmission to decouple the engine from the transmission in response to the torque demand level of the engine falling below a threshold torque level and (ii) disengage a motor-generator clutch of the transmission to decouple a motor-generator from the engine in response to the torque demand level of the engine falling below the threshold torque level. The motor-generator is directly coupled to the transmission.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 29, 2017
    Publication date: December 26, 2019
    Applicant: Cummins Inc.
    Inventors: Vivek Anand Sujan, Howard Robert Frost, Arun Prakash Thunga Gopal
  • Patent number: 10479360
    Abstract: A system, method, and apparatus includes management of coasting during operation of a vehicle equipped with a predictive cruise control system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2019
    Assignee: Cummins Inc.
    Inventors: Joseph R. Dynes, Daniel Reed Dempsey, Kenneth M. Follen, Howard Robert Frost, Oruganti Prashanth Sharma, Ian Fredrick Lowry, Nathanael G. Long
  • Publication number: 20190344794
    Abstract: A system, method, and apparatus includes management of coasting during operation of a vehicle equipped with a predictive cruise control system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 23, 2019
    Publication date: November 14, 2019
    Inventors: Joseph R. Dynes, Daniel Reed Dempsey, Kenneth M. Follen, Howard Robert Frost, Oruganti Prashanth Sharma, Ian Fredrick Lowry, Nathanael G. Long
  • Patent number: 10399569
    Abstract: A system, method, and apparatus includes management of coasting during operation of a vehicle equipped with a predictive cruise control system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2019
    Assignee: Cummins Inc.
    Inventors: Joseph R. Dynes, Daniel Reed Dempsey, Kenneth M. Follen, Howard Robert Frost, Oruganti Prashanth Sharma, Ian Fredrick Lowry, Nathanael G. Long
  • Patent number: 10093299
    Abstract: A vehicle may include a controller configured to control the vehicle to operate in an active control mode or a passive control mode. In the passive control mode, the controller may provide a feedback indicator on a human machine interface. In the active control mode, the controller may provide a control command to an engine control unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2018
    Assignee: Cummins Inc.
    Inventors: Vivek Anand Sujan, Phani Vajapeyazula, Kenneth Follen, An Wu, Barty L. Moffett, Howard Robert Frost, Suk-Min Moon, Jaidev Khatri, Wesley M. Mays
  • Patent number: 9658077
    Abstract: An apparatus remotely provides refueling management instructions for a vehicle. One or more initial vehicle parameters are determined, including an initial quantity of fuel, a plurality of route parameters including a starting point, an ending point and an estimated average fuel efficiency of the vehicle, and a plurality of refueling parameters including one or more refueling locations. The sufficiency of an initial quantity of fuel is evaluated in relation to the estimated average fuel efficiency and a distance to be traveled by the vehicle equal to a difference between the ending point and the starting point. One or more current vehicle parameters are interpreted at a first predetermined time, a refueling agenda is created, and an associated predetermined refueling amount at each of the identified one or more refueling locations is determined.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2017
    Assignee: Cummins Inc.
    Inventors: An Wu, Kenneth M. Follen, Howard Robert Frost, Suk-Min Moon, Vivek A. Sujan, Phani Vajapeyazula
  • Publication number: 20170137029
    Abstract: A system, method, and apparatus includes management of coasting during operation of a vehicle equipped with a predictive cruise control system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 3, 2016
    Publication date: May 18, 2017
    Inventors: Joseph R. Dynes, Daniel Reed Dempsey, Kenneth M. Follen, Howard Robert Frost, Oruganti Prashanth Sharma, Ian Fredrick Lowery, Nathanael G. Long
  • Publication number: 20160047665
    Abstract: An apparatus remotely provides refueling management instructions for a vehicle. One or more initial vehicle parameters are determined, including an initial quantity of fuel, a plurality of route parameters including a starting point, an ending point and an estimated average fuel efficiency of the vehicle, and a plurality of refueling parameters including one or more refueling locations. The sufficiency of an initial quantity of fuel is evaluated in relation to the estimated average fuel efficiency and a distance to be traveled by the vehicle equal to a difference between the ending point and the starting point. One or more current vehicle parameters are interpreted at a first predetermined time, a refueling agenda is created, and an associated predetermined refueling amount at each of the identified one or more refueling locations is determined.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 29, 2015
    Publication date: February 18, 2016
    Applicant: Cummins Inc.
    Inventors: An Wu, Kenneth M. Follen, Howard Robert Frost, Suk-Min Moon, Vivek A. Sujan, Phani Vajapeyazula
  • Patent number: 9175970
    Abstract: A method and system for remotely determining real-time operating fuel efficiencies based on dynamic operating characteristics of a vehicle to generate an optimal refueling management approach for the vehicle by providing refueling locations and associated refueling amounts for each refueling location, to achieve improved vehicle fuel economy, is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2015
    Assignee: Cummins Inc.
    Inventors: An Wu, Kenneth Follen, Howard Robert Frost, Suk-Min Moon, Vivek A. Sujan, Phani Vajapeyazula
  • Publication number: 20150239454
    Abstract: A vehicle may include a controller configured to control the vehicle to operate in an active control mode or a passive control mode. In the passive control mode, the controller may provide a feedback indicator on a human machine interface. In the active control mode, the controller may provide a control command to an engine control unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 19, 2015
    Publication date: August 27, 2015
    Inventors: Vivek Anand Sujan, Phani Vajapeyazula, Kenneth Follen, An Wu, Barty L. Moffett, Howard Robert Frost, Suk-Min Moon, Jaidev Khatri, Wes Mays
  • Publication number: 20150039215
    Abstract: A method and system for remotely determining real-time operating fuel efficiencies based on dynamic operating characteristics of a vehicle to generate an optimal refueling management approach for the vehicle by providing refueling locations and associated refueling amounts for each refueling location, to achieve improved vehicle fuel economy, is provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 2, 2013
    Publication date: February 5, 2015
    Applicant: Cummins Inc.
    Inventors: An WU, Kenneth FOLLEN, Howard Robert FROST, Suk-Min MOON, Vivek A. SUJAN, Phani VAJAPEYAZULA