System and methods for operating a parked vehicle
AssigneeFord Global Technologies, LLC
InventorAed M. Dudar
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system for a vehicle includes a front wheel, a rear wheel, a steering system, a sensing system, and a controller. The front wheel and the rear wheel are arranged on a first side of the vehicle. The steering system controls a directionality of the front wheel and a directionality of the rear wheel. The sensing system senses an exterior environment adjacent to the first side of the vehicle. The sensing system also senses a pitch of the vehicle. The controller controls the directionality of at least one wheel chosen from the front wheel and the rear wheel based on the sensed exterior environment, the sensed pitch of the vehicle, and the vehicle being in a parked condition.
Claims20
A system for a vehicle, comprising:
- a front wheel;
- a rear wheel, wherein the front wheel and the rear wheel are arranged on a first side of the vehicle;
- a steering system that controls a directionality of the front wheel and a directionality of the rear wheel;
- a sensing system that:
- senses an exterior environment adjacent to the first side of the vehicle;
- and
- senses a pitch of the vehicle;
- and
- a controller that controls the directionality of at least one wheel chosen from the front wheel and the rear wheel based on the sensed exterior environment, the sensed pitch of the vehicle, and the vehicle being in a parked condition.
A method of operating a parked vehicle, comprising:
- sensing an exterior environment adjacent to a first side of the vehicle;
- sensing a pitch of the vehicle;
- and
- determining a desired directionality of a front wheel and a desired directionality of a rear wheel of the vehicle, wherein the front wheel and the rear wheel are each positioned along the first side, wherein the desired directionality of the front wheel and the desired directionality of the rear wheel is based on the sensed exterior environment adjacent to the first side of the vehicle and the sensed pitch of the vehicle.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.