Ford Motor Company Limited

Ford Global Technolgoies, LLC

Md Abul Masrur

John Michael Miller

Manoharprasad K Rao

Kwaku O Prakah-Asante

Feng Liang

Prabhakar B Patil

Richard Joseph Hampo

Paul Theodore Momcilovich

Xingyi Xu

Shahram Zarei

Garold Paul Myers

Daryl Steven Sitar

A pre-crash assessment system includes a host vehicle in motion. A remote sensor status monitoring sensors and safety device actuators are coupled to the host object. The remote sensor detects target object dynamics. The status monitoring sensors detect host object dynamics. The safety device actuators activate safety devices. A threshold for each safety device actuator is defined by a safety device activation specification. A safety device controller also coupled to the host object, generates tracking signals based on host object and target object dynamics. The safety device controller also estimates future positions of the host and target objects, and estimates whether the potential for crash between the host and target objects is within the threshold criteria for specific safety device actuation. The controller then controls the safety device actuators when the potential for crash is within the pre-determined threshold criteria.

Vehicle sensing based pre-crash threat assessment system

A pre-crash assessment system ( ) includes a host vehicle ( ) in motion and a high frequency sensor ( ), which detects position and relative velocity of a target object in the near zone of the host vehicle ( ). A safety device actuator ( ) is also coupled to the host vehicle ( ). A pre-crash algorithm provides a comparison of a future position prediction of the target object relative to the host vehicle ( ). A safety device controller ( ) is coupled to the host vehicle ( ). The controller ( ) generates a threshold assessment based on the target object future relative position and relative velocity. The controller ( ) also controls the safety device actuator ( ) by providing an actuation signal. The controller ( ) operates through logic designed to estimate whether a potential for crash between the host vehicle ( ) and the target object is within the threshold for the safety device actuator ( ). The controller ( ) activates the safety device actuator when the potential for crash is within the pre-determined threshold and safety device specific deployment criteria are met.

Remote sensing based pre-crash threat assessment system

The present invention provides a method for controlling an induction motor. The method comprises determining an input impedance of the motor at an operating point; determining an input electrical power to the motor at the operating point; and estimating a slip or shaft speed of the motor at the operating point from the input impedance and input electrical power.

Induction motor control method

A conventional full wave diode bridge of an alternator is replaced with a full wave controlled rectifier bridge having controlled switches in place of diodes. Phase control is performed by the switches of the controlled rectifier bridge to preempt natural commutation and shift the phase of the alternator phase voltages relative to the phase currents. The phase angle control disrupts the normal unity power factor operation of the alternator and causes additional reactive current flow in a three phase stator winding of the alternator to source the controlled rectifier bridge. The result is that for the same operating conditions the controlled switches of the controlled rectifier bridge boost output from the alternator by from 40% to 60%.

Motor vehicle alternator and methods of operation

A fault isolation system for a three-phase induction motor drive system includes an inverter to convert direct-current power from a battery into alternating current for the three phases of the motor. The inverter contains six semiconductor switches, two for each phase of the motor, as is conventional in the art of induction motor control. Further, the inverter contains two additional semiconductor switches. These switches form an output connected, via a dummy load in parallel with a third additional semiconductor switch, to the neutral connection of the motor. In the event that any of the six conventional switches in the inverter become short-circuited, the four switches in the other two phases of the inverter as well as the two additional switches are actuated to generate current sufficient to blow a fuse connected in series with the output of the inverter coupled to the short-circuited switch. The motor is thus isolated from the short-circuited switch, preventing the short-circuited switch from totally disabling the motor. An alternative motor drive strategy, such as a two-phase drive strategy, can then be employed.

Fault isolation in an induction motor control system

A fail-safe variable damping suspension system for a motor vehicle controls the oscillatory spring movements of each wheel via a permanent magnet rotary electric machine which is connected to machine control circuitry by normally open contacts of a relay. In the event of failure of the suspension system, the relay is released and the machine takes the form of a permanent magnet alternator which is connected to a defined load via normally closed contacts of the relay. Thus, in the event of a failure of the suspension system, the machine control circuitry is disabled and all shock absorbers are set to a fail-safe mode by the defined load upon closure of the normally closed contacts of the relay.

Fail-safe variable damping suspension for a motor vehicle

An electrically powered suspension for a vehicle including a roadwheel and tire assembly, an electrically powered suspension unit having one end attached to the roadwheel and tire assembly and the other end attached to the chassis of the vehicle, with the suspension unit including an electric motor for positioning the roadwheel with respect to the chassis, and a controller for operating the electric motor so as to control the vertical movement of the wheel and tire assembly with respect to the vehicle's chassis. The electric motor may include either a linear or rotating electric motor, acting either alone or in parallel with a static load carrying device such as a fluid or coil spring.

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West Bloomfield, MI, United States of America

Md Abul Masrur