Ford Global Technolgoies, LLC

David Hiskens

Cynthia M Neubecker

Jonathan Diedrich

John Robert Van Wiemeersch

Ali Hassani

Brad Alan Ignaczak

Ryan Edwin Hanson

Somak Datta Gupta

Mark Gehrke

Hafiz Malik

Jake S Schwartz

While a vehicle is off, an automatic trigger strategy activates a heating device that melts snow and ice off exterior vehicle sensors as it is needed. The automatic trigger strategy determines when to turn on the heating device while the vehicle is in a limited power state by using data pulled from memory or data obtained from a current data check. Collected, analyzed, and stored during key-off, data pulled from memory allows the invention to accurately choose the correct time to start the heating device without consuming additional power. If current data checks are required because data saved at key-off is not enough information to execute a decision, the invention may determine the least power consuming data checks. A power manager extends a threshold that is dependent on the energy reserve. Once the energy reserve is below the threshold, the power manager inactivates the heating device and voids manual commands.

Automatic trigger strategy for clearing exterior biometric sensors

A computer, including a processor and a memory, the memory including instructions to be executed by the processor to acquire a first image with a visible and NIR light camera and acquire a second image with an infrared camera. The instructions can include further instructions to determine whether the second image includes a live human face by comparing a first infrared profile included in the second image with second infrared profile included in a previously acquired third image acquired with the infrared camera; and when the second image includes the live human face, output the first image.

Counterfeit image detection

Real-time wind data for a location is determined based on a detected movement of an object relative to a vehicle. The real-time wind data includes a wind speed and a wind direction. Upon receiving stored wind data for the location from a remote computer, a crosswind risk is determined based on the real-time wind data and the stored wind data. A vehicle component is actuated to compensate for the crosswind risk.

Crosswind risk determination

Method and apparatus are disclosed for vehicle camera signal strength indicator. An example vehicle includes a first communication module, a second communication module, and a hardware module with a processor and memory. The first communication module communicatively couples to a wireless camera. The second communication module communicatively couples to a mobile device. The second communication module is different than the first communication module. The hardware module (i) determines a metric of transmission quality based on a signal strength from the wireless camera, and (ii) sends the metric of transmission quality to the mobile device to provide feedback regarding a placement of the wireless camera on the vehicle.

Vehicle camera signal strength indicator

Growing community of inventors

Ann Arbor, MI, United States of America

David Hiskens