Patents by Inventor Mark J Ferrel

Mark J Ferrel 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).

  • Publication number: 20230313748
    Abstract: A method, includes operating a vehicle to generate electrical power, outputting the electrical power from the vehicle to one or more loads external to the vehicle, and adjusting the operating based, at least in part, on noise generated by the vehicle during the operating. The operating can include operating an engine of the vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 5, 2022
    Publication date: October 5, 2023
    Inventors: Stuart C. Salter, Deborah Bjorge, Ryan J. O'Gorman, Vyas Shenoy, Peter Phung, Mark J. Ferrel
  • Publication number: 20210197744
    Abstract: A vehicle includes power outlets configured to receive power from an inverter. The vehicle includes power sources configured to supply power to the inverter and a plurality of electrical systems. A controller is programmed to, responsive to detecting a load connected to one of the power outlets, change a maximum power limit of the electrical systems by an amount associated with the one of the power outlets.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 12, 2021
    Publication date: July 1, 2021
    Applicant: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Mark J. FERREL, Mateusz ZADROZNY
  • Patent number: 11021069
    Abstract: A power system for an automotive vehicle includes a matrix transformer having two separate cores, a primary winding wound around each of the cores, a first secondary winding wound around one of the cores, and a second secondary winding galvanically isolated from the first secondary winding and wound around the other of the cores. The power system also includes circuitry that transfers power from an AC source to the primary winding, transfers power from the first secondary winding to a traction battery, and transfers power from the second secondary winding to an auxiliary battery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2021
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Mohamed Elshaer, Chingchi Chen, Mark J. Ferrel
  • Patent number: 10967819
    Abstract: A vehicle includes power outlets configured to receive power from an inverter. The vehicle includes power sources configured to supply power to the inverter and a plurality of electrical systems. A controller is programmed to, responsive to detecting a load connected to one of the power outlets, change a maximum power limit of the electrical systems by an amount associated with the one of the power outlets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2021
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Mark J. Ferrel, Mateusz Zadrozny
  • Patent number: 10946756
    Abstract: A vehicle includes an integrated power distribution module. The integrated power distribution module includes a hybrid transformer coupled to a charger stage, a traction battery, and an auxiliary battery. The hybrid transformer includes first and second primary windings coupled in series and connected to the charger stage. The primary windings have a corresponding first secondary winding coupling the traction battery via associated inverters. The primary windings further have corresponding second secondary windings that are coupled in series with opposing voltage polarities and coupled to the auxiliary battery via an associated inverter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2021
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Hadi Malek, Shuitao Yang, James A. Lathrop, Mark J. Ferrel
  • Patent number: 10919401
    Abstract: A charging system includes an inverter configured to receive rectified mains line voltage and current to power a primary coil to induce charge current in a secondary coil of a vehicle. The charging system also includes a controller configured to alter a switching frequency of the inverter based on charge voltage data from the vehicle to cause the inverter to operate to drive a voltage of an energy storage capacitor of a battery charger of the vehicle toward a constant value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2021
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Mohamed Elshaer, Chingchi Chen, Mark J. Ferrel, John Paul Gibeau
  • Patent number: 10761183
    Abstract: A system for a vehicle includes a trio of ultrasonic sensors, and a controller configured to, responsive to a location of an object identified from a distance between the ultrasonic sensors, a receive time at each of the ultrasonic sensors associated with a same ultrasonic pulse from a transmitter of the object, and an absence of data regarding a send time of the ultrasonic pulse, steer the vehicle to the object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2020
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: John Paul Gibeau, Mark J. Ferrel, Christopher W. Bell
  • Publication number: 20200055473
    Abstract: A vehicle includes power outlets configured to receive power from an inverter. The vehicle includes power sources configured to supply power to the inverter and a plurality of electrical systems. A controller is programmed to, responsive to detecting a load connected to one of the power outlets, change a maximum power limit of the electrical systems by an amount associated with the one of the power outlets.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 14, 2018
    Publication date: February 20, 2020
    Inventors: Mark J. FERREL, Mateusz ZADROZNY
  • Publication number: 20200025864
    Abstract: A system for a vehicle includes a trio of ultrasonic sensors, and a controller configured to, responsive to a location of an object identified from a distance between the ultrasonic sensors, a receive time at each of the ultrasonic sensors associated with a same ultrasonic pulse from a transmitter of the object, and an absence of data regarding a send time of the ultrasonic pulse, steer the vehicle to the object.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 17, 2018
    Publication date: January 23, 2020
    Inventors: John Paul Gibeau, Mark J. Ferrel, Christopher W. Bell
  • Publication number: 20190351772
    Abstract: A power converter assembly includes, among other things, a housing that can electrically couple to a charge plug of an external power source, a converter plug that engages a charge port of an electrified vehicle, and circuitry that converts input power received from the external power source to converted power that is delivered to the charge port through the converter plug. An exemplary power conversion method includes, among other things, receiving input power from a power source that is external to an electrified vehicle, and, at a converter, adjusting the input power to provide converted power. The method further includes charging a traction battery of the electrified vehicle with the converted power.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 21, 2018
    Publication date: November 21, 2019
    Inventors: Stephenson Tyler Mattmuller, Mark J. Ferrel, Jeffery R. Grimes
  • Publication number: 20190344670
    Abstract: A vehicle includes a traction battery, a cold plate, and a thermoelectric device including a pair of thermally conductive plates disposed between the battery and cold plate and separated by doped junctions. The thermoelectric device is configured to, responsive to flow of current through the junctions, drive a temperature difference between the conductive plates to transfer heat between the battery and cold plate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 11, 2018
    Publication date: November 14, 2019
    Inventors: Stephenson Tyler Mattmuller, Dhanunjay Vejalla, Mark J. Ferrel, John Peter Bilezikjian
  • Patent number: 10457155
    Abstract: A vehicle charging system includes a controller programmed to, in response to a charger being coupled to a power source and parameters being indicative of a low charge level of an auxiliary battery and a full charge level of a traction battery, decouple the traction battery from the power converter and the charger and charge the auxiliary battery from the charger.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2019
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Bo Wu, Mark J. Ferrel, Josephine S. Lee
  • Patent number: 10427532
    Abstract: A vehicle includes a traction battery, an on-board charging system (OBCS), and a wireless power transfer system (WPTS). Each of the OBCS and WPTS is configured to selectively use a same rectifier such that the rectifier rectifies output of the OBCS and rectifies output of the WPTS to provide power to the traction battery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2019
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Mohamed Elshaer, Chingchi Chen, Mark J. Ferrel, John Paul Gibeau
  • Patent number: 10407050
    Abstract: A vehicle includes a first electric machine configured to generate low-voltage power. The vehicle includes a second electric machine configured to generate high-voltage power. The vehicle includes a power converter configured to convert high-voltage power generated by a second electric machine to low-voltage power. The vehicle includes a controller programmed to, responsive to a low-voltage power demand exceeding a limit of the power converter, operate the first electric machine and the power converter to satisfy the demand, and otherwise, responsive to the power converter being operational, operate only the power converter to satisfy the demand.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2019
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Hosam Atala, Mark J. Ferrel
  • Patent number: 10369891
    Abstract: A vehicle is provided with a coil and a sensor. The coil is adapted to receive power wirelessly in single-phase form from an external coil. The sensor is adapted to measure a characteristic of the power. The vehicle is also provided with a controller that is programmed to estimate a parameter indicative of coil alignment using a three-phase representation of the power based on the characteristic, and to adjust the power received by the coil based on the parameter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2019
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Mohamed Elshaer, Chingchi Chen, John Paul Gibeau, Mark J. Ferrel
  • Publication number: 20190143822
    Abstract: A vehicle includes an integrated power distribution module. The integrated power distribution module includes a hybrid transformer coupled to a charger stage, a traction battery, and an auxiliary battery. The hybrid transformer includes first and second primary windings coupled in series and connected to the charger stage. The primary windings have a corresponding first secondary winding coupling the traction battery via associated inverters. The primary windings further have corresponding second secondary windings that are coupled in series with opposing voltage polarities and coupled to the auxiliary battery via an associated inverter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 14, 2017
    Publication date: May 16, 2019
    Inventors: Hadi MALEK, Shuitao YANG, James A. LATHROP, Mark J. FERREL
  • Patent number: 10286800
    Abstract: A vehicle connected to electric vehicle supply equipment is configured to wake-up an onboard charger based on a pilot signal. A controller is configured to interrupt the pilot signal to prevent the pilot signal from subsequently waking the charger to reduce power consumed by the charger while the vehicle is connected. The interruption may be triggered by a completion of a charge cycle, an extensive charge wait interval, or a charging system condition that prevents charging. The controller may discontinue interruption of the pilot signal in response to a wake-up source other than the pilot signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2019
    Assignee: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Matthew Roger DeDona, Arthur M. Rutyna, Mark J. Ferrel, Bo Wu, Hilde Anne Heremans, Christopher W. Bell
  • Patent number: 10227067
    Abstract: A hybrid electric vehicle includes an internal-combustion engine (ICE) and an electric machine coupled to a battery, an off-board power (OBP) system, and a controller, which are configured to power internal vehicle and battery charge electrical loads, and external electrical loads. The controller monitors the electrical loads, and responds to an OBP signal identifying an external electrical load, and commands the ICE and electric machine to generate a combined-power greater than or equal to the loads. This ensures that a battery state-of-charge is sustained and not depleted by power delivery to the external loads. The controller also generates a power-difference signal that identifies a difference between power generated by the electric machine and power consumed by the internal and external OFB electrical loads, such that the controller can adjusted the generated combined-power to minimize the power-difference signal and battery charge-discharge-cycles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2019
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Christopher W. Bell, Tianbo Xu, Mark J. Ferrel
  • Publication number: 20180362016
    Abstract: A vehicle includes a first electric machine configured to generate low-voltage power. The vehicle includes a second electric machine configured to generate high-voltage power. The vehicle includes a power converter configured to convert high-voltage power generated by a second electric machine to low-voltage power. The vehicle includes a controller programmed to, responsive to a low-voltage power demand exceeding a limit of the power converter, operate the first electric machine and the power converter to satisfy the demand, and otherwise, responsive to the power converter being operational, operate only the power converter to satisfy the demand.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 20, 2017
    Publication date: December 20, 2018
    Inventors: Hosam ATALA, Mark J. FERREL
  • Publication number: 20180290545
    Abstract: A vehicle includes a traction battery, an on-board charging system (OBCS), and a wireless power transfer system (WPTS). Each of the OBCS and WPTS is configured to selectively use a same rectifier such that the rectifier rectifies output of the OBCS and rectifies output of the WPTS to provide power to the traction battery.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 5, 2017
    Publication date: October 11, 2018
    Inventors: Mohamed Elshaer, Chingchi Chen, Mark J. Ferrel, John Paul Gibeau