15176results about "Electric/fluid circuit" patented technology

An imaging system for a vehicle includes a camera module positionable at the vehicle and a control. The camera module includes a plastic housing that houses an image sensor, which is operable to capture images of a scene occurring exteriorly of the vehicle. The control is operable to process images captured by the image sensor. The portions of the housing may be laser welded or sonic welded together to substantially seal the image sensor and associated components within the plastic housing. The housing may include a ventilation portion that is at least partially permeable to water vapor to allow water vapor to pass therethrough while substantially precluding passage of water droplets and/or other contaminants. The housing may be movable at the vehicle between a stored position and an operational position, where the image sensor may be directed toward the exterior scene.

A system and method displays information using a vehicle-mount computer. The system includes (i) a computer touch screen for inputting and displaying information; (ii) a motion detector for detecting vehicle motion; (iii) a proximity sensor for detecting proximity to an item; and (vi) a vehicle-mount computer in communication with the computer touch screen, the motion detector, and proximity sensor, the vehicle-mount computer including a central processing unit and memory. The vehicle-mount computer's central processing unit is configured to store information associated with user-selected information from the computer touch screen and to display a zoomed view of the user-selected information on the computer touch screen. Further, the vehicle-mount computer's central processing unit is configured to override screen-blanking when user-selected information is displayed.

A speech dialog system wherein a process for automatic control of devices by speech dialog is used applying methods of speech input, speech signal processing and speech recognition, syntatical-grammatical postediting as well as dialog, executive sequencing and interface control, and which is characterized in that syntax and command structures are set during real-time dialog operation; preprocessing, recognition and dialog control are designed for operation in a noise-encumbered environment; no user training is required for recognition of general commands; training of individual users is necessary for recognition of special commands; the input of commands is done in linked form, the number of words used to form a command for speech input being variable; a real-time processing and execution of the speech dialog is established; and the speech input and output is done in the hands-free mode.

An interactive navigation system includes a navigation processing unit, a current position sensor, a speaker, a microphone and a display. When it is preliminary inferred, based on receipt of a detection signal from the sensor, that a vehicle has probably been diverted from a drive route determined by the navigation processing unit, a machine voice question is produced through the speaker for confirmation of the inferred probability of diversion. A driver or user in the vehicle answers the question, which is input through the microphone and analyzed to be affirmative or negative, from which a final decision is made as to the vehicle diversion. In a preferred embodiment the question is spoken by a personified agent who appears on the display. The agent's activities are controlled by an agent processing unit. Communication between the agent and the user improves reliability and accuracy of inference of any vehicle condition which could not be determined perfectly by a sensor only.

A control interface for accessing a plurality of systems of a vehicle, comprising: a first control interface disposed on a surface of a steering wheel; a second control interface disposed on a surface of a steering wheel, the second control interface being positioned remote from the first control interface; a visual display disposed within the vehicle, wherein the first control interface provides access to a vehicle system and the second control interface provides a means for modifying the state of the vehicle system access by the first control interface.

Devices, systems, and methods are disclosed for altering permitted settings of a vehicle according to a driver identified through short range wireless communication. The vehicle captures a unique identifier from a wireless communication device of the driver of the vehicle. This unique identifier is used to reference a database to determine the identity of the driver as well as settings for the driver created by a controlling authority. The controlling authority may be, for instance, a parent or employer of the driver. The settings may limit certain devices within the vehicle and/or the vehicle itself. Speed control settings, radio settings, wireless communication device settings, and various other settings are all possible to limit distractions to the driver. Further, the settings may be influenced by the number or identities of passengers within the vehicle.

A system comprises an equipment service vehicle and an off-board computer system. The equipment service vehicle further includes a power source, a power transmission link, a plurality of input devices, a plurality of output devices, and an on-board computer system. The on-board computer system further includes a plurality of microprocessor-based interface modules and a communication network. The plurality of interface modules are coupled to the power source by way of the power transmission link and are interconnected to each other by way of the communication network. Each of the plurality of interface modules is coupled to respective ones of the plurality of input devices and the plurality of output devices by way of respective dedicated communication links. The on-board computer system stores I/O status information for the plurality of input devices and the plurality of output devices. The on-board computer system transmits at least some of the I/O status information by way of a wireless radio-frequency communication link to the off-board computer system.

A charging system for simultaneously charging the batteries of a plurality of battery powered vehicles. The charging includes one or more DC-DC power converters having one or more charging ports configured to plug into the batteries. The DC-DC power converters are each configured to selectively connect to more than one charging port to selectively provide for higher port power levels. The DC-DC power converters connect to an AC rectifier through a DC bus. The AC rectifier connects to an AC power source having a limited power rating. The AC charging system also has a controller that controls the operation of the DC-DC power converters such that the total power draw on the AC rectifier does not exceed the power rating. The system is further configured such that the DC-DC power converters can drain selected batteries to obtain power for charging other batteries, thus allowing for batteries to be cycled.

An electrical network architecture including a reconfigurable interface layer, along with a corresponding reconfiguration methodology. The interface layer is comprised of reconfigurable interface devices which allow a plurality of sensors and actuators to communicate with a plurality of control units. Each sensor or actuator is connected to multiple interface devices, which in turn are connected to a bus. The control units are also connected to the bus. In the event of an interface device failure, other interface devices can be reconfigured to maintain communication between sensors, actuators and control units. In the event of a control unit failure, the interface devices can be reconfigured to route sensor and actuator message traffic to a different control unit which can handle the functions of the failed control unit. The overall number of control units can also be reduced, as each control unit has flexible access to many sensors and actuators.

An information center provides a control program which is usable by a vehicle within its effective area. The control program may be transmitted to a vehicle in conjunction with the effective area through a broadcast antenna. According to the detected result of the current location, a control apparatus on a vehicle applies a control program to device control when the current location sites within the effective area. The vehicle can take possession of a control program fits to a region at any places to which it moves and can utilize those. It is possible to substitute an effective period for the effective area.

Methods, systems, and software are disclosed for operating a driver analysis system, including receiving vehicle operation data corresponding to operation of vehicles by drivers, identifying a peer group associated with a target driver, processing at least a portion of the vehicle operation data to determine driving performance of the target driver relative to driving performance of the peer group, generating a driving report which identifies the driving performance of the target driver, and transferring the driving report to a target device for viewing by the target driver and a member of the justice system.

Aspects of the disclosure provide a computer-implemented method and system for the assignment of roadside assistance service providers such as tow trucks to distressed vehicles/drivers requiring roadside assistance. The methods and systems may include a roadside assistance service provider system with a collection module, an assignment module, and a feedback module. The collection module collects roadside assistance service provider information and historical statistics from real-world information and stores the information in a database that may then be analyzed using particular rules and formulas. The assignment module assigns particular roadside assistance service providers to particular distressed vehicles/drivers based on one or more characteristics. The feedback module may provide near real-time cues to the tow truck driver's mobile device, such as alerting when the amount of time spent on a task exceeds a predefined threshold, flagging high priority tasks/assignments, providing a step-by-step checklist for the repair.

A new device for detection and prevention of an attack on a vehicle via its communication channels, having: an input-unit configured to collect real-time and/or offline data from various sources such as sensors, network based services, navigation applications, the vehicles electronic control units, the vehicle's bus-networks, the vehicle's subsystems, and on board diagnostics; a database, for storing the data; a detection-unit in communication with the input-unit; and an action-unit, in communication with the detection unit, configured for sending an alert via the communication channels and/or prevent the attack, by breaking or changing the attacked communication channels. The detection-unit is configured to simultaneously monitor the content, the meta-data and the physical-data of the data and detect the attack.

A vehicle system is disclosed that includes a vehicle lamp assembly including a plurality of LEDs that emit white light so as to function as an illuminator light. The lamp assembly also may include a plurality of LEDs that emit colored light to function as a signal light. The lamp assembly may include a camera. The lamp assembly may serve as a CHMSL or as a tail light. The system also includes a controller that rapidly pulses the LEDs at a rate that is imperceivable by the human eye. The pulsing intervals of the LEDs may be related to the readout intervals of the camera sensor array. In this manner, the LEDs may be pulsed on during camera readout to increase the illumination while the camera is capturing an image, or may be pulsed off during camera readout to prevent feedback glare from interfering with image capture by the camera.

A vehicle warning system is responsive to vehicle speed and position as determined by GPS or other location based system information to alert a vehicle operator of potentially unsafe conditions when either exceeding the speed limit on a given road segment or when approaching coordinates of a designated location alert point. The system comprises a portable device, a simple device personalization process using a single physical data communications interface to a local computing device connected to the Internet, and a remote server with a segmented database that provides access to common data services, positional data updates, and device personalization functionality.

Systems and methods are provided that are directed to vehicle pre-acquisition activities, vehicle post-acquisition modification, customization and/or personalization, fleet management, including proactive fleet monitoring fleet services and/or vehicle, vehicle market and related analysis.

The present invention discloses a portable solar tarp or a field portable battery charger employing a solar tarp, utilizing flexible solar panels, solar fabric, or solar film. Around the perimeter of the solar tarp is a series of attachment points for straps. The attachment points can be grommets, loops, buckles, hooks, buttons, or grab loops and lines, and to which connected various straps (webbing, line, cord, or cable). The present invention further discloses a versatile, adjustable strapping system utilizing straps, buckles, and hooks. The present invention strapping system can attach almost any object to nearly any other object, such as back packs, luggage, vehicles, boats, permanent and portable shelters and buildings, mechanical equipment, and natural objects such as trees, rocks. The solar panel according to the present invention can have the photovoltaic cells wired individually, or in a single line, because when parts of the photovoltaic system is subjected to shade, or if due to space constraint, parts of the photovoltaic system is covered or folded away, the remaining photovoltaic cells with useable energy are still able to function at peak capacity, since the covered cells will not become an energy drain upon the remaining cells. Further, the photovoltaic system is able to harness all available energy, regardless of the required or desired voltage and/or amperage for the system, thus converting any and all available energy into a useable current to either recharge batteries, or power a load.

An energy storage system determined to be at an operating point indicative of incipient threat to its condition is permitted to continue power flow for a duration that is a function of the state of charge before a diagnosis of a critical state of charge condition is rendered. If the state of charge returns to an acceptable region before the duration expires, no diagnosis of a critical state of charge condition is rendered. Generally, the duration increases as the state of charge trends toward the region of acceptable state of charge and decreases as the state of charge trends away from the region of acceptable state of charge.

The invention discloses an early warning method and a device for vehicle collision. The early warning method is characterized in that the method comprises the following steps: after a vehicle is fired, colliding an early warning system to begin initializing each parameter, using an OBD information collection module, a sensor information collection module and a GPS information collection module to collect information of the vehicle, using an inter-vehicle information exchange module to collect peripheral vehicle information, sending the information of the vehicle to the peripheral vehicles, calculating individualized collision probability according to self state of a driver, and warning the driver; and the device consists of the OBD information collection module, the sensor information collection module, the GPS information collection module, the inter-vehicle information exchange module, an information exchange module in the vehicles, a collision detection module and a vehicle collision warning module. Each module exchanges information in the vehicle through a wireless local area network in the vehicle, does not change an electric line of the vehicle and does not increase wire harness inside the vehicle, and can effectively reduce occurrence of traffic accidents, so as to reduce casualties.

A vehicle-mounted apparatus is disclosed which includes a displaying unit for providing information to a user, an inputting unit for inputting operations carried out by the user, and a controlling unit for controlling a display of the displaying unit based on the operations input through the inputting unit. The inputting unit has at least a touch-sensitive panel attached to a display screen of the displaying unit. The controlling unit causes the displaying unit to display a menu screen based on the operations input through the inputting unit. The controlling unit also causes the displaying unit to switch the displays based on menus selected on the menu screen. Furthermore, the controlling unit causes the displaying unit to switch, as when a specific menu is selected on the menu screen, the displays in response to a fingertip gesture made by the user for detection on the touch-sensitive panel.

The invention provides a method and system for remotely inventorying electronic modules installed in a vehicle. A vehicle telematics unit sends an identification request to at least one electronic module. The telematics unit receives at least one electronic module identifier in response to the request. The identifier includes the serial number and software revision for the electronic module. The received identifier is transmitted from the telematics unit to a call center. The call center, or a quality center to which the call center sends the transmitted identifier, determines if the transmitted identifier corresponds with an identifier included in an electronic module identifier database. The database includes an identifier for each module that is intended to be installed in the vehicle. A quality assurance notice is sent based on the determination, indicating either that the correct module is installed in the vehicle or that an incorrect module must be replaced.

A vehicle mode controller, a driving mode collecting means, and a plurality of subsystem controllers including an engine management system, a transmission controller, a steering controller, a brakes controller and a suspension controller, provide an improved system and method of operating a vehicle control system in a host vehicle in a manner suitable for a respective driving surface in a plurality of different off-road surfaces and terrains such as might be encountered when driving off-road. An improved method is provided for controlling a vehicle control system by avoiding unplanned combinations of subsystem configuration modes and minimizing the transition time when changing between subsystem configuration modes.

An electromechanical braking (EMB) connector for electrical communication between an interior of a brake caliper assembly and an exterior of the brake caliper assembly is disclosed. The EMB connector includes a body having a distal end for insertion into the interior of the brake caliper assembly and a proximal end for exposure on the exterior of the brake caliper assembly, with the distal end and the proximal end defining a body axis. The EMB connector also includes a load sensor connector for coupling with a load sensor disposed on the interior of the brake caliper assembly. The load sensor connector is compressible along a load sensor axis that is substantially perpendicular to the body axis. The EMB connector further includes a conductive component coupled to the load sensor connector. The conductive component enables electrical connection of the load sensor to the exterior of the brake caliper assembly.

A power source apparatus mounted to a vehicle is equipped with a lead-acid battery and a lithium battery. An open circuit voltage and an internal resistance of each of the batteries are determined to satisfy the following conditions (a1), (a2), and (a3): (a1) In the use range of SOC of the lead-acid battery and the use range of SOC of the lithium battery, there is an equal voltage point Vds at which the open circuit voltage V0 (Pb) of the lead-acid battery becomes equal to the open circuit voltage V0 (Li) of the lithium battery; (a2) The relationship of V0 (Li)>V0 (Pb) is satisfied in the upper limit side of the use range of SOC of the battery; and (a3) A terminal voltage Vc (Li) of the lithium battery is not more than a set voltage Vreg of a regulator when a maximum current flows in the lithium battery.

A method for operating a motor vehicle (1), particularly the supply of power to a motor vehicle (1), during and/or in the time period following a collision, wherein the motor vehicle (1) is at least partially deenergized, wherein the supply of electrical power of a vehicle system (9) is determined and switched during and/or following the collision based on at least one criterion (15).

An embodiment provides a wiring harness that connects a telematics device to a host vehicle. One embodiment of the wiring harness may include: 1) a cable featuring a plurality of wires; 2) a first connector featuring a snap-on adaptor that attaches to a connector core with a pin configuration that mates with a diagnostic scan tool; 3) a second connector that connects to an in-vehicle diagnostic system; and 4) a third connector that connects to the telematics device. A wiring kit embodiment and method embodiments for coupling a telematics device to a host vehicle are also disclosed.

A selective-type battery charging and transferring system for electric vehicle uses a discretionary scheme rather than conventional continuous scheme and select the fully-charged battery to load on the transfer stage. The electric vehicle can be ensured to load with the most fully charged battery, thus eliminates the difficulty caused by the charging time difference.

Vehicle event recorder systems are arranged to be in constant communication with remote servers and administrators via mobile wireless cellular networks. Vehicle event recorders equipped with video cameras capture video and other data records of important events relating to vehicle use. These data are then transmitted over special communications networks having very high coverage space but limited bandwidth. A vehicle may be operated over very large region while maintaining continuous communications connections with a remote fixed server. As such, systems of these inventions may be characterized as including a mobile unit having: a video camera; a microprocessor; memory; an event trigger; and mobile wireless transceivers, and a fixed network portion including: mobile wireless cellular network, a protocol translation gateway, the Internet and an application-specific server.

A gesture-based recognition system obtains a vehicle occupant's desired command inputs through recognition and interpretation of his gestures. An image of the vehicle's interior section is captured and the occupant's image is separated from the background, in the captured image. The separated image is analyzed and a gesture recognition processor interprets the occupant's gesture from the image. A command actuator renders the interpreted desired command to the occupant along with a confirmation message, before actuating the command. When the occupant confirms, the command actuator actuates the interpreted command. Further, an inference engine processor assesses the occupant's state of attentiveness and conveys signals to a drive assist system if the occupant in inattentive. The drive-assist system provides warning signals to the inattentive occupant if any potential threats are identified. Further, a driver recognition module readjusts a set of vehicle's personalization functions to pre-stored settings, on recognizing the driver.

A vehicle system for activating at least one vehicle component to provide access to a vehicle. A first receiver is operative to obtain a wireless signal at least comprising first identification data of an electronic device; a memory device storing at least second identification data; at least a second receiver being operative to check the presence of a matching vehicle access key, and the at least second receiver being operative to check the presence of a matching vehicle access key if the first identification data match the at least second identification data.