Patents by Inventor William C. DIERKER

William C. DIERKER 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).

  • Erase-replace OTA smart power strategy
    Patent number: 10988091
    Abstract: A power distribution box (PDB) includes relays to connect a vehicle battery to corresponding electronic control units (ECUs) of a vehicle. A processor is programmed to instruct the PDB via a control interface to cause one of the relays to power a target ECU, send a sleep command over a vehicle bus to cause powered ECUs other than the target ECU to sleep, and install a software update to the target ECU.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2021
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Sangeetha Sangameswaran, Jason Michael Miller, William C. Dierker, Douglas B. Thornburg
  • Vehicle update systems and methods
    Patent number: 10678530
    Abstract: Systems, devices, and methods are disclosed for determining whether to provide an over-the-air (OTA) update to a vehicle. An example method includes determining an update characteristic of a pending software update for a vehicle. The method also includes determining a vehicle battery state of charge (SOC) threshold based on the update characteristic. The method further includes modifying the threshold based on a location of the vehicle. The method still further includes determining a SOC of a battery of the vehicle. And the method yet further includes responsively providing the pending software update to the vehicle based on the SOC and the threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2020
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Sangeetha Sangameswaran, Jason Michael Miller, William C. Dierker, Doug B. Thornburg
  • ERASE-REPLACE OTA SMART POWER STRATEGY
    Publication number: 20190210545
    Abstract: A power distribution box (PDB) includes relays to connect a vehicle battery to corresponding electronic control units (ECUs) of a vehicle. A processor is programmed to instruct the PDB via a control interface to cause one of the relays to power a target ECU, send a sleep command over a vehicle bus to cause powered ECUs other than the target ECU to sleep, and install a software update to the target ECU.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 8, 2018
    Publication date: July 11, 2019
    Inventors: Sangeetha SANGAMESWARAN, Jason Michael MILLER, William C. DIERKER, Douglas B. THORNBURG
  • VEHICLE UPDATE SYSTEMS AND METHODS
    Publication number: 20190212997
    Abstract: Systems, devices, and methods are disclosed for determining whether to provide an over-the-air (OTA) update to a vehicle. An example method includes determining an update characteristic of a pending software update for a vehicle. The method also includes determining a vehicle battery state of charge (SOC) threshold based on the update characteristic. The method further includes modifying the threshold based on a location of the vehicle. The method still further includes determining a SOC of a battery of the vehicle. And the method yet further includes responsively providing the pending software update to the vehicle based on the SOC and the threshold.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 9, 2018
    Publication date: July 11, 2019
    Inventors: Sangeetha Sangameswaran, Jason Michael Miller, William C. Dierker, Doug B. Thornburg