Ford Global Technolgoies, LLC

Bradley George Hochrein

Erick Michael Lavoie

Timothy Gerard Offerle

Nathaniel Abram Rolfes

Anand Pradip Naik

Darrel Alan Recker

Donald Jacob Mattern

Michael Hafner

Roger Arnold Trombley

Thomas Edward Pilutti

John Shutko

Joe L Buchwitz

James Adam Drozdowski

Christopher Scott Nave

Joseph Washnock

William James Bouse

Jack E Barry

Soungjin Wou

James Philip Cooper

Kirt Eschtruth

Miguel A Bahena

Alex Parker

Salvador Toledo

Robert Ralph Iorio

Timothy Patrick Diez

Nate Rolfes

David Pericak

Yeo-Wang John Lee

Russell Andres

David Kaiser

Marshall Earnest

Thomas Philip Flanagan

Rich Lanoue

Chitra Varanasi

A vehicle operates as a hub for locating and filtering water. The vehicle receives filter information over a local network connection between the vehicle and a water filter. The vehicle sends the filter information over a wide-area network from the vehicle to a cloud server. A human machine interface (HMI) remote from the filter displays filter details based on the filter information that explain aspects of the operation of the filter.

Vehicle filtering hub

Methods and apparatus to reduce noise and vibration in a hybrid hydraulic power steering system are disclosed. A method includes receiving sensor data from sensors of a vehicle and mapping the sensor data to filter coefficients. The method further includes generating a torque demand based on an input of the filter coefficients into a polynomial filter and tuning at least one of a torque assistance or a steering damping of an assisted steering system of the vehicle based on the torque demand.

Methods and apparatus to reduce noise and vibration in a hybrid hydraulic power steering system

A trailer backup assist system for motor vehicles includes an auxiliary user input feature that can be used by a vehicle operator to provide a steering curvature command corresponding to a desired vehicle path curvature without requiring a user to move a steering wheel of the motor vehicle. The trailer backup assist system is configured to control a vehicle speed while the vehicle is backing up with a trailer attached thereto utilizing an input comprising at least one of a steering curvature command and an angle of a trailer relative to the vehicle. The trailer backup assist system controls at least one of a brake system, an engine torque, and a transmission gear selection to thereby control vehicle speed in a reverse direction.

Speed optimized trajectory control for motor vehicles

A system includes a torque overlay device having an input shaft and an output shaft coupled to the input shaft. The system includes a steering wheel coupled to the input shaft. The system includes a processor and a memory storing instructions executable by the processor to detect a torque applied to the input shaft and to actuate the torque overlay device to provide torque to the output shaft in a direction opposite the torque applied to the input shaft.

Vehicle steering system

Methods, apparatus, and articles of manufacture are disclosed to modify a steering assist of a hydraulic power steering system. A disclosed method includes calculating modifier values based on sensor data of a vehicle, calculating a torque modifier value based on the modifier values, and generating a final torque assist based on the torque modifier value and a base torque assist, the final torque assist to be applied to a steering system of the vehicle.

Methods and apparatus to modify steering assist of a hydraulic power steering system

A steering assistance actuator for a vehicle includes a actuator shaft, a torque sensor, a motor, a drive mechanism and a drive housing. The actuator shaft is rotatable about a first axis. The actuator shaft includes an integral torque sensor. The motor has an output shaft rotatable about a second axis. The second axis is substantially parallel to the first axis. The drive mechanism is disposed between and drivingly connects the motor and the steering column. The drive mechanism provides a speed reduction from the motor to the actuator shaft. The drive housing encloses the torque sensor and the drive mechanism and is separate from a steering gear. The drive housing also has a mounting feature to which a housing of the motor is fixed. The drive housing also has a first bearing and a second bearing rotatably supporting the actuator shaft in the drive housing.

Electrically controlled steering assistance actuator

A control system for a vehicle includes a steering system, an input including a rotatable rotary element, and a controller. The controller receives a trailer backup assist mode initiation command from the input and activates a trailer backup mode including outputting a vehicle steering command based on a first instantaneous position of the rotary element to the steering system. The controller further receives a terrain management mode initiation command from the input and activating a terrain management mode.

Illuminated vehicle control management pushbutton knob

An autonomous steering system for a vehicle includes a park assist steering module configured to generate a first steering angle command across a communication network of the vehicle. A backup assist steering module is also configured to generate a second steering angle command across the communication network of the vehicle. A steering angle controller is configured to receive the first and second steering angle commands and generate a third steering angle command for controlling a steered wheel of the vehicle based on acceptable steering column torque conditions for the respective steering module.

Steering angle control for multiple features

A system for parallel parking a vehicle in a target parking space is provided herein. A sensing system is configured to detect objects located proximate the target parking space. A park assist system is communicatively coupled to the sensing system. The park assist system is configured to automatically steer the vehicle during a backing maneuver into the target parking space while limiting the speed of the vehicle based on a steering wheel angle. The sensing system is also configured to automatically steer the vehicle during maneuvers inside the target parking space while limiting the speed of the vehicle based on a relative position of at least one of a rear bounding object and a front bounding object.

System and method for parallel parking a vehicle

A system for parallel parking a vehicle into a target parking space is provided herein. The system includes a user input device through which one or more parking parameter selections are made. The system also includes a park assist system for automatically steering the vehicle during the execution of a parallel parking maneuver, wherein the parallel parking maneuver is governed by the one or more parking parameter selections.

A trailer backup assist system for a vehicle reversing a trailer, according to one embodiment, includes a sensor that senses a hitch angle between the vehicle and the trailer. The trailer backup assist system also includes a steering input device movable between a plurality of successive positions that each provide an incremental change to a desired curvature of the trailer. In addition, the trailer backup assist system includes a controller that generates a steering command for the vehicle to guide the trailer on the desired curvature based on the sensed hitch angle and a kinematic relationship with the trailer. The incremental change is substantially equal for a population of trailers to normalize control of the desired curvature.

Trailer backup assist system with normalized steering input device for different trailers

A system for backing a vehicle and a trailer is provided herein. A sensing system is configured to detect objects located in an operating environment of the vehicle and trailer. A backup assist system is configured to communicate with the sensing system and automatically control a braking system of the vehicle to slow or stop the vehicle during a backing maneuver.

Trailer backup assist system with object detection

A system and method for configuring a trailer backup assist system. The system and method communicates predetermined trailer parameters, which are embedded on a tag attached to the trailer, to a controller in the trailer backup assist system. A trailer backup assist system is configured using the predetermined trailer parameters and the configured trailer backup assist system is activated to operate using the trailer parameters.

Growing community of inventors

Dexter, MI, United States of America

Bradley George Hochrein