Ford Global Technolgoies, LLC

Other

Andrew Denis Lewandowski

Keith Weston

Brendan F Diamond

Jordan Barrett

Michael Alan Mcnees

Matthew Johnson

Jason Christopher Matthews

Lars Niklas Pettersson

Grant Patrick Mayer

Lorne Forsythe

Jonathan Hair

Anthony J Maraldo

John G Fraser

Victor Martinez

Lawrence Robert Rhein

Jeremy Mateyk

Shane Larkin

Charles Edward Uptain

Stuart C Salter

John Robert Van Wiemeersch

Andrew D Niedert

Aaron Lewis Mills

David Michael Russell

Filip Tomik

Shehan Haputhanthri

Jim Stevens

Alexander Ferencz

David Guglielmo

Tim Beck

Kenneth Andrew Hanovich

Jennifer Bloedow

Methods, systems, apparatus, and articles of manufacture to determine threshold speed for a vehicle and trailer are disclosed. An example apparatus disclosed herein includes memory, instructions, and programmable circuitry to execute the instructions to access information associated with at least one of a vehicle or a trailer coupled to the vehicle, determine, by executing a model based on the information, a threshold speed for the vehicle and the trailer, and prevent, by activating at least one vehicle control, the vehicle and the trailer from travelling at or above the threshold speed.

Methods, systems, apparatus, and articles of manufacture to determine threshold speed for a vehicle and trailer

A vehicle includes a front axle having left and right front wheels and a rear axle having left and right rear wheels. A steering-wheel assembly is used to control at least the front wheels. Left and right driver-actuatable inputs are supported by the steering wheel assembly. A vehicle controller is programmed to, responsive to actuation of the driver-actuatable inputs, place the vehicle in one or more operating modes such as tank turn, trail turn assist, or diagonal driving mode.

Limited use driving operations for vehicles

A computer includes a processor and a memory, and the memory stores instructions executable by the processor to, in response to one of a vehicle feature of a vehicle being active or the vehicle being in a preset geographic area, control acceleration and braking of the vehicle based on input from an input device of the vehicle according to a low-speed mode; and in response to the low-speed mode being inactive, control acceleration and braking of the vehicle not according to the low-speed mode. In the low-speed mode, acceleration occurs upon receiving input from the input device. In the low-speed mode, braking occurs upon not receiving input from the input device.

Low-speed vehicle control

Orientations of a vehicle with an attached trailer can be specified for obtaining respective images of the trailer. Respective images of the trailer captured by a vehicle camera at the specified orientations can then be received. The images can be input to a machine learning program trained to output trailer size metrics. The vehicle can then be controlled according to the trailer size metrics output from the machine learning program.

Lane assistance for vehicles with trailers

Methods and apparatus to control a vehicle trailer using torque vectoring are disclosed. An example apparatus to control a trailer of a vehicle includes condition determination circuitry to determine, based on data from sensors on at least one of the trailer or the vehicle, whether a condition associated with the vehicle is satisfied, and torque control circuitry to adjust, in response to the condition being satisfied, a first torque of a first motor and a second torque of a second motor, the first motor operatively coupled to a first wheel of the trailer, the second motor operatively coupled to a second wheel of the trailer.

Methods and apparatus to control a vehicle trailer using torque vectoring

A vehicle maneuvering scenario can be identified based on data from vehicle sensors including at least one of (a) a location of the vehicle, or (b) data indicating that a first steering wheel rotation in a first direction and a second steering wheel rotation in a second direction each exceed a rotation threshold. A steering ratio can be determined based on the vehicle maneuvering scenario. Vehicle steering can then be actuated according to the steering ratio.

Vehicle steering control

A system has memory that stores instructions executable by the processor to instruct operation of at least one vehicle system (e.g., braking system, propulsion system, steering system, suspension system) in a minimum time mode for travel of the vehicle from a starting point to a destination point of a roadway. The system collects roadway data for the roadway from the starting point to the destination point. Based on the roadway data, the system determines a minimum time path from the starting point to the destination point and speed along the minimum time path. In response to a maximum acceleration input from a human driver of the vehicle when the vehicle is at the starting point, the system initiates the minimum time mode and instructs operation of at least one vehicle system to pursue the minimum time path and speed along the minimum time path from starting point to destination point.

Driver assistance for high accelleration and speed on a minimum time path

A computer is programmed to, in response to a navigation feature being active for a route, prompt an operator of the vehicle to activate a driver-assist feature of the vehicle. For example, the computer can output a message via a user interface indicating that the driver-assist feature is available to be used. The computer is further programmed to receive an input indicating a destination, determine the route for the vehicle from a current location of the vehicle to the destination, and activate the navigation feature to output guidance instructing the operator to follow the route.

Activating adaptive cruise control

Methods and apparatus to prevent trailer sway are disclosed. An example apparatus to prevent trailer sway of a trailer coupled to a vehicle includes prediction circuitry to predict, based on sensor data from one or more sensors of the vehicle, whether a trailer sway condition associated with the vehicle is likely to occur, and control activation circuitry to, in response to the prediction that the trailer sway is likely to occur, activate at least one vehicle control of the vehicle to prevent the trailer sway condition from occurring, the at least one vehicle control to include applying torque to at least one of one or more trailer wheels of the trailer or one or more vehicle wheels of the vehicle.

Methods and apparatus to monitor and prevent trailer sway of a vehicle and trailer

A vehicle for assisting a docking operation for a marine vessel. The vehicle includes a position sensor operable to detect a position of the marine vessel. A first controller is communicatively coupled with the position sensor. The first controller is operable to receive a first instruction from a second controller corresponding to the marine vessel to monitor the position sensor. The first controller is further operable to receive positional data corresponding to the position of the marine vessel relative to a dock. The first controller is further operable to communicate the positional data to the second controller to assist with the docking operation.

System and method for assisting a docking operation

A system examines a current route to determine if one or more instances of off-road travel exist providing an alternative path for reaching a route destination. The system determines that characteristics of a vehicle meet parameters associated with at least one of the instances of off-road travel. Also, the system, responsive to the determining that the characteristics meet the parameters, provides a driver with indication of an alternative route across the instance of off-road travel, including any payment necessary to use the instance of off-road travel. The system, responsive to driver selection of the instance of off-road travel, negotiates payment for usage of the instance of off-road travel and, responsive to negotiating payment, changes the current route to include the instance of off-road travel. The system also provides digital permissions for the vehicle to travel on the instance of off-road travel.

Vehicle permission handling for dynamic private land usage

A system includes one or more processors configured to determine that a vehicle is attempting to enter an area designated for off-road travel. The processors are also configured to access use-restrictions stored in a database and associated with the area, the use-restrictions defining at least one vehicle constraint required for the vehicle to travel over one or more locations that are part of the area, the use restrictions defining at least one of vehicle control limiting or vehicle weight maximums. The processors are further configured to determine whether the vehicle meets the use-restrictions based on an assessment of vehicle characteristics compared to the use-restrictions and responsive to determining that the vehicle meets the restrictions, providing the vehicle with a digital access pass to the area.

Methods and apparatuses for dynamic vehicle access permissioning analysis and handling

A system receives identification of an item to be loaded into a vehicle and determines dimensions of the item. The system adds the item to a total load for an identified vehicle and, based on known dimensions of available space in the identified vehicle, determines one or more candidate placement options for each of one or more items comprising the total load, within available space within the vehicle, wherein candidate placement options for each item are determined so as not to overlap with placement options for another of the one or more items within a given configuration representing placement options for all of the one or more items comprising the total load. Additionally, the system presents a visual rendering of at least one given configuration that successfully allows the total load to fit within the available space.

Vehicle loading and passage configurator

Success rate and usage monitoring for charging vehicles is provided. A charger request is received from a requesting device, the charger request requesting charger recommendations for a vehicle. One or more vehicle attributes are identified from the charger request. The charger recommendations are determined based on charger statistics computed based on charger histories that correspond to the one or more vehicle attributes, the charger histories being descriptive of vehicle charges performed to one or more vehicles by one or more charging stations and further including information descriptive of the one or more vehicles receiving the vehicle charges. The charger recommendations corresponding to the one or more vehicle attributes are sent to the requesting device, responsive to the request.

Systems, methods, and manufacutures for charger success rate and usage monitoring

A computer includes a processor and a memory, and the memory stores instructions executable by the processor to, in response to a vehicle towing a trailer being in reverse, determine a relative orientation of the trailer to the vehicle; while the vehicle is in reverse, in response to the relative orientation exceeding a threshold, brake the vehicle; and then, upon receiving an operator input, permit the vehicle to travel in reverse with the relative orientation exceeding the threshold.

Growing community of inventors

Sterling Heights, MI, United States of America

Andrew Denis Lewandowski