Abstract: An electric wiring system of a motor vehicle with control devices that communicate with each other via a data bus, and with at least a first communication apparatus inside the vehicle for data exchange with a remote communication station outside the vehicle via a communication channel is provided. To make an authentication of the electric wiring system possible, the first remote communication station outside the vehicle transmits at least one cryptographic key and/or at least one certificate for storage in a first control device of the plurality of control devices via the communication channel to the communication apparatus inside the vehicle. The first control device stores the at least one key and/or the at least one certificate in coded or decoded form and the at least one key and/or the at least one certificate is/are used at least in the framework of an authentication.

Abstract: The invention relates to a drive system for a vehicle, comprising an internal combustion that releases mechanical and thermal energy and a device for converting the thermal energy, wherein the device is designed to directly convert thermal energy into electrical energy and to transfer thermal energy to a working medium intended to act on an expansion apparatus.

Abstract: An engine is coupled to an input member of a hybrid transmission and the hybrid transmission is operative to transfer torque between the input member and a torque machine and an output member to generate an output torque in response to an operator torque request. The torque machine is connected to an energy storage device. A method for controlling the engine includes determining a preferred input torque from the engine to the hybrid transmission based upon operator inputs to an accelerator pedal and a brake pedal, determining maximum and minimum allowable input torques from the engine to the hybrid transmission, controlling the engine at the preferred input torque when the preferred input torque is within the maximum and minimum allowable input torques, and controlling the engine based upon the maximum and minimum allowable input torques when the preferred input torque is outside one of the maximum and minimum allowable input torques.

Abstract: A vehicle pane exhibits a heating conductor field with at least one heating conductor and at least one antenna, wherein the at least one antenna is mounted on an area of the vehicle pane that is free with respect to the heating conductor field and wherein the heating conductor field has the basic shape of an essentially angular sector. The vehicle pane can also have bus bars for supplying power to at least one heating conductor, the bus bars being arranged on a common edge of the vehicle pane.

Abstract: A method of authorizing external devices that can be optionally connected with a data bus of a motor vehicle is provided. At least a first code can be entered by an operator in an external device that can be connected with the data bus, and is sent by the external device by way of the data bus to an authorization device of the motor vehicle. The first code is compared with a second code by the authorization device and, if the first code corresponds to the second code, the device connected with the data bus is authorized for coupling to the data bus. The second code is defined on the motor vehicle side independently of the external device. The second code, or a replacement code suitable for its determination, is emitted by an output unit in the motor vehicle interior.

Abstract: In a dialogue system for a motor vehicle, the dialogue system including a plurality of control keys, assigning a function from a predefined set of functions to at least one of the control keys in such a manner that the function is executed upon actuation of the control key. At least one of the functions which can be assigned to the control key is configured as the master function. During the execution of the master function the current value of at least one parameter of a subordinate function that correlates with at least one state of the motor vehicle is determined, and the subordinate function is executed as a function of this value.

Abstract: A method of controlling an automatic switch-off and switch-on procedure of a drive unit in a motor vehicle via a start-stop device is provided, by which, when the motor vehicle stops, the drive unit is automatically switched off if predefined switch-off conditions have been met, and by which an automatically switched-off drive unit is automatically switched on if at least one driver-side or system-side switch-on request is made. When a system-side switch-on request takes place, the automatic switch-on procedure will be suppressed at least temporarily if a delay condition exists.

Abstract: A process for operating a hybrid vehicle in an internal-combustion-engine-driven mode and/or in an electric-motor-driven mode, wherein, on a route section to be traveled and considered for driving in the electric-motor-driven mode, a change to the electric-motor-driven mode will take place only when a threshold value is exceeded which represents, or correlates with the efficiency advantage achievable on the route section by a change from the internal-combustion-engine-driven mode to the electric-motor-driven mode. Starting from the instantaneous position of the hybrid vehicle, the route is examined in an anticipatory manner with respect to such a route section, wherein the threshold value is adapted when such a route section was recognized and a driving through the route section in the electric driving mode would likely lead to a lowering of the state of charge of an electric energy accumulator into a critical state of charge range.

Abstract: A method for preparing error entries of the user of a data bus in a motor vehicle is provided. When an error is detected, the detecting user is put into an error state and outputs an error message to a second user, a request to prepare an error entry is output by the second user to the detecting user after receiving such an error message as a function of at least one predefined condition, and an error entry is instigated by the detecting user in case of receiving such a request.

Abstract: In order to enable the temperature in the region of at least one of the cell terminals that are connected to one another in an electrically conductive manner by a cell connector to be determined in a simple and reliable manner, there is proposed a cell connector for connecting a first cell terminal of a first electro-chemical cell and a second cell terminal of a second electro-chemical cell of an electro-chemical device in an electrically conductive manner which comprises a base body and a temperature sensing element that is fixed to the base body.

Abstract: For the automatic longitudinal guidance of a motor vehicle having a longitudinally guiding driver assistance system with a stop-and-go function, at least starting from a point-in-time wherein the motor vehicle is stopped, the vehicle apron is continuously monitored for possible obstacles by a monitoring device having a camera which supplies a sequence of individual images of the vehicle apron. For the detection of obstacles in the vehicle apron, characteristic image features are extracted from the individual images and are tracked with respect to time within the sequence of individual images, and an appearance and/or disappearance of one or more characteristic image features taking place in the course of the sequence is determined and evaluated. Additionally or alternatively, a change of a spatial distribution of one or more characteristic image features taking place in the course of the sequence in the respective individual image or in a cutout of the latter is determined and evaluated.

Abstract: A method and device are provided for lessening the consequences of an accident affecting a vehicle occupant in the event of a collision of the vehicle with an obstruction. Before the collision, the absolute speed of the vehicle occupant relative to the obstruction is reduced independently of the traveling speed of the vehicle by way of a reduction of the vehicle occupant's speed relative to the vehicle, without the vehicle occupant experiencing a first displacement movement against the vehicle movement direction beyond his initial destination-related traveling position.

Abstract: A vehicle control system for an automatically opening and/or automatically closing flap, includes a programmable operating switch and a programmable electronic control device. The operating switch is a proximity sensor that is actuatable in a non-contact manner and, after the actuation occurs, generates an operation request signal as an input signal to the control device. In the presence of the operation request signal and, as required, of at least one further condition, the control device emits a command to a closing mechanism for opening or closing the flap. The control device and/or the operating switch is programmed such that the operation request signals are counted as long as at least a first defined condition has not yet been met, and that, when a defined maximal counter reading has been reached, the operation request signals will be ignored until at least a second defined condition has been met.

Abstract: A vehicle driver assistant with an electronic control device checks the clearance possibility for a vehicle below an upper obstruction as a function of the overall vehicle height, in particular in the case of a roof load. The electronic control device can be connected to an input unit, which is preferably independent of the motor vehicle. This input unit allows at least one overall vehicle height to be entered manually, in particular, for the roof load.

Abstract: A method to determine a preferred operating point for an internal combustion engine includes determining a current set of candidate operating points for a current search iteration. The method further includes iteratively determining an operating cost for operating the internal combustion engine at each candidate operating point of the current search iteration, and determining the preferred operating point for operating the internal combustion engine after a predetermined number of search iterations.