Ford Global Technolgoies, LLC

Christopher W Bell

John Paul Gibeau

James A Lathrop

Mark J Ferrel

Bo Wu

Mohamed Elshaer

Arthur M Rutyna

Adil Nizam Siddiqui

Brad Alan Ignaczak

Matthew Roger Dedona

Brittany Connolly

Hilde Anne Heremans

Frank Kallio

Ali Hassani

Hadi Malek

Christopher Westfall

Hannah Bailey

Brian Bennie

Thomas Edward Pilutti

David Charles Weber

Richard William Kautz

Venkateswa Anand Sankaran

Kevin Mackenzie

Raymond C Siciak

Jonathan Barker

Theodore Joseph Filippi

Emil G Serban

Nevin Altunyurt

Allen Joseph Gilbert

William Arthur Paxton

Sara Dadras

Richard Kai Wong

John Marshall Penney

Rathi Kannan Munukur

Tianbo Xu

Paul Theodosis

An automotive controller drives a plurality of relays to a first position or a second position depending on which of a first port and second port, that are both arranged to provide electrical power, has greater electrical power such that a traction battery receives current from the one of the first port and second port delivering the greater electrical power but not the other of the first port and second port.

Isolation charging for multiple AC charging inputs

A vehicle charging system includes a vehicle charge port having a first connector with one or more first magnets and a plurality of first terminals arranged in a first array. A charge station for the vehicle includes a support and a second connector attached to the support by an articulating mechanism that permits movement of the second connector relative to the support. The second connector has one or more second magnets and a plurality of second terminals arranged in a second array that matches the first array so that the first terminals are connectable to the second terminals when the first and second connectors aligned. The first and second magnets are arranged to move the second terminals, via the articulating mechanism, into alignment with first terminals when the first and second connectors are within a magnetic-coupling range.

Vehicle charging system

This disclosure describes charging input selector systems for electrified vehicle charging systems. An exemplary charging input selector system may include one or more selector units movable between a first position that is displaced from an on-board charger unit and a second position that is in contact with the on-board charger unit. When the selector unit and the on-board charger unit contact one another, an on-board charger module electrically connected to the on-board charger unit may receive power from a charging input for charging a battery pack. When the selector unit and the on-board charger unit do not contact one another, the on-board charger module cannot receive power from the charging input. The selector unit may be passively moved between the first and second positions using the insertion force of a connector of an electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE) assembly.

Charging input selector systems for electrified vehicles

A vehicle interface system configured to be arranged between a vehicle and an off-board inverter, may include a first cable configured to connect to the vehicle via a first connector; a second cable configured to connect to an inverter via a second connector; and a transceiver configured to transmit interface data to the vehicle indicating the presence of a load connected at the second connector and receive vehicle data including instructions to transmit power from the first connector to the second connector.

Off-board inverter vehicle interface system

An automated charging system for a vehicle includes a telescoping mechanism configured to move a charge connector in a vertical direction. The charging system includes a rack and pinion mechanism that is configured to move the telescoping mechanism. The charging system is configured to translate horizontal motion of the rack to vertical motion of the telescoping mechanism.

Automatic, hands-free conductive charging system for electric vehicle applications

A vehicle includes a power system that is couplable to a power network. A controller is configured to communicate with appliances coupled to the power system and programmed to operate the appliances to prevent current demand of the appliances from exceeding a peak operating current of the power system and to balance current demand to prevent exceeding a nominal current rating of the power system for more than a predetermined time.

Integrated vehicle-to-home energy management system

An electrically-propelled vehicle includes a traction battery and a conductive charging pad disposed beneath the vehicle and electrically coupled to the battery. The charging pad is configured to transfer power from at least one contact extension disposed at a charge station to charge the battery. A height from ground of the charging pad is configured to cause electrical engagement of the contact extension as a result of the vehicle entering a parking space proximate the charge station.

Electrified vehicle and charging system

A system for a vehicle includes a trio of ultrasonic sensors, and a controller configured to, responsive to a location of an object identified from a distance between the ultrasonic sensors, a receive time at each of the ultrasonic sensors associated with a same ultrasonic pulse from a transmitter of the object, and an absence of data regarding a send time of the ultrasonic pulse, steer the vehicle to the object.

Ultrasonic signal triangulation

An off-board load power management system for an electrified vehicle is provided. The system may include a DC-to-AC inverter for providing power to auxiliary loads. Using a manual selector, an operator may select an amount of power to be allocated for inverter use at all time during vehicle operation. A controller may guarantee the selected amount of power is available for inverter use and control a generator accordingly. The controller may manage the distribution of power from a battery and/or generator to the powertrain and other vehicle accessories to ensure the selected amount for the inverter always remains available.

Electrified vehicle off-board load power management

A system and method for managing communications with a vehicle wireless charging station include a vehicle having a battery configured for wireless charging and a vehicle computing system having a transceiver and a processor programmed to broadcast a signal by the vehicle computing system using the transceiver to establish a communication link with a vehicle wireless charging station in response to a current vehicle location being within a specified range of a previously authorized vehicle wireless charging station. The system and method may include a vehicle HMI to prompt a user for input to authorize communication with a wireless charging station that is not recognized or that has not been previously authorized. Wireless charging related broadcasts may be inhibited when the vehicle is not within a specified range of a known wireless charging station location to conserve energy and reduce potential for unauthorized responses to the vehicle broadcasts.

System and method for vehicle wireless vehicle charging communications using location based services

A parameter estimation system includes a first coil configured to be loosely inductively coupled to a second coil. A controller is programmed to output parameters of the first coil and second coil. The controller is programmed to estimate the parameters based on voltage and current measurement from only the first or the second coil. The voltage and current measurements may be used in a Kalman filter. In some configurations, the controller is further programmed to command a short circuit between terminals of the second coil and apply a test voltage to the first coil. The first coil may be part of a vehicle charging station and the second coil may be part of a vehicle. The parameters may be utilized to control charging of the vehicle.

Parameter estimation of loosely coupled transformer

A system for a vehicle includes an ultrasonic sensor including a layer of material such that vibration of the material is indicative of frequency of transmitted and received ultrasonic signals, and a controller configured to, through electrical excitation, cause the material to vibrate to transmit an inquiry ultrasonic signal and, responsive to receiving from an object an acknowledgement ultrasonic signal having frequency different from frequency of the inquiry signal, steer the vehicle from the object.

Ultrasonic locating

A vehicle system includes a camera and a display device. The camera is configured to capture an image and the display device is programmed to display the image. Each image includes a target, and the display device displays a virtual overlay on the image. The virtual overlay is displayed on the display device at a fixed location.

Parking assist overlay

A charging facility includes a primary coil, magnets arranged relative to the primary coil in a pattern such that fields generated by the magnets can be used to position a vehicle relative to the primary coil, and a controller. Some of the magnets have a predefined polarity signature encoding data regarding an identify of the primary coil. The controller is programmed to receive information from or provide information to the vehicle about the predefined polarity signature.

Charge coil positioning and data encoding magnet arrays for vehicle charging

Electric and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles include a rechargeable traction battery. An automated vehicle charging system is configured to charge the traction battery with minimal operator intervention. The vehicle charging system includes at least one tire pad including a plurality of pressure-sensitive sensors arranged at known locations of the tire pad and outputting signals having a magnitude indicative of a pressure applied by a tire at the known locations. The vehicle charging system also includes at least one controller programmed to receive the signals and control movement of a transmit coil according to a position of the tire on the tire pad that is derived from the signals. The known locations may be generally equally spaced or unevenly spaced across the tire pad. The tire pad may include a tire stop to limit motion of the tire in one direction.

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Livonia, MI, United States of America

Christopher W Bell