Patents by Inventor Ralph D. Schlottke
Ralph D. Schlottke 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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Patent number: 11952037Abstract: Systems, methods, and apparatus are provided for providing multi-trailer reverse assistance. In a multi-trailer reverse assistance system in an articulated transport system comprising a lead vehicle, an intermediate trailer, and a final trailer, the reverse assist system includes a controller. The controller is configured to: receive a view of an environment behind the final trailer; cause the view to be displayed in a display screen of a user interface device; receive, via a secondary steering device of the user interface device, a user intended direction of travel of the articulated transport system in reverse to direct the final trailer in a desired direction; continuously calculate controllable steering angles for directing the articulated transport system to direct the final trailer in the desired direction; and control the articulated transport system to direct the final trailer in the desired direction using the calculated controllable steering angles.Type: GrantFiled: April 12, 2022Date of Patent: April 9, 2024Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLCInventors: Avesta Goodarzi, Ralph David Schlottke, Manvir Dulai, Michael D. Alarcon, Halit Zengin
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Patent number: 11794535Abstract: A method for dampening trailer sway, includes: receiving, by a controller of a vehicle system that is coupled to a trailer, a vehicle speed signal of the vehicle system, wherein the vehicle speed signal is indicative of a vehicle speed of the vehicle system; determining a friction force to be applied to the trailer by an actuator using the vehicle speed of the vehicle system and a graph that establishes a relationship between the friction force to be applied to the trailer and the vehicle speed; and adjusting, by the controller, the graph that establishes the relationship between the friction force and the vehicle speed using the decay rate of the plurality of oscillation amplitudes to create an updated graph.Type: GrantFiled: April 1, 2021Date of Patent: October 24, 2023Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLCInventors: Michael Nguyen, Norman J. Weigert, Ralph D. Schlottke, Halit Zengin
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Patent number: 11635323Abstract: A towing configuration of a vehicle coupled to a trailer may be evaluated by rolling a tire of the coupled vehicle and trailer over a compressible region of a pressure vessel filled with a hydraulic fluid. A peak pressure of the hydraulic fluid as the tire rolls over the compressible region of the pressure vessel may be determined. The tire load may be determined based upon the peak pressure. Based at least in part on the tire load, a determination may be made whether the towing configuration satisfies a predetermined set of criteria.Type: GrantFiled: November 7, 2019Date of Patent: April 25, 2023Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLCInventors: Norman J. Weigert, Michael Nguyen, Ralph D. Schlottke, Sanjay K. Shakyaver
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Patent number: 11607918Abstract: Systems are provided for assisting in towing a trailer by a lead vehicle. A wheeled tow assist unit couples between the lead vehicle and the trailer. A drive unit onboard the tow assist unit drives the wheels in response to a force between the trailer and the tow assist unit. The tow assist unit bears at least a portion of the force required to tow the trailer.Type: GrantFiled: October 21, 2019Date of Patent: March 21, 2023Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLCInventors: Avesta Goodarzi, Ralph D. Schlottke, Grant L. Meade, Norman J. Weigert
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Patent number: 11511669Abstract: A system for trailer coupler localization for guidance during a hitching maneuver for a vehicle includes a trailer device including a trailer coupler and a graphic providing structure affixed to the trailer coupler. The structure includes at least one predefined graphic image. The system further includes a rear facing camera device attached to the vehicle and providing a captured image of the predefined graphic image. The system further includes a computerized controller, including programming to receive and analyze the captured image of the predefined graphic image to determine a relative position of the graphic providing structure to the camera device. The controller further includes programming to utilize the analysis to determine a relative position of the trailer coupler to a trailer hitch ball of the vehicle and to provide an output to control the hitching maneuver based upon the relative position.Type: GrantFiled: May 10, 2021Date of Patent: November 29, 2022Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLCInventors: Zachary T. Kroeze, Yun Qian Miao, Shi M. Yu, Patrick Andruszkiewicz, Ralph D. Schlottke
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Publication number: 20220355735Abstract: A system for trailer coupler localization for guidance during a hitching maneuver for a vehicle includes a trailer device including a trailer coupler and a graphic providing structure affixed to the trailer coupler. The structure includes at least one predefined graphic image. The system further includes a rear facing camera device attached to the vehicle and providing a captured image of the predefined graphic image. The system further includes a computerized controller, including programming to receive and analyze the captured image of the predefined graphic image to determine a relative position of the graphic providing structure to the camera device. The controller further includes programming to utilize the analysis to determine a relative position of the trailer coupler to a trailer hitch ball of the vehicle and to provide an output to control the hitching maneuver based upon the relative position.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 10, 2021Publication date: November 10, 2022Applicant: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLCInventors: Zachary T. Kroeze, Yun Qian Miao, Shi M. Yu, Patrick Andruszkiewicz, Ralph D. Schlottke
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Publication number: 20220314718Abstract: A method for dampening trailer sway, includes: receiving, by a controller of a vehicle system that is coupled to a trailer, a vehicle speed signal of the vehicle system, wherein the vehicle speed signal is indicative of a vehicle speed of the vehicle system; determining a friction force to be applied to the trailer by an actuator using the vehicle speed of the vehicle system and a graph that establishes a relationship between the friction force to be applied to the trailer and the vehicle speed; and adjusting, by the controller, the graph that establishes the relationship between the friction force and the vehicle speed using the decay rate of the plurality of oscillation amplitudes to create an updated graph.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 1, 2021Publication date: October 6, 2022Applicant: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLCInventors: Michael Nguyen, Norman J. Weigert, Ralph D. Schlottke, Halit Zengin
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Patent number: 11131555Abstract: Methods and apparatus are provided for generating a towing preferred navigational route including an input to receive a request for a navigational route wherein the request is indicative of a destination and a tow mode engagement, a memory to store an aggregated segment data wherein the aggregated segment data is generated in response to a plurality of tow enabled vehicles traveling the segment, a processor to generate the navigational route in response to the request for the navigational route and the aggregated segment data, and an output to couple the navigational route for display to a driver.Type: GrantFiled: May 28, 2019Date of Patent: September 28, 2021Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLCInventors: David A. Canella, Ralph D. Schlottke, Norman J. Weigert, Sean S. Monteiro
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Publication number: 20210140812Abstract: A towing configuration of a vehicle coupled to a trailer may be evaluated by rolling a tire of the coupled vehicle and trailer over a compressible region of a pressure vessel filled with a hydraulic fluid. A peak pressure of the hydraulic fluid as the tire rolls over the compressible region of the pressure vessel may be determined. The tire load may be determined based upon the peak pressure. Based at least in part on the tire load, a determination may be made whether the towing configuration satisfies a predetermined set of criteria.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 7, 2019Publication date: May 13, 2021Inventors: Norman J. Weigert, Michael Nguyen, Ralph D. Schlottke, Sanjay K. Shakyaver
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Publication number: 20210114422Abstract: Systems are provided for assisting in towing a trailer by a lead vehicle. A wheeled tow assist unit couples between the lead vehicle and the trailer. A drive unit onboard the tow assist unit drives the wheels in response to a force between the trailer and the tow assist unit. The tow assist unit bears at least a portion of the force required to tow the trailer.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 21, 2019Publication date: April 22, 2021Applicant: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLCInventors: Avesta Goodarzi, Ralph D. Schlottke, Grant L. Meade, Norman J. Weigert
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Patent number: 10953712Abstract: A hitch assembly for coupling a trailer to a tow vehicle comprises a king ball including a base and a king pin extending vertically from a top surface of the base, the king pin including a ball positioned on a distal end opposite the base, the ball adapted to be pivotally received into a hitch of the trailer. A hitch block includes a draw bar and a housing, the drawbar adapted to be horizontally inserted into a receiver mounted onto the tow vehicle, the housing including a throat adapted to receive the base of the king ball. A locking mechanism is adapted to automatically engage the king pin when the base of the king ball is inserted into the throat of the housing to secure the base of the king ball within the throat of the housing and locking the king ball and the hitch block together.Type: GrantFiled: May 13, 2019Date of Patent: March 23, 2021Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLCInventors: Norman J. Weigert, Ralph D. Schlottke, Nash Escalada, Kenneth Jordan Weber
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Publication number: 20200378777Abstract: Methods and apparatus are provided for generating a towing preferred navigational route including an input to receive a request for a navigational route wherein the request is indicative of a destination and a tow mode engagement, a memory to store an aggregated segment data wherein the aggregated segment data is generated in response to a plurality of tow enabled vehicles traveling the segment, a processor to generate the navigational route in response to the request for the navigational route and the aggregated segment data, and an output to couple the navigational route for display to a driver.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 28, 2019Publication date: December 3, 2020Applicant: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLCInventors: David A. Canella, Ralph D. Schlottke, Norman J. Weigert, Sean S. Monteiro
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Publication number: 20200361260Abstract: A hitch assembly for coupling a trailer to a tow vehicle comprises a king ball including a base and a king pin extending vertically from a top surface of the base, the king pin including a ball positioned on a distal end opposite the base, the ball adapted to be pivotally received into a hitch of the trailer. A hitch block includes a draw bar and a housing, the drawbar adapted to be horizontally inserted into a receiver mounted onto the tow vehicle, the housing including a throat adapted to receive the base of the king ball. A locking mechanism is adapted to automatically engage the king pin when the base of the king ball is inserted into the throat of the housing to secure the base of the king ball within the throat of the housing and locking the king ball and the hitch block together.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 13, 2019Publication date: November 19, 2020Inventors: Norman J. Weigert, Ralph D. Schlottke, Nash Escalada, Kenneth Jordan Weber
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Publication number: 20200130745Abstract: The present application generally relates to a method and apparatus for vehicle side trailer detection in a motor vehicle. In particular, the system is operative to determine a trailer connection by activating a trailer lighting circuit and detecting a signal on a pin of the trailer connection. A signal generator and a switch are housed within the trailer connector such that the switch is depressed and the signal generator is activated in response to an insertion of a plug within the trailer connector.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 30, 2018Publication date: April 30, 2020Inventors: Gregory Cooke, Ralph D. Schlottke, Shiv G. Patel
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Patent number: 10596967Abstract: An imaging connection device is provided for use with a vehicle and a trailer. The vehicle includes a hitch assembly, a wired vehicle interface, and a vehicle communications unit, and the trailer includes a tow assembly and a wire harness. The imaging connection device includes a housing defining a first connector configured to mate with the wired vehicle interface and a second connector configured to mate with the wire harness; a connector interface at least partially arranged within the housing and extending between the first connector and the second connector; a camera unit at least partially arranged within the housing and configured to capture image data representing a side view of the hitch assembly; and a wireless communications unit at least partially arranged within the housing and configured to transmit the image data captured by the camera unit to the vehicle communications unit for display on a display device.Type: GrantFiled: March 27, 2018Date of Patent: March 24, 2020Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLCInventors: Norman J. Weigert, Grant L. Meade, Ralph D. Schlottke, Fred W. Huntzicker
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Publication number: 20190299861Abstract: An imaging connection device is provided for use with a vehicle and a trailer. The vehicle includes a hitch assembly, a wired vehicle interface, and a vehicle communications unit, and the trailer includes a tow assembly and a wire harness. The imaging connection device includes a housing defining a first connector configured to mate with the wired vehicle interface and a second connector configured to mate with the wire harness; a connector interface at least partially arranged within the housing and extending between the first connector and the second connector; a camera unit at least partially arranged within the housing and configured to capture image data representing a side view of the hitch assembly; and a wireless communications unit at least partially arranged within the housing and configured to transmit the image data captured by the camera unit to the vehicle communications unit for display on a display device.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 27, 2018Publication date: October 3, 2019Applicant: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLCInventors: Norman J. Weigert, Grant L. Meade, Ralph D. Schlottke, Fred W. Huntzicker
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Patent number: 10207592Abstract: A power generation platform for delivering power to an external load includes an electrical system mounted to an autonomously-controlled chassis. The chassis has a powertrain that is responsive to control signals from a controller. The electrical system includes a fuel cell or other clean power supply for propelling the chassis, a direct current (DC) charging unit, a turbojet, a battery pack, and one or more electric machines. The DC charging unit and the battery pack are selectively connectable to the external load to deliver power to the external load, e.g., a propulsion battery pack of a vehicle or other system. The turbojet has a compressor, combustion chamber, and turbine, and injects low-emissions fuel into and combusts the fuel in the combustion chamber. The electric machine(s) are rotatably coupled to the compressor and/or the turbine to generate and transmit electricity to the battery pack.Type: GrantFiled: November 1, 2017Date of Patent: February 19, 2019Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLCInventors: Steve A. Warden, Jarvis Chau, Ralph D. Schlottke