Ford Global Technolgoies, LLC

Amey Y Karnik

Jeffrey Allen Doering

Adam Nathan Banker

David Karl Bidner

Julia Helen Buckland

Mrdjan J Jankovic

Michael Howard Shelby

Gregory McConville

Yan Wang

Brad Alan Boyer

Vladimir V Kokotovic

Stephen Lee Cooper

Mohannad Hakeem

Rani Kiwan

Christopher Paul Glugla

James Matthew Kindree

Phillip Bonkoski

Gopichandra Surnilla

Joseph Norman Ulrey

John Eric Rollinger

Adam J Richards

Pravin Sashidharan

Michael John Cullen

Ralph Wayne Cunningham

Daniel Joseph Styles

Michael Benjamin Levin

Furqan Zafar Shaikh

Danrich Henry Demitroff

Sunil Katragadda

Eric Matthew Storhok

Adithya Pravarun Re Ranga

John Smiley, Iii

Colby Jason Buckman

Cary Cole

Russell Senior

Donald James Lewis

Allan Roy Gale

James Alfred Hilditch

Adam Krach

Kim Hwe Ku

John Erik Mikael Hellstrom

Stuart N Ford

James Thomas Gooden

Eric A Luehrsen

Joshua Putman Styron

Nitendra Nath

Meisam Mehravaran

Suzanne Kay Wait

Dave Hagner

De-Shiou Chen

William W Cunningham

Julie Helen Buckland

Ali Mustafa

Zhaoyang Zeng

Shalabh Rakesh Bhatnagar

Jigarkumar Patel

Haitham Alanssari

Cameron Husted

Yashwanth Reddy Gatla

A towing assist system for a vehicle includes a marker positioned on a trailer. An imaging device is in connection with the vehicle and configured to capture image data demonstrating a rearward-directed field of view. A controller processes the image data depicting the characteristic marker and detects the characteristic marker in the image data. The controller further identifies a coupler position or coupler height of a coupling interface of the trailer in response to a position of the marker in at least one frame of the image data.

Trailer height and hitch ball calculation

A current lane of vehicle operation is determined to be branched at a location into a through lane and a deceleration lane based on first sensor data indicating an increased width of the current lane exceeds a predetermined width at the location. Then the vehicle is determined to be operating in one of (a) the deceleration lane, or (b) the through lane, based on second sensor data. Then one of (a) an assist feature of the vehicle is activated to a disabled state based on determining the vehicle is in the deceleration lane, or (b) the assist feature is maintained in an enabled state based on determining the vehicle is in the through lane.

Vehicle lane-based control

Methods and systems are provided for regulating the temperature of rear axle lubrication oil. In one example, a rear axle coolant system may include a coolant loop with a plurality of valves and sensors, regulating the coolant flow in heat exchange relationship with an exhaust gas heat recovery and storage system to deliver warm coolant to a rear axle heat exchanger to warm the rear axle lubrication oil. The method may regulate the components of the rear axle coolant system through a controller, receiving sensor input from the components of the coolant system.

Rear axle lubrication oil temperature control using exhaust heat recovery and a thermal battery

Systems and methods for operating a driveline of a hybrid vehicle are disclosed. In one example, output of an electric machine is adjusted after commanding reactivation of all engine cylinder valves that have been deactivated. The electric machine torque may counteract the engine producing torque that is greater than a requested torque due to high intake manifold pressure.

Methods and system for reactivating engine cylinders

Methods and systems are disclosed for operating an engine that includes a knock control system that may determine contributions of individual noise sources to an engine background noise level. The contributions of the individual noise sources may be determined via adjusting timing of a knock window or timing of the individual noise sources.

Method and system for learning contributions of engine knock background noise for a variable displacement engine

Methods and systems are provided for tracking a fuel puddle mass in the intake port of a deactivated engine cylinder. The difference in fuel evaporation rate in the deactivated cylinder intake is accounted for by applying distinct time constant and gain values to a transient fuel compensation model. A fuel vapor content is clipped once the intake vapor pressure in the intake port of the deactivated cylinder reaches a saturation pressure limit.

Method and system for controlling engine fueling

Methods and systems are provided for diagnosing a cylinder valve deactivation mechanism in an engine system having cam-actuated valves. Movement of a latch pin of the deactivation mechanism is inferred from an induction current generated by a solenoid coupled to the latch pin, and the inferred movement is used to diagnose operation of cylinder valve deactivation mechanism. The inferred movement and a profile of the induction current is also used to estimate camshaft and crankshaft timing for improved cylinder fuel delivery in the absence of a camshaft sensor.

Method and system for variable displacement engine diagnostics

Methods and systems are provided for controlling coolant flow through parallel branches of a coolant circuit including an AC condenser and a charge air cooler. Flow is apportioned through each of an air-conditioning condenser, a charge air cooler (CAC), and a transmission oil cooler (TOC) of the coolant circuit to maintain an estimated transmission oil temperature (TOT) below a threshold. The TOT is estimated from a torque converter slip ratio.

Methods and systems for control of coolant flow through an engine coolant system

Methods and systems are disclosed for operating an engine that includes a knock control system. The method and system may increase opportunities to learn one or more engine knock background noise levels via changing poppet valve timing and/or fuel injection timing. The method and system may also improve knock detection if knock sensor degradation is suspected.

Method and system for engine knock detection

Methods and systems are disclosed for operating an engine that includes a knock control system that may determine contributions of individual noise sources to an engine background noise level. The contributions of the individual noise sources may be the basis for establishing the presence or absence of knock in one or more engine cylinders.

Method and system for applying engine knock windows

Methods and systems are provided for controlling camshaft phasers of a variable displacement engine. In one example, the engine includes first and second cylinder banks, with the engine being configured to operate in a rolling variable displacement mode. The camshaft phasers are torque actuated camshaft phasers, and a controller of the engine may adjust operation of camshaft phasers at the first cylinder bank differently than camshaft phasers at the second cylinder bank.

Camshaft phaser control for variable displacement engines

Methods and systems are provided for improving fuel efficiency and tailpipe emissions of a variable displacement engine. Fueling is initially disabled in cylinders selected to be deactivated while pumping air through the cylinders to an exhaust after-treatment catalyst, and then valve operation is disabled. On reactivation, if manifold vacuum is dissipated, one bank of cylinders are reactivated while the other bank is operated in DFSO with valves pumping air until manifold vacuum is reestablished.

Methods and systems for engine control

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Dearborn, MI, United States of America

Amey Y Karnik