Patents by Inventor Rinku Patel

Rinku Patel 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: 20230141344
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus to determine vehicle weight are disclosed. An example apparatus includes a suspension airbag, a pump fluidly coupled to the suspension airbag, the pump to control a fluid pressure in the suspension airbag to cause ride height adjustments for a vehicle, a motor operatively coupled to the pump, and processor circuitry to calculate a weight of the vehicle based on an offset between (a) a first motor input that causes the vehicle to rise or lower when the vehicle is unloaded and (b) a second motor input that causes the vehicle to rise or lower when the vehicle is carrying a load.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 10, 2023
    Publication date: May 11, 2023
    Inventors: Andrew Niedert, Peter Simeon Lazarevski, Rinku Patel, Anton Rogness, Elliott Pearson, Joshua Rajasingh, Salvador Padilla
  • Patent number: 11560031
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus to determine vehicle weight are disclosed. An example apparatus includes a vehicle controller configured to control a motor operatively coupled to a suspension system to raise or lower a vehicle. The vehicle controller is to also determine a first parameter of the motor while controlling the motor to raise or lower the vehicle when the vehicle is unloaded. The vehicle controller is to also determine a second parameter of the motor while controlling the motor to raise or lower the vehicle when the vehicle is at least partially loaded. The vehicle controller is to also calculate a weight of the vehicle based on the first and second parameters of the motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2023
    Assignee: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Andrew Niedert, Peter Simeon Lazarevski, Rinku Patel, Anton Rogness, Elliott Pearson, Joshua Rajasingh, Salvador Padilla
  • Patent number: 10908607
    Abstract: Acceleration data is received for each of a plurality of times t1 . . . tn, from one or more components in a host vehicle. A traffic jam assist (TJA) system is based on the acceleration data, thereby actuating one or more of steering, braking, and propulsion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2021
    Assignee: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Rinku Patel, Christopher Melgar, Andrew Niedert, Phil Lenius
  • Patent number: 10899183
    Abstract: Systems and methods for magnetoelastic hitch receiver force detection are disclosed. An example vehicle includes a chassis, a trailer hitch receiver configured to receive a trailer hitch arm along an axis, a first pin having a first magnetic field, the first pin disposed above and perpendicular to the axis, a second pin, the first pin and the second pin coupling the trailer hitch receiver to the chassis and a first sensor configured to detect changes in the first magnetic field.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2021
    Assignees: Ford Global Technologies, LLC, Methode Electronics, Inc.
    Inventors: Andrew Niedert, Rinku Patel, Anton Rogness, Elliott Pearson, Chad Reed, Johannes Gießibl
  • Patent number: 10864792
    Abstract: A suspension system includes a leaf spring, an actuator attached to the leaf spring, and an axle mount attached to the actuator. The actuator is disposed vertically between the leaf spring and the axle mount and is actuatable to change a distance between the leaf spring and the axle mount.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2020
    Assignee: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Rinku Patel, Salvador Padilla, Jared Shroyer, Eric Schaus
  • Publication number: 20200180371
    Abstract: Systems and methods for magnetoelastic hitch receiver force detection are disclosed. An example vehicle includes a chassis, a trailer hitch receiver configured to receive a trailer hitch arm along an axis, a first pin having a first magnetic field, the first pin disposed above and perpendicular to the axis, a second pin, the first pin and the second pin coupling the trailer hitch receiver to the chassis and a first sensor configured to detect changes in the first magnetic field.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 13, 2020
    Publication date: June 11, 2020
    Inventors: Andrew Niedert, Rinku Patel, Anton Rogness, Elliott Pearson
  • Patent number: 10589583
    Abstract: Systems and methods for determining force direction and magnitude acting on a trailer hitch are disclosed. An example vehicle includes two magnetoelastic pins, having respective magnetic fields, configured to couple a trailer hitch receiver to a vehicle chassis. The vehicle also includes a plurality of sensors corresponding to the two magnetoelastic pins, configured to detect changes in the respective magnetic fields. And the vehicle further includes a processor configured to determine a magnitude and direction of a force acting on the trailer hitch receiver based on data from the plurality of sensors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2020
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Andrew Niedert, Rinku Patel, Anton Rogness, Elliott Pearson
  • Patent number: 10585433
    Abstract: Methods, apparatus, and systems for automotive drive mode operation are disclosed. A disclosed method includes receiving information relating to a condition of a vehicle from a vehicle sensor module, comparing the information to a drive mode threshold, and selecting a drive mode change based on the information satisfying the drive mode threshold. The disclosed method also includes sending the drive mode change to a first vehicle operation module, the first vehicle operation module operating at least one other vehicle operation module to adjust vehicle operation based on the drive mode change.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2020
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Christopher Melgar, Peter Simeon Lazarevski, Rinku Patel
  • Publication number: 20190359022
    Abstract: A suspension system includes a leaf spring, an actuator attached to the leaf spring, and an axle mount attached to the actuator. The actuator is disposed vertically between the leaf spring and the axle mount and is actuatable to change a distance between the leaf spring and the axle mount.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 4, 2019
    Publication date: November 28, 2019
    Applicant: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Rinku Patel, Salvador Padilla, Jared Shroyer, Eric Schaus
  • Publication number: 20190315179
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus to determine vehicle weight are disclosed. An example apparatus includes a vehicle controller configured to control a motor operatively coupled to a suspension system to raise or lower a vehicle. The vehicle controller is to also determine a first parameter of the motor while controlling the motor to raise or lower the vehicle when the vehicle is unloaded. The vehicle controller is to also determine a second parameter of the motor while controlling the motor to raise or lower the vehicle when the vehicle is at least partially loaded. The vehicle controller is to also calculate a weight of the vehicle based on the first and second parameters of the motor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 31, 2019
    Publication date: October 17, 2019
    Inventors: Andrew Niedert, Peter Simeon Lazarevski, Rinku Patel, Anton Rogness, Elliott Pearson, Joshua Rajasingh, Salvador Padilla
  • Publication number: 20190163180
    Abstract: Acceleration data is received for each of a plurality of times t1 . . . tn, from one or more components in a host vehicle. A traffic jam assist (TJA) system is based on the acceleration data, thereby actuating one or more of steering, braking, and propulsion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 30, 2017
    Publication date: May 30, 2019
    Applicant: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Rinku Patel, Christopher Melgar, Andrew Niedert, Phil Lenius
  • Publication number: 20190143769
    Abstract: Systems and methods for determining force direction and magnitude acting on a trailer hitch are disclosed. An example vehicle includes two magnetoelastic pins, having respective magnetic fields, configured to couple a trailer hitch receiver to a vehicle chassis. The vehicle also includes a plurality of sensors corresponding to the two magnetoelastic pins, configured to detect changes in the respective magnetic fields. And the vehicle further includes a processor configured to determine a magnitude and direction of a force acting on the trailer hitch receiver based on data from the plurality of sensors.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 16, 2017
    Publication date: May 16, 2019
    Inventors: Andrew Niedert, Rinku Patel, Anton Rogness, Elliott Pearson
  • Publication number: 20190064812
    Abstract: Methods, apparatus, and systems for automotive drive mode operation are disclosed. A disclosed method includes receiving information relating to a condition of a vehicle from a vehicle sensor module, comparing the information to a drive mode threshold, and selecting a drive mode change based on the information satisfying the drive mode threshold. The disclosed method also includes sending the drive mode change to a first vehicle operation module, the first vehicle operation module operating at least one other vehicle operation module to adjust vehicle operation based on the drive mode change.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 28, 2017
    Publication date: February 28, 2019
    Inventors: Christopher Melgar, Peter Simeon Lazarevski, Rinku Patel