Patents by Inventor Ryan Abraham McGee

Ryan Abraham McGee 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: 9663111
    Abstract: A vehicle includes a powertrain having an electric machine and an engine. The vehicle also includes a controller programmed to operate the powertrain according to a predicted vehicle speed profile for a predetermined route segmented according to a group of driving zone types, wherein each driving zone type is associated with a different characteristic speed profile shape and vehicle location. The controller is further programmed to update the predicted segment speed profile in response to deviation between the predicted speed profile and a measured speed profile.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2017
    Assignees: Ford Global Technologies, LLC, The Regents Of The University Of Michigan
    Inventors: Johannes Geir Kristinsson, Ryan Abraham McGee, Anthony Mark Phillips, Ming Lang Kuang, Wenduo Wang, Jungme Park, Yi Murphey, Chen Fang
  • Patent number: 9604628
    Abstract: A hybrid vehicle includes an engine and an electric machine selectively coupled to the engine via a clutch. The engine, electric machine, and clutch are arranged along a common axis. At least one controller is programmed to execute various commands when the vehicle is in park or neutral and the accelerator pedal of the vehicle is depressed. This enhances perceived vehicle reactions in response to accelerator pedal movement. To do so, the controller is programmed to control a rate of speed increase of the electric machine based on a rate of the depression of the accelerator pedal (e.g., “speed control”). Furthermore, the torque output of the engine is controlled to a target value irrespective of engine speed and engine torque is converted into electric energy via the electric machine (e.g., “torque control”). The rate of speed increase of the electric machine is altered when the engine is started.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2017
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Xiaoyong Wang, Wei Liang, Rajit Johri, Mark Steven Yamazaki, Ming Lang Kuang, Ryan Abraham McGee
  • Patent number: 9598071
    Abstract: A control strategy for a hybrid electric vehicle powertrain having an engine, a motor, and a transmission includes operating the powertrain according to a motor power loss term that is adapted based on battery power supplied to the motor, motor power output, and an estimated motor power loss such that the motor power loss term changes over time and converges to a constant value to thereby be indicative of actual motor power loss.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Rajit Johri, Wei Liang, Xiaoyong Wang, Mark Steven Yamazaki, Ming Lang Kuang, Ryan Abraham McGee
  • Patent number: 9587954
    Abstract: A vehicle system enabling a processor to calculate the most efficient route to a destination based on estimated energy usage, vehicle data, and other inputs until the final destination is reached. The vehicle system may receive location related data that may include the current vehicle location and one or more destination points. The vehicle system may receive one or more energy usage affecting parameters from a vehicle related system. The system may calculate a most efficient route based on the location related data and the one or more energy usage affecting parameters and present the most efficient route to a device. The vehicle system may repeat the steps of receiving, calculating, presenting until a destination is reached.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2017
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Oleg Yurievitch Gusikhin, Erica Klampfl, Ryan Abraham McGee, Daniel Reich, Perry Robinson MacNeille
  • Patent number: 9539996
    Abstract: A drive-home button is provided in the dashboard of a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV). The driver presses this button when heading home or to other predetermined destination at which charging is routinely performed. The actual route, the driving style, and other relevant vehicle/road information during the trip home are stored to build up a statistical database. During a present trip home, a highly probably route is predicted based on prior trips and an energy management profile is calculated. The commands to the internal combustion engine and the electric motor are selected to cause the vehicle's battery to be substantially discharged upon arriving at home based on actual data of energy usage by the operator of the vehicle during prior trips. By using actual data, the prediction of energy usage is more accurate allowing more complete discharge of the battery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2017
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Johannes Geir Kristinsson, Hai Yu, Ryan Abraham McGee
  • Patent number: 9481352
    Abstract: A vehicle-hold control method is used to hold an engine-powered vehicle from rolling backward on a road gradient during an engine start. The engine shuts down when the vehicle is stopped following operation of the vehicle under engine power. The engine is re-started during an engine cranking interval as vehicle wheel brakes are applied. The brakes are released in response to detection of pre-calibrated engine speed characteristics.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2016
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Hai Yu, Mathew Alan Boesch, Ryan Abraham McGee
  • Patent number: 9458811
    Abstract: A vehicle includes an engine having a crankshaft, a transmission having an input, and an electric machine mechanically coupled to the transmission input. The vehicle further includes a clutch configured to mechanically couple the electric machine and engine crankshaft, and at least one controller. The at least one controller, in response to an engine start condition and subsequent partial engagement of the clutch, outputs a torque command for the electric machine to increase the speed of the crankshaft to a speed of the electric machine before commanding fuel injection of the engine. The torque command is based on driver demanded torque and a change in speed of the crankshaft caused by changes in pressure to the clutch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2016
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Xiaoyong Wang, Wei Liang, Rajit Johri, Mark Steven Yamazaki, Ming Lang Kuang, Ryan Abraham McGee
  • Patent number: 9454508
    Abstract: A vehicle and a vehicle system are provided with a controller that is configured to generate output indicative of a kinematic road gradient estimation using an extended Kalman filter. The extended Kalman filter includes a system input based on a longitudinal acceleration and an acceleration offset, and a system output based on a predicted vehicle speed. The acceleration offset is based on at least one of a lateral velocity, a lateral offset, and a vehicle pitch angle. The controller is further configured to generate output indicative of a kinematic quality factor corresponding to an availability of the kinematic road gradient estimation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2016
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Hai Yu, Jianbo Lu, Mathew Alan Boesch, Ryan Abraham McGee
  • Patent number: 9446757
    Abstract: A hybrid electric vehicle includes an engine and an electric motor both configured to generate a vehicle powertrain torque and a controller programmed to control the powertrain torque for a limited duration in anticipation of a powertrain torque variation scenario using a damping function, wherein the damping function adjusts the vehicle powertrain torque based on a difference between a measured motor speed and a desired motor speed using the electric motor to counteract a powertrain speed oscillation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2016
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Wei Liang, Mark Steven Yamazaki, Rajit Johri, Xiaoyong Wang, Ryan Abraham McGee, Ming Lang Kuang
  • Patent number: 9415773
    Abstract: A system and method for controlling a hybrid vehicle having an engine configured to automatically stop in response to an engine stop request and automatically start in response to an engine start request include selectively inhibiting an engine stop request based on an anticipated duration of an expected decreased driver power command state to reduce occurrence of successive automatic stops and automatic starts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2016
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Rajit Johri, Mark Steven Yamazaki, Xiaoyong Wang, Wei Liang, Bernard D. Nefcy, Derek Taylor, Robert Wright, Ming Lang Kuang, Ryan Abraham McGee
  • Patent number: 9409566
    Abstract: A hybrid vehicle and method of control are disclosed wherein the ratio of engine speed to vehicle speed varies continuously in some operating modes and is controlled to simulate a discrete ratio transmission in other operating modes. The disclosure specifies the method of controlling the engine speed and the combined output torque of the engine and at least one traction motor in each of the operating modes. Transitions among operating modes occur in response to driver movement of a shift lever, driver operation of shift selectors, and changes in vehicle speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2016
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Qing Wang, Ming Lang Kuang, Philip Joseph Wiethe, Jeffrey Randolph Holmes, Ryan Abraham McGee, Fazal Urrahman Syed
  • Patent number: 9409563
    Abstract: A driving pattern based plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) energy consumption preplanning process enables a PHEV trip-oriented energy management control (TEMC) to utilize scalable levels of available trip foreknowledge in order to optimize the onboard energy (fuel and electricity) usage. The preplanning process generates an optimal battery state-of-charge (SOC) depletion profile for a given trip to be traveled by a PHEV. The preplanning process may generate the battery SOC profile using a driving pattern based dynamic programming (DP) algorithm. The TEMC controls the onboard energy usage in accordance with the battery SOC profile, which is optimized for the trip. The preplanning process makes use of spatial domain normalized drive power demand (SNDP) (or S-NDP) distributions in which each set of distributions is indicative of a respective driving pattern. The trip foreknowledge is used to select the driving pattern best representative of the driving process for the trip.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2016
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Hai Yu, Qing Wang, Ryan Abraham McGee
  • Patent number: 9371766
    Abstract: A method to control a hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) having a compression ignition engine includes operating the engine based on an engine-on request and performing an exhaust aftertreatment procedure based on a completion time for the aftertreatment procedure compared to a predicted engine-on time determined using a driving pattern. An HEV is provided with a compression ignition engine with an aftertreatment system, and a controller. The controller is configured to: (i) operate the engine based on an engine-on request, and (ii) perform an exhaust aftertreatment procedure for the vehicle based on a completion time for the aftertreatment procedure compared to a predicted engine-on time determined using a driving pattern. A computer readable medium having stored data representing instructions executable by a controller to control a vehicle is provided with instructions for operating the engine based on an engine-on request, and instructions for performing an exhaust aftertreatment procedure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2016
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Qing Wang, Hai Yu, Ryan Abraham McGee, Fling Tseng
  • Patent number: 9358969
    Abstract: A hybrid vehicle includes an engine and an electric machine, both capable of propelling the vehicle. The electric machine is electrically connected to a high voltage traction battery. The state of charge of the battery can decrease if the battery is used to power the electric machine, and can increase if the electric machine supplies power to the battery via regenerative braking. Constraints are placed on the vehicle such that the battery operates within a preferred operating window, defined between minimum and maximum state of charge thresholds. At least one controller is programmed to alter the preferred operating window of the battery in response to various vehicular activities, such as when the vehicle is towing another object, or when the vehicle weighs above a certain threshold due to contents within the vehicle, for example.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2016
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Mark Steven Yamazaki, Wei Liang, Xiaoyong Wang, Rajit Johri, Ryan Abraham McGee, Ming Lang Kuang
  • Patent number: 9327709
    Abstract: A hybrid vehicle includes an engine and an electric machine, both capable of propelling the vehicle. The electric machine provides creep torque to propel the vehicle at a slow speed or hold the vehicle when on an incline. At least one controller is programmed to cancel or otherwise inhibit the electric machine from generating the creep torque in response to a brake torque or brake torque request exceeding a calibratible threshold. The calibratible threshold varies based upon vehicle incline, vehicle mass, and/or vehicle speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2016
    Assignee: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Xiaoyong Wang, Wei Liang, Rajit Johri, Mark Steven Yamazaki, Ming Lang Kuang, Ryan Abraham McGee
  • Publication number: 20160025508
    Abstract: An example method of crowd-sourcing energy consumption data for vehicles includes controlling a vehicle in response to a predicted energy consumption that is continually updated based on a difference between a previous predicted energy consumption and a previous actual base energy consumption. Another example method of routing a vehicle includes changing a route for a vehicle in response to a predicted energy consumption for the vehicle when travelling the route, the predicted energy consumption based on a difference between a previous predicted energy consumption and a previous actual base energy consumption.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 25, 2014
    Publication date: January 28, 2016
    Inventors: Jason Meyer, Ryan Abraham McGee, Fling Finn Tseng, Johannes Geir Kristinsson
  • Patent number: 9242646
    Abstract: A system and method for controlling a fraction motor in a hybrid vehicle includes varying a traction motor torque in response to an engine cylinder misfire. The traction motor torque is varied to compensate for an engine torque shortfall due to the engine cylinder misfire, reducing a torque imbalance caused by the misfire.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2016
    Assignee: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Wei Liang, Xiaoyong Wang, Rajit Johri, Mark Steven Yamazaki, Ryan Abraham McGee, Ming Lang Kuang
  • Patent number: 9227628
    Abstract: A vehicle includes a powertrain having an engine and an electric machine (M/G) connected by an upstream clutch, and a gearbox connected to the M/G by a torque converter. A controller is configured to, in response to a Park or Neutral gear selection and an electrical power request from the M/G, operate the engine at an engine speed and an engine torque based on the request and M/G speed and torque for improved powertrain efficiency. A method is provided for controlling a vehicle. In response to a Park or Neutral gear selection and an electrical power request from the M/G, the engine is operated at an engine speed and an engine torque based on the request and M/G speed and torque for improved powertrain efficiency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2016
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Wei Liang, Mark Steven Yamazaki, Xiaoyong Wang, Rajit Johri, Ryan Abraham McGee, Ming Lang Kuang
  • Publication number: 20150360677
    Abstract: A vehicle includes a powertrain having an engine and an electric machine (M/G) connected by an upstream clutch, and a gearbox connected to the M/G by a torque converter. A controller is configured to, in response to a Park or Neutral gear selection and an electrical power request from the M/G, operate the engine at an engine speed and an engine torque based on the request and M/G speed and torque for improved powertrain efficiency. A method is provided for controlling a vehicle. In response to a Park or Neutral gear selection and an electrical power request from the M/G, the engine is operated at an engine speed and an engine torque based on the request and M/G speed and torque for improved powertrain efficiency.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 25, 2015
    Publication date: December 17, 2015
    Inventors: Wei Liang, Mark Steven Yamazaki, Xiaoyong Wang, Rajit Johri, Ryan Abraham McGee, Ming Lang Kuang
  • Publication number: 20150344036
    Abstract: A vehicle includes a powertrain having an electric machine and an engine. The vehicle also includes a controller programmed to operate the powertrain according to a predicted vehicle speed profile for a predetermined route segmented according to a group of driving zone types, wherein each driving zone type is associated with a different characteristic speed profile shape and vehicle location. The controller is further programmed to update the predicted speed profile for a those segments showing deviation in response to deviation between the predicted speed profile and a measured speed profile.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 30, 2014
    Publication date: December 3, 2015
    Applicant: THE REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN
    Inventors: Johannes Geir KRISTINSSON, Ryan Abraham MCGEE, Anthony Mark PHILLIPS, Ming Lang KUANG, Wenduo WANG, Jungme PARK, Yi MURPHEY, Chen FANG