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US 11,999,347 B2Granted
Nighttime driving vehicle speed limiting
AssigneeFord Global Technologies, LLC
InventorsAllen Magolan, Steve Skikun
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method of operating a vehicle may include determining if a vehicle speed is controlled by a driver, and if the vehicle speed is controlled by the driver, determining if the vehicle is operating during night conditions. If the vehicle is operating during night conditions, activating a night drive mode that limits a maximum speed of the vehicle without regard to road speed limits.
Claims16
A method of operating a vehicle comprising:
- (a) determining if a vehicle speed is controlled by a driver;
- (b) if the vehicle speed is controlled by the driver, determining if the vehicle is operating during night conditions, which includes determining if a light sensor is detecting ambient light below a predetermined level, and if the ambient light is below the predetermined level, then employing a global positioning system and a telematics system to confirm that the vehicle is operating during night conditions;
- and
- (c) if the vehicle is operating during night conditions, activating a night drive mode that limits a maximum speed of the vehicle without regard to road speed limits.
1 more element
A method of operating a vehicle comprising:
- (a) determining if a vehicle speed is controlled by a driver;
- (b) if the vehicle speed is controlled by the driver, determining if the vehicle is operating during night conditions by determining if a light sensor is detecting ambient light below a predetermined level, and if so employing a global positioning system and a telematics system to confirm that the vehicle is operating during night conditions;
- (c) if the light sensor detects night conditions but the global positioning system and the telematics system do not confirm that the vehicle is operating during night conditions, determining if the vehicle is operating during inclement weather;
- (d) if the vehicle is determined to be operating during inclement weather in step (c), activating a night drive mode that limits the maximum speed of the vehicle without regard to road speed limits;
- and
- (e) if the light sensor detects night conditions and the global positioning system and the telematics system confirm that the vehicle is operating during night conditions, activating the night drive mode.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.