Patents by Inventor Mark Alan Shehan

Mark Alan Shehan 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: 9937861
    Abstract: This disclosure generally relates to a vehicle blind spot detection system, method, and module for adjusting parameters of a vehicle blind spot detection algorithm based on a trailer being attached to the back of the vehicle. More specifically, based on a determination that a trailer is attached to the vehicle and the reception of trailer information corresponding to the attached trailer, an adjust to the parameters of a blind spot detection area is disclosed for ensuring the continued operation of the blind spot detection feature will take into account the attached trailer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2018
    Assignee: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Mark Alan Shehan, Kenneth Snarski, Joseph Mackey, Douglas McConnell, Steven Gerd Kanzler
  • Publication number: 20170057413
    Abstract: This disclosure generally relates to a vehicle blind spot detection system, method, and module for adjusting parameters of a vehicle blind spot detection algorithm based on a trailer being attached to the back of the vehicle. More specifically, based on a determination that a trailer is attached to the vehicle and the reception of trailer information corresponding to the attached trailer, an adjust to the parameters of a blind spot detection area is disclosed for ensuring the continued operation of the blind spot detection feature will take into account the attached trailer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 10, 2016
    Publication date: March 2, 2017
    Inventors: Mark Alan Shehan, Kenneth Snarski, Joseph Mackey, Douglas McConnell, Steven Gerd Kanzler
  • Patent number: 9493117
    Abstract: This disclosure generally relates to a vehicle blind spot detection system, method, and module for adjusting parameters of a vehicle blind spot detection algorithm based on a trailer being attached to the back of the vehicle. More specifically, based on a determination that a trailer is attached to the vehicle and the reception of trailer information corresponding to the attached trailer, an adjust to the parameters of a blind spot detection area is disclosed for ensuring the continued operation of the blind spot detection feature will take into account the attached trailer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2016
    Assignee: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Mark Alan Shehan, Kenneth Snarski, Joseph Mackey, Douglas McConnell, Steven Gerd Kanzler
  • Patent number: 9315175
    Abstract: A vehicle includes a vehicle-driver interface and an automated braking system. The automated braking system is configured to automatically apply vehicle brakes in response to a detected rearward object and the vehicle being in REVERSE. The automated braking system is additionally configured to release the brakes in response to a driver input at the vehicle-driver interface when a distance from the vehicle to the rearward object exceeds a calibratable threshold. The automated braking system is further configured to apply the brakes in response to the vehicle traveling a predefined distance after the driver input.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2016
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Eric L. Reed, Mark Alan Shehan, Edgardo O. Abinoja
  • Publication number: 20160101730
    Abstract: This disclosure generally relates to a vehicle blind spot detection system, method, and module for adjusting parameters of a vehicle blind spot detection algorithm based on a trailer being attached to the back of the vehicle. More specifically, based on a determination that a trailer is attached to the vehicle and the reception of trailer information corresponding to the attached trailer, an adjust to the parameters of a blind spot detection area is disclosed for ensuring the continued operation of the blind spot detection feature will take into account the attached trailer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 8, 2014
    Publication date: April 14, 2016
    Inventors: Mark Alan Shehan, Kenneth Snarski, Joseph Mackey, Douglas McConnell, Steven Gerd Kanzler
  • Publication number: 20160101765
    Abstract: A vehicle includes a vehicle-driver interface and an automated braking system. The automated braking system is configured to automatically apply vehicle brakes in response to a detected rearward object and the vehicle being in REVERSE. The automated braking system is additionally configured to release the brakes in response to a driver input at the vehicle-driver interface when a distance from the vehicle to the rearward object exceeds a calibratable threshold. The automated braking system is further configured to apply the brakes in response to the vehicle traveling a predefined distance after the driver input.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 8, 2014
    Publication date: April 14, 2016
    Inventors: Eric L. REED, Mark Alan SHEHAN, Edgardo O. ABINOJA
  • Patent number: 8447472
    Abstract: A collision detection system includes at least one sensor. The data from the sensor is input to a recursive filter which selectively uses the input to predict the motion of a target object relative to a host vehicle. The recursive filter continues to use the data from the sensor until the target object is within a threshold distance of the host vehicle. Within the threshold distance, the sensor does not reliably provide accurate data. Accordingly, the recursive filter omits the sensor input from motion estimates when the target object is within the threshold distance, which leads to significant improvement in target motion prediction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2013
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Gyu Myeong Joh, Anthony Gerald King, Wangdong Luo, Mark Alan Shehan, Charlie Yung Kang Hung
  • Patent number: 6309031
    Abstract: A vehicle brake system 10 has a brake pedal assembly 14, a sensor 18 or 22 for sensing effort applied to the brake pedal assembly and a brake actuator 26 for generating braking force to be applied to one or more brakes 12A-12D on the vehicle. The brake system further includes a position sensor for sensing a position signal, such as an adjustable brake pedal position sensor 40, a seat position sensor 42, a steering wheel position sensor 44, or a driver position sensor 46, which is generally indicative of the stature and/or comfort of the driver. The brake system further includes a controller 24 for automatically controlling the amount of braking force applied to the one or more brakes in the vehicle as a function of the sensed position. Accordingly, the brake system automatically adjusts the braking effort based on a sensed position signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 1999
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2001
    Assignee: Ford Global Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Dale Scott Crombez, Dave James Lotito, Mark Alan Shehan, Steven Otis Pate
  • Patent number: 6122588
    Abstract: A system and method for reducing speed of a vehicle to maintain a target vehicle speed include determining an actual vehicle speed, comparing the target vehicle speed to the actual vehicle speed to generate a speed error, determining a continuously variable braking torque as a function of the speed error when the actual vehicle speed exceeds the target vehicle speed, and applying the continuously variable braking torque to at least one wheel of the vehicle to reduce the speed error toward zero and control the speed of the vehicle. The present invention is applicable to vehicles powered by an internal combustion engine, electric vehicles, fuel cell vehicles, and hybrid vehicles. The continuously variable braking torque may be applied using regenerative braking to improve fuel efficiency. Friction brakes may also be utilized either alone, or in combination with regenerative braking, for vehicles capable of brake-by-wire control strategies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 1999
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2000
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Mark Alan Shehan, Dale Scott Crombez, Jack H. Xu
  • Patent number: 6043737
    Abstract: A tire monitoring and warning assembly 10 which monitors and measures attributes or characteristics of at least one of the selectively inflatable tires 14-20 of a vehicle 12 and which compares the obtained measurements with a stored value which represents a value of the attribute or characteristic occurring or existing when the at least one tire 14-20 is desirably inflated, and which, based upon the comparison, warns the driver if the at least one of the tires 14-20 is deflated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 1999
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2000
    Inventors: Mark Alan Shehan, Dale Scott Crombez, Patrick Joseph Curran, Kevin Michael Bullister