Patents by Inventor Timothy G. Offerle

Timothy G. Offerle 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: 8380416
    Abstract: A system and method of controlling an automotive vehicle includes generating a reverse direction signal corresponding to a reverse direction of the vehicle and generating brake-steer in response to the reverse direction signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2013
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies
    Inventors: Timothy G. Offerle, Hongtei E. Tseng, Douglas S. Rhode, Gregory P. Brown
  • Patent number: 7950751
    Abstract: A system and method of controlling a vehicle with a trailer comprises determining the presence of a trailer, determining a vehicle velocity, determining a steering wheel angle, and determining a rear axle side slip angle. When the rear axle side slip angle is above a predetermined value, the vehicle velocity is above a velocity threshold, and the steering wheel is about zero, brake-steer is applied to the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2011
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies
    Inventors: Timothy G. Offerle, Craig H. Stephan, Douglas S. Rhode
  • Patent number: 7401871
    Abstract: A system and method of controlling a vehicle with a trailer comprises determining the presence of a trailer, determining a vehicle velocity, determining a steering wheel angle, and determining a rear axle side slip angle. When the rear axle side slip angle is above a predetermined value, the vehicle velocity is above a velocity threshold, and the steering wheel is about zero, brake-steer is applied to the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2008
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Jianbo Lu, Timothy G. Offerle
  • Patent number: 7401870
    Abstract: A system and method of controlling an automotive vehicle having a controllable suspension component includes applying brake-steer to at least one wheel, generating a suspension control signal in response to the brake-steer signal, and allowing at least one wheel coupled to the suspension component to articulate to reduce the turning radius of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2008
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Hongtei E Tseng, Timothy G. Offerle, Gregory P. Brown
  • Patent number: 7229139
    Abstract: A system and method of controlling an automotive vehicle includes determining a steering wheel angle, determining a steering wheel direction, determining a steering wheel angular rate and applying brake-steer as a function of steering wheel angle, steering wheel angular rate and steering wheel direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2007
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Jianbo Lu, Timothy G. Offerle, Hongtei E. Tseng, Douglas S. Rhode, Gregory P. Brown
  • Patent number: 7165644
    Abstract: A method of controlling an automotive vehicle having a turning radius includes determining a hand wheel torque and applying brake-steer as a function of hand wheel torque.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2007
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Timothy G. Offerle, Hongtei E. Tseng, Craig H. Stephan
  • Patent number: 7070247
    Abstract: A system and method of controlling an automotive vehicle includes determining a forward direction and reverse direction of the vehicle and applying brake-steer in a forward position as a function of a first threshold and applying brake-steer in the reverse position as a function of a second threshold different than the first threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2006
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: Timothy G. Offerle
  • Patent number: 5904222
    Abstract: A variable assist power steering system (10) uses both vehicle speed and steering valve inlet pressure to vary the steering assist provided. A system controller (30) receives speed and pressure data from sensors (24, 26) and produces a control signal for an actuator (28) that shunts fluid flow from the pump (22) to the steering valve (20) thereby affecting steering valve pressure which controls the rack piston (16) which changes the angle of the front vehicle wheels used for steering. The controller (30) employs a calibration table (32) with entries representing actuator current, vehicle speed and inlet pressure wherein the speed and pressure fall into ranges defined by equally spaced speed points and equally or unequally spaced pressure points. Having pressure points spaced with a distance between any two sequential points a power of two in sensor counts allows manageable bilinear interpolation of current versus speed and pressure without complicated divide operators.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 1996
    Date of Patent: May 18, 1999
    Assignee: Ford Motor Company
    Inventors: Michael K. Liubakka, Timothy G. Offerle, Paul Sisko