Patents by Inventor Joseph M. Raad

Joseph M. Raad 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: 11760414
    Abstract: A system for calibrating a backup assist system for a trailer attached to a vehicle is provided which includes a hitch sensor continuously measuring a hitch angle between the vehicle and the trailer. A controller is configured to determine an offset of the measured hitch angle. The controller is configured to calculate and store in memory a forward offset if no reverse offset is stored.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2022
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2023
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLP
    Inventors: Erick Michael Lavoie, Joseph M. Raad, Donald Jacob Mattern
  • Patent number: 11440585
    Abstract: A trailer backup assist system is provided herein. The trailer backup assist system includes a hitch angle sensor configured to determine a hitch angle between a vehicle and a trailer attached thereto. An input device is configured to accept an input command corresponding to a trailer path command curvature. A controller is configured to determine a vehicle threshold speed limit by determining a first vehicle speed limit based on the hitch angle and a second speed limit based on the command curvature. The controller generates a command to limit vehicle speed in a reverse direction below the threshold speed limit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2022
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Erick Michael Lavoie, Donald Jacob Mattern, Joseph M. Raad
  • Publication number: 20220144339
    Abstract: A system for calibrating a backup assist system for a trailer attached to a vehicle is provided which includes a hitch sensor continuously measuring a hitch angle between the vehicle and the trailer. A controller is configured to determine an offset of the measured hitch angle. The controller is configured to calculate and store in memory a forward offset if no reverse offset is stored.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 24, 2022
    Publication date: May 12, 2022
    Applicant: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Erick Michael Lavoie, Joseph M. Raad, Donald Jacob Mattern
  • Patent number: 11267508
    Abstract: A system for calibrating a backup assist system for a trailer attached to a vehicle is provided which includes a hitch sensor continuously measuring a hitch angle between the vehicle and the trailer. A controller is configured to determine an offset of the measured hitch angle. The controller is configured to calculate and store in memory a forward offset if no reverse offset is stored.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2022
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Erick Michael Lavoie, Joseph M. Raad, Donald Jacob Mattern
  • Patent number: 11136060
    Abstract: A steering system includes an electric motor drivably coupled to a steering column, and a computer communicatively coupled to the electric motor. The computer is programmed to isolate a nibble signal in data representing a torque of the steering column, and instruct the electric motor to output a motor torque based on the nibble signal shifted by a phase shift, the phase shift based on a vehicle-wheel frequency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 5, 2021
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Joseph M. Raad, Darrel Alan Recker, Jan Bremkens, Daniel Slavin
  • Patent number: 10801910
    Abstract: A system includes a computer including a processor and a memory, the memory storing instructions executable by the processor to identify a wheel having a force imbalance based on wheel speed data from each of a plurality of vehicle wheels, and to identify a wheel force imbalance fault when the force imbalance exceeds at least one of a distance threshold and a time threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2020
    Assignee: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Joseph M. Raad, Daniel F. Slavin, Darrel Alan Recker, Kelly Trost, Fakhreddine Landolsi
  • Publication number: 20200262472
    Abstract: A steering system includes an electric motor drivably coupled to a steering column, and a computer communicatively coupled to the electric motor. The computer is programmed to isolate a nibble signal in data representing a torque of the steering column, and instruct the electric motor to output a motor torque based on the nibble signal shifted by a phase shift, the phase shift based on a vehicle-wheel frequency.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 19, 2019
    Publication date: August 20, 2020
    Applicant: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: JOSEPH M. RAAD, DARREL ALAN RECKER, JAN BREMKENS, DANIEL SLAVIN
  • Patent number: 10745021
    Abstract: Methods, apparatus, systems and articles of manufacture are disclosed for estimating a suspension displacement. An example apparatus includes a suspension motion determiner module programmed to output a signal to a first suspension assembly of a vehicle based on a first deflection of the first suspension assembly, the first deflection calculated based on a calculation and a second deflection of a second suspension assembly of the vehicle, the calculation selected based on whether the vehicle is utilized in a first mode or a second mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2020
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Ahmed Mohamed, Joseph M. Raad, Russ Lee Norton, Jorge Rivas
  • Patent number: 10730553
    Abstract: A system for assisting in reversing of a vehicle-trailer combination includes a vehicle steering system and a controller. The controller outputs a steering signal to the steering system to maintain the vehicle-trailer combination along a straight backing path and determines a straight-backing offset of a hitch angle in the vehicle-trailer combination as a proportion of an integral of a measured characteristic of the vehicle-trailer combination that varies from a desired zero value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2020
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Joseph M. Raad, Tyler Daavettila, Brian George Buss, Donald Jacob Mattern
  • Publication number: 20200198702
    Abstract: A trailer backup assist system is provided herein. The trailer backup assist system includes a hitch angle sensor configured to determine a hitch angle between a vehicle and a trailer attached thereto. An input device is configured to accept an input command corresponding to a trailer path command curvature. A controller is configured to determine a vehicle threshold speed limit by determining a first vehicle speed limit based on the hitch angle and a second speed limit based on the command curvature. The controller generates a command to limit vehicle speed in a reverse direction below the threshold speed limit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 18, 2020
    Publication date: June 25, 2020
    Applicant: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Erick Michael Lavoie, Donald Jacob Mattern, Joseph M. Raad
  • Patent number: 10611407
    Abstract: A trailer backup assist system is provided herein. The trailer backup assist system includes a hitch angle sensor configured to determine a hitch angle between a vehicle and a trailer attached thereto. An input device is configured to accept an input command corresponding to a trailer path command curvature. A controller is configured to determine a vehicle threshold speed limit by determining a first vehicle speed limit based on the hitch angle and a second speed limit based on the command curvature. The controller generates a command to limit vehicle speed in a reverse direction below the threshold speed limit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2020
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Erick Michael Lavoie, Donald Jacob Mattern, Joseph M. Raad
  • Patent number: 10604184
    Abstract: A system for assisting in reversing of a vehicle-trailer combination includes a vehicle steering system and a controller. The controller outputs a steering signal based on a control parameter to the steering system to maintain the trailer along a commanded backing path, determines an error between a measured behavior of a characteristic of the vehicle-trailer combination and a predicted behavior of the characteristic, and adjusts the control parameter based on the error.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2020
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Donald Jacob Mattern, Brian George Buss, Joseph M. Raad, Tyler Daavettila
  • Publication number: 20200033220
    Abstract: A system includes a computer including a processor and a memory, the memory storing instructions executable by the processor to identify a wheel having a force imbalance based on wheel speed data from each of a plurality of vehicle wheels, and to identify a wheel force imbalance fault when the force imbalance exceeds at least one of a distance threshold and a time threshold.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 24, 2018
    Publication date: January 30, 2020
    Applicant: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Joseph M. Raad, Daniel F. Slavin, Darrel Alan Recker, Kelly Trost, Fakhreddine Landolsi
  • Publication number: 20200031392
    Abstract: A system for calibrating a backup assist system for a trailer attached to a vehicle is provided which includes a hitch sensor continuously measuring a hitch angle between the vehicle and the trailer. A controller is configured to determine an offset of the measured hitch angle. The controller is configured to calculate and store in memory a forward offset if no reverse offset is stored.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 2, 2019
    Publication date: January 30, 2020
    Applicant: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Erick Michael Lavoie, Joseph M. Raad, Donald Jacob Mattern
  • Publication number: 20190389476
    Abstract: Methods, apparatus, systems and articles of manufacture are disclosed for estimating a suspension displacement. An example apparatus includes a suspension motion determiner module programmed to output a signal to a first suspension assembly of a vehicle based on a first deflection of the first suspension assembly, the first deflection calculated based on a calculation and a second deflection of a second suspension assembly of the vehicle, the calculation selected based on whether the vehicle is utilized in a first mode or a second mode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 22, 2018
    Publication date: December 26, 2019
    Inventors: Ahmed Mohamed, Joseph M. Raad, Russ Lee Norton, Jorge Rivas
  • Patent number: 10471989
    Abstract: A system for calibrating a backup assist system for a trailer attached to a vehicle is provided which includes a hitch sensor continuously measuring a hitch angle between the vehicle and the trailer. A controller is configured to determine an offset of the measured hitch angle. The controller is configured to calculate and store in memory a forward offset if no reverse offset is stored.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2019
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Erick Michael Lavoie, Joseph M. Raad, Donald Jacob Mattern
  • Patent number: 10384607
    Abstract: A system for estimating hitch angle offset is provided herein. A sensor system is configured to measure hitch angles between a vehicle and a trailer attached thereto. A controller is configured to calculate hitch angle offsets for a plurality of measured hitch angles, and extrapolate additional hitch angle offsets based on the calculated hitch angle offsets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2019
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Erick Michael Lavoie, Donald Jacob Mattern, Joseph M. Raad, Tyler Daavettila, Robert Bell
  • Publication number: 20190092388
    Abstract: A system for assisting in reversing of a vehicle-trailer combination includes a vehicle steering system and a controller. The controller outputs a steering signal to the steering system to maintain the vehicle-trailer combination along a straight backing path and determines a straight-backing offset of a hitch angle in the vehicle-trailer combination as a proportion of an integral of a measured characteristic of the vehicle-trailer combination that varies from a desired zero value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 27, 2017
    Publication date: March 28, 2019
    Applicant: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Joseph M. Raad, Tyler Daavettila, Brian George Buss, Donald Jacob Mattern
  • Publication number: 20190061817
    Abstract: A system for assisting in reversing of a vehicle-trailer combination includes a vehicle steering system and a controller. The controller outputs a steering signal based on a control parameter to the steering system to maintain the trailer along a commanded backing path, determines an error between a measured behavior of a characteristic of the vehicle-trailer combination and a predicted behavior of the characteristic, and adjusts the control parameter based on the error.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 31, 2017
    Publication date: February 28, 2019
    Applicant: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Donald Jacob Mattern, Brian George Buss, Joseph M. Raad, Tyler Daavettila
  • Patent number: 10005492
    Abstract: A backup assist system for a vehicle and trailer combination includes a steering system and a first sensor detecting a first dynamic condition of the combination. The system further includes a controller receiving a value for the first dynamic condition from the first sensor at a plurality of instances. The controller further solves for a corresponding plurality of parameters in a kinematic model of the combination and controls the steering system using the plurality of parameters in the kinematic model.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2018
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Joseph M. Raad, Christos Kyrtsos, Tyler Daavettila, Donald Jacob Mattern, Erick Michael Lavoie