Ford Global Technolgoies, LLC

Other

Kevin Michael Bullister

David Chronowski

Dale Scott Crombez

Timothy Gerard Offerle

Patrick Joseph Curran

Joseph Paul Rork

Randy Michael Freiburger

Kelly Lee Zechel

Mark Alan Shehan

Brandon Johnson

Thomas Woloszyn

Eric Anthony Trujillo

Priya Rangaswamy

A vehicle system includes a sensor that measures an engine block heating characteristic associated with an engine block heater. A processing device is programmed to determine an operating state of the engine block heater based on the engine block heating characteristic measured. A communication device is programmed to transmit a message that includes the operating state of the engine block heater.

Engine block heater failure detection

A fleet management system providing a manager with a tailored user interface based on the enabled features recognized in a vehicle. The fleet management system may monitor two or more vehicles, wherein each vehicle may have one or more processors. The one or more processors may receive an initialization signal from the fleet management system. The one or more processors may perform a query of one or more vehicle modules for enabled features in response to the initialization signal received from the fleet management system. The query of enabled vehicle features may be based on one or more criteria. The system may transmit to a server a signal indicating the enabled vehicle features installed in the vehicle. The system may output the enabled vehicle features to a user while tailoring the user screen data based on the enabled features.

System and method for wireless vehicle content determination

A system includes a processor configured to receive a geo-fence definition defining a geographic perimeter or point. The processor is also configured to receive a vehicle location. Further, the processor is configured to determine a distance from the vehicle location to a most proximate geo-fence point and determine a reporting-rate that varies based on proximity to the geo-fence. The processor is also configured to report a vehicle location at intervals defined by the reporting-rate.

Method and apparatus for dynamic position reporting rate determination

A processor of a server may receive, from a plurality of vehicles, fleet alerts indicative of vehicle locations and status of aftermarket equipment installed to the vehicles, identify fleet alerts associated with vehicles of a fleet, and generate, based on the fleet alerts, fleet data providing the vehicle locations and status of the aftermarket equipment of the vehicles of the fleet. A processor of a vehicle may receive vehicle data including vehicle location and aftermarket data including a status of aftermarket equipment installed to the vehicle, determine a condition of an alert rule indicative of a status of aftermarket equipment installed to the vehicles is satisfied, and send an fleet alert to a remote service indicative of the status of the aftermarket equipment.

Fleet vehicle aftermarket equipment monitoring

An electrical system for increasing the amount of voltage available to an electric power steering motor under high demand conditions includes a vehicle speed sensor that ascertains the speed of the vehicle, a steering wheel sensor that ascertains the rotational speed of the vehicle steering wheel, and a steering voltage controller that receives the signals provided by the vehicle speed sensor and the steering wheel sensor and processes these input signals to increase the voltage furnished to the power steering system by causing at least one component that consumes electrical power in the vehicle to reduce power consumption, or by causing a component that produces electrical power to increase power output, or by a combination of reducing power consumption and increasing power production. The present method increases the voltage available to an electric power system steering system by sensing vehicle speed and steering wheel rotational speed, by determining whether these conditions indicate a demand for greater power steering assist, and by managing electric load and power output to provide more voltage to the electric power steering motor when high demand for power assistance and torque is indicated.

Electrical control system for automotive vehicle having electrically assisted power steering

An electric park brake control (,) for a parking brake actuator (,) selectively operates a brake mechanism (,) at at least one wheel to selectively perform a parking brake function. Inputs to the electric park brake control include an input from a shifter (,) for distinguishing PARK position from other positions. The electric park brake control causes the brake mechanism to perform the parking brake function when the input from the shifter to the electric park brake control discloses that the shifter is in PARK position. The electric parking brakes are integrated with the shifter, eliminating a parking pawl from a motor (,) that propels the vehicle. Neither is an operating cable from the shifter to the motor for operating the parking pawl required. The shifter is coupled in exclusively electrical relationship to a traction inverter module (,) for causing the motor to operate in correspondence with the particular position selected by the shifter. A security controller (,) causes the electric park brake control to apply the parking brake when a security violation is detected.

Integrated electronic shift and parking brake system, including security interlock, for motor vehicles

A tire monitoring and warning assembly 10 which monitors and measures attributes or characteristics of at least one of the selectively inflatable tires 14-20 of a vehicle 12 and which compares the obtained measurements with a stored value which represents a value of the attribute or characteristic occurring or existing when the at least one tire 14-20 is desirably inflated, and which, based upon the comparison, warns the driver if the at least one of the tires 14-20 is deflated.

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Dexter, MI, United States of America

Kevin Michael Bullister