Ford Global Technolgoies, LLC

Steve T Skikun

John Eric Rollinger

Adam J Richards

Alan Gutowski

Peter Mitchell Lyon

Curtis Mark Jones

David Hancock

M Scott Christensen

Frank Fusco

Robert S Kern

Stephen Michael White

Adam Thomas Rainey

Jon Ohland

Arie Groeneveld

Michael Ehlert

Fred Koberstein

William Francis Gubing

Howard Paul Tsvi Linden

Donald Paul Iacovoni

Randy Michael Freiburger

Allen Magolan

Scott Thompson

Erick Mogollon

Venkatesh Krishnan

Manfred Koberstein

Scott James Thompson

Scott Steadmon Thompson

Helen Elizabeth Kourous-Harrigan

Samer Ibrahim

Jovan Milivoje Zagajac

John Walpuck

Methods and systems are provided for heat sanitizing a vehicle. In one example, a method may include, responsive to receiving a request for cleaning an interior of a vehicle, adjusting a position of a sun shade based on at least one of an ambient temperature outside of the vehicle and a sun load of the vehicle, and operating a heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) system to heat the interior above an upper threshold temperature for a first threshold duration. In this way, the HVAC system may be advantageously used to expose the vehicle interior to temperatures that kill or inactive microbes.

Method and system for a vehicle sanitizing mode

A method of operating a vehicle may include determining if a vehicle speed is controlled by a driver, and if the vehicle speed is controlled by the driver, determining if the vehicle is operating during night conditions. If the vehicle is operating during night conditions, activating a night drive mode that limits a maximum speed of the vehicle without regard to road speed limits.

Nighttime driving vehicle speed limiting

Methods and systems are provided for heat sanitizing a vehicle. In one example, a method may include, responsive to receiving a request for sanitization of a vehicle interior, activating an ultraviolet germicidal irradiation (UVGI) system and operating a heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) system to heat the vehicle interior above an upper threshold temperature for a threshold duration. In this way, the HVAC system may be advantageously used to expose the vehicle interior to temperatures that kill or inactive microbes while the UVGI system may supplement the heat sanitizing.

Methods and systems are provided for heat sanitizing a vehicle. In one example, a method may include, while receiving power from an external power source and responsive to receiving a request for cleaning an interior of a vehicle, operating an electric heater of a heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) system to heat the interior above an upper threshold temperature for a first threshold duration using the power received from the external power source. In this way, the HVAC system may be advantageously used to expose the vehicle interior to temperatures that kill or inactive microbes while vehicle battery power and fuel are conserved by using power supplied from the external power source.

A wireless mobile device is used to control an HVAC temperature setpoint in a police vehicle containing a police dog. A wireless signal specifying a commanded temperature setting is checked to prevent malicious adjustments by a hacker. The commanded temperature setting is rejected when it is outside a predetermined range between an absolute minimum and an absolute maximum. When an outside ambient temperature is below a cold-day threshold, then the commanded temperature setting is rejected when it requests a temperature decrease. When the outside ambient temperature is above a hot-day threshold, then the commanded temperature setting is rejected when it requests a temperature increase. Otherwise, when the commanded temperature setting is not rejected as being outside the predetermined range, as being a decrease when below the cold-day threshold, or as being an increase when above the hot-day threshold, then the temperature setpoint is set to match the commanded setting.

Climate control validation for K9 police vehicles

Methods and systems are provided for heat sanitizing a vehicle. In one example, a method may include, responsive to receiving a request for sanitization of a vehicle interior, operating a heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) system to heat the vehicle interior above an upper threshold temperature for a threshold duration. In this way, the HVAC system may be advantageously used to expose the vehicle interior to temperatures that kill or inactive microbes.

Vehicular pursuit intervention systems and methods are provided herein. An example method includes determining unauthorized use of an emergency vehicle, causing the emergency vehicle to perform a controlled stop, locking access points of the emergency vehicle, closing windows of the emergency vehicle, and locking a weapon within the emergency vehicle.

Vehicular pursuit intervention systems and methods

A transportation system comprising a logic node configured to determine an optimized rendezvous location for a vehicle in an area based at least in part on traffic data associated with a plurality of vehicles in the area; and a communication element adapted to communicate the optimized rendezvous location to the vehicle.

Enhanced transportation routing for communication with devices of vehicles and passengers

This disclosure is generally directed to systems and methods for automatically securing a vehicle such as a police truck or an emergency response vehicle and/or the contents of the vehicle after a bailout by the driver. In one exemplary method, a computer is configured to use a sensor system to detect that a driver of a vehicle has bailed out of the vehicle. Based at least in part on detecting that the driver has bailed out of the vehicle, the computer can execute operations such as automatically locking a door of the vehicle, logging out a computer located in the vehicle, locking a first component inside the vehicle such as a gun vault, and/or disabling an operation of another component in the vehicle such as a trunk release or an ignition switch.

Systems and methods for securing a vehicle and its content after a bailout operation

Methods and systems are provided for a vehicle speed limiter. In one example, a method may include decreasing a vehicle top speed in response to the vehicle being arranged in a geofenced area via the vehicle speed limiter. In at least one example, adjusting a magnitude of the vehicle top speed limiter to decrease a limiting of the vehicle top speed may be in response to an override request, where the override request is signaled via one or more of depression of a pedal of the vehicle in a pattern and a siren of the vehicle being activated. Further, in one or more examples, the vehicle may be the only vehicle of a plurality of vehicles comprising one or more of a solar cell and a wireless modem.

Methods and systems for limiting a vehicle speed and changing vehicle dynamics drive mode

This disclosure is generally directed to systems and methods for automatically detecting an impending bailout from a vehicle such as a police truck or an emergency response vehicle. In one exemplary method, a computer is configured to detect a driving pattern of the vehicle that would indicate that the driver of the vehicle is about to bail out. The driving pattern can include an acceleration sequence and a braking sequence that is indicative of a police chase or an emergency response situation. In another exemplary method, the computer may determine that the driver of the vehicle is about to bail out based on detecting one or more cue words uttered by the driver or included in a conversation over a radio communications device between the driver and a person outside the vehicle.

Growing community of inventors

Commerce Township, MI, United States of America

Steve T Skikun