Patents by Inventor Jeffery R. Grimes

Jeffery R. Grimes 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: 11705591
    Abstract: A method of detecting a thermal event associated with a battery assembly of an electrified vehicle includes, among other things, obtaining a temperature reading from a sensor associated with an area of the battery assembly, assessing whether the sensor is flagged with a first identifier or a second identifier. The first identifier indicates that the temperature reading is reliable. The second identifier indicates that the temperature reading is unreliable. If the sensor is flagged with the first identifier, the method detects a thermal event associated with the battery assembly based on the temperature reading from the sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2023
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Hesam Zomorodi Moghadam, Navid Rahbariasr, Xu Wang, Graham Lynn Briggs, Jeffery R. Grimes, Michael George Schamber, Wai Hwa Fong
  • Patent number: 11648838
    Abstract: This disclosure relates to an electrified vehicle and a method for gradually adjusting a displayed state of charge. An exemplary electrified vehicle includes a battery, a display configured to display a state of charge of the battery, and a controller configured to adjust the displayed state of charge such that the displayed state of charge gradually converges to an estimated state of charge of the battery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2023
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Heinrich Enslin, Lila Ghannam, Charles Everett Badger, II, Xu Wang, Jeffery R. Grimes
  • Publication number: 20220077517
    Abstract: A method of detecting a thermal event associated with a battery assembly of an electrified vehicle includes, among other things, obtaining a temperature reading from a sensor associated with an area of the battery assembly, assessing whether the sensor is flagged with a first identifier or a second identifier. The first identifier indicates that the temperature reading is reliable. The second identifier indicates that the temperature reading is unreliable. If the sensor is flagged with the first identifier, the method detects a thermal event associated with the battery assembly based on the temperature reading from the sensor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 9, 2020
    Publication date: March 10, 2022
    Inventors: Hesam Zomorodi Moghadam, Navid Rahbariasr, Xu Wang, Graham Lynn Briggs, Jeffery R. Grimes, Michael George Schamber, Wai Hwa Fong
  • Publication number: 20220055484
    Abstract: This disclosure relates to an electrified vehicle and a method for gradually adjusting a displayed state of charge. An exemplary electrified vehicle includes a battery, a display configured to display a state of charge of the battery, and a controller configured to adjust the displayed state of charge such that the displayed state of charge gradually converges to an estimated state of charge of the battery.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 8, 2021
    Publication date: February 24, 2022
    Inventors: Heinrich Enslin, Lila Ghannam, Charles Everett Badger, II, Xu Wang, Jeffery R. Grimes
  • Patent number: 11198365
    Abstract: This disclosure relates to an electrified vehicle and a method for gradually adjusting a displayed state of charge. An exemplary electrified vehicle includes a battery, a display configured to display a state of charge of the battery, and a controller configured to adjust the displayed state of charge such that the displayed state of charge gradually converges to an estimated state of charge of the battery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2021
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Heinrich Enslin, Lila Ghannam, Charles Everett Badger, II, Xu Wang, Jeffery R. Grimes
  • Patent number: 11135939
    Abstract: An electrified vehicle includes a powertrain that includes an engine and an electric machine. The vehicle includes a traction battery that is charged and discharged by operation of the engine and the electric machined. The vehicle includes a controller programmed to operate the engine and the electric machine to satisfy a driver power demand. The controller is also programmed to initiate an estimated of a capacity of the traction battery under predetermined conditions. The controller operates the engine and the electric machine to satisfy the driver power demand and charge and discharge the traction battery in a predetermined manner to create conditions favorable for estimating the capacity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 5, 2021
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Heinrich Enslin, Jeffery R. Grimes
  • Patent number: 11130420
    Abstract: A power distribution system for a vehicle includes contactors that selectively electrically couple a charger to a high-voltage bus. The contactors are closed at the start of a charge event in an order that alternates for successive charge events. Upon completion of the charge event, the last closed contactor at the start of the charge event is opened first and a weld check is performed. If the weld check is indicative of a welded contactor, then the weld check is performed on the other contactor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 28, 2021
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Rui Wang, Yuan Zhang, Xu Wang, Jeffery R. Grimes
  • Patent number: 11110809
    Abstract: A vehicle system includes a battery, and a charge controller configured to, for a first cycle, initiate charging of the battery at a first start time identified from a defined charge complete time and a first energy estimate of non-charging loads, and, for a next charge cycle and same defined charge complete time, initiate charging of the battery at a next start time, later than the first start time, identified from the same defined charge complete time and actual energy consumed by the non-charging loads during the first cycle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2021
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Navid Rahbari Asr, Jeffery R. Grimes, Charles Everett Badger, II
  • Patent number: 11084394
    Abstract: An electrified vehicle state of charge communication method includes, among other things, communicating a charge state notification when an actual state of charge of a traction battery is depleted such that the actual state of charge falls within a first reserve range. The method further includes adjusting the first reserve range to provide a second reserve range different than the first reserve range, and, after the adjusting, communicating the charge state notification when the actual state of charge is depleted such that the actual state of charge falls within the second reserve range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2021
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Heinrich Enslin, Jeffery R. Grimes
  • Publication number: 20210146796
    Abstract: An electrified vehicle includes a powertrain that includes an engine and an electric machine. The vehicle includes a traction battery that is charged and discharged by operation of the engine and the electric machined. The vehicle includes a controller programmed to operate the engine and the electric machine to satisfy a driver power demand. The controller is also programmed to initiate an estimated of a capacity of the traction battery under predetermined conditions. The controller operates the engine and the electric machine to satisfy the driver power demand and charge and discharge the traction battery in a predetermined manner to create conditions favorable for estimating the capacity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 19, 2019
    Publication date: May 20, 2021
    Inventors: Heinrich ENSLIN, Jeffery R. Grimes
  • Patent number: 10994617
    Abstract: A system includes a primary monitoring system to determine a battery status of a battery pack and a secondary monitoring system configured to monitor the battery status as communicated by the primary monitoring system over a network. At least one of the primary and secondary monitoring systems generates a warning signal when the battery status comprises a thermal event that reaches a predetermined level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 4, 2021
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Navid Rahbari Asr, Jeffery R. Grimes, Wai Hwa Fong
  • Patent number: 10955453
    Abstract: An electrified vehicle includes a global positioning system (GPS) module. The vehicle further includes a controller programmed to learn a source identification for a charging error during charge events. The controller receives location data corresponding to each charging error and utilizes the location data to determine the source identification. The source identification may be indicative of the vehicle, an offboard charger, and the operator. Errors that occur consistently at multiple locations may be assigned a higher probability of being identified as vehicle-related errors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2021
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Navid Rahbari Asr, Lila Ghannam, Yuan Zhang, Jeffery R. Grimes
  • Patent number: 10933768
    Abstract: A vehicle charging system includes a charger configured to adjust an output voltage to achieve a voltage request and output a measured output voltage. The vehicle charging system further includes a controller programmed to measure a terminal voltage of a traction battery being charged and receive the measured output voltage from the charger. The controller is further programmed to output the voltage request as a sum of a full charge voltage and an estimated voltage measurement error between the measured output voltage and the terminal voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2021
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC.
    Inventors: Yuan Zhang, Jeffery R. Grimes, Navid Rahbari Asr, Lila Ghannam, Changjian Hu, Kevin Vander Laan, Matthew Roger Dedona
  • Patent number: 10906414
    Abstract: This disclosure describes exemplary electrified vehicle charging systems and methods for charging energy storage devices (e.g., battery packs) of the vehicles. An exemplary charging system may be configured to monitor the electrified vehicle for determining whether either a recoverable vehicle fault or a non-recoverable vehicle fault occurs during a charging event and to automatically command a charging sequence restart without unplugging a charging component from a vehicle inlet assembly in response to detecting the recoverable vehicle fault. The control system may also be configured to provide remote notification about the need to unplug and replug the charging component when the non-recoverable fault is detected or when greater than a predefined number of charging sequence restarts have been attempted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2021
    Assignee: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Wai Hwa Fong, Jeffery R. Grimes, Navid Rahbari Asr, Charles Everett Badger, II
  • Patent number: 10816609
    Abstract: A vehicle power system includes an inverter, outlets, and circuit breakers. The inverter supplies power to the outlets through the circuit breakers. The inverter, in response to detecting no voltage at designated amount and combination of the outlets, based on the designated amount and combination, generates a signal indicating that one or more of electrical paths to the outlets has failed or one or more of the circuit breakers is open.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2020
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Heinrich Enslin, Jeffery R. Grimes
  • Publication number: 20200317076
    Abstract: A power distribution system for a vehicle includes contactors that selectively electrically couple a charger to a high-voltage bus. The contactors are closed at the start of a charge event in an order that alternates for successive charge events. Upon completion of the charge event, the last closed contactor at the start of the charge event is opened first and a weld check is performed. If the weld check is indicative of a welded contactor, then the weld check is performed on the other contactor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 5, 2019
    Publication date: October 8, 2020
    Inventors: Rui WANG, Yuan ZHANG, Xu WANG, Jeffery R. GRIMES
  • Publication number: 20200269720
    Abstract: An electrified vehicle state of charge communication method includes, among other things, communicating a charge state notification when an actual state of charge of a traction battery is depleted such that the actual state of charge falls within a first reserve range. The method further includes adjusting the first reserve range to provide a second reserve range different than the first reserve range, and, after the adjusting, communicating the charge state notification when the actual state of charge is depleted such that the actual state of charge falls within the second reserve range.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 26, 2019
    Publication date: August 27, 2020
    Inventors: Heinrich Enslin, Jeffery R. Grimes
  • Patent number: 10718630
    Abstract: A hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) that includes a communication unit configured to periodically respond to a charge signal, and to adjust a travel route and charge waypoint, according to an estimated charge station travel route and waypoint charge time received from a remote fleet server. The estimates are received in response to periodic operating conditions that are generated and communicated to the server. The operating conditions include one or more of charge station, environment, and location data, vehicle data, and battery performance data, among other data. The controller further configured to respond to travel route and/or charge complete signals, and to generate and store an estimate error as a difference between the actual and estimated optimal charge route and charge time. The controller readjusts at least one of the travel route and charge waypoint, responsive to the updated estimated optimal charge route and waypoint charge time received from the server.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2020
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Navid Rahbari Asr, Jeffery R. Grimes
  • Publication number: 20200189407
    Abstract: This disclosure describes exemplary electrified vehicle charging systems and methods for charging energy storage devices (e.g., battery packs) of the vehicles. An exemplary charging system may be configured to monitor the electrified vehicle for determining whether either a recoverable vehicle fault or a non-recoverable vehicle fault occurs during a charging event and to automatically command a charging sequence restart without unplugging a charging component from a vehicle inlet assembly in response to detecting the recoverable vehicle fault. The control system may also be configured to provide remote notification about the need to unplug and replug the charging component when the non-recoverable fault is detected or when greater than a predefined number of charging sequence restarts have been attempted.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 13, 2018
    Publication date: June 18, 2020
    Inventors: Wai Hwa Fong, Jeffery R. Grimes, Navid Rahbari Asr, Charles Everett Badger, II
  • Publication number: 20200156475
    Abstract: A system includes a primary monitoring system to determine a battery status of a battery pack and a secondary monitoring system configured to monitor the battery status as communicated by the primary monitoring system over a network. At least one of the primary and secondary monitoring systems generates a warning signal when the battery status comprises a thermal event that reaches a predetermined level.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 19, 2018
    Publication date: May 21, 2020
    Inventors: Navid Rahbari Asr, Jeffery R. Grimes, Wai Hwa Fong