Ford Global Technolgoies, LLC

Xingping Chen

Jeremy Lerner

Scott Huggins

Taylor Hawley

Ali Abdallah

Mohammad Abouali

Shane Elwart

Danielle Rosenblatt

Ryan Jones

Navid Tafaghodi Khajavi

Timothy D Zwicky

Michael Hafner

Bo Wu

Jiyi Liu

Aaron Lewis Mills

Darrel Alan Recker

Levasseur Tellis

Nitendra Nath

Andrea Bowes Chowanic

Jason Joseph Woo

Jae Hyung Lim

Quazi Farooqi

Joseph Walter Neal

James Issac

Paige Wong

Andy Chuan Hsia

Greg Blaisdell Stevens

Andrew Edward Toy

Kevin Wegienka

Paul James Novak

Md Nahid Pervez

Dina Tayim

Nahid Pervez

Natalie Arguello

A vehicle includes one or more sensors and engages at least one of the one or more sensors to evaluate at least one of a count or location of vehicle occupants prior to an incident. The vehicle determines that an incident has occurred and that at least one of an evaluated count or location of at least one vehicle occupant has changed following the incident. Also, the vehicle engages at least one of the one or more sensors to detect a presence of a prior occupant outside the vehicle following the incident, responsive to determining that the at least one of the evaluated count or location of the at least one vehicle occupant changed and, responsive to detecting the presence of the prior occupant outside the vehicle following the incident, reports the presence to a 3party response entity.

Responder assistance for vehicular events

A system comprises a computer having a processor and a memory, the memory storing instructions executable by the processor to access sensor data of a sensor of a vehicle while an adaptive cruise control feature of the vehicle is active, detect, based on the sensor data, an object located along a path of travel of the vehicle, determine that the object is a moveable object based on a radar return of a radar reflector of the object, and responsive to the determination that the object is the moveable object, adjust, by the adaptive cruise control feature, the speed of the vehicle.

Enhanced radar recognition for automated vehicles

A system comprises a computer having a processor and a memory, the memory storing instructions executable by the processor to monitor a position of a vehicle while an adaptive cruise control feature of the vehicle is set to operate in a standard operation mode, identify, based on the position of the vehicle and on visibility zone information, a limited visibility zone in a route of travel of the vehicle, and cause the adaptive cruise control feature to operate in a modified operation mode while the vehicle is in the limited visibility zone, wherein during operation in the modified operation mode, the adaptive cruise control feature operates in accordance with one or more modified operating parameters.

Adaptive cruise control based on information about low visibility zones

Transportation-based service share systems and methods are disclosed herein. An example method can include receiving a request from a service provider to reserve a ridehail vehicle for a ridehail having a time frame, the request specifying a service provided by the service provider; determining the ridehail vehicle for the service provider based on the service; and dispatching the ridehail vehicle, the service provider rendering the service during the ridehail.

Transportation-based service share systems and methods

A system comprises a computer having a processor and a memory, the memory storing instructions executable by the processor to access sensor data of a first sensor of a vehicle while an adaptive cruise control feature of the vehicle is active, detect, based on the sensor data of the first sensor, a stationary object located along a path of travel of the vehicle, wherein the stationary object is located outside of a range of a second sensor of the vehicle, determine a presence of an intersection within a threshold distance of the stationary object that is along the path of travel of the vehicle, and responsive to a determination that the stationary object is a stopped vehicle of the intersection, adjust, by the adaptive cruise control feature, the speed of the vehicle.

Adaptive cruise control with non-visual confirmation of obstacles

The disclosure generally pertains to systems and methods to predict a vehicle preference of a customer of a rental vehicle agency. An example method to do so involves a computer executing a prediction procedure to obtain and evaluate information associated with a customer. The information can include vehicle ownership history and/or monitoring data obtained from vehicles used by the customer (a personal vehicle, a taxi, and/or a ride share service vehicle, for example). The information may be evaluated by the computer to determine a personal profile of the customer. The personal profile can include items such as physical attributes of the customer, family size, driving characteristics, and/or past vehicle ownership. The personal profile of the customer may then be used by the computer to predict a type of vehicle preferred by the customer and to select, from a vehicle fleet, a vehicle that matches the preferred type of vehicle.

Systems and methods to predict rental vehicle preference of a customer

A vehicle determines that a stop is upcoming along a route and determines that the upcoming stop will place the vehicle within range of a wireless transceiver. The vehicle approximates a predicted transfer rate of the wireless transceiver and determines if data onboard the first vehicle is to be uploaded, based on at least a size of the data, a priority assigned to the data and the predicted transfer rate. Additionally, the vehicle determines a predicted duration of communication between the vehicle and the transceiver based on the route and the upcoming stop, allowing the vehicle to determine a first predicted amount of data able to be transferred. The vehicle designates first data for upload, based on the first data having a size that is below the first predicted amount and begins transferring the designated data responsive to establishing communication with the wireless transceiver.

Connected vehicle data offload management

While operating a vehicle, a candidate marker is detected via first image data from a first image sensor. Upon failing to identify the candidate marker, vehicle exterior lighting is actuated to illuminate the candidate marker. Then the candidate marker is determined to be one of a real marker or a projected marker based on determining whether the candidate marker is detected via second image data from the first image sensor. Upon determining the candidate marker is the real marker, the vehicle is operated based on the real marker.

Enhanced vehicle operation

A system includes a processor and a memory storing instructions executable by the processor to control at least one of a steering system or a propulsion system to operate a vehicle at a speed below a speed threshold. The instructions include instructions to determine whether one or more second vehicles a first distance from the vehicle are traveling below the speed threshold. The instructions include instructions to, upon determining the second vehicles are traveling below the speed threshold, continue to control the steering system or the propulsion system. The instructions include instructions to, upon determining the second vehicles are not traveling below the speed threshold, transition control of the steering system or the propulsion system to a human operator of the vehicle.

Vehicle speed and steering control

Methods and systems are provided for a start/stop feature. In one example, a method includes adjusting start/stop conditions in response to a vehicle operator customizing start/stop conditions. The vehicle operator customizes start/stop conditions for a plurality of different driving conditions.

Methods and systems for start/stop

Disclosed are systems and methods for projecting virtual parking lines in alignment with actual parking lines to facilitate parking within a parking stall defined by the actual parking lines to prevent unnecessary damage to vehicles in an area where the actual parking lines may not exist or be visible. The system identifies the location of the actual parking lines within a defined parking area based on previously recorded actual parking line data as well as localization of the vehicle within the defined parking area relative to the nearby landmarks. Virtual parking lines are generated that correspond with the location of the actual parking lines and are projected in alignment with the actual parking lines to facilitate parking.

Systems and methods of projecting virtual parking lines

A system and a method are described. The method includes: receiving sensed input from a vehicle sensor suite; using the input, providing a first output; determining that a vehicle-lane confidence level is less than a threshold; and then instead, providing a second output, wherein the first and second outputs comprise lane-correction data, wherein the second output is determined using an estimation filter.

Autonomous steering control

A computer for a vehicle is described. The computer includes a processor and memory storing instructions executable by the processor. The instructions include, to: determine a trigger to initiate a highway assist mode; based on the determined trigger, determine vehicle-location data; and based on the data, inhibit initiation of the mode.

Inhibiting highway assist mode

A computer that includes a processor and memory. The memory may store instructions executable by the processor. The instructions may include: following a driver-initiated trigger to deactivate a driver assist mode, to reactivate the mode when, for a dwelling period, each of a plurality of conditions equal respectively predetermined value.

Reactivation of driver assist mode

A control system for a vehicle includes a computer. The computer is programmed to command application of one of up to a predetermined steering torque value and up to a predetermined net asymmetric braking force value. Each predetermined force is selected to achieve a predetermined vehicle yaw torque that is at most the lesser of a first maximum yaw torque resulting from actuating a steering system and a second maximum yaw torque resulting from actuating a brake system.

Growing community of inventors

Troy, MI, United States of America

Xingping Chen