The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Sep. 29, 2015
Filed:
Mar. 04, 2014
Ford Global Technologies, Llc, Dearborn, MI (US);
Jianbo Lu, Northville, MI (US);
Zhengyu Dai, Canton, MI (US);
Felix Nedorezov, Rochester Hills, MI (US);
Hong Jiang, Birmingham, MI (US);
Roger Lyle Huffmaster, Canton, MI (US);
Dimitar Petrov Filev, Novi, MI (US);
Ford Global Technologies, LLC, Dearborn, MI (US);
Abstract
An apparatus and method for altering the drivability of a vehicle so as to alert a driver of the vehicle of a potentially hazardous condition. The vehicle has at least one sensor configured to detect the potentially hazardous potential. Additionally, the vehicle has a control system for directing a transmission of the vehicle to perform a transmission operation that catches the driver's attention by generating an acceleration or deceleration. The transmission operation is preferably an upshift, a downshift, an unlocking of a torque converter lockup clutch or a locking of the lockup clutch. In one embodiment, the control system directs the transmission to perform more than one transmission operation, the transmission operations defining a transmission operation cycle. In a preferred embodiment, more than one transmission operation cycle is performed. Potentially hazardous conditions include traffic in front of the vehicle, a second vehicle approaching from the rear, an upcoming curve in the road, an approaching speed limit or an upcoming banked portion of the road.