Abstract: An interior rearview mirror assembly for a vehicle includes a prismatic reflective element with an attachment plate attached thereto, and a display-on-demand display disposed behind the prismatic reflective element and operable to display information for viewing through a transflective mirror reflector of the prismatic reflective element by a driver of the vehicle. A mounting assembly is configured to mount the mirror assembly to an interior portion of the vehicle. The mounting assembly includes a toggle portion and an actuator, with the toggle portion pivotally mounting to a first mounting member and the actuator pivotally mounting to a second mounting member of the attachment plate. An electronic circuitry element is attached to the attachment plate and an accessory pod is attached to the mounting assembly and includes circuitry therein. The circuitry of the accessory pod is electrically connected to the electronic circuitry element.

Abstract: A novel bird feeder is disclosed comprising a top portion with a hook, a cap and shield, and a bottom portion with a feeder body and a tray the top portion and the bottom portion being interconnected by a cable. One end of the cable is affixed to the bottom portion of the bird feeder and the other end of the cable is attached to a spring biased coil assembly located in the top portion. The bottom portion is then reversibly dislocatable from the top portion between an in-use condition and a re-supply condition.

Abstract: A compact, modular and versatile vehicle testing assembly for testing at least the brakes of an assembled vehicle comprises a pair of rollers adapted to support a tire of a tire and wheel assembly of a vehicle positioned on the testing assembly, with the pair of rollers being moveable relative to one another to alter the spacing there between. A drive system is connected to one of the rollers to operate as a drive roller for selectively imparting rotational motion to a tire of a vehicle tire and wheel assembly, with the other roller comprising a freewheeling roller to which rotational motion is imparted by a vehicle tire. A brake member is engageable with the freewheeling roller to selectively inhibit rotation of the freewheeling roller.

Abstract: A vehicular exterior rearview mirror system includes an exterior rearview mirror assembly that includes a mirror reflective element fixedly attached to a mirror back plate attached to a mirror actuator. The mirror back plate includes a display indicator, fixedly secured thereto, having a light source that is activatable to emit light. The display indicator is associated with a blind spot detection system of the vehicle and the light source is activated responsive to sensing by the blind spot detection system of an object in a blind spot at a side of the vehicle at which the exterior mirror assembly is mounted. During daytime operation of the vehicle and when the light source is activated and with the exterior mirror assembly mounted at a side of the vehicle, the display indicator, as viewed by the driver of the vehicle, is operable to have a luminance of at least about 5,000 nits.

Abstract: An imaging system for a vehicle includes an imaging array sensor and a control. The imaging array sensor is disposed at least partially within an exterior rearview mirror assembly that is attached at a side of a vehicle. The field of view of the imaging array sensor encompasses at least one of a rearward field of view, a sideward field of view and a forward field of view. The control may utilize edge detection in processing captured image data. Responsive at least in part to processing of captured image data by the control, the control determines an object of interest present in the field of view of the imaging array sensor. A portion of the equipped vehicle is present in the field of view of the imaging array sensor and the control may be operable to determine that the portion of the equipped vehicle is not an object of interest.

Abstract: A window assembly for a vehicle includes a window panel comprising inner and outer surfaces terminating at a peripheral edge, An attachment member is adhesively bonded to the window panel at a mounting area of the inner surface by a layer of cured adhesive. The attachment member is a generally S-shaped metallic attachment member having a panel attachment flange, a vehicle attachment flange, and a leg disposed between the flanges and spacing the panel attachment flange from the vehicle attachment flange. The panel attachment flange is configured to conform to the inner surface of the window panel at the mounting area. A fastener at the vehicle attachment flange attaches the vehicle attachment flange to the vehicle to mount the window assembly at the vehicle. The fastener protrudes from the vehicle attachment flange and generally away from the panel attachment flange and the window panel.

Abstract: An interior rearview mirror information display system for a vehicle includes an interior rearview mirror assembly including an electrochromic reflective element. A display device is disposed behind a transflective mirror reflector of the reflective element and includes a display screen backlit by a plurality of light emitting diodes supported by a circuit board disposed rearward of the fourth surface of the rear substrate. The light emitting diodes of the circuit board are disposed to the rear of the display screen to provide backlighting of the display screen when activated. Information displayed by the display device is viewable by a driver of the equipped vehicle. When the plurality of light emitting diodes is activated and the display device is displaying information, light emitted by the plurality of light emitting diodes passes through the display screen and through the transflective mirror reflector for viewing by the driver of the equipped vehicle.

Abstract: A frequency agile wireless response system and method of retrieving user response data from a plurality of users includes providing a base unit and a plurality of handheld response units, each communicating with the base unit over a wireless communication link using a frequency agile communication protocol. Base signals are sent with the base unit to the response units over the wireless communication link. Response signals are sent from the response units to the base unit over the wireless communication link. The base signals include a master transmission and at least occasionally include an extension transmission. The master transmission includes information establishing a time mark for the response units. The master transmission also includes information enabling the response units to receive any extension transmission associated with that base signal.

Abstract: The system and method for implementing a Universal Messaging Gateway (UMG) disclosed herewith provides telecommunications Network Operators (NO) and like related parties with innovative and flexible art for delivering domestic and foreign network originated Multi-media traffic and/or, more generally, interactive and/or synchronous mobile text and related telecommunications messaging or information services to a large number of related receiving telecommunications network equipment (as ESMEs and/or SMS-Cs in relation to SMS traffic).

Abstract: An image sensing system for a vehicle includes an imaging sensor and a control. The imaging sensor has a two-dimensional array of light sensing pixels, and has a forward field of view through the windshield of a vehicle equipped with the image sensing system to the exterior of the equipped vehicle. The imaging sensor is operable to capture image data and the control includes an image processor. The image sensing system determines an object of interest present in the forward field of view of the imaging sensor via processing of the captured image data by the image processor. The image processing includes spatial filtering. The spatial filtering may, at least in part, identify atmospheric conditions. The spatial filtering may include analysis of a spectral signature representative of at least one detected light source present in the forward field of view of the imaging sensor.

Abstract: A lighted exterior rearview mirror system includes an exterior rearview mirror assembly including a reflective element and an electrically-operable actuator. The exterior rearview mirror assembly includes a breakaway joint assembly. The reflective element has an electrically powered heater operable to remove ice or dew from the reflective element. The exterior rearview mirror assembly includes a turn signal indicator lamp that has a light source. The lamp is included in the exterior rearview mirror assembly and unaffected by operation of the actuator. The breakaway joint assembly includes a wire-way through which a wire cable passes. The wire cable includes wires for operating the actuator, the heater and the lamp. The light source includes at least one light emitting diode.

Abstract: A forward facing sensing system comprises a windshield electronics module disposed in the interior cabin of a vehicle at and behind the windshield. A radar sensor device is disposed within the windshield electronics module and a forward facing image sensor is disposed within the windshield electronics module, and with both disposed behind or adjacent to an upper region of the windshield. A control comprising an image processor analyzes images captured by the forward facing image sensor in order to, at least in part, detect an object present forward of the vehicle in its direction of forward travel. The radar sensor device may utilize beam aiming or beam selection or may utilize digital beam forming or digital beam steering or may comprise an array antenna or a phased array antenna or the forward facing image sensor may comprise a pixelated imaging array sensor. The radar sensor device comprises a silicon germanium radar sensor.

Abstract: A work station unit includes a storage area for storing project files at or near a work surface, and a movable cover panel that is vertically movable between an opened position, where at least a portion of the storage area is exposed and accessible for accessing the stored project files, and a closed position, where the storage area is at least substantially concealed by the movable cover panel. The work station unit may include a fixed cover panel over a lower portion of the storage area to at least partially conceal hanging folders and the like at the workstation unit. The movable cover panel may conceal the open area of the storage area when in its closed position and the movable cover panel may at least partially overlap the fixed cover panel when the movable cover panel is in its opened position.

Abstract: A data repository system and method are provided. A method in accordance with an embodiment includes an operation that can be used to port data from one or more existing database partitions to new database partitions according to a minimally progressive hash. The method can be used to increase the overall size of databases while a system runs hot, with little or no downtime.

Abstract: A vehicular vision system includes a photosensor array having a forward field of view to the exterior of the vehicle through the windshield of the vehicle. A portion of the photosensor array captures image data representative of an item of interest exterior the vehicle and within the forward field of view. A control is responsive to an output of the photosensor array and includes an image processor for processing the image data. At least responsive to the control analyzing the image data, the image sensing system senses the presence of an object within the field of view of the photosensor array, and the image sensing system, responsive at least in part to sensing the presence of the object, at least one of (i) controls a vehicle system using forward field of view information and (ii) supplements control of a vehicle system using forward field of view information.

Abstract: A vision system for a vehicle includes a first imaging sensor having a first forward field of view and a second imaging sensor spaced from the first imaging sensor and having a second forward field of view, which at least partially overlaps with the first forward field of view. A control processes image data captured by at least one of the first and second imaging sensors to determine an object present in the first and/or second forward fields of view. The control is operable to modulate a headlamp of the vehicle responsive to the processing of image data captured by the at least one of the first and second imaging sensors. The control may process image data captured by both of the imaging sensors to determine a distance between the equipped vehicle and an object present in the overlap of the first and second forward fields of view.

Abstract: A method of replacing a continuous belt on a belt conveyor having a frame assembly includes providing a removable belt module with a removable belt module frame, the removable belt module frame having at one end a rotatably mounted drive pulley and having at an opposite end a rotatably mounted other pulley. The continuous belt is reeved around the drive pulley and the other pulley. The removable belt module is removed from at least one attachment surface of the frame assembly while the continuous belt remains under tension. A replacement removable belt module is then placed at the attachment surface. Optionally, the continuous belt has a low modulus characteristic, and the removable belt module may include at least one pivot arm for mounting at least one of the drive pulley and the other pulley to the removable belt module frame.

Abstract: The present invention is concerned with a device and method for use in surgery, in particular hand assisted laparascopic surgery, the device comprising a flexible sleeve about one end of which is located a plurality of inflatable balloons, such that the sleeve may be located about a surgeon's forearm, with the balloons thus circumscribing the surgeon's wrist, the balloons being inflated once the surgeon's hand and wrist have been inserted into a surgical cavity, in order to distend the surgical cavity, thereby creating a space within which the surgical procedure may be performed.