Ford Global Technolgoies, LLC

Karl Wojcik

Thomas Lee Miller

Anthony Dwayne Cooprider

John Robert Van Wiemeersch

Ronald Patrick Brombach

Kevin Thomas Hille

Brian Bennie

Terry Thomas Cwik

Matthew J Dalebout

Andrew D Sarkisian

Aaron Lewis Mills

Thomas Michael McQuade

Scott Alan Watkins

James Weinfurther

Shimul Bhuva

David James Tippy

Lawrence Daniel Cepuran

Aaron Acuna

Eric L Reed

Ryan Edwin Hanson

Zeljko Deljevic

James Martin Lawlis

Robert J Miller

Greg Swadling

Mark Andre Zielinski

Jim Michael Weinfurther

Srini Racha

Daniel James Card

Ibrahim Mohammed Issa

Gang Jin

Barb LeMaigre

Ronald Patrick Bromnach

Bradley Allen Drogosch

Brian Tian

A power inverter includes primary switches, a transformer, a rectifier, a high voltage (HV) bus, an H-bridge, a detector, and a feedback controller. The transformer receives a switched direct current (DC) signal from a battery. The H-bridge outputs an AC signal to a stepped load. The detector detects a step-up load change by monitoring the stepped load. The feedback controller regulates a duty cycle of the AC signal, thereby reducing total harmonic distortion (THD) affecting the power inverter and the stepped load. The feedback controller further regulates the duty cycle of the AC signal by temporarily setting the primary switching duty cycle at a maximum allowable level in response to the step-up load change.

Power inverter for reducing total harmonic distortion via duty cycle control

A vehicle may include a body controller programmed to limit operation of at least one vehicle feature to reduce battery consumption during transit of the vehicle in response to a vehicle flag indicating a transport status, and to enable operation of the at least one vehicle feature during manufacturing in response to the vehicle flag indicating a factory status.

Key off energy management system

A vehicle system with a processing device programmed to determine an ignition state and determine a vehicle speed and then send a control signal to enable power for at least one vehicle subsystem if the ignition state is off and the vehicle speed is above a predetermined threshold.

Vehicle safety power management

A vehicle system includes a processing device programmed to determine an ignition state and a vehicle speed. The processing device powers at least one vehicle subsystem if the ignition state is off and the vehicle speed is above a predetermined threshold. The processing device may disable the vehicle subsystem when the vehicle speed falls below the predetermined threshold.

A vehicle includes an intrusion sensor configured to detect a Doppler shift in a passenger compartment and output an intrusion signal representing the Doppler shift. The vehicle further includes a processing device configured to receive the intrusion signal and activate an alarm if the Doppler shift exceeds a predetermined threshold. A method includes measuring a Doppler shift in a passenger compartment of a vehicle, comparing the Doppler shift to a predetermined threshold, and activating an alarm system if the Doppler shift exceeds the predetermined threshold.

Detecting vehicle door ajar using intrusion sensor

A vehicle door swing governor is positioned between a door and a body of a vehicle. The door swing governor includes a motor and a controller for controlling the mechanical resistance applied by the motor to the door so as to control velocity of the door swing. The mechanical resistance applied to the door is a function of the velocity of the swing of the door.

Vehicle door swing governor

Primary and secondary keys are adapted to be associated to primary and secondary drivers. A key ignition device is positioned on each of the primary and secondary keys and is configured to generate a driver status signal indicative of whether the driver the primary driver or the secondary driver. A controller is operably coupled to the key ignition device. The controller is adapted to determine whether the driver is the primary driver or the secondary driver. The controller is adapted to generate a position notification signal indicative of the position of the object with respect to the vehicle. The controller is adapted to notify the primary and secondary drivers of the position of the object. The controller is adapted to selectively control the operation of generating the position notification signals based on whether the driver is the primary driver or the secondary driver.

System and method for controlling object detection based on driver status

A method for preserving battery operation and life during vehicle post idle shutdown, such vehicle having a delayed accessory power mode operative when an ignition state of the vehicle is in a non-engine running condition while an ignition switch of the vehicle is in the ON position to supply accessories in the vehicle the battery. The method includes: detecting whether the vehicle has been in an post idle shutdown condition and brake pedal not pressed and ignition state unchanged; and placing the vehicle in the delayed accessory power mode after detecting that the vehicle has been in an post idle shutdown condition and while the ignition switch is in the ON position.

Method and apparatus for preserving battery operation and life during vehicle post idle shutdown control

A system and method is provided for controlling the operation of notifying drivers of the fluid level. Primary and secondary keys are adapted to be associated to primary and secondary drivers. A key ignition device is positioned on the primary and secondary keys and generates driver status signals. A fluid level sensing device is operable to generate a fluid level signal indicative of the fluid level. A controller is coupled to the fluid level sensing device and the key ignition device. The controller determines whether the driver of the vehicle is the primary or secondary driver in response to the driver status signals. The controller notifies the primary or secondary driver of the fluid level in response to the fluid level signal. The controller selectively controls the operation of notifying the primary or the secondary driver based on whether the driver is the primary or secondary driver.

System and method for controlling early low fuel warning based on driver status

A system and method for controlling the operation of stabilizing the movement of a vehicle between primary and secondary drivers is provided. A primary key is adapted to be associated to the primary driver. A secondary key is adapted to be associated to the secondary driver. A key ignition device is positioned on the primary and secondary keys and is configured to generate driver status signals indicative of whether the driver is a primary or secondary driver. The controller is adapted to determine whether the driver of the vehicle is the primary driver or the secondary driver based on the driver status signals. The controller is further adapted to stabilize the movement of the vehicle. The controller is further adapted to selectively control the operation of stabilizing the movement of the vehicle in response to the driver status signals.

System and method for controlling electronic stability control based on driver status

In at least one embodiment, an ambient lighting system comprising a lighting module and a controller is provided. The lighting module is configured to drive a light emitting device (LED) arrangement to display a desired ambient color in response to a lighting control signal and to transmit a lighting status signal providing diagnostic information for one of the lighting module and the LED arrangement. The controller is configured to transmit the lighting control signal including first digital data indicative of the desired ambient color and a feed signal for powering the lighting module on a bi-directional data communication bus between the controller and the lighting module. The controller is further configured to receive the lighting status signal on the bi-directional data communication bus.

Ambient LED lighting system and method

In at least one embodiment, a device for controlling one or more vehicle features for a primary driver and a secondary driver is provided. The device comprises at least one controller that is configured to receive at least one driver status signal indicative of the driver being one of the primary driver and the secondary driver and to determine whether the driver of the vehicle is the one of the primary driver and the secondary driver based on the at least one driver status signal. The controller is further configured to control one or more vehicle features and to prevent the one or more vehicle features from being disabled in response to determining that the at least one driver status signal indicates that the driver of the vehicle is the secondary driver.

System and method for controlling one or more vehicle features based on driver status

A system and method is provided for controlling the operation of notifying drivers of the fluid level. Primary and secondary keys are adapted to be associated to primary and secondary drivers. A key ignition device is positioned on the primary and secondary keys and generate driver status signals. A fluid level sensing device is operable to generate a fluid level signal indicative of the fluid level. A controller is coupled to the fluid level sensing device and the key ignition device. The controller determines whether the driver of the vehicle is the primary or secondary driver in response to the driver status signals. The controller notifies the primary or secondary driver of the fluid level in response to the fluid level signal. The controller selectively controls the operation of notifying the primary or the secondary driver based on whether the driver is the primary or secondary driver.

A system and method that, upon connection of a trailer to a tow vehicle, a trailer brake controller informs a tire pressure monitoring system to begin monitoring information at the TPMS and at the same time, activates the initiators, i.e., the electromagnets. Sensors respond to the electromagnetic field that is generated by electric brake magnets. As a result, the sensors transmit RF signals that are received by the tire pressure monitoring system. Transmissions from the sensors are decoded in a controller and processed as necessary for tire pressure monitoring automatically calibrated to the tire pressure monitoring system and the system can request the pressure data from the sensors by way of the low frequency field generated by the electric brakes.

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Sterling Heights, MI, United States of America

Karl Wojcik