Ford Global Technolgoies, LLC

Other

Abraham G Philip

Mahmoud Yousef Ghannam

David James Tippy

Steven Yellin Schondorf

Jayagopal Appukutty

Yeruva Satya Reddy

Paul Kevin Kula

Bill Pappas

Thomas Lee Miller

John Shutko

Erich Kemnitz

Kam Hage

Chris Bujak

Christopher Griffin

Markus Hagen

Thomas Arndt

Helinda Ho

Systems and methods are provided for preventing foreign objects from entering a nozzle of a pressure sensor. Example pressure sensor assemblies include a housing for a pressure sensor, a nozzle coupled to the housing and configured to permit airflow into the housing, and a nozzle cover including a plurality of surface openings configured to permit airflow into the nozzle. Other example assemblies include a shield enclosing a nozzle of the pressure sensor, the shield including a plurality of surface openings to permit airflow into the nozzle, and an attachment mechanism configured to couple the shield to an open end of the nozzle.

Protective cover for pressure sensor nozzle

A vehicle system includes a processing device programmed to monitor an operating state of a vehicle and the operation of at least one subsystem module. Depending on the operating state of the vehicle, the processing device can detect a subsystem module failure. If a failure is detected, the processing device can perform a remedial action. The remedial action taken may be based on the type of failure detected.

Road emergency activation

An apparatus includes a body having a fastening portion and a pressure sensor coupled to the body apart from the fastening portion. The pressure sensor has a chamber therein. The body includes a first channel extending therethrough from an outside surface thereof. The first channel is in fluid communication with the chamber.

Fastening and sensing apparatus

A vehicle system has a sensor array and a processing device. The sensor array includes a first group of sensors and a second group of sensors. The sensors of the first group are offset relative to the sensors in the second group. The processing device is configured to determine a general shape of an impact object based at least in part on signals received from the sensor array.

Low-speed impact detection sensor array

A vehicle having seat belt system is provided. The vehicle includes a D-ring having a light source, a belt strap passing through the D-ring, a tongue connected to the belt strap, a buckle, and a controller programmed to illuminate the light source in response to a detected trigger condition.

Vehicle and vehicle seat belt system

Exemplary methods of making a bumper component are disclosed, along with exemplary bumper assemblies and vehicles. An exemplary method may include providing a first mold portion defining at least in part a front surface, and positioning at least one sensor in the first mold portion. Exemplary methods may further include enclosing the at least one sensor within the first mold portion with a second mold portion. The second mold portion may define at least in part a rear surface. The method may further include forming a body within the first and second mold portions, thereby embedding the at least one sensor between the front and rear surfaces, the body extending between the front and rear surfaces.

Bumper component with embedded sensor

A vehicle system includes a vehicle occupant seat including at least two weight sensors coupled to the seat for generating weight signals. The system further includes an electronic control unit (ECU) including an occupant classification algorithm for generating an occupant classification signal as a function of the weight signals. The electronic control unit further includes variant signal metrics for generating an error signal as a function of comparing the weight signals.

Method and system for detecting occupant seat weight sensor measurement error

An apparatus includes an enclosed body defining a chamber therein. The body includes a rearward portion, a forward portion opposite the rearward portion and a first portion extending between the rearward and forward portions. The first portion has a stiffness less than at least one remaining portion of the body. The apparatus further includes at least one pressure sensor coupled to the body and the chamber to detect deformation of the first portion of the body.

Collision sensing and energy absorbing apparatus

A vehicle includes a fascia, a bumper beam, and a sensor including a pressure chamber disposed between and along the fascia and bumper beam. The vehicle further includes a plurality of pusher blocks disposed between and along the fascia and bumper beam. The pusher blocks impinge upon the pressure chamber during fascia impact. Contact areas defined by the pusher blocks decrease toward a center of the pressure chamber and increase toward ends of the pressure chamber.

Vehicle fascia integrated pushers

An impact detection system has two chambers disposed adjacent to one another. The two chambers have opposing tapered shapes, so that an impact anywhere along them will create a different pressure wave or pulse in each chamber. A pressure sensor module incorporating two pressure sensors is disposed at one end of the dual-channel unit, and comparison of the signals from the sensors can be used to discriminate both the location and severity of a pedestrian impact.

Dual-chamber impact detector

A vehicle has an inflatable occupant restraint system that includes an inflatable occupant protection device and an inflator operable to inflate the inflatable occupant protection device when a predetermined event occurs. The vehicle also includes a child restraint system having a portable child seat with an inflatable child protection apparatus attached thereto. The child restraint system includes a connection interface connected to the child seat and adapted for connection to the occupant restraint system such that the child protection apparatus is inflated when the predetermined event occurs.

Child restraint system and vehicle containing same

A system for controlling the operation of performing emergency notification in a vehicle is provided. The system comprises a controller configured to receive at least one driver status signal indicative of whether the driver is one of the primary driver and the secondary driver from a key ignition device positioned on at least one of a primary key and the secondary key. The controller is configured to determine whether the driver of the vehicle is one of the primary and the secondary driver based on the at least one driver status signal. The controller is configured to selectively control the operation of performing emergency notification based on whether the driver of the vehicle is one of the primary driver and the secondary driver.

Growing community of inventors

Rochester Hills, MI, United States of America

Abraham G Philip