Nicholas A Scheufler

20120013548, Jan 19, 2012

Jul 19, 2010

12/839055

Dave Choi - Marysville OH, US
Nicholas A. Scheufler - Dublin OH, US
Ross Cameron Miller - Hilliard OH, US
Steven M. Feit - Dublin OH, US

G06F 3/041

345173

A system and method are provided in which an operator/driver of a vehicle may control a number of components within the vehicle via a single human-machine interface. The system may include a computing device, a touch panel with a touch screen located in a center console area of the vehicle near a seat for the operator/driver, and a display device located at a position higher than the touch screen. The operator/driver may select a control presented on the touch screen by touching the control. A display of the touch screen and/or a display of the display device may change in response to the touching of the control. Displays of the touch screen may include current function mode controls in a first layer, logically-grouped current function menu shortcuts in a second layer and HVAC status and control indicators in a third layer.

20220379691, Dec 1, 2022

Jun 1, 2021

17/335217

- Dearborn MI, US
Nicholas A. Scheufler - Flat Rock MI, US
Jonathan Diedrich - Carleton MI, US
Eric R. Krieger - Canton MI, US
Mark Gehrke - Ypsilanti MI, US
Martin van Hoeckel - Woodstock, CA
Brian Bennie - Sterling Heights MI, US

B60J 3/04
G01J 1/42
G01J 1/04

A vehicle characterizes a sunload on the vehicle using an imaging system including at least one camera capturing image data (e.g., without using an ambient light sensor). The image data includes at least a portion of a passenger cabin. A region of interest (ROI) overlay receives the image data and extracts selected image data according to predetermined scene elements of the vehicle environment. An occupant overlay is configured to detect a vehicle occupant represented in the selected image data and configured to generate truncated image data by subtracting image data corresponding to the vehicle occupant from the selected image data. An ambient light model uses environmental parameters including a sun position to estimate an expected sunload range. A mapper generates a sunload map comprising respective sunload values for a plurality of locations on the vehicle according to the truncated image data and the expected sunload range.

20210250178, Aug 12, 2021

Feb 10, 2020

16/786849

- Dearborn MI, US
Nicholas Scheufler - Flat Rock MI, US

Ford Global Technologies, LLC - Dearborn MI

H04L 9/32
H04L 9/30
G06Q 50/30
H04B 10/116
H04N 21/44
G06T 11/00

The disclosure relates to augmented reality vehicle identification with visual light communication. For example, a mobile device may be configured for “scanning” an area having multiple parked vehicles within visual range of the mobile device, to identify a target vehicle. The mobile device may include an application for identifying the target vehicle using visual light communication (VLC) equipment and techniques that present an augmented reality outline or other identification of the target vehicle on the smartphone screen once the vehicle is identified by the system. The encrypted communication channels with the vehicle may be established to utilize vehicle headlamps, interior lights, or another light emitting device to establish the VLC between the user's phone and the vehicle VLC system. The mobile device may emit VLC signals using an onboard light emitter while being in visual communication with the target vehicle, establish an encrypted communication channel with the vehicle, and identify the vehicle using automatic and/or user-selectable identification features.

20200141174, May 7, 2020

Nov 1, 2018

16/177502

- Dearborn MI, US
Nunzio DeCia - Northville MI, US
Nicholas Alexander Scheufler - Flat Rock MI, US

E05F 15/71
B60L 11/18

A method to transfer thermal energy from an interior area includes, among other things, automatically transmitting a request to open a door to provide an opening from the interior area. The opening permits thermal energy to move from the interior area to an exterior area. At least some of the thermal energy within the interior area is generated when charging a vehicle within the interior area. An assembly includes, among other things, a door actuation module that automatically transmits a request to open a door to provide an opening from an interior area. The opening permits thermal energy to move from the interior area to an exterior area. At least some of the thermal energy within the interior area is generated when charging a vehicle within the interior area.

20200110172, Apr 9, 2020

Oct 3, 2018

16/150615

- Dearborn MI, US
David M. Herman - Southfield MI, US
Nicholas A. Scheufler - Flat Rock MI, US

G01S 13/93
E05F 15/77
E05F 15/73
B60J 5/10

Driver assistance is provided for parking a vehicle inside a garage with a powered garage door actuating system. During parking of the vehicle in the garage, remote scanning is performed around the vehicle to detect a path of a garage door. While in the parking mode, the garage door path is compared to a vehicle profile. Driver guidance is provided in order to locate the vehicle where the profile and path are non-interfering. In a parked mode, the door is monitored for actuations, and the garage door actuator is automatically commanded to reverse if the actuator is closing the door toward an interfering position with the profile. The vehicle profile may encompass an expansion zone recurrently occupied by a powered vehicle door or tailgate. If the interfering position coincides only with the expansion zone then the command to reverse the actuator is made only if the tailgate is not closed.

20200055515, Feb 20, 2020

Aug 17, 2018

16/104177

- Dearborn MI, US
David Joseph Orris - Southgate MI, US
Nicholas Alexander Scheufler - Flat Rock MI, US
Nunzio DeCia - Northville MI, US

Ford Global Technologies, LLC - Dearborn MI

B60W 30/09
B60W 30/095
G06K 9/00
G06N 3/08
G06N 5/04
G05D 1/00
G05D 1/02
H04W 4/44
H04W 4/46

A computing system can be programmed to determine a location, speed and direction for a first vehicle. The computer can be further programmed to determine probabilities for predicted locations, speeds and directions of the first vehicle based on identifying the first vehicle and the driving environment. The computer can be further programmed to operate a second vehicle based on the determined probabilities for predicted locations, speeds and directions of the first vehicle.

20200023811, Jan 23, 2020

Jul 17, 2018

16/037689

- Dearborn MI, US
David A. Herman - Southfield MI, US
Nunzio DeCia - Northville MI, US
David Joseph Orris - Southgate MI, US
Nicholas Alexander Scheufler - Flat Rock MI, US

Ford Global Technologies, LLC - Dearborn MI

B60R 25/01
G06N 5/04
G01G 19/414
B60R 25/30

An object outside of a vehicle can be detected with vehicle sensor data. A load for the vehicle can be predicted at least in part based on classifying the object. A vehicle component can be actuated based on the predicted load.

20200017072, Jan 16, 2020

Sep 24, 2019

16/580756

- Dearborn MI, US
David Joseph Orris - Allen Park MI, US
Nicholas Scheufler - Flat Rock MI, US
Nunzio Decia - Northville MI, US
Stephen Jay Orris - New Boston MI, US

B60R 25/24
H04L 29/08
G01C 21/34
B60R 25/102
B60R 25/04

Example on-demand driver (ODD) systems and methods are described herein. An example method includes generating, with an ODD system, a softkey for a vehicle associated with an agreement between a driver-in-need (DIN) and an ODD, monitoring, with the ODD system, a location of an ODD device carried by the ODD, and transmitting, with the ODD system, the softkey to the ODD device when the ODD device is detected as being within a proximity of the vehicle. In the example method, the softkey is used to unlock the vehicle.