Ford Global Technolgoies, LLC

Adam J Richards

John Eric Rollinger

Scott Steadmon Thompson

David Bell

Nicholas Herhusky

Alex O'Connor Gibson

Robert Andrew Wade

John Erik Mikael Hellstrom

Alan Gutowski

Peter Mitchell Lyon

Curtis Mark Jones

Steve T Skikun

David Hancock

Frank Fusco

M Scott Christensen

Stephen Michael White

Steven Lin

Douglas Raymond Martin

Adam Nathan Banker

Joseph Lyle Thomas

Michael Howard Shelby

Amey Y Karnik

Vincent Martinez

Rob Ciarrocchi

Joshua Schumaker

Julia Helen Buckland Seeds

Fred Koberstein

Matthew Gerow

Stephen Lee Cooper

Robert Michael Grant

David Lew

Justin Cartwright

Rohit Bhat

Scott Thompson

Conner Cecott

Venkatesh Krishnan

Mrdjan J Jankovic

Manfred Koberstein

Julia Helen Buckland

Brien Lloyd Fulton

Scott James Thompson

Adam Krach

Freeman Carter Gates

Tyler Kelly

Paul A Pietrzyk

Michael Bastanipour

Seth Anthony Bryan

Methods and systems are provided for heat sanitizing a vehicle. In one example, a method may include, responsive to receiving a request for cleaning an interior of a vehicle, adjusting a position of a sun shade based on at least one of an ambient temperature outside of the vehicle and a sun load of the vehicle, and operating a heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) system to heat the interior above an upper threshold temperature for a first threshold duration. In this way, the HVAC system may be advantageously used to expose the vehicle interior to temperatures that kill or inactive microbes.

Method and system for a vehicle sanitizing mode

Methods and systems are provided for heat sanitizing a vehicle. In one example, a method may include, responsive to receiving a request for sanitization of a vehicle interior, activating an ultraviolet germicidal irradiation (UVGI) system and operating a heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) system to heat the vehicle interior above an upper threshold temperature for a threshold duration. In this way, the HVAC system may be advantageously used to expose the vehicle interior to temperatures that kill or inactive microbes while the UVGI system may supplement the heat sanitizing.

Methods and systems are provided for estimation of a road roughness index (RRI) and adjusting vehicle operation based on the metric. In one example, a method may include estimating the RRI as a function of a pitch energy and a roll energy of the vehicle travelling on the road. In response to the RRI being higher than a threshold, engine operation such as EGR flow rate may be adjusted.

Methods for a road surface metric

Methods and systems are provided for heat sanitizing a vehicle. In one example, a method may include, while receiving power from an external power source and responsive to receiving a request for cleaning an interior of a vehicle, operating an electric heater of a heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) system to heat the interior above an upper threshold temperature for a first threshold duration using the power received from the external power source. In this way, the HVAC system may be advantageously used to expose the vehicle interior to temperatures that kill or inactive microbes while vehicle battery power and fuel are conserved by using power supplied from the external power source.

Methods and systems are provided for heat sanitizing a vehicle. In one example, a method may include, responsive to receiving a request for sanitization of a vehicle interior, operating a heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) system to heat the vehicle interior above an upper threshold temperature for a threshold duration. In this way, the HVAC system may be advantageously used to expose the vehicle interior to temperatures that kill or inactive microbes.

Methods and systems are provided for controlling a high power output direct current to alternating current converter for a vehicle. In one example, a method may include at a vehicle-on event, automatically operating the converter in a first power output mode, and transitioning to a different mode of operation in response to a transition request being received at a controller of the vehicle. In this way, the different mode of operation may be subject to confirmation via an operator of the vehicle, which may improve operational performance of the direct current to alternating current converter.

Systems and methods for controlling a high-output DCAC inverter on a vehicle

Systems and methods for operating an engine that includes two throttles that are arranged in parallel to deliver air into a single intake manifold are described. In one example, a first throttle and a second throttle are opened according to a value of a variable that changes as a function of a requested engine air flow.

Methods and system for controlling an engine with two throttles

An electrified vehicle may include an engine, an electric machine selectively coupled to the engine, a high-voltage traction battery electrically coupled to the electric machine and configured to selectively propel the electrified vehicle, an on-board generator including an inverter electrically coupled to the high-voltage traction battery and configured to convert direct current input to alternating current output, power outlets configured to receive power from the inverter of the on-board generator, a user interface, and a controller programmed to control the engine, the electric machine, and the high-voltage traction battery to provide power to on-board generator and to control the inverter to limit the power output by the inverter to the power outlets to one of a user-specified power limit based on input from the user interface, a powertrain power limit associated with the engine, the electric machine, and the high-voltage traction battery, and an inverter hardware power limit.

Electrified vehicle on-board generator power limit arbitration

Systems and methods for operating an engine and a torque converter are presented. In one example, slip of a torque converter is adjusted via at least partially closing or opening a torque converter clutch in response to vehicle vibration. The vehicle vibration may be based on road surface conditions and an actual total number of operating cylinders of the engine.

Torque converter control for a variable displacement engine

Systems and methods for operating an engine that includes two throttles that are arranged in parallel to deliver air into a single intake manifold are described. In one example, a first throttle is opened before a second throttle during a first condition and the second throttle is opened before the first throttle during a second condition. The throttles may be operated in this way to ensure even operation of the throttles.

Systems and methods for operating an engine with deactivating and non-deactivating valves is presented. In one example, the engine may include non-deactivating intake valves, deactivating intake valves, and only non-deactivating exhaust valves. The non-deactivating exhaust valves may operate to open and close during an engine cycle while deactivating intake valves remain closed during the engine cycle to prevent air flow through selected engine cylinders.

System for deactivating engine cylinders

Methods and systems are provided for improving fuel economy and reducing undesired emissions. In one example, a method may include in response to an engine speed being within a first threshold speed of an engine idle speed during a speed reduction request with engine cylinders unfueled, maintaining the cylinders unfueled, and controlling the engine to a desired stopping position responsive to the engine speed being greater than a second threshold speed lower than the idle speed. In this way, fuel usage and emissions may be reduced and engine restart requests may be conducted at least in part via vehicle inertia.

Systems and methods for improving fuel economy and reducing emissions

A computer includes a processor and a memory, the memory storing instructions executable by the processor to actuate a vehicle door to an opened position and to determine a height of an object on a vehicle roof based on a distance from a sensor on the door in the opened position to a top of the object.

Enhanced object detection

Methods and systems are provided for controlling engine knock. In one example, a method may include decreasing intake valve lift at a first set of cylinders where knock is indicated and increasing intake valve lift at a second set of cylinders where knock is not indicated. A stoichiometric air-to-fuel ratio is thereby maintained.

Method for knock mitigation

Growing community of inventors

Royal Oak, MI, United States of America

Adam J Richards