Systems and methods for moving a vehicle using externally mounted HMI
AssigneeFord Global Technologies, LLC
InventorsScott Steadmon Thompson, John Eric Rollinger, Pietro Buttolo, Douglas Raymond Martin, David Hancock, Matthew Ryan Preston
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A vehicle includes a powerplant and a body. The body defines a passenger cabin and a box and having a tailgate mounted to the box. A step assembly is associated with the box and includes a step and a handle. The handle has a sensor configured to receive input from a user located outside of the passenger cabin and output a signal when the input is active. A controller is programmed to, in response to the signal being received, command a torque to the powerplant to propel the vehicle based on the signal.
Claims14
A vehicle comprising:
- a body defining a passenger cabin and a box and having a tailgate mounted to the box;
- a step assembly associated with the box and including a step and a handle, wherein the handle includes a sensor configured to receive input from a user located outside of the passenger cabin and output a signal when the input is active, wherein the sensor is a pressure or force sensor located externally to the passenger compartment allowing a user to control vehicle movement from outside of the vehicle, the sensor being configured to measure an input by the user and output a measured pressure or force signal;
- a powerplant;
- and
- a controller programmed to, in response to the signal being received, command a torque to the powerplant to propel the vehicle according to the signal such that the vehicle moves forward a predetermined distance that is based on the measured pressure or force, wherein the predetermined distance increases as the measured pressure or force increases, and the torque is commanded in discrete intervals and a frequency of the intervals is based on the measured pressure or force.
A vehicle comprising:
- a body defining a passenger cabin and a box and having a tailgate mounted to the box;
- a step assembly associated with the box and including a step and a handle, wherein the handle includes a sensor configured to receive input from a user located outside of the passenger cabin and output a signal when the input is active, wherein the sensor is a pressure or force sensor located externally to the passenger compartment allowing a user to control vehicle movement from outside of the vehicle, the sensor being configured to measure an input by the user and output a measured pressure or force signal;
- a powerplant;
- and
- a controller programmed to, when the signal exceeds a threshold, command a torque to the powerplant to propel the vehicle according to the signal such that the vehicle moves forward a predetermined distance that is based on the measured pressure or force, wherein the predetermined distance increases as the measured pressure or force increases, and the torque is commanded in discrete intervals and a frequency of the intervals is based on the measured pressure or force.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.