Ford Global Technolgoies, LLC

Ford Gloabl Technologies, LLC

Thomas Lee Miller

Brian Bennie

Eric L Reed

Scott Alan Watkins

Robert Bruce Kleve

Thomas Michael McQuade

John Robert Van Wiemeersch

Karl Wojcik

Kevin Thomas Hille

Ronald Patrick Brombach

Anthony Dwayne Cooprider

Matthew J Dalebout

Brad Alan Ignaczak

Doron M Elliott

Terry Thomas Cwik

Randy Michael Freiburger

Frederick James Porter

Andrew D Sarkisian

Steven Yellin Schondorf

David Anthony Hatton

Daniel M King

Justin Bauer

Manoharprasad K Rao

Mark Anthony Cuddihy

Cynthia M Neubecker

Aaron Lewis Mills

Paul Aldighieri

Cameron Smyth

Jacob Lucero

Leena Shah

Shimul Bhuva

John Shutko

Lawrence Daniel Cepuran

Lisa Therese Boran

Greg Swadling

Frank J Desjarlais

Karl Douglas Vandivier

Colin Ho

Michael L Gusta

Ibrahim Mohammed Issa

John LeBeau Rust

Charles Richard Drake

John Tenbusch

Patrick Brown

Walter L Stephens, Jr

Kenneth Nkosi Williams

Pietro Buttolo

James Stewart Rankin, Ii

Patrick Maloney

Dilip B Patel

Anthony Gerald King

Robbie John Maurice

Abraham G Philip

Andrea Bowes Chowanic

Kimberly Ann Steele

Maria Eugenia Protopapas

Robert Earl Johnson, Jr

Brigitte Frances Mora Richardson

Richard W Smith

Srini Racha

Conrad M Smith

Jon Holt

Mark Edward Porter

Timothy John Zuraw

Vilay Patel

Stephanie Janczak

James Theodore Cikalo

Abraham G Phillip

Stephen Michael Coe

Steven M Sundberg

Gary Jablonski

Ronald Patrick Bromnach

Dae Wook Kwon

Martin J Sultana

Robert Mince

Micheal Nikiforuk

Simon Lidwell

Patricia Piedrahita

David Sanabria

Anthony Trentacosti

Philip Mason

Bridget Chechak

Marc Mills

Kay Hart

Sonya Golden

James E Kaminske

Douglas Paul Walser

Derrick E Cook

Rene A Whelan

Stephanie Lynne Janczak

A system includes a plurality of wireless transmitters and a processor configured to: receive, from a mobile device, signal strengths of signals from the wireless transmitters as detected by the mobile device. The processor is also configured to determine a location of the mobile device in a vehicle, based on a distance from the mobile device to each of the wireless transmitters, as indicated by the received signal strengths and store the location of the mobile device as an occupant location.

Method and apparatus for vehicle occupant location detection

A system includes a mobile device having a processor and memory. The mobile device determines that a new vehicle is assigned to an identified owner and responsively initiates a settings configuration process. The configuration process includes presenting existing vehicle system settings from an existing vehicle that can be transferred to the new vehicle, receiving selection of settings to be transferred, receiving editing of settings to be transferred, presenting configurable vehicle system settings for the new vehicle that can be configured, receiving configuration of the settings, and saving selected, edited and newly configured settings to a data set, which is then uploaded to a server for transfer to the new vehicle.

Method and apparatus for advanced vehicle preconfiguration

A computer includes a processor and a memory, the memory storing instructions executable by the processor to collect biometric data of a vehicle user, identify a set of user-specific data from one or more stored sets of user-specific data based on the biometric data, and receive a request for a stored location. When the biometric data of the vehicle user match the stored biometric data, the instructions include instructions to display the requested location. When the biometric data of the vehicle user do not match the stored biometric data, the instructions include instructions to identify an offset location based on the requested location and a population density of the requested location and display the offset location.

Vehicle operation

An advance pairing system preemptively pairs a phone to a vehicle using a backend cloud system prior to establishing the connection with the vehicle, such as during the time that a user is purchasing a vehicle, or just after the user enters the vehicle for the first time. The system includes a mobile application for automated advance pairing with the vehicle's automotive computer. The mobile app sends a request for advance pairing to a server that assigns a set of unique keys to the account for secure pairing of the mobile device and the vehicle. The server pushes an encrypted payload to both the mobile device app and the vehicle advance pairing app operating on the automotive computer. The encrypted payload can include a unique vehicle ID, a unique mobile device ID, and one or more encryption keys. The mobile device and the vehicle use the encrypted advance pairing information to establish a secured connection with minimal user input.

Advance mobile device and vehicle profile pairing

A system includes a plurality of vehicle-deployed wireless transmitters and a processor. The processor is configured to receive, from a mobile device, signal strengths of signals from the wireless transmitters as detected by the mobile device. The processor is further configured to determine a location of the mobile device in a vehicle, based on the distance from the mobile device to each of the respective transmitters, as indicated by the received signal strengths and store the location of the mobile device as an occupant location.

A vehicle includes: motor(s), local sensors, processor(s) configured to: receive an instruction including first properties of a target vehicle; verify the instruction; instruct the local sensors to scan at a first resolution; mark a scanned external vehicle, having second properties, as compatible or incompatible based on a comparison of the first and second properties; instruct the local sensors to scan at a second resolution upon marking the external vehicle as compatible.

Systems and methods for locating target vehicles

A vehicle for automatically learning and recalling driver preferences includes a subsystem and a processor. The processor builds, for a user profile, an ideal range in which the subsystem has been adjusted over key cycles. For each instance in which the user profile is loaded, the processor causes the subsystem to adjust to the latest saved user adjustment of the subsystem. The processor save the current user adjustment in response to the current user adjustment of the subsystem being within the ideal range.

System and method for automatically learning and recalling driver preferences

A device for controlling a restricted mode of a vehicle is provided. The device includes a controller that is configured to receive an input indicative of a request to change a vehicle state from a fully operational mode to a restricted mode and to transmit a first control signal indicative of a request to limit at least one of vehicle speed and vehicle acceleration. The controller is further configured to monitor a distance traveled by a driver when the vehicle is in the restricted mode and to compare the distance traveled to a predetermined distance limit. The controller is further configured to transmit a second control signal to remove the request to limit the at least one of the vehicle speed and the vehicle acceleration in response to determining that the distance traveled exceeds the predetermined distance limit.

System and method for controlling a restricted mode in a vehicle

In at least one embodiment, an apparatus for transmitting vehicle information to a portable personal communication device (PCD) is provided. The apparatus comprises a communication module positioned in the first vehicle. The communication module is configured to transmit a first signal including static information and dynamic information to the first PCD. The static information includes one of a first vehicle serial number and a vehicle type and the dynamic information includes one of a connect status, a driver alert rating, and a silent alarm. The first PCD is arranged to control operation thereof based on at least one of the static information and the dynamic information.

Apparatus and method for transmitting static and dynamic information to a personal communication device in a vehicle

Method and apparatus are disclosed for secure idle for a vehicle generator. An example vehicle includes an outlet external to the vehicle, a power inverter dedicated to supplying AC power to the outlet, and a powertrain control module. The powertrain control module controls the power inverter to supply first power level when a switch is in a first position and a second power level when the switch is in a second position. Additionally, the powertrain control module, after entering a secure mode, controls an engine to remain idling when an ignition switch is off.

Secure idle for a vehicle generator

In at least one embodiment, an apparatus including a controller that is electrically coupled to a plurality of transceivers within a vehicle for enabling bi-directional wireless communication via Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) between the controller and an occupant communication device (OCD). The controller is further configured to: transmit an advertisement signal indicative of the vehicle being in motion from each transceiver to the OCD via BLE and to receive, at each transceiver, a scan request signal from the OCD via BLE at a first power level. The controller is further configured to determine the location of the OCD in the vehicle in response to receiving the scan request signal at each transceiver at the first power level.

Apparatus and method for in-vehicle location of a mobile device

A vehicle system includes a controller configured to receive a vehicle state signal indicative of a vehicle being in an emergency state, repeatedly transmit a request, via Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), to a personal communication device (PCD) to contact an emergency provider in response to receiving the vehicle state signal, and stop transmitting the request to contact the emergency provider in response to receiving an acknowledgement from the PCD that the emergency provider was contacted.

Apparatus and method for initiating an emergency call using a personal communication device

In at least one embodiment, a vehicle system comprising a vehicle communication module is provided. The vehicle communication module is configured to receive first global positioning system (GPS) data indicative of a location of a vehicle and to receive a first signal indicative of the vehicle being in a drive state. The vehicle communication module is further configured to transmit the first GPS data to an occupant communication device (OCD) in response to the first signal to restrict at least a portion of the operation of the OCD and to reduce power consumption of the OCD.

System and method for cell phone restriction

Growing community of inventors

Ann Arbor, MI, United States of America

Thomas Lee Miller