Ford Global Technolgoies, LLC

Thomas Michael McQuade

Thomas Lee Miller

Brian Bennie

Frederick James Porter

Steven Yellin Schondorf

Dilip B Patel

Greg Swadling

Scott Howard Gaboury

Karl Wojcik

Leena Shah

Eric L Reed

Ronald Patrick Brombach

Daniel M King

Thomas Anthony Spoto

Robert Kwiecinski

Mohsen Katiba

Ibrahim Mohammed Issa

John LeBeau Rust

John Tenbusch

Mark Anthony Cuddihy

Adil Nizam Siddiqui

Jonathan Diedrich

James Edwin Blatchford

Jim Michael Weinfurther

David Paul Kaminski

Srini Racha

Kristin Marie Schondorf

Keith Zwyghuizen Doorenbos

Robert Pearce

Rouaa Nakhieh

Daniel J Bartz

Ted Selker

Robert Mince

Stephen Zoepf

Monirul Huq Talukder

Ranjan Kumar Ahluwalia

Method and apparatus are disclosed for communication of infrastructure information to a vehicle via ground penetrating radar. A vehicle comprising an antenna positioned to broadcast radio waves below the vehicle, a ground penetrating radar system, and an active safety module. The ground penetrating radar system determines types of reflectors and a spatial relationship between the reflectors based on radar cross-sections detected by the antenna, and generates a signature based on the shapes and the spatial relationship. The active safety module determines environmental data based on the signature, and autonomously control the vehicle based on the environmental data.

Communication of infrastructure information to a vehicle via ground penetrating radar

A method and system for managing tire pressure in a vehicle are disclosed. The system is a tire pressure monitoring system associated with the tire pressure sensors. The method includes the general steps of informing the operator that air pressure in a tire is below a desired level, causing the sensor to undertake a rapid sampling of pressure of the tire during an interim state while the vehicle is being driven, advising the operator to manually add pressure to the tire in discrete increments of, for example, between 5 and 10 seconds, causing the sensor to undertake a rapid sampling of tire pressure while air is being manually added to the tire, and causing the sensor to transmit tire air pressure data until the operator stops adding air. The method may also include the step of providing the operator with feedback when a predetermined tire air pressure is reached.

TPMS tire fill detection mode to ensure accurate tire filling

A method for setting a warm placard tire pressure threshold for a motor vehicle tire pressure monitoring system that initiates a learn mode in the tire pressure monitoring system, starts a timer upon determining a vehicle speed is greater than a predetermined speed threshold, stops the timer upon determining the vehicle speed is less than or equal to the predetermined speed threshold or a predetermined period of time has expired, detects a plurality of tire pressures for a tire location while the timer is timing, stores the plurality of tire pressures, averages the plurality of tire pressures to determine a warm placard tire pressure threshold upon the predetermined period of time expiring, and sets the warm placard tire pressure threshold in the tire pressure monitoring system.

Method for learning and setting warm placard pressure threshold for a direct tire pressure monitoring system

The subject of the present invention is a method for remote starting an internal combustion engine of a vehicle that may include: detecting a wireless remote start signal; after detecting the wireless remote start signal, activating a carbon monoxide detector to detect a level of carbon monoxide adjacent to the vehicle; remote starting the internal combustion engine if the detected level of carbon monoxide is less than a predetermined first CO limit; disabling remote start of the internal combustion engine if the level of carbon monoxide is not less than the predetermined first CO limit; and automatically transmitting an emergency aid signal if the level of carbon monoxide is not less than the predetermined first CO limit.

Vehicle having remote start and carbon monoxide detection

A method of operating a tire pressure monitoring system on a vehicle comprising tracking number of burst transmissions sent by a sensor, building a pareto of potential sensor identifications based on the greatest number of burst transmissions received from the sensor associating a potential sensor identification to a respective tire location on the vehicle and storing the associated sensor identification in memory. A tire pressure monitoring system comprising a plurality of tires in respective locations, each of the plurality of tires having a sensor, at least one sensor capable of burst mode transmission, and an auto learn function in a controller coupled to the sensors in the plurality of tires, the controller receiving and counting burst transmissions from the sensor for a predetermined time, the controller creating a pareto of received sensor identifications, filtering the pareto of potential sensor identifications and assigning the potential sensor identifications to a respective tire in the plurality of tires.

Tire pressure monitoring system auto learn algorithm

The subject of the present invention is a host vehicle that determines a parking angle while backing out of a parking space and employs this parking angle when using a cross traffic alert system. The parking angle is determined based on the trajectories of the host vehicle and a target vehicle. The parking angle is used to determine areas of interest and areas not of interest within the fields of view of vehicle mounted sensors. The areas of interest are those used to determine if cross traffic alerts need to be issued.

Cross traffic alert with parking angle trajectory

A system and method that, upon connection of a trailer to a tow vehicle, recognizes the trailer and applies a stored trailer configuration in a controller. In one embodiment, tire pressure sensors transmit RF signals that are received by the tire pressure monitoring system. Transmissions from the sensors are decoded in a controller and processed to identify, or create a particular trailer configuration as well as implement tire pressure monitoring automatically calibrated to the particular trailer configuration based on the sensor identifications for the tire pressure sensors. In another embodiment, the trailer configuration includes a pulse width modulated gain control for the trailer brakes.

Trailer identification system

A system and method that, upon connection of a trailer to a tow vehicle, a trailer brake controller informs a tire pressure monitoring system to begin monitoring information at the TPMS and at the same time, activates the initiators, i.e., the electromagnets. Sensors respond to the electromagnetic field that is generated by electric brake magnets. As a result, the sensors transmit RF signals that are received by the tire pressure monitoring system. Transmissions from the sensors are decoded in a controller and processed as necessary for tire pressure monitoring automatically calibrated to the tire pressure monitoring system and the system can request the pressure data from the sensors by way of the low frequency field generated by the electric brakes.

Trailer tire pressure monitoring system

A method and system for eliminating cross talk in a tire pressure monitoring system that ranks potential sensor identifications based on the number of times the sensors respond to an initiator. Upon determination of a sufficient separation between second and third ranked sensors, an assignment of the first and second ranked potential sensor identifications is made to the tire locations expected to respond to the initiator signal.

Method and system for associating a tire pressure sensor to a wheel location in an intitiator based tire pressure monitoring system

A vehicle parking assist system for assisting a driver of the vehicle in parking such vehicle in a garage located at a preselected global position. The system includes: a global positioning system mounted to the vehicle having stored therein the global position of the garage, for determining actual global position of the vehicle and providing a signal indicating when the vehicle is proximate the location of the garage; a range sensor for detecting a wall of the garage in front of a direction of motion of the vehicle into the garage; and a processor, responsive to the global positioning system provided by the global positioning system indicating when the vehicle is proximate the garage; the range sensor, for indicating when the vehicle has parked in the garage such that front of the vehicle is forward of the wall while enabling a door of the garage to be closed without striking the vehicle.

Parking assist system

A tire pressure monitoring system () for an automotive vehicle () has a receiver circuit (). The vehicle () has a plurality of wheels (A-D). A plurality of antennas (A-D) are adjacent to one of the wheels (A-D). The plurality of antennas receive RF signals from a pressure sensor (A). An adder circuit () is coupled to the receiver circuit and the plurality of antennas. The adder circuit receives the RF signals and adds them together to form a sum signal. The sum signal is coupled to the receiver circuit.

Method and apparatus for receiving signals from a sensor into a tire pressure monitoring system

A tire pressure monitoring system () for a vehicle () has a pressure sensor circuit (A) that includes an ECU (), a transmitter/receiver (), and pressure sensor (). A method of operating a tire pressure monitoring system includes calibrating a tire pressure sensor circuit in a first range and a second range and generating a first calibration data for the first range and second calibration data for the second range. The first calibration data and the second calibration data are stored in a memory of the tire pressure sensing circuit (A). A data signal corresponding to the pressure is generated. The first or second calibration data is generated in response to the range of the data signal to form a selected calibration. The data signal is calibrated with the selected calibration to form a pressure indicative signal. The pressure indicative signal is transmitted to a receiver () within the vehicle () with a range status corresponding to the selected calibration. A pressure signal is formed in response to the pressure indicative signal and the range status and the tire pressure monitoring system is operated with the pressure signal.

Method and apparatus for adjusting the pressure sensor measurement range in a tire pressure monitoring system

A device () for an automotive vehicle () is provided to indicate the buckled and unbuckled status of a seatbelt (). The device () has a self-powered wireless switch assembly () that is coupled to the seatbelt (). It provides power to power a wireless transmitter () to transmit a wireless signal () corresponding to the buckled and unbuckled state of the seatbelt (). The self-powered wireless switch assembly () harvests energy from the mechanical action of the seatbelt (). The device () transmits a wireless signal () indicating the seatbelt () status. The receiver () located in the automotive vehicle () receives the wireless signal (). The wireless signal () is processed by a safety information system () and then visually and audibly displayed by an indicator () to alert the driver of the seatbelt () status.

Wireless seatbelt buckle switch harvesting energy and method therefor

A tire pressure monitoring system () for a vehicle () has a plurality of tires (A-D) in respective rolling locations having a respective plurality of tire transmitters (A-D) that generate a respective plurality of transmitter identification signals. A respective plurality of initiators (A-D) are fixedly attached to the vehicle at a respective plurality of locations. The initiators may include orthogonal coils (). A controller () activates the plurality of initiators using the coils () and receives a plurality of respective sensor signals having respective tire identifications. The activations may occur with a duty cycle of less than about fifty percent.

Method and apparatus for automatically identifying the location of pressure sensors in a tire pressure monitoring system

A tire pressure monitoring system for detachment detection of a tire pressure sensor is provided. The system includes a tire pressure sensor, a receiver and a controller. The tire pressure sensor includes a transmitter for transmitting a word having a detachment state. The receiver is for receiving the word and is coupled to the controller. The controller decodes the word and determines the detachment state of the tire pressure sensor. A robust method for the automatic detection of a detached tire pressure sensor of a tire pressure monitoring system is also provided.

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Ann Arbor, MI, United States of America

Thomas Michael McQuade