Ford Global Technolgoies, LLC

Jialiang Le

Manoharprasad K Rao

Mark Anthony Cuddihy

Todd Nelson Clark

Clifford C Chou

James Chih Cheng

Kwaku O Prakah-Asante

Saeed David Barbat

Hubert Szawarski

Robert William McCoy

Jun Lin

Gary Steven Strumolo

S M Iskander Farooq

Mohamed Ridha Baccouche

Srinivasan Sundararajan

David James Tippy

Fubang Wu

Krishnakanth E Aekbote

Raed Essa El-Jawahri

Yeruva Satya Reddy

Ping Chen

Mohammad Omar Faruque

Dean M Jaradi

Mahmoud Yousef Ghannam

Rajit Johri

Roger Arnold Trombley

Saied Nusier

Hongtei Eric Tseng

John Shutko

Alex Maurice Miller

Levasseur Tellis

David James Bauch

Matt Alan Niesluchowski

Joseph Robert Brown

Devinder Singh Kochhar

Paul Simmons

Jeff Allen Greenberg

Matthew Y Rupp

Kirsten Marie Carr

Andrew Waldis

Christopher Attard

Chi-Chin Wu

Karen M Balavich

Cliff Chou

Mangala M Jayasuriya

Lingxi Li

Rachelle Tustanowski

Ming Dong

Renran Tian

Kowling Cheng

Shweta B Farmer

Lawrence B Hewitt

Arlindo Rocha

Robert Mccoy

Clifford Chou

Joseph Brown

A computer includes a processor and a memory, and the memory stores instructions executable by the processor to receive a first image frame from a first camera of a vehicle and a second image frame from a second camera of the vehicle, identify a common point in the first image frame and the second image frame, determine a projected position of the common point projected onto a plane based on the first image frame and the second image frame, and determine a position of the common point based on the projected position. A first optical axis defined by the first camera and a second optical axis defined by the second camera are in the plane.

Occupant head position in vehicle

A system comprises a computer having a processor and a memory, the memory storing instructions executable by the processor to access sensor data from one or more imaging radar sensors of a vehicle, identify, based on the sensor data, a radar point cloud corresponding to an occupant of the vehicle, analyze the radar point cloud to determine an occupant classification of the occupant, determine an operating parameter for a feature of the vehicle based on the occupant classification, and implement the operating parameter for the feature.

Vehicle occupant classification using radar point cloud

Systems and methods of opening a vehicle liftgate based on an interior radar sensor that may be used to detect a user outside the rear of the vehicle are provided. The interior radar sensor may be installed behind the center line of a headliner of the vehicle, and detect the user's head and/or an upper-body gesture through the rear window of the vehicle. e.g., upon detection of a key fob carried by the user outside the vehicle. Upon detection of a valid gesture, e.g., a predetermined pattern of movement, by the user, the liftgate may be actuated to open.

Systems and methods of interior sensor-based vehicle liftgate actuation

A vehicle seating assembly comprises a seat including a back having an array of at least two electrodes arranged in the back such that a master electrode has an electric field being greater than an electric field of each of the other electrodes within the array to detect a total change in capacitance from the array. A controller is responsive to a change in capacitance calculated from the master electrode being greater than a first threshold and each of the other electrodes in the array being greater than a second threshold and outputs occupant movement data indicative of a first status of the seat to a vehicle control sub-system.

Occupant position detection with active electric field sensor

A lidar is actuated to collect data in a cargo zone in a vehicle. Upon identifying an object in the cargo zone, based on the collected lidar data, output to a user device is actuated.

Object detection

A computing device in a vehicle can be programmed to receive an occupant position measurement from at least one of an acoustic and a light sensor, determine an estimated occupant size based on occupant weight, estimate a vehicle seat position based on the occupant position measurement, and, control a vehicle occupant safety device based on the estimated occupant size and estimated vehicle seat position.

Occupant position detection

An apparatus includes a center component defining a center chamber therein and first and second side components defining first and second chambers therein, respectively. The first and second side components are coupled to opposing ends of the center component with the first and second chambers in fluid communication with the center chamber. The center, first side and second side components are configured to extend substantially across a width of a vehicle. The apparatus further includes first, second and third pressure sensors in communication with the first, second and center chambers, respectively.

Collision sensing apparatus

A computer is programmed to identify first and second regions of an image representing a seatbelt, actuate an output device to deliver a first output upon detecting an absence of the seatbelt in the first region and in the second region, and actuate the output device to deliver a second output upon detecting an absence of the seatbelt in the first region and a presence of the seatbelt in the second region.

Seatbelt buckling detection

A vehicle includes a front seating assembly and a rear seating assembly. An occupant sensor senses occupancy of the front seating assembly. A proximity sensor senses an object in a footwell behind the front seating assembly. A rear door sensor senses the opening of a rear door. A controller activates an actuator to move the front seating assembly forward based on the sensed occupancy, a sensed object, and sensed door opening. A method of controlling a vehicle seating assembly includes the steps of: sensing the front seating assembly is unoccupied with the occupant sensor; detecting in the footwell behind the front seating assembly with the proximity sensor; sensing a rear door position with the door sensor; and moving the front seating assembly forward when the front seating assembly is unoccupied, an object is in the footwell, and the rear door is in an open position.

Method of controlling a vehicle seating assembly

A belt assembly includes a belt, a first sensor and a second sensor. The belt has a webbing and a plurality of markers distinct from the webbing and fixed thereto. The markers are equally spaced a first longitudinal distance thereon in a longitudinal direction. The first sensor and the second sensor each have an associated detection field directed toward the belt and responsive to the markers in the fields. The second sensor is a second longitudinal distance from the first sensor differing from the first distance.

Belt assembly allowing payout measurement

A computer that includes memory that stores instructions executable by a processor. The computer may be programmed to: receive image data that includes a vehicle seat and an occupant within a vehicle cabin; determine, using the received data, an orientation of the seat and an orientation of the occupant; and perform a vehicle function based on the determination.

Monitoring a vehicle cabin

A system includes a processor configured to determine that a vehicle accident has occurred. The processor is also configured to connect to a detected wearable device. The processor is additionally configured to request measured present biometric information from the wearable device, in response to the accident determination. Also, the processor is configured to receive measured present biometric information from the wearable device and relay the biometric information to a connected emergency operator.

Method and apparatus for biometric data gathering and dissemination

A belt assembly includes a belt retractor, a sensor having a detection field, and a belt retractably payable from the belt retractor through the detection field. The belt has a webbing and a plurality of markers fixed to the webbing. The webbing has a longitudinal length and the markers are equally spaced along the longitudinal length of the webbing. The sensor senses the length of the webbing paid out. A size of the occupant may be determined based on the length of the webbing paid out, and the size of the occupant may be used to classify the occupant in classes.

Belt assembly including payout measurement

A vehicle includes a controller that communicates with a wearable device having a haptic mechanism. In response to an alert event detected by the vehicle, the controller outputs a signal to activate the haptic mechanism. The wearable device may detect a physiological or biometric characteristic such as pulse rate. The controller may output a signal to activate the haptic mechanism further in response to the pulse rate being less than a threshold. Also, the controller may output a signal to activate the haptic mechanism while the vehicle is operating autonomously.

Haptic vehicle alert based on wearable device

A wireless-based system is provided for opening the hood of a motor vehicle. That wireless-based system includes a wireless latch release actuator. Further, the wireless-based system also includes a controller. The controller is configured to release a secondary hood latch when (a) the wireless latch release actuator is activated, (b) a primary hood latch has already been released and (c) a motor vehicle wheel is stationary whereby the hood may be opened. A related hood opening method is also disclosed.

Wireless-based system and method for opening a hood of a motor vehicle

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Canton, MI, United States of America

Jialiang Le