Patents by Inventor Lawrence C. Karas
Lawrence C. Karas 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).
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Patent number: 11745631Abstract: A vehicle ventilation system includes a seating assembly including a seat blower. The seat blower pulls air away from a seating surface. A cabin blower is configured to circulate air in a cabin. A controller is configured to monitor a flow rate of the cabin blower. The controller is also configured to control a seat blower flow rate as a function of a cabin blower flow rate.Type: GrantFiled: February 15, 2022Date of Patent: September 5, 2023Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLCInventors: Gabriella Almasi, William J. Wamsley, Michael Steven Medoro, Lawrence C. Karas
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Patent number: 11685223Abstract: A climate control system includes a plurality of vent registers, an HVAC unit delivering conditioned air to the plurality of vent registers, a side door status monitoring device and a controller configured to control opening and closing of the plurality of vent registers in response to side door status data provided by the side door status monitoring device. A related climate control method is also provided.Type: GrantFiled: September 30, 2020Date of Patent: June 27, 2023Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLCInventors: Mukesh Kumar, Lawrence C. Karas, Andrew Dayton Phillips
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Patent number: 11582836Abstract: An apparatus for heating a window of a vehicle comprises an electrical storage unit configured to store an electrical charge and a plurality of heating circuits disposed on a window of the vehicle. The apparatus further comprises a controller configured to monitor the electrical charge of the electrical storage unit and selectively activate one or more of the heating circuits based on the electrical charge.Type: GrantFiled: September 23, 2019Date of Patent: February 14, 2023Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLCInventors: Mary Caye Catherine Spieth, Mukesh Kumar, Lawrence C. Karas, David Stewart, Andrew Phillips, Ajay Pal, Yang Yang
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Patent number: 11433742Abstract: A method of controlling a heating element in thermal communication with a rear window of a vehicle comprises: with a vehicle being in an external environment and comprising a rear window and a heating element in thermal communication with the rear window, a controller in communication with the heating element, the controller including a Pre-established Predictive Activation Model setting forth rules governing activation of the heating element as a function of data relating to Certain Identifiable Conditions, and a user interface configured to allow the heating element to be manually activated or deactivated; collecting data relating to the Certain Identifiable Conditions; determining, by comparing the collected data to the rules of the Pre-established Predictive Activation Model, whether the collected data satisfies the rules of the Pre-established Predictive Activation Model so as to initially automatically activate the heating element; and automatically activating the heating element.Type: GrantFiled: June 11, 2019Date of Patent: September 6, 2022Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLCInventors: David Ostrowski, Elizabeth Anne Manwell, William G. Herbert, Victoria Leigh Schein, Mohan John, Lawrence C. Karas
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Publication number: 20220169157Abstract: A vehicle ventilation system includes a seating assembly including a seat blower. The seat blower pulls air away from a seating surface. A cabin blower is configured to circulate air in a cabin. A controller is configured to monitor a flow rate of the cabin blower. The controller is also configured to control a seat blower flow rate as a function of a cabin blower flow rate.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 15, 2022Publication date: June 2, 2022Applicant: Ford Global Technologies, LLCInventors: Gabriella Almasi, William J. Wamsley, Michael Steven Medoro, Lawrence C. Karas
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Patent number: 11331982Abstract: An apparatus and method are provided for purifying air for breathing. The apparatus includes an armrest having a receiver and an air purification module releasably received in the receiver. The air purification module is portable and displaceable between a first operating position held in the receiver and a second operating position remote from the armrest and the vehicle.Type: GrantFiled: March 27, 2019Date of Patent: May 17, 2022Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLCInventors: Daniel C. Huang, Kevin Michael Swenskowski, John Craig Elson, Clay Wesley Maranville, Lawrence C. Karas
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Patent number: 11285847Abstract: A vehicle ventilation system includes a seating assembly including a seat blower. The seat blower pulls air away from a seating surface. A cabin blower is configured to circulate air in a cabin. A controller is configured to monitor a flow rate of the cabin blower. The controller is also configured to control a seat blower flow rate as a function of a cabin blower flow rate.Type: GrantFiled: August 6, 2018Date of Patent: March 29, 2022Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLCInventors: Gabriella Almasi, William J. Wamsley, Michael Steven Medoro, Lawrence C. Karas
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Patent number: 11084353Abstract: A vehicle ventilating/cooling system may include at least one sun-load sensor arranged within the vehicle, and a controller configured to receive a sun-load signal indicating a sun-load level from the sensor and programmed to instruct at least one cooling component to conduct a purge of vehicle cabin air in response to the sun-load level exceeding a sun-load threshold.Type: GrantFiled: March 28, 2017Date of Patent: August 10, 2021Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLCInventors: Mark Allen Dearth, Paul Bryan Hoke, Lawrence C. Karas, Eric Gerd Schaefer, Timothy James Hallifax, Rainer Vogt, Volker Scheer, Timothy John Wallington
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Publication number: 20210092802Abstract: An apparatus for heating a window of a vehicle comprises an electrical storage unit configured to store an electrical charge and a plurality of heating circuits disposed on a window of the vehicle. The apparatus further comprises a controller configured to monitor the electrical charge of the electrical storage unit and selectively activate one or more of the heating circuits based on the electrical charge.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 23, 2019Publication date: March 25, 2021Applicant: Ford Global Technologies, LLCInventors: Mary Caye Catherine Spieth, Mukesh Kumar, Lawrence C. Karas, David Stewart, Andrew Phillips, Ajay Pal, Yang Yang
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Patent number: 10933714Abstract: A vehicle includes an interior and a controller configured to control a climate system for the interior based at least in part on data related to a departure location of the vehicle, a destination location of the vehicle, or a proximate location within a certain proximity to the vehicle, while moving to the destination location between the departure location and the destination location, or any combination of said locations. The data related to the departure location can include a temperature profile of the departure location. The temperature profile of the departure location can assume that the departure location is colder than a comfortable ambient temperature, and the controller is configured to direct heated air into the interior upon activation of the vehicle at the departure location. The data related to the departure location can include an activity profile of the departure location.Type: GrantFiled: August 21, 2018Date of Patent: March 2, 2021Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLCInventors: Emily Obert, Frank Fusco, Lawrence C. Karas, Loren John Lohmeyer
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Publication number: 20210008952Abstract: A climate control system includes a plurality of vent registers, an HVAC unit delivering conditioned air to the plurality of vent registers, a side door status monitoring device and a controller configured to control opening and closing of the plurality of vent registers in response to side door status data provided by the side door status monitoring device. A related climate control method is also provided.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 30, 2020Publication date: January 14, 2021Inventors: Mukesh Kumar, Lawrence C. Karas, Andrew Dayton Phillips
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Publication number: 20200391576Abstract: A method of controlling a heating element in thermal communication with a rear window of a vehicle comprises: with a vehicle being in an external environment and comprising a rear window and a heating element in thermal communication with the rear window, a controller in communication with the heating element, the controller including a Pre-established Predictive Activation Model setting forth rules governing activation of the heating element as a function of data relating to Certain Identifiable Conditions, and a user interface configured to allow the heating element to be manually activated or deactivated; collecting data relating to the Certain Identifiable Conditions; determining, by comparing the collected data to the rules of the Pre-established Predictive Activation Model, whether the collected data satisfies the rules of the Pre-established Predictive Activation Model so as to initially automatically activate the heating element; and automatically activating the heating element.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 11, 2019Publication date: December 17, 2020Applicant: Ford Global Technologies, LLCInventors: David Ostrowski, Elizabeth Anne Manwell, William G. Herbert, Victoria Leigh Schein, Mohan John, Lawrence C. Karas
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Patent number: 10821799Abstract: A climate control system includes a plurality of vent registers, an HVAC unit delivering conditioned air to the plurality of vent registers, a side door status monitoring device and a controller configured to control opening and closing of the plurality of vent registers in response to side door status data provided by the side door status monitoring device. A related climate control method is also provided.Type: GrantFiled: January 22, 2018Date of Patent: November 3, 2020Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLCInventors: Mukesh Kumar, Lawrence C. Karas, Andrew Dayton Phillips
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Publication number: 20200307359Abstract: An apparatus and method are provided for purifying air for breathing. The apparatus includes an armrest having a receiver and an air purification module releasably received in the receiver. The air purification module is portable and displaceable between a first operating position held in the receiver and a second operating position remote from the armrest and the vehicle.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 27, 2019Publication date: October 1, 2020Inventors: Daniel C. Huang, Kevin Michael Swenskowski, John Craig Elson, Clay Wesley Maranville, Lawrence C. Karas
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Patent number: 10596876Abstract: A motor vehicle monitoring system displays air quality data comprised of a particulate matter concentration to a vehicle occupant. Fine particulate measurement values are collected from a sensor. At least one state parameter of the motor vehicle is detected, wherein the state parameter is indicative of a temporary disturbance of a concentration of the fine particulates exposed to the sensor. The fine particulate measurement values may be updated according to a correction factor as a function of the detected state parameter. The state parameter may include an air temperature, an air humidity, a current geographic position of the motor vehicle, an opened or closed state of a vehicle door, an opened or closed state of a vehicle window, an operating state of a blower fan of an air conditioning system, and a determination whether smoking is currently taking place in the motor vehicle.Type: GrantFiled: March 7, 2019Date of Patent: March 24, 2020Assignee: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLCInventors: Abhinav Dhake, Volker Scheer, Upendra Patel, Clay W. Maranville, Lawrence C. Karas
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Publication number: 20200062078Abstract: A vehicle includes an interior and a controller configured to control a climate system for the interior based at least in part on data related to a departure location of the vehicle, a destination location of the vehicle, or a proximate location within a certain proximity to the vehicle, while moving to the destination location between the departure location and the destination location, or any combination of said locations. The data related to the departure location can include a temperature profile of the departure location. The temperature profile of the departure location can assume that the departure location is colder than a comfortable ambient temperature, and the controller is configured to direct heated air into the interior upon activation of the vehicle at the departure location. The data related to the departure location can include an activity profile of the departure location.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 21, 2018Publication date: February 27, 2020Applicant: Ford Global Technologies, LLCInventors: Emily Obert, Frank Fusco, Lawrence C. Karas, Loren John Lohmeyer
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Publication number: 20200039396Abstract: A vehicle ventilation system includes a seating assembly including a seat blower. The seat blower pulls air away from a seating surface. A cabin blower is configured to circulate air in a cabin. A controller is configured to monitor a flow rate of the cabin blower. The controller is also configured to control a seat blower flow rate as a function of a cabin blower flow rate.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 6, 2018Publication date: February 6, 2020Applicant: Ford Global Technologies, LLCInventors: Gabriella Almasi, William J. Wamsley, Michael Steven Medoro, Lawrence C. Karas
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Publication number: 20190283525Abstract: A motor vehicle monitoring system displays air quality data comprised of a particulate matter concentration to a vehicle occupant. Fine particulate measurement values are collected from a sensor. At least one state parameter of the motor vehicle is detected, wherein the state parameter is indicative of a temporary disturbance of a concentration of the fine particulates exposed to the sensor. The fine particulate measurement values may be updated according to a correction factor as a function of the detected state parameter. The state parameter may include an air temperature, an air humidity, a current geographic position of the motor vehicle, an opened or closed state of a vehicle door, an opened or closed state of a vehicle window, an operating state of a blower fan of an air conditioning system, and a determination whether smoking is currently taking place in the motor vehicle.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 7, 2019Publication date: September 19, 2019Inventors: Abhinav Dhake, Volker Scheer, Upendra Patel, Clay W. Maranville, Lawrence C. Karas
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Patent number: 10363510Abstract: A climate control filter monitoring system includes a control module adapted to periodically set a climate control system to a filter test configuration, test the filter and then indicate when the climate control system filter needs changing or cleaning.Type: GrantFiled: June 1, 2018Date of Patent: July 30, 2019Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLCInventors: Lawrence C. Karas, Upendra J. Patel, Volker Scheer, Clay Wesley Maranville
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Publication number: 20190225045Abstract: A climate control system includes a plurality of vent registers, an HVAC unit delivering conditioned air to the plurality of vent registers, a side door status monitoring device and a controller configured to control opening and closing of the plurality of vent registers in response to side door status data provided by the side door status monitoring device. A related climate control method is also provided.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 22, 2018Publication date: July 25, 2019Inventors: Mukesh Kumar, Lawrence C. Karas, Andrew Dayton Phillips