Abstract: A commercial vehicle with at least one driven axle, at least one service brake, at least one propulsion engine, and wheels characterized in that the parking brake function of the vehicle is solved by a bistable locking means acting on both wheels. At least one multi-speed gearbox is provided to concurrently activate a first gear stage and a second gear stage having different ratios.

Abstract: An apparatus for cooling a high heat-generating vehicle component includes an air compressor assembly operable in a heat-generating mode, in which the air compressor assembly has a relatively low capability to absorb heat energy from a coolant that has passed through a high heat-generating vehicle component. The coolant may be passed through a heat exchanger submerged in an oil reservoir of the air compressor assembly to facilitate the heat exchange. The air compressor assembly can also be operated in a non-heat-generating mode, in which the air compressor assembly has a relatively higher capability to absorb heat energy from the coolant that has passed through the high heat-generating vehicle component.

Abstract: Various examples of a controller, method and system for determining positions of a tractor-trailer vehicle train are disclosed. In one example a tractor controller is manually-initiated or a user-initiated tractor controller and includes an electrical control port for receiving an electrical start signal, and a communications port for receiving data. A processing unit of the tractor controller includes control logic and is in communication with the electrical control port. The control logic is capable of receiving, in response to the electrical start signal, a data signal at the communications port which includes a GPS signal and a unique identification which corresponds to the towed vehicle. At a predetermined response time, the tractor controller determines the position of the towed vehicle in the tractor-trailer vehicle train based on the data received from the towed vehicles.

Abstract: Platoon management control systems and methods rearrange three of more vehicles cooperatively travelling seriatim as a platoon along an associated roadway into a platoon arrangement other than the linear or single file formation. Multi roadway lane platoon management control systems and methods control the three or more vehicles cooperatively travelling as a multi-lane platoon along an associated multi-lane roadway into a platoon arrangement other than the linear or single file formation. Larger platoon sizes are provided thereby enabling more vehicles to participate in the larger multi-lane platoon. A platoon management control uses a combination of the GPS position of the lead vehicle representative of the position of the vehicle relative to the associated geographical area, and braking performance data representative of the braking capabilities of following vehicles to rearrange the vehicles into the non-columnar formation.

Abstract: Systems and methods monitor driver behavior for vehicular fleet management in a fleet of vehicles using driver-facing imaging device. The systems and methods herein relate generally to vehicular fleet management for enhancing safety of the fleet and improving the performance of the fleet drivers, and further relate to monitoring the operation of fleet vehicles using one or more driver-facing imaging devices disposed in the fleet vehicles for recording activities of the fleet drivers and their passengers, storing information relating to the monitored activities, selectively generating warnings related to the monitored activities, and reporting the monitored activities to a central fleet management system for use in enhancing the safety of the vehicles of the fleet and for helping to improve the performance of the fleet drivers.

Abstract: An effluent processing device includes an input port to receive an effluent mixture containing air, oil, and water. One or more baffles are positioned between the input port and at least one air outlet to deflect the effluent mixture to assist in separating the oil and the water from the air. A member positioned below the one or more baffles selectively allows only oil of the separated oil and water to pass from a first side of the member through openings in the member to a second side of the member. A sump is arranged to receive and retain the oil on the second side of the member as the oil passes from the first side to the second side. The effluent processing devices includes at least one air outlet through which air is exhausted to atmosphere.

Abstract: A parking brake apparatus is provided for an autonomously drivable vehicle having components of a parking brake system for applying a parking brake. The parking brake apparatus comprises a first controller arranged to provide one or more control signals to be applied to components of the parking brake system to apply the parking brake in response to a signal requesting the parking brake to be applied. The parking brake apparatus also comprises a second controller arranged to provide one or more control signals to be applied to other components of the parking brake system to apply the parking brake in response to unavailability of the first controller to cause the parking brake to be applied.

Abstract: An operator interface for a wheel brake control system in a vehicle includes a handle configured for coupling to a fixed reference frame in the vehicle. The handle is configured for movement relative to the fixed reference frame about a pivot axis between a neutral position and one or more input positions. One or more inertial sensors are disposed within the handle. Each sensor is configured to generate an inertial measurement signal indicative of a value of a corresponding inertial measurement associated with movement of the handle and the sensor between the neutral position and the input positions. A controller disposed within the handle is configured to generate an operator command signal responsive to the inertial measurement signals. The operator command signal is configured to cause application or release of a brake in the vehicle.

Abstract: A device operatively couples a tractor ABS controller with TABS controllers in units towed by the tractor. A PLC interface circuit of the device communicates messages received from a PLC network of the towed units to a CAN network of the tractor via a CAN interface circuit. The device may also rebroadcast messages received from the PLC network back onto the PLC network, and may also wirelessly broadcast messages received from the PLC network back onto a wireless network. The device receives messages from the towed units at a message rate, determines a quantity of towed units from the message rate, and communicates the determined quantity of towed units on the CAN network of the tractor. The device receives messages indicating towed unit identification (ID) information, determines a quantity of towed units from the towed unit ID information, and communicates the determined quantity of towed units on the CAN network.

Abstract: A system for recording vehicle occupants and their immediate environment includes a driver-facing camera for capturing video data, an input that receives data from one or more sensors configured to detect vehicle related data and a processor. The processor is configured to embed, based on the sensor data, at least one indicator in a portion of the video data. The indicator designates that the portion of the video data is to be obscured during playback of the video data.

Abstract: A parking brake apparatus is provided for a power unit having air brake parking components and to which a towed unit having air brake parking components can be connected. The parking brake apparatus comprises a controller arranged to monitor a pressure signal indicative of a delivery air pressure applied to the air brake parking components of the towed unit when the towed unit is connected to the power unit. The controller is also arranged to provide a status signal indicative of whether or not a towed unit is connected to the power unit based upon the pressure signal. The controller further enables the status signal to be processed to control application or release of any combination of air brake parking components of the power unit and the towed unit to park or unpark the power unit as well as the towed unit, if connected to the power unit.

Abstract: Various embodiments of a method and apparatus for an air charging system controller for an air braked vehicle are disclosed. The air charging system controller comprises an input for receiving conditions of the vehicle, an output for controlling a compressor in a normal mode and in a high demand mode and control logic. The control logic determines whether the vehicle meets a predetermined condition and controls the compressor in the high demand mode in response to the vehicle meeting the predetermined condition.

Abstract: A method for determining a presence of an occupant within a vehicle includes capturing, via a driver facing camera, video image data, including a plurality of image frames of a field-of-view of the driver facing camera. At least one area-of-interest within the image frames is defined, and a foreground pixel count of each image frame of each area-of-interest is determined. At each Nth image frame, an occupancy for each area of interest is determined based at least in part on the foreground pixel count. The occupancy indicates whether the occupant is present or absent in the respective area-of-interest. A history of the occupancy determination for each area-of-interest is maintained, and a final status for each area-of-interest is determined based on the respective history of occupancy. External indicators are initiated based on the final status determination.

Abstract: An electrically controlled suspension includes a first spring with a first end and a second end, where the first end of the first spring is connectable to a forward frame bracket of a frame of a vehicle and where the second end of the first spring is connectable to a rear frame bracket of the frame of the vehicle via a rear spring support. The suspension includes a second spring with a first end and a second end, where the second end of the second spring is connected to the second end of the first spring. An electrically operated suspension control actuator is provided where the first end of the second spring is connected to the electrically operated suspension control actuator.

Abstract: A system, method, and non-transitory computer-readable medium are provided for creating a freeform field of view mask for a camera in a vehicle to increase the field of view of the camera during operation of the vehicle. The camera captures an image of a portion of the vehicle in front of a calibration screen. A processor includes logic that applies a blurring filter to the captured image to create a blurred image, determines a freeform boundary of a field of view of the camera in the blurred image, creates a field of view mask based on the freeform boundary; and applies the field of view mask to the camera for maximizing the field of view of the camera during operation of the vehicle.

Abstract: A brake controller in a vehicle determines braking profiles that may be exercised while operating the vehicle in autonomous or semi-autonomous conditions to decelerate the vehicle based on received commands or that may be exercised automatically in the event of a failure in a communication network of the vehicle or in other systems or components of the vehicle. The braking profiles decelerate the vehicle according to a deceleration profile. The execution of the deceleration profile may be initiated by a single command message received by the brake controller or it may be determined by the brake controller based on vehicle information. A safe state deceleration profile may be preselected by the controlling devices before the occurrence of a failure or an emergency situation, and then executed by the brake controller upon the occurrence of a failure or emergency.

Abstract: A method for transmitting event data from an event detection and reporting system in a vehicle to a backend server includes storing full resolution sensor data in a vehicle buffer memory and subsampling the full resolution sensor data to produce reduced resolution of the sensor data. A vehicle event is detected based on an analysis of the reduced resolution sensor data, and the vehicle event is classified based on the reduced resolution sensor data. A determination is made as to whether the vehicle event is classified as a particular type of event with a minimum degree of confidence. The method then includes transmitting an indication that the vehicle event has not been classified with the minimum degree of confidence when the vehicle event has not been classified with the minimum degree of confidence, and transmitting reduced resolution sensor data for the detected vehicle event when the vehicle event is classified with at least the minimum degree of confidence.

Abstract: An apparatus is provided for auto-locating positions of a plurality of wireless sensors on a vehicle. The apparatus comprises a receiving unit for receiving signals from the plurality of wireless sensors. The apparatus further comprises a processing unit arranged to calculate a probability value for each one of the plurality of wireless sensors based upon signals that have accumulated over a period of time to provide a table of probability values. Each probability value contained in the table during a calculation cycle of the processing unit is indicative of likelihood of one of the plurality of wireless sensors being located at a corresponding one of a plurality of positions on the vehicle. Each one of the plurality of wireless sensors is associated with the position having the highest probability value during the calculation cycle.

Abstract: Platoon management control systems and methods rearrange three of more vehicles cooperatively travelling seriatim as a platoon along an associated roadway into a platoon arrangement other than the linear or single file formation. Multi roadway lane platoon management control systems and methods control the three or more vehicles cooperatively travelling as a multi-lane platoon along an associated multi-lane roadway into a platoon arrangement other than the linear or single file formation. Larger platoon sizes are provided thereby enabling more vehicles to participate in the larger multi-lane platoon. A platoon management control uses a combination of the GPS position of the lead vehicle representative of the position of the vehicle relative to the associated geographical area, and braking performance data representative of the braking capabilities of following vehicles to rearrange the vehicles into the non-columnar formation.

Abstract: A tractor controller for controlling trailer brake applications comprises an input for receiving a signal indicative of a trailer brake application and control logic. The control logic receives a signal indicating a trailer brake application is requested, compares the trailer brake signal to a predetermined signal profile, applies the trailer service brakes in response to the trailer brake signal meeting the signal profile and compares a duration of the trailer brake signal to first predetermined time. A warning is provided in response to the duration of the trailer brake signal being greater than a first predetermined time and the control logic discontinues the trailer service brake application in response to duration of trailer brake signal being greater than the second predetermined time.