Ford Global Technolgoies, LLC

Ford Motor Company Limited

Allen R Murray

Oliver Lei

Tuan Anh Be

David Joseph Orris

Brian Bennie

Nicholas Colella

Perry Robinson Macneille

Cynthia M Neubecker

Joseph F Stanek

David Richard Tengler

Daniel Robert Taylor

Noorulla Mohammed

Fahad Liaqat

Sikder Imam

Omar Makke

Ritesh Pandya

Vladyslav Slyusar

Leo James Lanctot

Mahmoud Yousef Ghannam

Ivan Vukovic

Dehua Cui

Somak Datta Gupta

Krishna Bandi

Syed Amaar Ahmad

Sathyanarayana Chary Palakonda

David Allen Kowalski

Brennan Hamilton

Joe F Stanek

Erik Kiledal

James Dragescu

Charles Robert Maxwell Zine

Alex Michael Heilala

Thomas Varghese

Systems and methods for in-transit charging of an electric vehicle. An electric autonomous vehicle (EAV) may request charging services when its battery level falls below a threshold. The EAV may be in transit to a destination when the charging service is requested. A charging range route may be determined for the EAV. A charging-AV may identify one or more candidate merge points. If a feasible merge point is identified, the charging-AV may transit to the merge point and platoon with the EAV. The EAV and charging-AV may platoon with each other so that the charging-AV may provide charging services to the EAV. Vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communications may be used to synchronize the moments of the charging-AV and EAV while in transit.

Systems and methods for electric autonomous vehicle charging assistance on the road

A method for determining a location of a vehicle includes a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) location system in a manufacturing environment. The method includes determining, when a key cycle transition condition of the vehicle and a vehicle gear transition condition of the vehicle are satisfied, a location parameter of the vehicle using an auxiliary location detection system, where the location parameter includes a location of the vehicle, identification information of the vehicle, and a timestamp of the vehicle. The method includes determining a vehicle time period based on the location parameter and a previous location parameter of the vehicle and validating a manufacturing routine of the vehicle when the location parameter satisfies a location condition and the vehicle time period satisfies a time condition.

Systems and methods for determining a vehicle location in a manufacturing environment

A method for determining a location of a vehicle including one or more image sensors in a manufacturing environment includes determining, when a key cycle transition condition of the vehicle and a vehicle gear transition condition of the vehicle are satisfied, a location parameter of the vehicle based on an image including a location tag and a previous image obtained from the one or more image sensors. The method includes determining a vehicle time period based on the image and the previous image. The method includes validating a manufacturing routine of the vehicle when the location parameter satisfies a location condition and the vehicle time period satisfies a time condition.

A system includes a processor configured to determine that a high-speed data transfer is desired for a vehicle. The processor is also configured to identify parking, within a predefined distance from a destination location, which overlaps with identified areas of high-speed coverage meeting a predefined speed and display visual indicators of the identified parking, when a vehicle is within a predefined distance from the identified parking.

Method and apparatus for identifying and recommending vehicle locations to facilitate data transfer

A system comprises a processor configured to detect wireless device communication originating from a mobile device. The processor is also configured to determine that the mobile device is within a vehicle interior. The processor is further configured to instruct the mobile device to suppress communication designed to communicate device information to vehicles.

Method and apparatus for wireless communication suppression

A system includes a processor configured to detect the presence of a wireless network access point usable for vehicular communication. The processor is also configured to connect to the wireless access point and report connection information relating to the connected wireless access point to an entity capable of establishing direct cellular connection with a vehicle, identifying the connected wireless access point as an alternative communication method if cellular communication is unavailable.

Method and apparatus for cellular network backup connectivity

A system includes a processor configured to determine a navigation instruction execution location within a predefined distance from a vehicle location. The processor is also configured to communicate with a wireless transceiver to receive information identifying an intervening turn-option location, between the execution location and vehicle location. The processor is further configured to determine a distance between the vehicle location and turn-option location and display the determined distance on a navigation display, until the vehicle passes the turn-option location.

Method and apparatus for upcoming turn identification and assistance

Toll advertisement messages (TAMs) are broadcast via V2X communication, each of the TAMs indicating geographic locations of lanes of a roadway for which tolls are due and cost information for traversing the lanes of the roadway. A tolling usage message (TUM) is received via the V2X communication, the TUM indicating, to a roadside unit (RSU), information regarding a vehicle entering one of the lanes of the roadway and a unique random account identifier to be used by the RSU to identify the vehicle. A toll receipt message (TRM) is broadcast via the V2X communication, the TRM including the unique random account identifier and indicating, to the vehicle, a final cost charged to the vehicle for access to the one of the lanes of the roadway.

Secure C-V2X smart tolling

A system includes a processor configured to determine that a vehicle is in a predefined power-preservation state. The processor is also configured to determine a lowest transmit-power available cellular band for vehicle telematics services, responsive to the power-preservation state. The processor is further configured to disable all bands other than the lowest-power available band and use the lowest-power available band for vehicle communication as long as the power-preservation state persists.

Method and apparatus for selective vehicular power-preserving cellular band enablement

A control system for a vehicle includes a controller configured to send a mobile application part protocol (MAPP) message to the server requesting that further commands be sent via the MAPP. The control system may send the MAPP message responsive to receiving a message containing a wakeup command from a server and being unable to establish a packet switched connection with the server. The control system may start the vehicle responsive to receiving a MAPP message from the server containing a command to start the vehicle.

Vehicle communications

A computer system is in wireless communication with a plurality of vehicles, each of the vehicles equipped with appropriate environmental sensors. Environmental reports are sent from the autonomous vehicles to the computer system using a V2X protocol or the like, and relate to such matters as worn line markings, obstacles on the roadway, and other conditions. The computer system is configured to evaluate the received environmental reports for accuracy. A comparison with similar environmental reports is made, and if there are few or no such reports for the location, an indication is reported to the vehicle that the vehicle's sensors may have a problem. The evaluation can be presented with a degree of confidence, taking into consideration various factors such as frequency of vehicles traversing the location, weather, time of day, etc.

System and method for evaluating operation of environmental sensing systems of vehicles

A vehicle comprises a processor, programmed to responsive to detecting a fleet within a predefined range, join the fleet via a wireless connection, and optimize network configuration of the fleet by activating a first network technology on the vehicle, deactivating a second network technology, and commanding at least one vehicle of the fleet via the wireless connection to deactivate the first network technology.

Vehicle network sharing

A system includes a processor configured to receive a route request including at least one ride-comfort parameter. The processor is also configured to determine a route including a road for which predefined comfort characteristics corresponding to the ride-comfort parameter meet the included ride-comfort parameter and return the route responsive to completing the determination.

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Lake Orion, MI, United States of America

Allen R Murray