Ford Motor Company Limited

Ford Global Technolgoies, LLC

Craig John Simonds

Davorin David Hrovat

Ali Hassani

Mark Anthony Cuddihy

Gary Steven Strumolo

Pramita Mitra

David Melcher

Minh N Tran

Lee-Fei Chen

Anthony T Ander

John Robert Van Wiemeersch

Perry Robinson Macneille

Adil Nizam Siddiqui

Brad Alan Ignaczak

Patrick Kevin Holub

Jeffrey Allen Greenberg

Thomas John Giuli

Krishnaswamy Venkatesh Prasad

John Loring Yester

Garold Paul Myers

Minh N Trans

A method of in-vehicle tracking begins with establishing a communication link between a mobile device and a navigation system of a vehicle. The navigation system presents driving instructions leading to a destination. Each of a plurality of locations is serially passed over the communication link from the mobile device to the navigation system. Additionally, each of the plurality of locations is serially set, as it is communicated, as the destination within the navigation system. As the destination within the navigation system is updated, the driving instructions leading to that destination are updated as well.

In-vehicle tracking apparatus and method

A vehicle voice processor includes a processing device and a data storage medium. The processing device is programmed to receive identification information from a wearable device, identify a speaker from the identification information, identify a dialect associated with the speaker from the identification information, select a predetermined acoustic model, and adjust the predetermined acoustic model based at least in part on the dialect identified.

Dynamic acoustic model for vehicle

A system includes a wearable device including a memory and a processor. The processor receives a verbal input for a vehicle from a user. The processor interprets the verbal input to locate in the memory at least one datum predetermined to be interpretable by the vehicle computer. The processor generates a message corresponding to the verbal input including the at least one datum, and sends the message to the vehicle.

Vehicle voice recognition including a wearable device

Biometric data is received from a wearable device. The biometric data concerns a vehicle operator measured by at least one sensor in the wearable device. A load score is determined. The load score is a measurement of operator capacity to operate the vehicle based at least in part on the biometric data from the wearable device. At least one vehicle component is actuated based at least in part on the load score.

Incapacitated driving detection and prevention

Coordinate based vehicle navigation services are provided using text based traffic route information and associated coordinate data received from an off-vehicle source. Traffic route information indicative of a traffic route from an initial location to a destination may be received. The traffic route information may lack geographic coordinate data defining the traffic route. A way-point along the traffic route may be determined based on the traffic route information. Way-point information defining the way-point along the traffic route may be sent to an off-vehicle information provider. The way-point information may lack geographic coordinate data defining the way-point. Way-point geographic coordinate information defining the way-point may be received and the traffic route information may be associated with the way-point geographic coordinate information.

System and method for determining a vehicle traffic route

A system and method are provided for identifying text information and making such information available for applications. The system includes an electronic device communicating text information and an application for performing a function. The system also includes memory storing known text formats and a processor for processing the text information. The processor compares the text information to the known text formats and determines a text format of the text information. The processor also tags the text information according to the determined text format and further makes the tagged text information available to one or more applications.

System and method of processing text based entries

Traction control for an internal combustion engine uses the gas pedal position, steering wheel position and velocity to set a wheel slip target during traction control operation.

Traction control through slip target modifications

A vehicle traction controller includes engine control and brake control routines to improve vehicle traction. The engine control routine reduces average slip of driven wheels of the vehicle by retarding spark timing and by reducing air flow into the engine via an electronically controlled throttle. The engine control routine is entered if the average wheel speed of the driven wheels is above a predetermined threshold speed. Control of spark timing is performed by a Proportional-Differential (PD) control technique. The electronically controlled throttle is controlled by a Proportional-Integral-Differential (PID) control technique. The brake control routine operates to reduce the rotational speed of the driven wheel which has the highest rotational speed. The brake control routine is entered if one of the driven wheels has a rotational speed which is greater than a maximum desired speed and if the difference in speed between the driven wheels is greater than a maximum difference value. A PD control technique is employed to determine the amount of braking force generated by the brake control routine. Braking force generated by the brake control routine is gradually reduced when the rotational speed of each of the driven wheels falls below a threshold value.

Vehicle traction controller with engine and brake control

A technique for estimating a traction characteristic of a surface under a moving vehicle, such as the coefficient of friction of the surface. The traction characteristic can be estimated by generating a torque signal representative of at least an estimate of the amount of torque applied to the driven wheels of the vehicle. A load signal representative of at least an estimate of the load or weight applied to the driven wheels also is generated. The value of the torque signal is divided by the value of the load signal in order to generate a characteristic signal. Depending on the amount of slippage between the driven and non-driven wheels of the vehicle, the characteristic signal can be stored in order to provide an estimate of the traction characteristic of the surface in real time.

Vehicular surface traction characteristic estimation techniques

An electronic traction controller for a vehicle reduces oscillations between a pair of driving wheels which may occur when the the traction controller attempts to control wheel spin of the driving wheels on surfaces which have differing frictional resistances, such as roads partially covered by snow and ice. The traction controller estimates the coefficient of friction beneath each of the driving wheels, and if the frictional resistance of the surfaces beneath each of the driving wheels varies by more than a predetermined amount, or if only one wheel is spinning, a value indicative of the inertia torque of the driving wheel and powertrain combination is determined, and compared against a predetermined value. A slip error value for each of the driving wheels is generated, which is indicative of the difference between the actual rotational speed of the driving wheel and the desired rotational speed of the driving wheel. If the inertia torque is greater than the predetermined value then braking values for the driving wheels to control wheel spin are generated as a function of the slip error value. The braking values are generated such that a first braking value is generated for the driving wheel which has the higher rotational speed of the two driving wheels, and a second braking value is generated for the other driving wheel, with the second braking value resulting in a braking force which is proportional to the first braking value.

Method and apparatus controlling cross-axis oscillations in a vehicle

Techniques for controlling the spin of driven wheels of a vehicle being driven over a surface, the vehicle also including nondriven wheels and an engine having a fuel system for varying engine torque. A characteristic signal representative of at least an estimate of the value of a traction characteristic of a surface under the vehicle is generated. A drive signal having a value dependent on the value of the characteristic signal is then generated. The engine torque is varied in response to the drive signal in order to control the spin of the driven wheels of the vehicle.

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Dearborn, MI, United States of America

Craig John Simonds