34485results about "Optical signalling" patented technology

The steering angle of a vehicle is monitored using position sensors of an electric motor of an electric power assisted steering (EPAS) system. A position of the electric motor corresponding to the straight-ahead, center position of the steering system is stored in non-volatile memory during a steering calibration procedure, such as an end-of-line calibration in a vehicle assembly plant. Following power loss due to a dead battery, a steering angle zeroing procedure performed in a vehicle stability control (VSC) system generates a center position with enough accuracy to be within one electrical cycle of the motor. The pre-stored electric motor position is then used to determine the electrical cycle where the center position was located, and accurate monitoring of steering angle is resumed.

The invention provides a system and method for reporting hazard and event information from a mobile unit, and using that information to warn a user of an event or future hazard with reference to the mobile unit's location and / or intended direction of travel. Users may wirelessly report events or hazards to a central server in an event center by sending data to the event center via a wireless communications network. Secondary information may be included, based on the selected event type, along with images, audio, and video of the event. The event center stores event information, including event locations based on the locations of the transmitting mobile units, and makes this information available to allow other users to respond to the hazard or event.

An illuminated vehicle wheel assembly having arrays of illuminated electrical elements such as light emitting diodes, which are powered by the vehicle power systems by way of a slip ring assembly associated with the bearing or bearing seal of the vehicle wheel.

An imaging system for a vehicle includes an imaging array sensor and a control. The image array sensor comprises a plurality of photo-sensing pixels and is positioned at the vehicle with a field of view exteriorly of the vehicle. The imaging array sensor is operable to capture an image of a scene occurring exteriorly of the vehicle. The captured image comprises an image data set representative of the exterior scene. The control algorithmically processes the image data set to a reduced image data set of the image data set. The control processes the reduced image data set to extract information from the reduced image data set. The control selects the reduced image data set based on a steering angle of the vehicle.

An operation unit for a vehicle air conditioner includes a display device, a setting input portion of a control parameter of the air conditioner other than a set temperature, an obtaining portion configured to obtain a present set value of the control parameter, and an operating state identification portion configured to identify whether an air-conditioning operating state is in a plurality of predetermined operating states of the air conditioner. In the operation unit, a moving pattern of a pointer of the display device is changed according to the operating state of the air conditioner. For example, a pointer operation control portion can be configured to control an operation of a pointer driving motor such that the pointer moves on a dial of the display device at different moving speeds according to the air-conditioning operating state.

A vehicle lane change aid system includes a detector that is operative to detect the presence of an other vehicle adjacent the vehicle, an indicator for providing an indication that a lane change maneuver of the vehicle may affect the other vehicle and a control receiving movement information of the vehicle. The control develops a position history of the vehicle at least as a function of the movement information. The control compares the detected presence of the other vehicle with the position history and provides an indication when a lane change maneuver may affect the other vehicle.

Method and system for obtaining information about objects in the environment outside of and around a vehicle and preventing collisions involving the vehicle includes directing a laser beam from the vehicle into the environment, receiving from an object in the path of the laser beam a reflection of the laser beam at a location on the vehicle, and analyzing the received laser beam reflections to obtain information about the object from which the laser beam is being reflected. Analysis of the laser beam reflections preferably entails range gating the received laser beam reflections to limit analysis of the received laser beam reflections to only those received from an object within a defined (distance) range such that objects at distances within the range are isolated from surrounding objects.

An interior rearview mirror assembly for a vehicle includes a prismatic mirror element and a display element. The prismatic mirror element includes a wedge-shaped prism element having a front surface and a rear surface and a second element having a transflective reflector on a first surface thereof. The front surface of the prism element generally faces a driver of the vehicle when the mirror assembly is installed in the vehicle, and the rear surface is opposite the front surface. The transflective reflector coated first surface of the second element is attached to the rear surface of the prism element via an optically matching medium. The display element is positioned to the rear of the prismatic mirror element and operates to display information through the prismatic mirror element so as to be viewable by a driver of the vehicle when the display element is operated to emit visible light.

An interior rearview mirror assembly for a vehicle includes a reflective element assembly portion and at least one cap portion adapted to attach to the reflective element assembly portion. The reflective element assembly portion includes a reflective element. The reflective element assembly portion comprises a first molding that encompasses at least a perimeter portion of the reflective element. The first molding is formed by molding a first resinous material having a tool shrinkage factor equal to or greater than about 1 percent. The cap portion comprises at least one second molding formed by molding a second resinous material having a tool shrinkage factor of less than or equal to about 1 percent. The cap portion preferably includes internal structure for supporting at least one accessory.

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 vision system for a vehicle includes an imaging device having an imaging sensor, a camera microcontroller, a display device having a display element, a display microcontroller, and at least one user input selectively actuatable by a user. The imaging device communicates an image signal to the display device via a communication link. The display microcontroller affects the image signal in response to the at least one user input. The camera microcontroller monitors the image signal on the communication link and adjusts a function of the imaging device in response to a detection of the affected image signal. The vision system may adjust a display or sensor of the system in conjunction with a distance detecting system.

A light emitting diode (LED) light bulb that includes plural individual elements as sub-assembly elements of the overall light bulb. Different sub-assembly elements of a lens, a LED printed circuit board, a housing also functioning as a heat sink, a lower housing, and other individual sub-assembly components are utilized. The LED printed circuit board sub-assembly containing the LEDs can also be provided relatively close to a base.

A self-contained device for capturing video imagery in response to a triggering event may include a mirror and be mounted to a vehicle windshield in place of a conventional rear-view mirror. The device includes a housing in which the electronics and related elements of the invention are contained. These elements include one or more data sensors, at least one of which is an image sensor,. Also included are a data sensor circuit and a capture circuit. The data sensor circuit responds to the triggering event, and may include data sensors coupled to vehicle systems such as a speedometer, tachometer, brake, turn signals or the like, or other data sensors such as an accelerometer or a vehicle position sensor. The triggering event may be, for example, a sudden change in acceleration indicative of an impending collision, or it may be a change in the signal provided by any such data sensor, including the image sensor. The capture circuit is coupled to the image sensor and captures a signal representing the video imagery by recording it in a digital memory, by transmitting it to a remote location, or by other suitable means. The capture circuit terminates capture of the signal in response to the data sensor circuit sensing a triggering event. The captured data thus describe circumstances leading up to the time of the triggering event. The data can be analyzed to help police, insurance or other investigative personnel understand those circumstances.

An accessory module is mountable to an interior surface of a vehicle windshield and includes a mounting element securable to an interior surface of a windshield of a vehicle, and an accessory support having a base portion attachable to the mounting element. The accessory support includes an accessory holding element configured to hold an accessory, at least one circuitry holding element configured to hold a printed circuit board at the accessory support, and an electrical connector for electrically connecting the printed circuit board and the accessory to an electrical source of the vehicle. The base portion, the accessory holding element and the circuitry holding element are integrally molded together so that the accessory support comprises a unitarily molded accessory support. The accessory module includes a cover portion attachable to the accessory support to substantially encompass the accessory and the printed circuit board within the accessory module.

A system for transmitting, collecting and displaying diagnostic and operational information from one or more motor vehicles to a central server connected to a wide area network. The system is designed to be used with an existing on-board diagnostic system found in most motor vehicles manufactured today. The system includes a translator device capable of translating the codes from an on-board diagnostic connector into computer readable files such as ASCII files. The translator device may be connected to an on-board computer that includes a wireless modem capable of connecting to a wireless communication network and eventually to a wide area network. A central server is connected to the wide area network which receives and stores information from the on-board computer. Authorized users may connect to central server via the wide area network and request information therefrom regarding selected motor vehicles. All of the information may be presented in a single interface.

The present invention provides a terminal, apparatus and method for providing a customized auto-valet parking service. The server device includes a service registration management unit for receiving auto-valet parking profile information that includes information about one or more of a user, a vehicle, and a mobile terminal, and a parking map management unit for generating customized parking slots suitable for the user using the auto-valet parking profile information, and providing a parking area map, which includes information about the customized parking slots, to the mobile terminal. The parking map management unit receives information about a final slot selected by the user from among the customized parking slots via the mobile terminal, and provides a route to the final slot.