Ford Global Technolgoies, LLC

Rena Hecht Basch

Dexin Wang

Ronald Hugh Miller

Medville Jay Throop

Paul George Sanders

Yitzong Chern

Wei-Yi Loh

Jiansheng Weng

Michel Matti Maricq

Thomas Michael Dalka

A tire cornering power estimation and monitoring system may include a steering torque sensor, a steering wheel angle sensor, a yaw rate sensor, a lateral acceleration sensor, and a speed sensor. The system may further include at least one controller configured to receive signals from the steering torque sensor, steering wheel angle sensor, yaw rate sensor, lateral acceleration sensor, and speed sensor and send a notification if the signals indicate that one or more of the vehicle's tires need to be checked or serviced. The system may further include a notification system configured to receive a signal from the controller and indicate that one or more of the vehicle's tires need to be checked or serviced.

Tire cornering power on-board estimation and monitoring using steering moment

A tire cornering power estimation and monitoring system, comprising a steering torque sensor, a steering wheel angle sensor, a yaw rate sensor, a lateral acceleration sensor, a speed sensor, and at least one controller configured to receive signals from the sensors and send a notification if the signals indicate that one or more of the vehicle's tires need to be checked or serviced. The system also comprises a notification system configured to indicate that one or more of the vehicle's tires need to be checked or serviced.

System and method for tire cornering power estimation and monitoring

A braking control system and method for a vehicle improves vehicle stability and steerability. When a braking torque is being applied and a road disturbance is detected, the braking torque may be reduced as the vehicle traverses the road disturbance. Subsequently, when the road disturbance has been traversed, the braking control system may allow the application of braking torque as requested by a braking device. The reduction in braking torque when traversing road disturbances minimizes the physical impact experienced by the vehicle wheels.

Braking control system for vehicle

A method of adaptively controlling the speed of a reference vehicle having a controller is provided. The method includes detecting a target vehicle, setting a reference vehicle headway distance indicative of a desired separation between the reference vehicle and the target vehicle, receiving at the reference vehicle, target vehicle data from the target vehicle, and modifying the reference vehicle headway distance as a function of the target vehicle data. The target vehicle data includes a braking capability value (BC) of the target vehicle. A braking capability value (BC) for the reference vehicle is also determined. If the BCor BCindicates a less than optimum braking capability for the reference or target vehicles, the reference vehicle headway distance is increased. In this way, the relative braking capability of the two vehicles is used to modify the reference vehicle headway distance during adaptive cruise control operation.

Adaptive cruise control system using shared vehicle network data

A magnetorheological (MR) vibration damper for damping axial and rotational vibrations of an automotive steering system may include a housing encasing MR fluid therein and a gear-like rotor and orifice plate disposed within the housing. The rotor and orifice plate, which may be affixed to the steering wheel shaft, includes a plurality of gear-like teeth on its surface and a plurality of holes for producing shear and normal forces, respectively, on the MR fluid. Electric coils may be disposed within the housing for generating an electric field for activating the MR fluid. The MR vibration damper may be activated or deactivated by a controller by comparing a signal value from a steering wheel vibration sensor to a predetermined threshold value. The controller may be programmable by a user to increase or decrease the predetermined threshold value, so as to enable customization of driving feel.

Semi-active control of automotive steering system vibration with magneto-rheological damping

A system for sensing a potential collision of a first vehicle ( ) with a second vehicle ( ) that transmits a second position signal. The first vehicle has a pre-crash sensing system ( ) includes a memory ( ) that stores vehicle data and generates a vehicle data signal. A first global positioning system ( ) generates a first position signal corresponding to a position of the first vehicle. A first sensor ( ) generating sensor signals from the first vehicle. A receiver ( ) receives a second position signal and a braking capability signal from the second vehicle. A countermeasure system ( ) is also coupled within the first vehicle. A controller ( ) is coupled to the memory ( ), the global positioning receiver ( ) the first sensor ( ) and the counter measure system ( ). The controller ( ) determines a distance to the second vehicle in as a function of the second position signal, determines a first vehicle trajectory from the first sensor data signal and the position signal. The controller ( ) determines a threat level as a function of the distance, the first vehicle trajectory and the braking capability signal and activates the counter-measure system in response to the threat level.

Method and apparatus for activating a crash countermeasure in response to the braking capability of a vehicle

A vehicle brake assembly includes a brake rubbing interface operative to slow a vehicle when activated. The interface produces airborne brake dust particles when activated. A dust collector plate is positioned in close proximity to the brake rubbing interface to collect the brake dust. A charging circuit is operative to generate an electrostatic charge so that the brake dust is attracted to the charged collector plate.

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Ann Arbor, MI, United States of America

Rena Hecht Basch