Patents by Inventor Patrick Alan Crane

Patrick Alan Crane 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: 11097588
    Abstract: An air suspension system which includes the ability to adjust the working air volume, pressure, and spring rate of one or more air springs to reduce or eliminate various types of vehicle oscillations. Switchable or variable volume air spring assemblies have the ability to change air spring volumes, which results in changes in air spring rates, and therefore changes in normal loads applied to each wheel. Changes in wheel normal loads change wheel traction (slip) and vehicle dynamics (pitch, roll, yaw displacement, rate and acceleration). The spring rate of one or more of the air spring assemblies is adjusted automatically when a vehicle oscillation is detected. This vehicle oscillation is calculated from the raw vehicle signals, or another vehicle module may detect the oscillation and send a command to the air suspension module to change the spring rates. This changes the natural frequency of the vehicle, dampening the oscillation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2021
    Assignee: Continental Automotive Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Matthew Conrad Tuhro, Daniel Gregory Goodrich, Patrick Alan Crane
  • Publication number: 20210245749
    Abstract: A method of controlling a vehicle includes the steps of identifying a lead vehicle with at least one sensor on the vehicle, tracking the lead vehicle with the at least one sensor, and maintaining the vehicle at a predetermined following position from the lead vehicle based on a position of the lead vehicle and a terrain adjacent at least one of the vehicle or the lead vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 12, 2020
    Publication date: August 12, 2021
    Applicant: Continental Automotive Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Dennis J. Ross, Justin Audley Ruediger, Patrick Alan Crane
  • Patent number: 11077733
    Abstract: An air suspension system which includes a Dynamic Load Transfer (DLT) function. DLT is a process of transferring vehicle load, or varying normal loads applied to each wheel of the vehicle, using switchable volume or variable volume air spring assemblies. Switchable or variable volume air spring assemblies have the ability to change air spring volumes, which results in changes in air spring rates, which result in changes in normal loads applied to each wheel. Changes in wheel normal loads change wheel traction (slip) and vehicle dynamics (pitch, roll, yaw displacement, rate and acceleration). Each air spring assembly may have multiple volume air chambers that are switched “on” and “off,” a variable volume air chamber, or the air spring assembly may be coupled with other air springs, or air chambers, that are switched or varied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2021
    Assignee: Continental Automotive Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Patrick Alan Crane, Daniel Gregory Goodrich, Matthew Conrad Tuhro
  • Publication number: 20200207174
    Abstract: A vehicle air spring suspension system includes multiple air springs. Each air spring has at least one volume. A valve is fluidly arranged between at least two volumes of the at least one volume of the air springs. The valve is movable between open and closed positions in response to an input. The at least two volumes are fluidly coupled with the valve in the open position. The at least two volumes are fluidly decoupled with the valve in the closed position. At least one vehicle sensor is configured to detect a vehicle attitude condition. A controller is in communication with the valve and the at least one vehicle sensor. The controller is configured to provide the input and selectively adjust the air springs to change the vehicle attitude by raising and/or lowering at least one vehicle wheel relative to a vehicle chassis in response to the input.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 25, 2019
    Publication date: July 2, 2020
    Inventors: Justin Audley Ruediger, Daniel Gregory Goodrich, Patrick Alan Crane
  • Publication number: 20200164711
    Abstract: An air suspension system which includes the ability to adjust the working air volume, pressure, and spring rate of one or more air springs to reduce or eliminate various types of vehicle oscillations. Switchable or variable volume air spring assemblies have the ability to change air spring volumes, which results in changes in air spring rates, and therefore changes in normal loads applied to each wheel. Changes in wheel normal loads change wheel traction (slip) and vehicle dynamics (pitch, roll, yaw displacement, rate and acceleration). The spring rate of one or more of the air spring assemblies is adjusted automatically when a vehicle oscillation is detected. This vehicle oscillation is calculated from the raw vehicle signals, or another vehicle module may detect the oscillation and send a command to the air suspension module to change the spring rates. This changes the natural frequency of the vehicle, dampening the oscillation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 26, 2018
    Publication date: May 28, 2020
    Applicant: Continental Automotive Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Matthew Conrad Tuhro, Daniel Gregory Goodrich, Patrick Alan Crane
  • Publication number: 20200164710
    Abstract: An air suspension system which includes a Dynamic Load Transfer (DLT) function. DLT is a process of transferring vehicle load, or varying normal loads applied to each wheel of the vehicle, using switchable volume or variable volume air spring assemblies. Switchable or variable volume air spring assemblies have the ability to change air spring volumes, which results in changes in air spring rates, which result in changes in normal loads applied to each wheel. Changes in wheel normal loads change wheel traction (slip) and vehicle dynamics (pitch, roll, yaw displacement, rate and acceleration). Each air spring assembly may have multiple volume air chambers that are switched “on” and “off,” a variable volume air chamber, or the air spring assembly may be coupled with other air springs, or air chambers, that are switched or varied.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 26, 2018
    Publication date: May 28, 2020
    Applicant: Continental Automotive Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Patrick Alan Crane, Daniel Gregory Goodrich, Matthew Conrad Tuhro