Ford Global Technolgoies, LLC

David Celinske

Stuart C Salter

John Anthony DeMarco

Todd Ansbacher

Farouq Mozip

Andrew Hudson

Brendan F Diamond

Kirk Pebley

Paul Kenneth Dellock

Mathew Alan Boesch

Ryan J O'Gorman

Eric Michael Rademacher

Sami Dagher

Vyas Shenoy

David Brian Glickman

Sangeetha Sangameswaran

Kevin Roy Harpenau

Mark Douglas Malone

Sheran Anthony Alles

Jessica Smith

John Robert Van Wiemeersch

Ming Lang Kuang

Mohannad Hakeem

William David Treharne

Hafiz Shafeek Khafagy

Scott J Lauffer

Ray C Siciak

Zeljko Deljevic

Kevin Thomas Hille

Richard Dyche Anderson

Daniel M King

Peter Phung

Hanyang B Chen

David Jeffeory Berels

David Anthony Symanow

Anthony Gerald King

Michael Adel Awad Alla

Filip Tomik

Toussaint Carpenter

Anthony Thomas Spoto

Yuming Niu

Hamed Babazadehrokni

Erick Mogollon

Rudi Todd Ansbacher

Leann Kridner

Scott R Caudill

Ahmed Elhadeedy

Stuart Easson

Solomon Lin

Rashad Jamal Allen

Alasdair Collins

John David Jorgensen

Matthew Volpone

Daniel Luke Rabideau

Robert G Oestreich

Paul Braithwaite

Jayeshkumar Ramani

Suvrat Jain

Michael Awad Alla

Fernando Camargo

Peter Attila Farkas

Brian Grifka

Vyas Darshan Shenoy

Justin Richard Longbourne

Roxanne Anthonette Pinheiro

Responsive to indication a user of a vehicle has provided input to an interface of the vehicle, electrical connections between a power distribution center and components of an electrical system of the vehicle are disconnected except an electrical connection between the power distribution center and an auxiliary battery of the electrical system.

Automatic reset of vehicle modules

A first vehicle configured to jump start a second vehicle is disclosed. The first vehicle may include a first energy storage system, a second energy storage system, and a converter. The first vehicle may further include a switch between the second energy storage system and the converter, and a control unit. The control unit may obtain a user request to activate a jump start mode of the first vehicle, deactivate a vehicle load in the first vehicle, and cause the switch to operate in the ON state. The control unit may further cause the second energy storage system to supply a first amount of current to pre-charge a battery of the second vehicle for a predefined time duration, and cause the second energy storage system to supply a second amount of current to the battery to start a second vehicle ignition system when the battery is pre-charged.

Systems and methods for jump starting vehicles

A motor vehicle electrical distribution system includes an upfitter power supply subsystem with overcurrent protection for tripping (opening) a solid-state relay when current drawn from a main electrical source by the upfitter subsystem impacts other priority electrical loads of the vehicle. Warnings/alerts are generated to inform the user (e.g., driver) of the tripping events, which may include real-time graphing of a recent history of events. In order to restore power to the upfitter subsystem, a voltage supplied by a supplemental battery (i.e., vehicle start-up battery) to the upfitter subsystem is monitored. If the voltage stabilizes then a voltage from the main electrical source is intentionally dropped to the stabilized value and the solid-state relay is re-closed. Then the main voltage is ramped back up to its nominal value. An automatic reset time may be added to delay the reclosing if the solid-state relay has been operated excessively.

Vehicular electrical system sharing primary power with upfit equipment

A computer includes a processor and a memory, the memory storing instructions executable by the processor to receive a request to activate a vehicle, receive diagnostic data for one or more vehicle components from an activation component, arbitrate the request and the diagnostic data to identify an activation mode of the vehicle that is one of an unpowered mode, a power-up mode, or a fully-started mode, and instruct the activation component to activate one or more vehicle components associated with the identified activation mode.

Enhanced vehicle activation

A power management system for a vehicle includes a power source, switching circuitry, and a first converter electrically interposing the power source and the switching circuitry. The first converter has a first power output threshold. A second converter electrically interposes the power source and the switching circuitry. The second converter has a second power output threshold lower than the first power output threshold. Control circuitry is configured to, in response to a key-off state of the vehicle, control the switching circuitry to supply power to at least one load, compare the power drawn from the second converter by the at least one load to the second power output threshold, and communicate an output to limit the power drawn from the second converter by the at least one load in response to the comparison.

Power distribution management for a vehicle

A vehicle having an air compressor, an air storage tank and a sensor is disclosed. The air compressor may supply compressed air to the air storage tank, and the air storage tank may supply the compressed air to an external tool. The sensor may be configured to receive information associated with the external tool and send the information to a vehicle processor. The processor may determine tool specification and expected tool usage characteristics based on the information associated with the external tool. The processor may further calculate a target pressure of compressed air in the air storage tank based on the tool specification and the expected tool usage characteristics. Furthermore, the processor may cause air compressor operation to fill the air storage tank with the compressed air at the target pressure.

Systems and methods for controlling vehicle air compressor

One or more controllers may, after activation of a vehicle, sequentially pulse field effect transistors of a power distribution module of the vehicle that are connected to inputs of an upfitter power module, and preclude operation of the upfitter power module responsive to, for at least two of the field effect transistors, electrical parameters resulting from the corresponding pulses being reported for a same one of the inputs.

Vehicle upfitter power connection management strategies

A vehicle power system generates alerts prior to discontinuance of power to upfitter loads and vehicle loads according to a user defined priority sequence such that the alerts generated prior to discontinuance of power to the upfitter loads are different than the alerts generated prior to discontinuance of power to the vehicle loads.

Control and management of upfitter and vehicle loads

The disclosure is generally directed to systems and methods for securing an item in a vehicle. An example method can include a processor receiving a primary trigger to unlock a gate of the vehicle, followed by unlocking of the gate to allow access to a cargo compartment. A secondary trigger may then be received for unlocking a security lock that is a part of a cargo item holder located in the cargo compartment. The processor may perform an authentication procedure upon the secondary trigger and unlock the security lock, based on a successful authentication of the secondary trigger. In an example implementation, the cargo item holder is a gun rack that includes a security lock, the primary trigger can be a signal produced by activating a pushbutton switch, and the secondary trigger can be a spoken command, a signal generated by a smart tag, or an image of an individual.

Systems and methods to secure items stored in a cargo area of a vehicle

The disclosure is generally directed to systems and methods for controlling electrical power outlets in a vehicle. An example method executed by a processor of an electrical power outlet controller includes detecting a transitioning of a vehicle to a drive mode and further includes disconnecting, based on the transitioning, electrical power supplied to a first electrical power outlet in the vehicle. The transitioning of the vehicle to the drive mode may be detected based on a transition of a drive selector of the vehicle from a park position to a drive position. In another example method, the processor, detects the vehicle in motion and disconnects electrical power supplied to a second electrical power outlet in the vehicle. The first electrical power outlet and/or the second electrical power outlet are accessible from outside the vehicle, and may, for example, be located outside a cabin area of the vehicle.

Systems and methods for controlling electrical power outlets in a vehicle

Responsive to a magnitude of current associated with power from a vehicle being supplied to upfitter loads approaching a predefined threshold, a controller discontinues supply of power to vehicle loads according to a user defined priority order of the vehicle loads such that the vehicle loads of lowest priority among the priority order of the vehicle loads are sequentially shed to maintain the magnitude less than the predefined threshold.

Automotive power supply, upfitter module architectures, and user defined load shedding related to same

The disclosure is generally directed to systems and methods for guiding an individual to an electrical power outlet in a vehicle. An example method executed by a processor of an electrical power outlet controller in a vehicle includes determining that an individual is seeking an electrical power outlet provided on the vehicle, selecting a first electrical power outlet from a plurality of electrical power outlets provided on the vehicle, and providing location information of the first electrical power outlet. The location information may be provided in various forms such as in the form of an audio signal (a beeping sound produced by a beeper, for example), a visual indication (a light source illuminating the electrical power outlet, for example) an audible instruction (navigation assistance provided via a speaker, for example), a graphical indication (navigation assistance via a personal device), and/or a text message (navigation assistance via a personal device).

Systems and methods to guide an individual to an electrical power outlet in a vehicle

A depletion amount of energy required to charge a user device connected to a device port of a vehicle is estimated based on a state of charge (SoC) of a device battery of the connected user device. Responsive to an expected SoC of a LV battery of the vehicle after providing the depletion amount of energy exceeding a calibrated threshold amount of energy of the LV battery, the connected user device is charged during key off. Otherwise, an engine start/stop schedule defining a time to start an engine of the vehicle and a duration of run time for the engine is utilized to generate additional energy to charge the connected user device to ensure the LV battery remains above the calibrated threshold amount of energy.

User device vehicle charger strategy

The disclosure generally pertains to systems and methods for detecting obstacles in the pathway of cables. In an example method, a first location at a site for stationing a vehicle may be selected. A first routing for a cable may then be determined, where a first end of the cable is connected to the vehicle stationed at the first location. It may then be determined at the vehicle whether the first routing for the cable passes through at least one potential or actual obstacle, where the determination is based at least in part on a topographic map. Responsive to the determination that the first routing for the cable passes through the at least one potential or actual obstacle, a remedial action may be performed, where the remedial action prevents the first routing of the cable from passing through the at least one potential or actual obstacle.

Systems and methods for detecting obstacles in the pathway of cables

A system and method for providing electric power take-off from a high-voltage electric battery to a plurality of external devices includes: receiving a first request from a first external device having a first priority for a supply of power from an electric power take-off connector at a first voltage, a first current, and a first variance tolerance; receiving a second request from a second external device having a second priority for supply of power at a second voltage, a second current, and a second variance tolerance; and assigning available power from the high-voltage battery, via a high voltage (HV) variable direct-current to direct-current (DCDC) converter and a current regulator in electrical communication with the high-voltage battery, to the first and second external devices based upon their respective priorities and variance tolerances.

Electric power take-off

Growing community of inventors

Wolverine Lake, MI, United States of America

David Celinske