IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,103,514
Granted Patent B2
US 12,103,514 · App. 17/839,515 · Granted Oct 1, 2024

Off-road feature enablement

Inventors: Andrew Denis Lewandowski (Sterling Heights, MI); Keith Weston (Canton, MI); Jordan Barrett (Milford, MI); Brendan Francis Diamond (Grosse Pointe, MI); Michael Alan Mcnees (Flat Rock, MI)
Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
B60W30/02B60G21/106B60R16/037B60W10/20B60W10/22B62D11/02B60G2400/204B60G2400/821B60G2401/14B60G2401/22B60W2420/403B60W2552/30B60W2552/35B60W2556/40B60W2556/65B62D6/007B62D7/1509
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,103,514
App. No.
17/839,515
Granted
Oct 1, 2024
Kind
B2
Abstract

A method and apparatus for providing an off-road feature of a vehicle includes determining that the vehicle is in an off-road area based upon a location of the vehicle and sensed terrain characteristics at the location. Upon determining that the vehicle is in the off-road area, the vehicle monitors parameters for enablement of the off-road feature of the vehicle. The off-road feature is enabled in response to the parameters being within a predetermined range based upon a number of transitions between an enabled state and a disabled state within a predetermined time being less than a transition threshold. Parameter monitoring for enablement of the off-road feature is ceased upon determining that the vehicle has moved from the off-road area to an on-road area.

Claims (33)

1. A computing device for a vehicle comprising a processor and a memory, the memory storing instructions executable by the processor, the instructions including instructions to:

initiate detection of parameters for enablement of an off-road feature of the vehicle upon determining that the vehicle is in an off-road area, wherein the off-road feature is a stabilizer bar disconnect, a tank turn mode, or a crab mode;

enable the off-road feature in response to the parameters being within a predetermined range based upon a number of transitions between an enabled state and a disabled state within a predetermined time period being less than a transition threshold, wherein the number of transitions is at least two; and

cease detection of the parameters for enablement of the off-road feature upon determining that the vehicle has moved from the off-road area to an on-road area.

2. The computing device of claim 1 , further comprising instructions to:

determine that the vehicle is in an off-road area based upon a location of the vehicle and sensed terrain characteristics at the location.

3. The computing device of claim 1 , wherein the off-road feature is the stabilizer bar disconnect, the instructions further including instructions to:

enable the stabilizer bar disconnect based upon the parameters of a speed of the vehicle and a radius of an off-road track in front of the vehicle.

4. The computing device of claim 3 , wherein the radius of the off-road track in front of the vehicle is determined by a camera and/or a digital map.

5. The computing device of claim 2 , wherein the sensed terrain characteristics at the location are from at least one of a camera on the vehicle, a short range radar on the vehicle, an ultrasonic sensor on the vehicle, and/or vehicle to vehicle (V2V) or vehicle to infrastructure (V2X) data from another vehicle.

6. The computing device of claim 1 , wherein the off-road feature is the tank turn mode or the crab mode, the instructions further including instructions to:

enable the tank turn mode or crab mode based upon a speed of the vehicle, a radius of an off-road track in front of the vehicle, and obstacles in the off-road track.

7. The computing device of claim 6 , wherein the radius of the off-road track in front of the vehicle is determined by a camera and/or a digital map.

8. The computing device of claim 6 , wherein the obstacles in the off-road track are determined by object detection from at least one of a camera on the vehicle, an ultrasonic sensor on the vehicle, and/or vehicle to vehicle (V2V) or vehicle to infrastructure (V2X) data from another vehicle.

9. The computing device of claim 1 , the instructions further including instructions to:

disable the off-road feature in response to the parameters being outside the predetermined range.

10. The computing device of claim 1 , the instructions further including instructions to:

reset the number of transitions between an enabled state and a disabled state and a timer for the predetermined time upon an expiration of the predetermined time or upon determining the vehicle has moved from an on-road area to an off-road area.

11. A method for providing an off-road feature of a vehicle, comprising:

initiating detection of parameters for enablement of the off-road feature of the vehicle upon determining that the vehicle is in an off-road area, wherein the off-road feature is a stabilizer bar disconnect, a tank turn mode, or a crab mode;

enabling the off-road feature in response to the parameters being within a predetermined range based upon a number of transitions between an enabled state and a disabled state within a predetermined time being less than a transition threshold, wherein the number of transitions is at least two; and

ceasing detection of the parameters for enablement of the off-road feature upon determining that the vehicle has moved from the off-road area to an on-road area.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:

determining that the vehicle is in the off-road area based upon a location of the vehicle and sensed terrain characteristics at the location.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the off-road feature is the stabilizer bar disconnect, and further comprising enabling the stabilizer bar disconnect based upon the parameters of a speed of the vehicle and a radius of an off-road track in front of the vehicle.

14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising determining the radius of the off-road track in front of the vehicle with a camera and/or a digital map.

15. The method of claim 12 , wherein the sensed terrain characteristics at the location are from at least one of a camera on the vehicle, a short range radar on the vehicle, an ultrasonic sensor on the vehicle, and/or vehicle to vehicle (V2V) or vehicle to infrastructure (V2X) data from another vehicle.

16. The method of claim 11 , wherein the off-road feature is the tank turn mode or the crab mode, and further comprising enabling the tank turn mode or crab mode based upon a speed of the vehicle, a radius of an off-road track in front of the vehicle, and obstacles in the off-road track.

17. The method of claim 16 , comprising determining the radius of the off-road track in front of the vehicle with a camera and/or a digital map.

18. The method of claim 16 , comprising sensing the obstacles in the off-road track with at least one of a camera on the vehicle, an ultrasonic sensor on the vehicle, and/or vehicle to vehicle (V2V) or vehicle to infrastructure (V2X) data from another vehicle.

19. The method of claim 11 , further comprising disabling the off-road feature in response to the parameters being outside the predetermined range.

20. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:

resetting the number of transitions between an enabled state and a disabled state and a timer for the predetermined time upon an expiration of the predetermined time or upon determining the vehicle has moved from an on-road area to an off-road area.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 14, 2022
From: LEWANDOWSKI, ANDREW DENIS; WESTON, KEITH; BARRETT, JORDAN; DIAMOND, BRENDAN FRANCIS; MCNEES, MICHAEL ALAN
To: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
Reel/Frame 060188/0074 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20230398978A1 · Dec 14, 2023