Patents by Inventor James Robert McBride

James Robert McBride 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).

  • Publication number: 20200406902
    Abstract: A LIDAR sensor is mountable to a vehicle exterior with a field of view including a vehicle interior view first portion and a vehicle exterior view first portion. Data can be received from the LIDAR sensor. A state of a vehicle occupant can be determined based at least in part on data from the LIDAR sensor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 10, 2020
    Publication date: December 31, 2020
    Applicant: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: James Robert McBride
  • Patent number: 10821987
    Abstract: A LIDAR sensor is mountable to a vehicle exterior with a field of view including a vehicle interior view first portion and a vehicle exterior view first portion. Data can be received from the LIDAR sensor. A state of a vehicle occupant can be determined based at least in part on data from the LIDAR sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2020
    Assignee: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventor: James Robert McBride
  • Patent number: 10035498
    Abstract: A vehicle camera cleaning system includes an air source and a computer processing unit configured to communicate with the air source. The air source is configured to apply an air flow to a lens of a camera. The camera includes a successive and repeated operational mode and non-operational mode. The computer processing unit includes a non-transitory computer readable medium having instructions to cause the computer processing unit to transmit a signal to the air source to actuate the air flow based on the camera being in the non-operational mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2018
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Andrew Richardson, James Robert McBride, Gaurav Pandey, Shane Elwart
  • Patent number: 9934688
    Abstract: A system includes a computer programmed to identify, from a first vehicle, one or more second vehicles within a specified distance to the first vehicle. The computer is further programmed to receive data about operations of each of the second vehicles, including trajectory data. Based on the data, the computer is programmed to identify, for each of the second vehicles, a distribution of probabilities of each of a set of potential planned trajectories. The computer is further programmed to determine a planned trajectory for the first vehicle, based on the respective distributions of probabilities of each of the set of potential planned trajectories for each of the second vehicles. The computer is further programmed to provide an instruction to at least one controller associated with the first vehicle based on the determined planned trajectory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2018
    Assignees: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC, THE REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN
    Inventors: Edwin Olson, Enric Galceran, Alexander G. Cunningham, Ryan M. Eustice, James Robert McBride
  • Patent number: 9896029
    Abstract: A vehicle is provided that includes an external body panel that includes a license plate positioned on the external body panel. A lighting assembly is disposed on the vehicle and a detectable layer is disposed on at least one of the license plate and the lighting assembly. The detectable layer is configured to reflect at least one band of the electromagnetic spectrum.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2018
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Mark Edward Nichols, James Robert Mcbride
  • Publication number: 20180029530
    Abstract: A vehicle is provided that includes an external body panel that includes a license plate positioned on the external body panel. A lighting assembly is disposed on the vehicle and a detectable layer is disposed on at least one of the license plate and the lighting assembly. The detectable layer is configured to reflect at least one band of the electromagnetic spectrum.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 26, 2016
    Publication date: February 1, 2018
    Applicant: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Mark Edward Nichols, James Robert Mcbride
  • Publication number: 20180022356
    Abstract: A LIDAR sensor is mountable to a vehicle exterior with a field of view including a vehicle interior view first portion and a vehicle exterior view first portion. Data can be received from the LIDAR sensor. A state of a vehicle occupant can be determined based at least in part on data from the LIDAR sensor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 20, 2016
    Publication date: January 25, 2018
    Applicant: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: James Robert McBride
  • Patent number: 9823081
    Abstract: At least one first model represents a person. A request to pick up a passenger includes a first location and a personal identifier for the passenger. A vehicle is caused to navigate to the first location. The passenger is identified by comparing a second model generated from vehicle sensor data with the first model.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2017
    Assignee: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Mark Crawford, James Robert McBride, Shane Elwart, Schuyler Cohen
  • Patent number: 9618938
    Abstract: A system includes a computer programmed to determine, along a nominal path to be traversed by a vehicle, a potential field representing a driving corridor for the vehicle. The computer is further programmed to identify a position of the vehicle relative to the potential field at a current time, and apply a torque to q steering column of the vehicle. The torque is based at least in part on the position. The potential field includes an attractive potential that guides the vehicle to remain within the corridor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2017
    Assignees: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC, THE REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN
    Inventors: Edwin Olson, Enric Galceran, Ryan M. Eustice, James Robert McBride
  • Publication number: 20170031362
    Abstract: A system includes a computer programmed to determine, along a nominal path to be traversed by a vehicle, a potential field representing a driving corridor for the vehicle. The computer is further programmed to identify a position of the vehicle relative to the potential field at a current time, and apply a torque to q steering column of the vehicle. The torque is based at least in part on the position. The potential field includes an attractive potential that guides the vehicle to remain within the corridor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 31, 2015
    Publication date: February 2, 2017
    Inventors: Edwin Olson, Enric Galceran, Ryan M. Eustice, James Robert McBride
  • Publication number: 20170031361
    Abstract: A system includes a computer programmed to identify, from a first vehicle, one or more second vehicles within a specified distance to the first vehicle. The computer is further programmed to receive data about operations of each of the second vehicles, including trajectory data. Based on the data, the computer is programmed to identify, for each of the second vehicles, a distribution of probabilities of each of a set of potential planned trajectories. The computer is further programmed to determine a planned trajectory for the first vehicle, based on the respective distributions of probabilities of each of the set of potential planned trajectories for each of the second vehicles. The computer is further programmed to provide an instruction to at least one controller associated with the first vehicle based on the determined planned trajectory.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 31, 2015
    Publication date: February 2, 2017
    Inventors: Edwin Olson, Enric Galceran, Alexander G. Cunningham, Ryan M. Eustice, James Robert McBride
  • Publication number: 20160311405
    Abstract: A vehicle camera cleaning system includes an air source and a computer processing unit configured to communicate with the air source. The air source is configured to apply an air flow to a lens of a camera. The camera includes a successive and repeated operational mode and non-operational mode. The computer processing unit includes a non-transitory computer readable medium having instructions to cause the computer processing unit to transmit a signal to the air source to actuate the air flow based on the camera being in the non-operational mode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 22, 2015
    Publication date: October 27, 2016
    Inventors: Andrew RICHARDSON, James Robert MCBRIDE, Gaurav PANDEY, Shane ELWART
  • Patent number: 9457684
    Abstract: A system includes a first battery configured to power at least one vehicle subsystem and a second battery configured to power an electric motor to propel a vehicle. A processing device is configured to detect an inadequate power level provided from the first battery to the at least one vehicle subsystem and selectively partition the second battery to power the at least one vehicle subsystem.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2016
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Dale Scott Crombez, Jerome Charles Ivan, James Robert McBride, Wayne Williams, Paul Joseph Szuszman, Roger Arnold Trombley, Peter Worrel, Hai Yu
  • Patent number: 9446768
    Abstract: Vehicle operating systems are autonomously operated. A transient in an upcoming path of the vehicle is determined from a comparison of vehicle path data and vehicle status data to a threshold of mechanism first operating system. Operational parameters for one of first and second operating systems are selected according to the comparison. The selected operational parameters are applied to the operation of the one of the first and second operating systems.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2016
    Assignee: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Christopher Attard, Dale Scott Crombez, Jerome Charles Ivan, John P. Joyce, James Robert McBride, Wayne Williams, Paul Joseph Szuszman, Peter Worrel, Hai Yu, John Shutko, Jeff Allen Greenberg, Rajit Johri, Devinder Singh Kochhar, Hongtei Eric Tseng, Douglas Scott Rhode
  • Publication number: 20160161266
    Abstract: At least one first model represents a person. A request to pick up a passenger includes a first location and a personal identifier for the passenger. A vehicle is caused to navigate to the first location. The passenger is identified by comparing a second model generated from vehicle sensor data with the first model.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 3, 2014
    Publication date: June 9, 2016
    Applicant: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Mark Crawford, James Robert McBride, Shane Elwart, Schuyler Cohen
  • Publication number: 20150274027
    Abstract: A system includes a first battery configured to power at least one vehicle subsystem and a second battery configured to power an electric motor to propel a vehicle. A processing device is configured to detect an inadequate power level provided from the first battery to the at least one vehicle subsystem and selectively partition the second battery to power the at least one vehicle subsystem.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 26, 2014
    Publication date: October 1, 2015
    Applicant: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Dale Scott Crombez, Jerome Charles Ivan, James Robert McBride, Wayne Williams, Paul Joseph Szuszman, Roger Arnold Trombley, Peter Worrel, Hai Yu
  • Publication number: 20150274169
    Abstract: Vehicle operating systems are autonomously operated. A transient in an upcoming path of the vehicle is determined from a comparison of vehicle path data and vehicle status data to a threshold of mechanism first operating system. Operational parameters for one of first and second operating systems are selected according to the comparison. The selected operational parameters are applied to the operation of the one of the first and second operating systems.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 26, 2014
    Publication date: October 1, 2015
    Applicant: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Christopher Attard, Dale Scott Crombez, Jerome Charles Ivan, John P. Joyce, James Robert McBride, Wayne Williams, Paul Joseph Szuszman, Peter Worrel, Hai YU, John Shutko, Jeff Allen Greenberg, Rajit Johri, Devinder Singh Kochhar, Hongtei Eric Tseng, Douglas Scott Rhode