Ford Global Technolgoies, LLC

Derek Hartl

Ryan J Skaff

Angela L Watson

David Leslie Watson

William Paul Perkins

Paul Stephen Bryan

Bernard D Nefcy

Ray C Siciak

Brian Utley

Jeffrey Allen Greenberg

David Anthony Symanow

Steve Droste

Debbi Callicoat

Kevin Vander Laan

Stephen Richard Burke

Craig Sandvig

Robert Jay Louch

Anthony Howard

Douglas Raymond Martin

Ming Lang Kuang

Kenneth James Miller

Dale Scott Crombez

Bo Wu

David Crist Gabriel

Daniel Benjamin Kok

Steven Bishop

Michael Alan Blommer

Engin Erdogan

Susanne Stage

Sohel Merchant

Altay Jun Wakui Sendil

James Belloli

Marvin Paul Kraska

William David Treharne

John Shutko

Christopher Adam Ochocinski

Erik J Christen

Brandon R Masterson

Paul Aldighieri

Dale Gilman

Raymond C Siciak

Thomas Zenner

Masahiro Kimoto

Yunan Guo

Michael Happold

Allen Dennis Dobryden

Ivette Hernandez

Ai Keramidas

Jeffrey Raymond Mohr

Leslie Bodnar

Deborah E Callicoat

Vineeth Seshadri Kallur

Michael Duane Wallace

Jaswant-Jas S Dhillon

Evan Perry

Leann Kridner

Leann Marie Vernon

Linda K Ringlein

Ivette Hernández

Systems and methods for complementary control of an autonomous vehicle are disclosed. A primary controller provides a first plurality of instructions to an AV platform for operating the AV in an autonomous mode along a planned path based on sensor data from a primary sensor system and a secondary sensor system, and provides information that includes a fallback monitoring region to a complementary controller. The complementary controller receives sensor data from the secondary sensor system that includes sensed data for a fallback monitoring region, analyzes the received sensor data to determine whether a collision is imminent with an object detected in the fallback monitoring region, and cause the AV platform to initiate a collision mitigation action if a collision is determined to be imminent.

Complementary control system detecting imminent collision of autonomous vehicle in fallback monitoring region

A vehicle includes a low-voltage battery, a high-voltage battery, and a converter that decreases voltage provided from the high-voltage battery to the low-voltage battery. A system controller of the vehicle is programmed to use the converter, in a key-off cycle, to charge the low-voltage battery a calibrated number of times that the low-voltage battery drops below a predefined state-of-charge threshold, and send a wireless notification a subsequent time the low-voltage battery drops below the threshold. A notification is sent to a predefined contact address when a periodically computed state of charge of a low-voltage battery of a vehicle falls below a predefined threshold. Using a converter, voltage provided from a high-voltage battery of the vehicle to the low-voltage battery is decreased to charge the low-voltage battery responsive to receipt from the contact address of a response indicating approval of the charge.

Battery recharge notification and automatic recharge

A vehicle includes a power converter electrically coupled to an auxiliary battery and an electrical load. A vehicle voltage control system includes a controller programmed command an output voltage of the power converter to a voltage that is a maximum of target voltages associated with electrical loads that are electrically coupled to the auxiliary battery and activated, a battery charging voltage when a demand for auxiliary battery charging is present, and a float voltage associated with the auxiliary battery.

Vehicle power supply control

A computer-implemented method of displaying vehicle range includes receiving input corresponding to a level of charge remaining in a vehicle having at least a partial electric power source usable for vehicle locomotion. The method also includes determining a maximum remaining range which the vehicle can travel based at least on the level of charge. The method further includes displaying a maximum range boundary overlaid on a map, including at least an indicator at the center of the range indicating a current location of the vehicle.

Methods and apparatus for reporting state of charge in electric vehicles

A battery assembly according to an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure includes, among other things, a terminal holder, a terminal at least partially surrounded by the terminal holder, and a bus bar module connectable to the terminal holder. One of the terminal holder and the bus bar module includes at least one locating feature to position the bus bar module in a welding position relative to the terminal.

Bus bar locating feature and method

Methods and systems for electric vehicles, such as battery electric vehicles (BEV) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV), include preemptively cooling a traction battery of the vehicle when a DC Fast Charge (DCFC) event is expected. The expected DCFC event is predicted during a drive cycle and prior to arrival at a DCFC station, based on drive history data of the vehicle or battery state of charge. Preemptive cooling is inhibited if the expected DCFC event can be completed in an amount of time less than a predefined amount of time.

Location-based electric vehicle preemptive cooling for DC fast charge

A method includes controlling an electrified vehicle by modifying a state of charge (SOC) window associated with an energy storage device of the electrified vehicle in response to a reverse driving event or a trailer towing event.

System and method for improving reverse driving capability of electrified vehicles

Systems and methods provide an alternative high voltage cutoff technique for disconnecting a high voltage battery from an electrical network of a vehicle in the event of a fault condition. Embodiments include a vehicle system comprising an electrical bus and a battery module coupled to the electrical bus via a contactor and a disconnector. The vehicle system further includes a controller configured to switch the contactor to an open state, upon receiving a fault condition signal, and if the contactor failed to open, activating the disconnector to break electrical connection between the battery module and the electrical bus. In some embodiments, the fault condition signal is generated upon detecting a vehicular impact. In some embodiments, the disconnector is a pyrotechnic device powered by a vehicle battery included in the vehicle system.

High voltage cutoff for electrified vehicles

A vehicle system includes a voltage converter configured to electrically isolate and convert power transferred between high voltage (HV) and low voltage (LV) busses, and a controller configured to, responsive to regenerative power exceeding a charge power limit of a traction battery receiving charge via the HV bus, increase an output voltage of the converter to initiate transfer of some of the regenerative power to an auxiliary battery connected with the LV bus.

Regenerative braking power distribution

A method for monitoring contactor health according to an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure includes, among other things, storing wear data associated with a contactor, categorizing the wear data into at least a first bin and a second bin, assigning a first health level to the wear data associated with the first bin and assigning a second health level to the wear data associated with the second bin. Health information concerning the contactor is communicated to the vehicle operator.

System and method for monitoring contactor health

A vehicle is disclosed comprising a pre-charge circuit, including a resistor, that selectively connects a traction battery to an electrical impedance. A controller is programmed to inhibit pre-charging for an amount of time when a predetermined number of pre-charge cycles have occurred within a preceding predetermined period of time. The predetermined number of pre-charge cycles may be based on a voltage or current magnitude across the resistor during the previous pre-charge cycles. The predetermined number of times may be modified based on prior successful and failed pre-charge cycles. A method of limiting a temperature increase of a pre-charge resistor is disclosed comprising counting a number of prior pre-charge cycles and inhibiting pre-charging when the number of prior pre-charge cycles within the preceding period of time exceeds a threshold.

Pre-charge quick key cycling protection

A wheel guide for a vehicle charging station includes front and back sides, and a top extending between the front and back sides. The top defines an aperture sized to circumscribe a wireless transmitter of the charging station. The wheel guide further includes a pair of spaced apart wheel slots recessed into the top. Each wheel slot includes an entrance defined in the front side and a pair of longitudinal walls extending from the entrance toward the back side. At least a portion of each of the walls is configured such that a slope of the wall is shallowest at the entrance and becomes increasingly vertical in a direction towards the back side to guide a wheel of a vehicle towards a centerline of the slot.

Alignment structure for a wireless charging station

A method according to an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure includes, among other things, controlling an electrified vehicle by adjusting a deceleration rate based on a closing rate of the electrified vehicle to an oncoming object.

Vehicle system and method for adjusting deceleration rate

A primary current threshold is fit between an electrical capacity and electrical load for an electrical distribution component. When a first measured current exceeds the primary threshold, a power limit for the battery powering the component is reduced. When a second measured current is less than a secondary current threshold, the power limit is increased. The primary and secondary thresholds may be set for a plurality of time periods.

Current protection for an electrical distribution component in an electrified vehicle

Growing community of inventors

Royal Oak, MI, United States of America

Derek Hartl