6368results about "Tractors" patented technology

Visual methods and systems are described for detecting alertness and vigilance of persons under conditions of fatigue, lack of sleep, and exposure to mind altering substances such as alcohol and drugs. In particular, the intention can have particular applications for truck drivers, bus drivers, train operators, pilots and watercraft controllers and stationary heavy equipment operators, and students and employees during either daytime or nighttime conditions. The invention robustly tracks a person's head and facial features with a single on-board camera with a fully automatic system, that can initialize automatically, and can reinitialize when it need's to and provide outputs in realtime. The system can classify rotation in all viewing direction, detects' eye / mouth occlusion, detects' eye blinking, and recovers the 3D(three dimensional) gaze of the eyes. In addition, the system is able to track both through occlusion like eye blinking and also through occlusion like rotation. Outputs can be visual and sound alarms to the driver directly. Additional outputs can slow down the vehicle cause and / or cause the vehicle to come to a full stop. Further outputs can send data on driver, operator, student and employee vigilance to remote locales as needed for alarms and initiating other actions.

Method and arrangement for controlling a subsystem of a vehicle dependent upon a sensed level of driver inattentiveness to vehicle driving tasks. A variable characteristic is measured, on a substantially real-time basis, which correlates to the driver's inattentiveness. The level of inattentiveness is assessed based at least in part on the measurement. The performance of a subsystem of the vehicle, such as cruise control or lane keeping support, is tailored, based thereupon, to assure that behavior of the vehicle appropriately matches the driver's present level of inattentiveness. The subsystem's operation is controlled in an effort to avoid or prevent the establishment of driving conditions that become inherently more dangerous as the driver's level of inattentiveness increases.

An automobile monitoring system to monitor user body characteristics, includes at least one sensor to monitor at least one user body characteristic. The at least one sensor is operatively coupled to a body of a user to monitor the at least one user body characteristic while the user is operating an automobile. The at least one user body characteristic is at least a glucose level of the user's body. At least one transmitter is operatively coupled to the at least one sensor to communicate sensor data obtained from the at least one sensor while the user is operating the automobile. Automobile electronics are operatively coupled to the at least one transmitter to receive sensor data from the at least one sensor while the user is operating the automobile. The automobile electronics provide the sensor data to the user while the user is operating the automobile. A mobile telephone is operatively coupled to the automobile electronics, wherein the automobile electronics initiate a communication via the mobile telephone based on the sensor data received from the at least one sensor.

An automatic lighting device includes an illuminance detector for detecting an external illuminance around a vehicle, a light controller for turning on / off a vehicular light, a driver's characteristics detector for acquiring information about driver's physical characteristics, and a threshold setting element for setting the illuminance threshold in accordance with the driver's physical characteristics. The controller turns on the light when the external illuminance is not more than the illuminance threshold.

A vehicle control system has a plurality of subsystem controllers including an engine management system 28, a transmission controller 30, a steering controller 48, a brakes controller 62 and a suspension controller 82. These subsystem controllers are each operable in a plurality of subsystem modes, and are all connected to a vehicle mode controller 98 which controls the modes of operation of each of the subsystem controllers so as to provide a number of driving modes for the vehicle. Each of the modes corresponds to a particular driving condition or set of driving conditions, and in each mode each of the functions is set to the function in mode most appropriate to those conditions.

A vigilance monitoring system to determine the alertness of a driver of a vehicle. The system uses one or multiple sensors located at the driver-vehicle interface (steering wheel, accelerator, brakes). The sensor monitors the magnitude and frequency of the force (or displacement) exerted by a driver at the driver interface. A time derivative of the force or displacement profile is created. The variability of the time derivative of the force / displacement data from the general trend of the data as obtained by an optimized moving average of the data. An intelligent control system measures the variability and compares with an alertness rating scale to determine the alertness score of the driver and issue warning signals and actions as appropriate.

A roof-mounted passenger position sensor array of capacitive coupling passenger position sensors, to determine position and motion of a passenger by analysis of distances of the passenger to the various sensors of the array and analysis of the changes of distances with time.

A method for enhancing driver safety through body position monitoring with remote sensors, and furnishing feedback in response to vehicle motion, driver activities, and external driving conditions, wherein the method includes: monitoring and characterizing signals from at least one sensor mounted on the body of a driver; monitoring and characterizing signals from at least one vehicle mounted sensor; determining driver activity based on disambiguating the signals from the driver and vehicle mounted sensors; providing feedback to the driver based on the determined driver activity, vehicle motion, and external driving conditions; and wherein the feedback is employed to modify driver behavior and enhance driver safety.

Safety systems for vehicles, primarily passenger vehicles, comprising automated systems and methods for preventing entrapment of children, disabled, aged or infirm persons, or pets from being trapped in closed vehicles left in the sun, so that they will not suffocate from the heat. The invention is characterized by use of one or more systems to sense the occupancy state and temperature inside the vehicle passenger or load space, and provide one or more outputs which can selectively be employed to provide interior and exterior warning of a trapped passenger in a dangerously hot car to permit rescue, and / or to activate vehicle electro-mechanical systems to relieve the heat, such as rolling down windows, unlatching seat belts, unlocking doors, starting the car and / or fans or air conditioning systems and the like. The exterior warnings may be any suitable warning, such as sounding the car horn or alarm siren, flashing head, tail or special lights, placing an emergency call via a vehicle dedicated cell phone, CB radio, GPS system, or the like.

A trailer based collision warning system includes one or more side object detection sensors, one or more backup assist sensors, a driver vehicle interface, and trailer-mounted display units operating essentially independent of the tractor with all detection and warning system equipment mounted on the trailer. The trailer based collision warning system is coupled to industry-standard tractor to trailer wiring to provide the trailer with power and signals such as left turn indication and right turn indication. The side and rear sensors detect the presence and location of objects and transfer this information to a driver vehicle interface device located on the trailer. The system can also be equipped with video cameras with a means of automatically activating the camera in the area where a hazard condition has been detected. The driver vehicle interface determines the nature of the information and / or warning needed by the driver and provides this information in the form of signals sent to displays that can to assist the driver in safely maneuvering the trailer. The collision warning system can also operate in a security mode.

A method of analyzing data based on the physiological orientation of a driver is provided. Data is descriptive of a driver's gaze-direction is processing and criteria defining a location of driver interest is determined. Based on the determined criteria, gaze-direction instances are classified as either on-location or off-location. The classified instances can then be used for further analysis, generally relating to times of elevated driver workload and not driver drowsiness. The classified instances are transformed into one of two binary values (e.g., 1 and 0) representative of whether the respective classified instance is on or off location. The uses of a binary value makes processing and analysis of the data faster and more efficient. Furthermore, classification of at least some of the off-location gaze direction instances can be inferred from the failure to meet the determined criteria for being classified as an on-location driver gaze direction instance.

Method for analyzing ocular and / or head orientation characteristics of a subject. A detection and quantification of the position of a driver's head and / or eye movements are made relative to the environment. Tests of the data are made, and from the data, locations of experienced areas / objects-of-subject-interest are deduced. When a driver of a vehicle is the subject, these areas / objects-of-driver-interest may be inside or outside the vehicle, and may be constituted by (1) “things” such as audio controls, speedometers and other gauges, and (2) areas or positions such as “road ahead” and lane-change clearance space in adjacent lanes. In order to “standardize” the tracking data with respect to the vehicle of interest, the quantification of the position of the driver's head is normalized to the reference-base position thereby enabling deducement of location(s) where the driver has shown an interest based on sensed information regarding either, or both of (1) driver ocular orientation or (2) driver head orientation.

A method of analyzing data based on the physiological orientation of a driver is provided. Data is descriptive of a driver's gaze-direction is processing and criteria defining a location of driver interest is determined. Based on the determined criteria, gaze-direction instances are classified as either on-location or off-location. The classified instances can then be used for further analysis, generally relating to times of elevated driver workload and not driver drowsiness. The classified instances are transformed into one of two binary values (e.g., 1 and 0) representative of whether the respective classified instance is on or off location. The uses of a binary value makes processing and analysis of the data faster and more efficient. Furthermore, classification of at least some of the off-location gaze direction instances can be inferred from the failure to meet the determined criteria for being classified as an on-location driver gaze direction instance.

In information presentation controlling apparatus and method, a detecting section detects a running state of a mobile body and a running environment thereof, a mental fatigue calculating section calculates a mental fatigue that an operator of the mobile body (specifically, a vehicle driver) suffers due to an operation of the mobile body (an automotive vehicle) from a result of detection by the detecting section, a producing section produces the information to the operator of the mobile body, and an information presentation controlling section controls the information to be produced to the operator of the mobile body through the producing section in accordance with the mental fatigue calculated by the mental fatigue calculating section.

The Digital Imaging Rear View Mirror System Utilizes a digital camera located low in the rear of a motor vehicle and cameras located on the sides of a vehicle all connected to a small flat panel display (e.g., LCD) located in front of the driver. The images from the cameras are to be digitally integrated so as to provide a seamless rear and side view. The Digital Imaging Rear View Mirror System incorporates a recorder that records 15 to 20 minute continuous segments while the vehicle is in operation and stops recording a few minutes after a collision. The System also incorporates a sensor that displays in real time on the LCD and on the recording the distance of objects and vehicles behind the vehicle equipped with a Digital Imaging Rear View Mirror System, the speed of the vehicle equipped with a Digital Imaging Rear View Mirror System and the time.

A recharging trailer for applying electrical energy to an electric vehicle has an electrical power coupling. The recharging trailer includes a trailer frame configured to be coupled to the electronic vehicle. An electrical generation unit is disposed on the trailer and is configured generate electrical power. The electrical generation unit is also configured to be electrically coupled to the electrical power coupling of the electric vehicle. A trailer propulsion unit is configured to propel the trailer while the electrical vehicle is moving so that the trailer moves without applying a substantial load to the electric vehicle.

A method for providing traction control in vehicle powertrain systems is particularly adapted for traction control in a powertrain system of a hybrid electric vehicle comprising an internal combustion engine, an electric machine and a transmission that is operatively coupled to the electric machine and the engine and adapted to provide a transmission torque output in response to a transmission torque input received as a torque output from either or both of the engine and the electric machine. The method is adapted to utilize conventional traction control and engine control hardware, software and communication standards to implement traction control. In one embodiment of the invention, a conventional traction controller is used to detect a wheel spin condition and provide a plurality of first output torque command messages in response thereto. The plurality of first output torque command messages are used to obtain a torque reduction which is applied to a reference output torque to obtain a corresponding plurality of traction control output torque commands for the powertrain system during the wheel spin condition. A rate limit may also be applied to control the rate of change between successive ones of the traction control output torque commands in order to reduce the possibility of extension of the wheel spin condition, or recurrence of another wheel spin condition. Each traction control output torque command may be used to determine an associated traction control engine torque output command and traction control electric machine torque output command.

Safety systems for vehicles, primarily passenger vehicles, comprising automated systems and methods for preventing entrapment of children, disabled, aged or infirm persons, or pets from being trapped in closed vehicles left in the sun, so that they will not suffocate from the heat. The invention is characterized by use of one or more systems to sense the occupancy state and temperature inside the vehicle passenger or load space, and provide one or more outputs which can selectively be employed to provide interior and exterior warning of a trapped passenger in a dangerously hot car to permit rescue, and / or to activate vehicle electro-mechanical systems to relieve the heat, such as rolling down windows, unlatching seat belts, unlocking doors, starting the car and / or fans or air conditioning systems and the like. The exterior warnings may be any suitable warning, such as sounding the car horn or alarm siren, flashing head, tail or special lights, placing an emergency call via a vehicle dedicated cell phone, CB radio, GPS system, or the like.

A vehicle collision detector is configured to reliably activate an airbag system at a collision and prevent the airbag system from erroneously operating. The collision detector includes two acceleration sensors disposed at different positions in a vehicle to detect acceleration for collision determination, first and second collision routines in which a determination is made on whether or not a variation in the detected acceleration is caused by a collision, and a final collision routine in which an airbag module is activated when all of results of the first and second collision routines indicate a collision.

System and method for reacting to an impact involving a motor vehicle in which an anticipatory sensor system assesses the probable severity of the impact based on data obtained prior to the impact and initiates deployment of an external safety device via an actuator in the event an impact above a threshold probable severity is assessed. The anticipatory sensor system includes receivers for receiving waves or energy and a pattern recognition system for analyzing the received waves or energy, or data representative thereof, to assess the probable severity of the impact. The pattern recognition system ascertains the identity of an object from which the waves or energy have been emitted, reflected or generated. The pattern recognition system includes a processor embodying a pattern recognition algorithm designed to provide an output of one of a number of pre-determined identities of the object.

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.

A distance measuring and display system for use on a vehicle having a mirror assembly thereon comprises at least one front distance measuring sensor for measuring the distance to an obstacle in front of the vehicle, at least one rear distance measuring sensor for measuring the distance to an obstacle to the rear of the vehicle, and a display coupled to the front distance measuring sensor and to the rear distance measuring sensor for displaying a distance and an indication of whether it is a front distance or a rear distance.

A vehicle including a prime mover, a generator mechanically coupled to the prime mover, a first multi-input drive unit having at least first and second rotational inputs and at least one rotational output wherein the first rotational input is coupled to the prime mover, a first electric motor mechanically coupled to the second rotational input and electrically coupled to the generator and a first pair of vehicle drive wheels coupled to the rotational output.

A system for sensing the presence, position and type classification of an occupant in a passenger seat of a vehicle, as well as for sensing the presence of a rear-facing child seat therein, for use in controlling a related air bag activator control system to enable, disable or control inflation rate or amount of inflation of an air bag. The sensor system employs sensor fusion, a process of combining information provided by two or more sensors (24, 26), each of which "sees" the world in a unique sense. In a preferred embodiment, infrared sensor inputs (78) and ultrasonic sensor inputs (79) are combined in a microprocessor by a sensor fusion algorithm (80) to produce an occupancy state output signal (85) to the air bag controller.

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.