Ford Global Technolgoies, LLC

Benjamin Moffatt

Ian Salsbury

Yasmin Jawad

Joseph Hornby

James Nicholas Murray

Jonathan Gregory

Tithal Bhandari

Christopher Harrison

Jake Larsson

Sheraz Atiq

Jose G Das Neves Alves

William Barker

Sanketh S Venkatesh Prasad

Bahareh Saboktakin Rizi

Gemma Lord

Cheok Man Chu

Parhum Purser

The disclosure relates to simplifying the integration of a peripheral with a vehicle. The complexity of modern vehicle electronics means that integration of a peripheral with a vehicle requires a reconfiguration of the vehicle electronics in order for the resultant upfitted vehicle to function as desired by the user. This restricts the set of users and enterprises which are able to successfully integrate a new peripheral with a vehicle. To make the task more approachable, a software application is described which presents a user with a graphical user interface enabling them to specify, at a high-level, rules of behavior for the upfitted vehicle. From the user's inputs via the graphical user interface, the application creates configuration data to be applied to the vehicle electronics in order to produce the desired behavior in the upfitted vehicle.

Vehicle configuration for integration of an accessory

Systems and methods are described for operating a peripheral device of a vehicle. Control circuitry determines whether the peripheral device is connected to a vehicle controller. Control circuitry receives operational settings for the peripheral device, e.g., in response to determining that the peripheral device is connected to the vehicle controller. The vehicle controller is used to control the peripheral device using the received operational settings.

Methods and systems for operating a peripheral device of a vehicle

Methods and systems for using audio output devices to output audio content are provided. The audio output devices are provided in autonomously controllable vehicles. The vehicles are instructed to move to respective locations based on an audio output mode. For example, the vehicles may be arranged in a first configuration for a stereo sound mode and instructed to play left-channel or right channel audio data according to their location. The vehicles may be autonomously controlled to move into a different configuration for outputting audio content in another audio mode, for example, a surround sound mode. Where the audio output device is provided in a vehicle interior, such as internal speakers in a car, the vehicle may be instructed to, while playing the audio content, open the door and/or window.

Multi-vehicle audio system

A controller for a first vehicle is configured to, when a security system of the first vehicle is activated, transmit a vehicle-to-vehicle signal to a second vehicle, the signal comprising instructions that, when executed by a controller of the second vehicle, cause the controller of the second vehicle to activate a security system of the second vehicle. A method includes determining whether a security system of a first vehicle is activated and, if it is determined that the security system is activated, transmitting a vehicle-to-vehicle signal to a second vehicle, the signal comprising instructions that, when executed by a controller of the second vehicle, cause the controller of the second vehicle to activate a security system of the second vehicle.

Vehicle to vehicle security

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Iver Heath, United Kingdom

Benjamin Moffatt