Ford Global Technolgoies, LLC

Methode Electronics, Incorporated

Elliott Pearson

Andrew D Niedert

Anton Rogness

Joshua Rajasingh

Peter Simeon Lazarevski

Kevin Stanton Giaier

Johannes Gießibl

Chad Reed

Rinku Patel

Salvador Padilla

Erick Michael Lavoie

Luke Niewiadomski

Rudi Todd Ansbacher

Lucian K M Lippok

Anton L Rogness, Ii

Methods and apparatus to determine vehicle weight are disclosed. An example apparatus includes a suspension airbag, a pump fluidly coupled to the suspension airbag, the pump to control a fluid pressure in the suspension airbag to cause ride height adjustments for a vehicle, a motor operatively coupled to the pump, and processor circuitry to calculate a weight of the vehicle based on an offset between (a) a first motor input that causes the vehicle to rise or lower when the vehicle is unloaded and (b) a second motor input that causes the vehicle to rise or lower when the vehicle is carrying a load.

Methods and apparatus to determine vehicle weight

Methods and apparatus for a dual reacting, single load sensing element coupled to a hitch receiver are disclosed herein. An example computer readable medium comprising instructions, which when executed, cause one or more processors to determine a location of a hitch ball of a hitch of a vehicle, determine a load condition of the hitch based on the location and data received from a sensor of a first pin of the hitch, the hitch including a second pin, the first pin to react loads in a first direction and a second direction, the second pin to react loads in the first direction and in response to the load condition satisfying an alert threshold, alert a user of the load condition.

Methods and apparatus for a dual reacting, single load sensing element coupled to a hitch receiver

Methods, apparatus, systems and articles of manufacture are disclosed for payload estimation and fault detection using hitch integrated sensors. An example apparatus includes a pin orientation determiner to determine a first orientation of a first pin and a second orientation of a second pin, the first pin and the second pin disposed within a hitch and calculate a relative orientation of the first pin and the second pin based on the first orientation and the second orientation. The example apparatus further includes a hitch condition detector to determine if a physical change has occurred in the hitch by comparing the relative orientation to an installation orientation of the first pin and the second pin.

Methods and apparatus for payload estimation and hitch condition detection using integrated sensors

An example apparatus includes a profile manager to determine whether a user of a vehicle has a corresponding profile stored in memory based on a personalized vehicle key associated with the user, in response to determining that the profile for the user is not available, receive one or more inputs from the user via a display, the one or more inputs including a loading condition threshold and a corresponding response to exceeding the loading condition threshold, and generate the profile for the user based on the one more inputs from the user; and a vehicle feature modifier to modify a feature of the vehicle when a load condition of the vehicle satisfies the loading condition threshold to limit or disable operation of the vehicle based on the corresponding response to exceeding the loading condition threshold, the feature modified based upon the profile.

Methods and apparatus to modify vehicle function based on loading conditions

Methods, apparatus, systems and articles of manufacture are disclosed to determine vehicle trailer weight. An example apparatus includes a first sensor disposed on a hitch coupled to a vehicle to measure a first rate of change of a weight of the vehicle. The example apparatus also includes a second sensor disposed on a chassis of the vehicle to measure a second rate of change of the weight of the vehicle. The example apparatus also includes a controller to monitor the first rate of change and the second rate of change to determine if the vehicle is improperly loaded.

Methods and apparatus to determine vehicle trailer weight

Methods, apparatus, systems, and articles of manufacture are disclosed to generate an augmented environment including a weight indicator for a vehicle. An example disclosed system includes a camera to capture image data including a first location of an object in a vehicle, processor circuitry to execute instructions to generate a map of loads on the vehicle, and a user interface to present an augmented environment identifying the first location of the object and a load correlated with the object, the load correlated with the object based on the map of loads.

Methods and apparatus to generate an augmented environment including a weight indicator for a vehicle

Methods and apparatus to generate an augmented environment including a weight indicator for a vehicle are disclosed herein. An example apparatus disclosed herein includes memory including stored instructions, a processor to execute the instructions to generate a map of loads on a vehicle based on load data associated with a sensor of the vehicle, determine a load condition of the vehicle based on the map of loads, correlate a first load of the map of loads with an object identified using live video data received from a camera, and generate an augmented environment identifying at least one of a location of the object, the first load correlated with the object, or the load condition.

Modular double pin load sensing hitches including two-piece pin mounts are disclosed herein. An example apparatus disclosed herein includes a pin mount including a first piece, and a second piece, separate from and to be disposed opposite to the first piece. The apparatus further includes and a receiver tube including a first mounting ear to be coupled to the first piece via a first pin and a second mounting ear to be coupled to the second piece via a second pin.

Modular double pin load sensing hitches including two-piece pin mounts

Methods and apparatus for a dual reacting, single load sensing element coupled to a hitch receiver are disclosed herein. An example apparatus includes a hitch configured to be coupled to a vehicle, the hitch including a crossbar, a receiver tube, and a pin housing coupled to the receiver tube. The pin housing includes a first pin including a load sensor, the first pin reacting loads in a first direction and a second direction and a second pin, the second pin reacting loads in the first direction, the first pin and the second pin acting as the only load path between the receiver tube and the crossbar.

Methods and apparatus to determine vehicle weight are disclosed. An example apparatus includes a vehicle controller configured to control a motor operatively coupled to a suspension system to raise or lower a vehicle. The vehicle controller is to also determine a first parameter of the motor while controlling the motor to raise or lower the vehicle when the vehicle is unloaded. The vehicle controller is to also determine a second parameter of the motor while controlling the motor to raise or lower the vehicle when the vehicle is at least partially loaded. The vehicle controller is to also calculate a weight of the vehicle based on the first and second parameters of the motor.

Methods, apparatus, systems and articles of manufacture are disclosed to facilitate a single pin load sensor coupled to a hitch receiver, the sensor to measure one or more loads on the hitch receiver. An example apparatus includes a load sensing pin coupled to a hitch receiver of a vehicle, the load sensing pin disposed in a cavity of a crossbar that is to couple the hitch receiver to the vehicle, wherein the load sensing pin is to measure a load transferred from the hitch receiver to the crossbar.

Methods and apparatus for a single pin load sensor coupled to a hitch receiver

Methods, apparatus, systems, and articles of manufacture are disclosed to generate an augmented environment including a weight indicator for a vehicle. An example disclosed apparatus includes a sensor interface to receive load data associated with a vehicle, and receive live video data from a camera, the live video data including a location of an object in the vehicle, a load mapper to generate a map of loads on the vehicle based on the load data, an object-to-weight correlator to correlate a load of the map of loads with the object, and an augmented reality generator to generate an augmented environment identifying the location of the object and the load correlated with the object.

A vehicle system comprises a hitch mounted on a vehicle and at least one sensor in connection with the hitch. A controller is configured to identify a force applied to the hitch via the at least one sensor. In response to the force, the controller is further configured to approximate a direction of the force. Based on the direction, the controller generates instructions identifying a height adjustment of a coupler of a trailer.

System and methods for detection and response to interference between trailer coupler and hitch ball

Methods and apparatus to compensate for body roll in vehicle weight calculations are disclosed. An example method includes receiving sensor data from sensors of a vehicle, determining a weight of the vehicle and determining a body roll of the vehicle. The example method further includes comparing the body roll to a threshold and, if the body roll satisfies the threshold, adjusting the determined weight of the vehicle based on the determined body roll and properties of a suspension system of the vehicle.

Growing community of inventors

Shelby Township, MI, United States of America

Elliott Pearson