Patents by Inventor Nicholas Colella

Nicholas Colella 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: 20170342760
    Abstract: An automated system is provided for closing a closure of a motor vehicle. That automated system includes a plurality of closures, a plurality of closure modules for opening and closing that plurality of closures and a control module. The control module is configured to monitor a transmission state of the motor vehicle and an open/close state of the plurality of closures and then close an open closure of the plurality of closures when the transmission is shifted out of park and the open closure is detected. A related method is also provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 31, 2016
    Publication date: November 30, 2017
    Inventors: Tuan Anh Be, Nicholas Colella, Allen R. Murray
  • Publication number: 20170298849
    Abstract: The present disclosure generally relates to a system and method for providing enhanced operator-controlled fuel saving modes for a vehicle to optimize fuel economy of a vehicle. In one embodiment, the fuel saving optimization system and method enables the operator to create fuel saving configurations which include operator input as to how to operate one or more devices while the vehicle is within a specific locale and under a specific conditions or in response to specific event occurring. The fuel saving optimization system stores each created fuel saving configuration for a future use, and executes each fuel saving configuration when the vehicle is under the specified conditions. In certain embodiments, the input is provided by the operator in real time or can be retrieved via past travel history data on a particular route which is stored in a database.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 15, 2016
    Publication date: October 19, 2017
    Inventors: Tuan Anh Be, Mark Douglas Malone, Nicholas Colella, Allen R. Murray
  • Patent number: 9776563
    Abstract: A vehicle computer system, comprising a wireless transceiver configured to communicate with a mobile device. The vehicle computer system further comprises a processor configured to output an alert to a driver of a vehicle indicating a location of a hazardous area when the vehicle is in a pre-defined distance from a boundary of a geo-fence of the driver defining the hazardous area, and activate a vehicle function addressing the hazardous area based upon the vehicle entering a boundary of the geo-fence.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2017
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Tuan Anh Be, Nicholas Colella, Allen R. Murray
  • Publication number: 20170267170
    Abstract: A vehicle computer system, comprising a wireless transceiver configured to communicate with a mobile device. The vehicle computer system further comprises a processor configured to output an alert to a driver of a vehicle indicating a location of a hazardous area when the vehicle is in a pre-defined distance from a boundary of a geo-fence of the driver defining the hazardous area, and activate a vehicle function addressing the hazardous area based upon the vehicle entering a boundary of the geo-fence.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 21, 2016
    Publication date: September 21, 2017
    Inventors: Tuan Anh Be, Nicholas Colella, Allen R. Murray
  • Publication number: 20170229020
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to parking systems and parking methods. One parking system may include: a vehicle having an accelerator, brakes, wheels, sensors, a display, a processor, and memory; a parking assist program stored in the memory and configured to: receive dimensions of a parallel parking spot and the vehicle, project, based on the received dimensions, whether the vehicle can: exit the parallel parking spot with a future leading block, and exit the parallel parking spot with a future trailing block.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 10, 2016
    Publication date: August 10, 2017
    Inventors: Nicholas Colella, Nunzio DeCia, Stephen Jay Orris, JR.
  • Publication number: 20170221116
    Abstract: A system includes a processor configured to wirelessly instruct fuel dispensation initiation over a direct wireless connection between a vehicle and a refueling truck, responsive to a wireless request made by the refueling truck, the request including a valid token and a refueling truck MAC ID with which the wireless connection is established.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 1, 2016
    Publication date: August 3, 2017
    Inventors: Omar MAKKE, Joseph WISNIEWSKI, Kevin Lee HELPINGSTINE, Perry Robinson MACNEILLE, Nicholas COLELLA, David HAMILTON, Matthew S. BLACKBURN, Aiswarya KOLISETTY
  • Publication number: 20170147887
    Abstract: A system includes a processor configured to display one or more vehicle camera images viewed by one or more vehicle cameras, on a vehicle display in response to a configuration request. The processor is also configured to capture one or more images upon user selection and store the images and corresponding user selected vehicle state data designating when the captured images should be used for an alert comparison. The same or a similar system can also utilize vehicle sensors in the same or similar manners.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 23, 2015
    Publication date: May 25, 2017
    Inventors: Tuan Anh BE, Noorulla MOHAMMED, Nicholas COLELLA, Allen R. MURRAY
  • Patent number: 9654152
    Abstract: A vehicle may include a plurality of antennas each associated with a different radio frequency; and a modem including a radio-frequency transceiver and an antenna control processor configured to selectively connect a selected one or more of the plurality of antennas having a radio frequency matching at least one frequency associated with a desired service provider to the transceiver. The vehicle may also determine whether a service-provider-recommended alternate frequency is available, responsive to service provider signal strength being below a predefined signal strength; and if so, direct the modem to switch to an antenna associated with the alternate frequency, and otherwise, cycle to a next available antenna frequency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2017
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Nicholas Colella, Allen R. Murray, Tuan Anh Be, Leo James Lanctot, Jr., David Richard Tengler
  • Publication number: 20170132640
    Abstract: An illustrative exemplary system includes a processor configured to send a vehicle health report to a ride-sharing matching system, in response to a request from the matching system, the report confirming that a vehicle meets minimum standards specified in the request after determining that the standards are met by the vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 11, 2015
    Publication date: May 11, 2017
    Inventors: David A. HERMAN, Omar MAKKE, Nicholas COLELLA
  • Publication number: 20170080857
    Abstract: A vehicle includes a plurality of sensors configured to detect objects in a plurality of zones adjacent the vehicle, and a controller. The controller is programmed to, in response to the vehicle approaching a path defining a next turn of a predefined navigational route and a vehicle being detected in a predefined subset of the zones selected to be on a same side of the vehicle as a direction of the turn, generate a collision alert.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 17, 2015
    Publication date: March 23, 2017
    Inventors: David A. HERMAN, Nicholas COLELLA, Charles Michael BROADWATER, Vilay PATEL
  • Publication number: 20160261291
    Abstract: A vehicle may include a plurality of antennas each associated with a different radio frequency; and a modem including a radio-frequency transceiver and an antenna control processor configured to selectively connect a selected one or more of the plurality of antennas having a radio frequency matching at least one frequency associated with a desired service provider to the transceiver. The vehicle may also determine whether a service-provider-recommended alternate frequency is available, responsive to service provider signal strength being below a predefined signal strength; and if so, direct the modem to switch to an antenna associated with the alternate frequency, and otherwise, cycle to a next available antenna frequency.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 2, 2015
    Publication date: September 8, 2016
    Inventors: Nicholas COLELLA, Allen R. MURRAY, Tuan Anh BE, Leo James LANCTOT, JR., David Richard TENGLER
  • Publication number: 20160018230
    Abstract: A vehicle system includes a navigation engine, a communication interface, and a processing device. The communication interface receives a desired destination from a plurality of mobile devices. The processing device associates each desired destination with a priority, determines a destination order based on the associated priority and at least one predetermined factor, and commands the navigation engine to generate a route to each desired destination according to the destination order.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 17, 2014
    Publication date: January 21, 2016
    Inventors: Cynthia M. Neubecker, Nicholas Colella
  • Patent number: 9193312
    Abstract: An occupant communication system (OCS) and control method giving rear row occupant experience and full control to allow unimpeded access to a vehicle's features typically provided to the front row occupants. The OCS having a rear zone master controller controlling a plurality of selected vehicle subsystems within the occupant communication system and a front zone controller in electrical communication with the rear zone master controller that is controlled by the rear zone master controller. A communications module communicates with the rear zone master controller and the front zone controller wherein the rear zone master controller, the front zone controller, and the communications module are in operative communication with one another and with a vehicle communications network via the communications module to control the plurality of selected vehicle subsystems such that the rear zone master controller enables, disables, or limits control of the front zone controller via the communications module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2015
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Nicholas Colella, Cynthia M. Neubecker
  • Publication number: 20150277114
    Abstract: A non-transitory computer readable storable medium, storing instruction that, when executed by a processor, configure the processor to establish a communication connection with a vehicle navigation system. The processor may receive graphical moving map data from the navigation system at a primary interface. The processor may stream the graphical moving map data to a vehicle dash display and update the vehicle dash display based on the graphical moving map data. The processor may output the graphical moving map data at the vehicle dash display.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 27, 2014
    Publication date: October 1, 2015
    Applicant: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Michael Raymond WESTRA, Nicholas COLELLA, Cameron SMYTH, Zachary CHURCH, Brett STOTTLEMYER
  • Publication number: 20150232045
    Abstract: An occupant communication system (OCS) and control method giving rear row occupant experience and full control to allow unimpeded access to a vehicle's features typically provided to the front row occupants. The OCS having a rear zone master controller controlling a plurality of selected vehicle subsystems within the occupant communication system and a front zone controller in electrical communication with the rear zone master controller that is controlled by the rear zone master controller. A communications module communicates with the rear zone master controller and the front zone controller wherein the rear zone master controller, the front zone controller, and the communications module are in operative communication with one another and with a vehicle communications network via the communications module to control the plurality of selected vehicle subsystems such that the rear zone master controller enables, disables, or limits control of the front zone controller via the communications module.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 20, 2014
    Publication date: August 20, 2015
    Applicant: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Nicholas Colella, Cynthia M. Neubecker
  • Publication number: 20070034777
    Abstract: Image sensors are provided having a plurality of photodetectors in a detector layer Optionally, an optically transparent substrate is provided for a rear-illuminated sensor architecture. The photodetectors may be arranged in three or more arrays. Typically, each array is contiguous and is associated with light of a different color and/or wavelength. In addition, the arrays may be coplanar, or, in the alternative, located at increasing distances from a light-receiving surface in an at least partially nonoverlapping manner. Also provided are image sensor packages.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 23, 2005
    Publication date: February 15, 2007
    Applicant: Tessera, Inc.
    Inventors: David Tuckerman, Kenneth Honer, Bruce McWilliams, Nicholas Colella, Charles Goudge
  • Publication number: 20050227410
    Abstract: An elongated strip of a sheetlike substrate bearing microelectronic elements such as semiconductor chips is advanced in a downstream direction through one or more folding stations where successive portions of the substrate are folded so as to form a strip including a plurality of fold packages, each including confronting top and bottom runs and a fold region with one or more of the runs bearing one or more microelectronic elements. The strip incorporating the plural fold packages can be wound on a reel or otherwise handled, stored and shipped to a subsequent manufacturing operation, where individual fold packages can be severed from the strip.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 27, 2004
    Publication date: October 13, 2005
    Applicant: Tessera, Inc.
    Inventors: Nicholas Colella, Giles Humpston
  • Publication number: 20050184399
    Abstract: A semiconductor assembly includes plural chips stacked one above the other. One or more of the chips is a magnetic random access memory (MRAM). Use of MRAM alleviates problems caused by heat dissipation in the stack.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 21, 2004
    Publication date: August 25, 2005
    Applicant: Tessera, Inc.
    Inventors: Philip Damberg, Nicholas Colella
  • Publication number: 20050040540
    Abstract: A microelectronic element such as a semiconductor chip has springs such as coil springs bonded to contacts so that the springs serve as electrical connections to a circuit panel. The unit can be tested readily and can be surface-mounted to a circuit panel by bonding the distal ends of the springs, remote from the microelectronic element, to the panel. The springs can also serve as antennas so as to provide a miniaturized phased array.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 28, 2004
    Publication date: February 24, 2005
    Applicant: Tessera, Inc.
    Inventors: Belgacem Haba, Jae Park, Teck-Gyu Kang, Nicholas Colella
  • Patent number: 6564622
    Abstract: An improved method of determining and preserving soak-related time intervals of an internal combustion engine resets a continuous timer at the end of each engine run period, and reads the value of the continuous timer at specified events during an ignition key cycle. The method measures and preserves the engine soak time preceding the current and previous ignition key cycle, and determines an extended soak time that includes intervals of engine operation that are too short to significantly affect the engine thermal and fuel vapor purge conditions. The determined soak-related times are then utilized by various engine control and/or diagnostic algorithms, such as a hot re-start fuel control algorithm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2003
    Assignee: Delphi Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Stephen F. Majkowski, Alton L. Schuessler, David Allen Dues, Nicholas Colella, Myron Harold Bell