Ford Global Technolgoies, LLC

Aaron Bresky

Steven Yellin Schondorf

Matthew Flis

Ali Nizar Yassine

Jeffrey Robert Seaman

Frank J Desjarlais

Daniel Joseph McCarthy

Shawn Carney

Douglas Lee Howe

Andre Kunynetz

Chih Yu Lin

Daniel Grube

Systems and methods for receiving a video feed from a trailer control module disposed in a vehicle trailer are described. One method includes aggregating a trailer front view, a trailer rear view, a trailer left view, and a trailer right view into an aggregated birds-eye view at a first control module disposed on the trailer, and sending the aggregated view to a vehicle towing the trailer via a single auxiliary video channel integrated into a trailer hitch wiring harness. The method further includes receiving the feed of the birds-eye view at the second control module disposed in the vehicle via the single auxiliary camera input channel, and displaying the trailer birds-eye view video feed at an output display disposed in a cabin of the towing vehicle. The birds-eye view may be output on a split screen in conjunction with a rear-view of the trailer, obtained from a vehicle camera system.

360 degree trailer camera view system

The disclosed inventive concept provides a trailer hitch arrangement for use with a drawbar that is adaptable to universally use a high strength conventional hitch pin. Particularly, a reducing pin sleeve is fitted into the hitch pin hole of the drawbar. The inner diameter of the reducing pin sleeve is less than the hitch pin hole conventionally formed in the drawbar while the inner diameter of the reducing pin sleeve is the same as that of the receiver. When the drawbar is fitted into the receiver, the reducing pin sleeve is captured therein, thus preventing side-to-side movement relative to the drawbar. The disclosed inventive concept allows vehicle owners having a standard 3&#x2033; receiver trailer hitch which conventionally includes a &#x215d;&#x2033; hitch pin hole to safely and effectively handle above 20,000 lbs. trailer rating by insertion of the hitch pin sleeve into the &#xbe;&#x2033; hitch pin hole provided in the drawbar.

Trailer hitch architecture adaptable to multiple conventional drawbar sizes having drawbar adaptor size-reducing sleeve for attachment pin

A system or method for controlling a vehicle having a normal operating mode and a performance operating mode include detecting a removable key unique to each vehicle associated with the performance operating mode, operating the vehicle in the performance operating mode in response to detecting the removable key, and operating the vehicle in the normal operating mode otherwise. Operation in performance or track mode may include adjusting valve timing using a variable cam timing device, adjusting idle speed control, adjusting torque response, and/or enhancing engine braking. Performance mode operation may also disable one or more features, such as a transmission skip shift feature.

Vehicle having key-based performance mode

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St. Clair Shores, MI, United States of America

Aaron Bresky