Patents by Inventor Marcel Grein
Marcel Grein 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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Publication number: 20240109495Abstract: A rack system for a cargo space of a commercial vehicle is provided having a rack with at least one shelf and a movement device for moving the rack between a transport position, in which the rack can be arranged completely in the cargo space, and an access position, in which the rack can be arranged at least partially outside the cargo space. In order to provide a rack system which can be used more efficiently in respect of available cargo space, the rack system has a receiving unit for at least partially receiving at least one cargo item which can be arranged in the rack, wherein the receiving unit is arranged on the shelf so as to be displaceable in a depth direction of the rack.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 26, 2023Publication date: April 4, 2024Applicant: Ford Global Technologies, LLCInventors: Marcel Grein, Jeroen Lem, Ilya Popov
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Publication number: 20240108130Abstract: A rack system for a cargo space of a commercial vehicle having a rack with at least one shelf and at least one adjusting device for adjusting the shelf about a pivot axis extending in the width direction of the rack between a loading and unloading setting and a transport setting, In order to provide a rack system that can be used more efficiently and more ergonomically, the adjusting device is designed in such a way that a tilt angle of the shelf in the transport setting is greater than in the loading and unloading setting, and a load surface of the shelf in the transport setting faces away from an access side of the rack.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 25, 2023Publication date: April 4, 2024Applicant: Ford Global Technologies, LLCInventors: Jeroen Lem, Marcel Grein, Ilya Popov
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Patent number: 11935280Abstract: A tracking system and method for tracking tools in and nearby a transportation vehicle is provided. The tracking system comprises a vehicle-based detection unit for optically acquiring tool sets in the vehicle loading space from different angles and providing digital image data as well as corresponding range information. An electronic main controller unit is operatively coupled to a communication receiving unit and communicates with the vehicle-based detection unit and a cloud-based computer system of the tracking system. A mobile computing unit includes an optical camera and a LIDAR sensor device and wirelessly communicates with the electronic main controller unit and the cloud-based computer system. The tool detection and tracking is accomplished by combining an image-based detection employing an artificial neural network in the cloud-based computer system and a signal-based detection employing the short-range wireless network communication means.Type: GrantFiled: January 28, 2022Date of Patent: March 19, 2024Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLCInventors: Turgay Isik Aslandere, Marcel Grein
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Patent number: 11913825Abstract: The invention relates to a storage system (1) for a loading space of a commercial motor vehicle. In order to make commercial motor vehicles available that can be utilized more productively and more effectively, the storage system (1) exhibits at least one weighing machine with counting scale (5), capable of being fixed in the loading space, and at least one indicating unit (7), assigned to the weighing machine with counting scale (5), for indicating a piece number of bulk commodity located on the weighing machine with counting scale (5) and/or for indicating a volume of a liquid commodity located on the weighing machine with counting scale (5).Type: GrantFiled: July 22, 2021Date of Patent: February 27, 2024Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLCInventors: Detlef Kuck, Marcel Grein, Alexandra Holz, Moritz Martinius, Ramola Rege
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Publication number: 20230221168Abstract: The disclosure relates to a system for monitoring consumable material quantities, having at least one loading plate having an upper side providing a loading surface, at least two weight sensors arranged spaced apart from one another on a lower side of the loading plate, and at least one monitoring electronics unit connected or connectable to the weight sensors. To make this monitoring more cost-effective and technically simpler, the system has at least two containers arranged adjacent to one another on the upper side of the loading plate for accommodating a quantity of a consumable material in each case, wherein the monitoring electronics unit is configured to ascertain from sensor signals of the weight sensors, generated before and after consumable material is taken from one of the containers, from which container the consumable material has been taken and/or which quantity of the consumable material has been removed.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 10, 2023Publication date: July 13, 2023Applicant: Ford Global Technologies, LLCInventors: Detlef Kuck, Marcel Grein, Jeroen Lem
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Publication number: 20230224675Abstract: A tracking system for tracking of objects to be transported by at least one transport vehicle is provided. The tracking system includes object sets comprising an object and at least one tagging device with unique identification signal to be permanently sent out and received by a short-range wireless communication unit arrangeable in the transport vehicle. The tracking system further comprises, arrangeable in the transport vehicle, an electronic main controller unit, operatively coupled at least to the short-range wireless communication unit, and a telematics control unit for communicating with a cloud-based computer system.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 10, 2023Publication date: July 13, 2023Applicant: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLCInventors: Turgay Isik ASLANDERE, Marcel GREIN, Detlef KUCK
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Publication number: 20230196286Abstract: A method and system for operating a utility vehicle, including detecting an insertion movement of a spare part box into an accommodation space of a shelf element in a load compartment of a utility vehicle; on detecting the insertion movement, capturing an image dataset indicative of the interior of the spare part box with a scanning unit assigned to the accommodation space; and evaluating the image dataset to determine the contents of the spare part box. A warning or replenishment order may be automatically generated when the number of a particular part is below a minimum threshold.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 13, 2022Publication date: June 22, 2023Inventors: Jörg Christian Kirchhof, Detlef Kuck, Jeroen Lem, Marcel Grein
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Publication number: 20230182643Abstract: An automobile having a cargo space, a rear door opening for accessing the cargo space and a door pillar which delimits the rear door opening. The vehicle has a rack which in a stowed state is arranged entirely in the cargo space and is at least partially concealed by the door pillar as viewed from outside the automobile in the direction of the vehicle longitudinal axis of the automobile, and in a deployed state is arranged at least partially outside the cargo space. The vehicle has a transfer mechanism to transfer the rack between the stowed state and the deployed state via the rear door opening, wherein the transfer mechanism is configured such that, during a transfer of the rack from the stowed state into the deployed state, the rack moves inward in the direction of the vehicle transverse axis of the automobile.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 16, 2022Publication date: June 15, 2023Applicant: Ford Global Technologies, LLCInventors: Ilya Popov, Hendrik Berger, Michael Herbert Oelscher, Andreas Hegerath, Marcel Grein, Jeroen Lem
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Publication number: 20230173984Abstract: A rack system for a commercial vehicle including at least one guide rail fixable to at least one vehicle structure of the commercial vehicle, and at least one rack slidingly supported by the guide rail back and forth in a lateral direction of the commercial vehicle. To laterally balance a loading of the commercial vehicle the rack system comprises at least one fixing unit for temporary fixing the rack selectively in one of several fixing positions disposed along the guide rail by fixing the rack to the guide rail and/or to the vehicle structure.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 14, 2022Publication date: June 8, 2023Applicant: Ford Global Technologies, LLCInventors: Jeroen Lem, Keith Allen Godin, Marcel Grein, Nicole Leonarda Wilhelmina Eikelenberg, Johnathan Andrew Line, Joseph Michael Kish, Jimmy Moua, David Longin, Detlef Kuck
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Publication number: 20230173985Abstract: A rack system for a commercial vehicle including at least one guide rail fixable to at least one vehicle structure of the commercial vehicle within a rear storage compartment of the commercial vehicle. To provide a more efficient way of offering rack space to get a better trade-off between the amount of racks and space for other items, to maximize the utilization rate of the rear storage compartment, the rack system comprises at least two racks slidingly supported by the guide rail back and forth in a lateral or longitudinal direction of the commercial vehicle and arranged in series to each other with respect to the guide rail.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 16, 2022Publication date: June 8, 2023Applicant: Ford Global Technologies, LLCInventors: Jeroen Lem, Keith Allen Godin, Marcel Grein, Nicole Leonarda Wilhelmina Eikelenberg, Johnathan Andrew Line, Joseph Michael Kish, Jimmy Moua, David Longin, Detlef Kuck
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Publication number: 20220398534Abstract: A cargo space is monitored for objects connected to respective beacon-transmitting devices which transmit identification signals associated with the objects. Signal strengths of received signals and repetition periods associated therewith are determined using a monitoring device which checks whether each received beacon identification signal identifies a respective object in an object inventory of the cargo space based on comparisons of the signal strengths with current signal strength threshold values respectively associated with them and on comparisons of the respectively associated beacon repetition periods with respective current repetition period threshold values. The monitoring device detects whether the cargo space is currently in a first state (in which loading and unloading operations of objects in the cargo space is permissible) or a second state (in which loading and unloading is not permissible).Type: ApplicationFiled: May 16, 2022Publication date: December 15, 2022Inventors: Detlef Kuck, Marcel Grein, Nicole Eikelenberg, Walter Pijls, Jörg Christian Kirchhof
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Patent number: 11527144Abstract: Apparatus for recognizing left-behind objects 2 has a sensor device 3 designed to generate sensor signals 4 upon sensing a left-behind object 2, a control unit 5 designed to receive and process the sensor signals 4 and generate control signals 6 in reaction to the processed sensor signals 4, and a warning device 7, designed to receive the control signals 6 and output a warning signal 8 in reaction to the received control signals 6. A module arrangement 13 of individual component units having pairs of LED sensors and emitters may be arranged in a vehicle 14 to scan a storage region.Type: GrantFiled: March 29, 2021Date of Patent: December 13, 2022Assignee: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLCInventors: Moritz Martinius, Marcel Grein
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Publication number: 20220245929Abstract: A tracking system and method for tracking tools in and nearby a transportation vehicle is provided. The tracking system comprises a vehicle-based detection unit for optically acquiring tool sets in the vehicle loading space from different angles and providing digital image data as well as corresponding range information. An electronic main controller unit is operatively coupled to a communication receiving unit and communicates with the vehicle-based detection unit and a cloud-based computer system of the tracking system. A mobile computing unit includes an optical camera and a LIDAR sensor device and wirelessly communicates with the electronic main controller unit and the cloud-based computer system. The tool detection and tracking is accomplished by combining an image-based detection employing an artificial neural network in the cloud-based computer system and a signal-based detection employing the short-range wireless network communication means.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 28, 2022Publication date: August 4, 2022Applicant: Ford Global Technologies, LLCInventors: Turgay Isik Aslandere, Marcel Grein
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Publication number: 20220034705Abstract: The invention relates to a storage system (1) for a loading space of a commercial motor vehicle. In order to make commercial motor vehicles available that can be utilized more productively and more effectively, the storage system (1) exhibits at least one weighing machine with counting scale (5), capable of being fixed in the loading space, and at least one indicating unit (7), assigned to the weighing machine with counting scale (5), for indicating a piece number of bulk commodity located on the weighing machine with counting scale (5) and/or for indicating a volume of a liquid commodity located on the weighing machine with counting scale (5).Type: ApplicationFiled: July 22, 2021Publication date: February 3, 2022Applicant: Ford Global Technologies, LLCInventors: Detlef Kuck, Marcel Grein, Alexandra Holz, Moritz Martinius, Ramola Rege
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Publication number: 20210312785Abstract: Apparatus for recognizing left-behind objects 2 has a sensor device 3 designed to generate sensor signals 4 upon sensing a left-behind object 2, a control unit 5 designed to receive and process the sensor signals 4 and generate control signals 6 in reaction to the processed sensor signals 4, and a warning device 7, designed to receive the control signals 6 and output a warning signal 8 in reaction to the received control signals 6. A module arrangement 13 of individual component units having pairs of LED sensors and emitters may be arranged in a vehicle 14 to scan a storage region.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 29, 2021Publication date: October 7, 2021Inventors: Moritz Martinius, Marcel Grein