Patents by Inventor James L. Czekaj

James L. Czekaj 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: 5742141
    Abstract: A semi-autonomous parking system calculates the current position as well as the desired trajectory required to accomplish the parking task by utilizing vehicle position measurements. The parking system alters the power steering's required effort to maneuver the vehicle thus providing tactile feedback to the vehicle operator. The required effort is decreased when it is determined that the operator is steering the vehicle within the desired trajectory and is increased when it is determined that the operator is steering the vehicle outside the desired trajectory. The operator can feel increases and decreases in steering effort at the steering wheel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 1996
    Date of Patent: April 21, 1998
    Assignee: Ford Motor Company
    Inventor: James L. Czekaj
  • Patent number: 5469510
    Abstract: An acoustic production system having multiple signal sources and a power amplifier driving an acoustic transducer such as a loudspeaker includes an arbitrator in a power limiter circuit to selectively limit the input level of one of the sources to the power amp in response to an overdrive signal from the amplifier. The input level to the power amplifier is automatically reduced in response to the overdrive signal until a predetermined level of limiting has been attained. Once the predetermined level of limiting is reached, the arbitrator outputs a second overdrive signal to prompt additional limiting of the power amplifier output. Preferably, the arbitrator is included in an interior active noise cancellation module combined with an audio entertainment system for a passenger compartment of a motor vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 1993
    Date of Patent: November 21, 1995
    Assignee: Ford Motor Company
    Inventors: Henry F. Blind, Anthony J. Campagne, James L. Czekaj, Nicholas L. Difiore, Earl R. Geddes, Andrew C. Krochmal, Myron I. Senyk