Ford Global Technolgoies, LLC

Chris James Hocking

Thomas George Leone

Kenneth James Miller

Christopher Alan Lear

Controlling a vehicle includes determining that an occupancy status of the vehicle is unoccupied, estimating a remaining unoccupied time, and controlling a climate-control system according to climate-control parameters based on at least the occupancy status and the remaining unoccupied time. A climate-control parameter is a value or set of values for an attribute or attributes of vehicle climate control, such as a power status for the climate-control system as a whole, a target temperature for a passenger cabin, power statuses corresponding to individual climate zones of the passenger cabin, and target temperatures for the individual climate zones.

Autonomous-vehicle climate-control system

A hybrid-electric vehicle includes a power system, a controller, a driver seat, a passenger seat, a back seat, and sensors. The controller is in communication with the sensors and the power system. The seats are coupled, directly or indirectly, to the power system. The sensors are configured to detect occupancy of the driver, passenger, and back seats. The controller is programmed to receive occupancy data from the sensors, determine an occupancy status based on the occupancy data, set an operating parameter for the power system based on the occupancy status, and control the power system in accordance with the parameter.

Control system for a hybrid-electric vehicle

A vehicle includes a transmission, a torque converter coupled to the transmission, a controller in communication with the transmission and the torque converter; a driver seat, a passenger seat, and a back seat coupled to the transmission, and sensors configured to detect occupancy of the seats. The sensors are in communication with the controller. The controller is programmed to receive data from the sensors, determine an occupancy status based on the occupancy data, set an engine operating parameter of one of the transmission and the torque converter based on the occupancy status, and control one of the transmission and the torque converter to operate according to the parameter.

Powertrain control system

A vehicle includes a transmission; a torque converter coupled to the transmission; a controller in communication with the transmission and the torque converter; a driver seat, a passenger seat, and a back seat coupled to the transmission; and sensors configured to detect user occupancy of the seats. The sensors are in communication with the controller. The controller is programmed to receive data from the sensors, determine an occupancy status based on the occupancy data, set an engine operating parameter of one of the transmission and the torque converter based on the occupancy status, and control one or both of the transmission and the torque converter to operate according to the parameter.

Growing community of inventors

Dearborn, MI, United States of America

Chris James Hocking