Ford Global Technolgoies, LLC

Clara Bennie

Mahmoud Yousef Ghannam

Brian Bennie

Swadad A Carremm

Dana Conner

Jayagopal Appukutty

Cheri Lyn Hansen

Noha Ghannam

A vehicle is provided including a cabin interior, one or more sensors located on the vehicle and configured to capture images of the cabin interior and generate sensor outputs, one or more powered windows configured to be controlled between open and closed positions, and a controller processing the sensor outputs of the one or more sensors with one or more pet profiles to detect a pet in the cabin interior, the controller controlling the one or more powered windows based on the detected pet.

Vehicle having pet detection and control

Guidance to a vehicle occupant is directed to manual adjustment of a height of a D-ring mechanism of a safety belt. First data of the occupant is collected which is indicative of a target height for the D-ring mechanism. Second data is collected indicative of a current height of the D-ring mechanism. The target height and the current height are compared to generate an adjustment amount whenever their difference is greater than a predetermined threshold. Visual guidance is presented to the occupant on an HMI display panel wherein the visual guidance describes taking an particular action to achieve the manual height adjustment of the D-ring mechanism. A further visual instruction is presented to the occupant on the HMI display panel wherein the visual instruction identifies the adjustment amount.

Safety belt D-ring positioning for front and rear seats

Systems, methods, and computer-readable media are disclosed for optimized driver seat and pedal positioning using ulna length. An example method may include determining, at a first time and using a sensor of a vehicle, an ulna length of a vehicle user. The example method may also include automatically adjusting a seating position of the vehicle user to a first seating position based on the ulna length of the vehicle user.

Optimized driver seat and pedal positioning using ulna length

The disclosure is generally directed to systems and methods for evaluating a driving environment of a vehicle for hearing impairment conditions, detecting a request related to hearing impairment conditions, activating an accessibility mode in response to the request based on the hearing impairment condition, the accessibility mode providing sensory aids in response to the hearing impairment conditions, and altering vehicle motion to enable driver attention to the driving environment. The detecting the request related to hearing impairment conditions includes receiving a driver request for accessibility, a predetermined setting implementing a driver profile indicating a request for accessibility, and an alert from a drivers assisted technology system using artificial intelligence (AI) that the driving environment has hearing impairment conditions. The alert from the DAT system includes analyzing behaviors of the driver including response times to environmental sounds and analyzing driver-chosen volume settings indicative of a hearing-impaired driver.

Systems and methods for hearing impaired drivers

Safety belt D-ring positioning

Method and apparatus are disclosed to facilitate mitigation of vehicle trapping on railroad crossings. An example vehicle comprises a global positioning system (GPS) receiver, sensors, a transceiver, a processor and a memory. The GPS receiver generates location information. The sensors generate vehicle information. The processor and memory are in communication with the sensors, the GPS receiver, and the transceiver. The processor is configured to: determine whether the vehicle is stranded on a railroad crossing using the location information and the vehicle information; if the vehicle is stranded, generate a help request; and transmit the help request to neighboring vehicles.

Methods and apparatus to facilitate mitigation of vehicle trapping on railroad crossings

Devices and methods are disclosed for detecting or predicting an underride impact. An example vehicle includes a camera for capturing an image of a target vehicle, sensors for detecting a speed and heading of the vehicle, and a processor. The processor is configured to determine a target vehicle classification, determine an open space of the target vehicle, determine a closing speed between the vehicle and target vehicle, predict an underride impact based on the classification, open space, and closing speed, and responsively execute an impact action.

Vehicle underride impact detection systems and methods

A wheelchair-dock system includes a floor including an elongated depression, a movable member, an actuator drivingly coupled to the member, and a position sensor coupled to the member. The depression defines a lateral direction. The member is movable in the lateral direction between an extended position over the depression and a retracted position.

Wheelchair dock

A vehicle includes a frame and a bumper pivotally connected to the frame. An actuator is mounted to the frame and coupled to the bumper. The actuator is operable to pivot the bumper relative to the frame between a substantially vertical position and an angled position. A user interface is used to activate the actuator. A vehicle controller is programmed to receive a signal from the user interface, and responsive to receiving the signal, activate the actuator to pivot the bumper. The controller may also issue warnings to the driver when the bumper is in an incorrect position for the current driving conditions.

Rear impact guard for a vehicle

A vehicle includes a frame and a bumper pivotally connected to the frame. A step is attached to the bumper so that the step is pivotal between a storage position and a step position. An actuator is mounted to the frame and coupled to the bumper, and is operable to pivot the bumper relative to the frame between a substantially vertical position and an angled position.

Embodiments include a vehicle comprising a user interface, a first sensor coupled to a child seat for detecting a child seat belt status; a gear selector for selecting a vehicle gear, and a processor communicatively coupled to the first sensor and the gear selector, and configured to cause the user interface to present a first notification if a first alarm condition is detected based on the child seat belt status and a selected gear. Embodiments also include a method of providing child seat monitoring in a vehicle, the method comprising receiving a gear position from a vehicle gear selector, receiving a child seat belt status from a first sensor coupled to a vehicle child seat, and presenting a first notification using a vehicle user interface if the gear position is a non-park position and the child seat belt status is unbuckled.

Growing community of inventors

Sterling Heights, MI, United States of America

Clara Bennie