Abstract: A vehicle mounted translation system for providing language translation to a driver of a vehicle. The translation system may be associated with a vehicle navigation system. The translation system includes a translation device and a storage unit for storing language and translation information. The system further includes the ability to enter information to be translated into the system, data processing for retrieving a translation from storage based on the input of the first information, and the ability to provide the retrieved translation to the driver. Output of the translated information may be accomplished by, speech-to-speech and/or text-to-speech conversion of words and/or a text or image output to a visual display.

Abstract: A navigation system is provided in a vehicle. The navigation system operates using a dedicated operating mode for generating navigation information and outputting such information to the vehicle user when a relevant event has occurred. The navigation system includes a positioning device for determining the vehicle position with respect to a digital map representation and for generating a corresponding position data signal, a traffic monitoring device for receiving traffic information data and analyzing the traffic information data so as to detect a relevant event relating to a travel route on which the vehicle moves, where the traffic monitoring device generates a corresponding traffic monitoring data signal. The system includes a processing unit for generating navigation information based on the position data signal and/or the traffic monitoring data signal, and an output device for outputting the navigation information to a vehicle user.

Abstract: A locking mechanism is provided for locking a removable data carrier in a support structure of an electronic device. The locking mechanism includes a movable locking element, indicating unit and a locking element control unit. The movable locking element is movable between a locked position and an unlocked position, where the locking element, in its locked position, prevents the removal of the data carrier from the support structure.

Abstract: A system and method for detecting a refrain in an audio file having vocal components. The method and system includes generating a phonetic transcription of a portion of the audio file, analyzing the phonetic transcription and identifying a vocal segment in the generated phonetic transcription that is repeated frequently. The method and system further relate to the speech-driven selection based on similarity of detected refrain and user input.

Abstract: Methods, devices and systems for recognizing an object in an image are provided, in which the object is recognized by evaluation of both image data and digital map information that corresponds to an area represented by the image. Evaluation of the image data and the digital map information may involve various methods of evaluation including cross-checking, in which the digital map information is utilized to verify correct object recognition in the image data; prediction, in which digital map information is utilized to predict a feature of an object to facilitate object recognition in the image data; or modeling in which a generic model of an object is compared with the image data.

Abstract: A method for imaging the surrounding of a vehicle is provided. The method includes the steps of (i) taking a series of two dimensional images of the vehicle surrounding, (ii) taking a series of three dimensional images of the vehicle surrounding that including depth information, (iii) determining at least one object in an area of interest in one of the series of images and tracking the object in the area of interest, (iv) processing the others of the series of images to retrieve object information from said other series of images, (v) adjusting the objects to be tracked in the one series of images in accordance with the object information received from processing the other series of images.

Abstract: A vehicle navigation system transmits navigation information to a vehicle display in form of video data in a standard video format. The video data may be displayed as a still or a moving image. The vehicle navigation system includes a decoder for decoding and displaying video data and a display that may be interfaced to a vehicle entertainment system. The video data may include map data, user information, directional instructions, video information (still or moving images) or information relating to a destination or point of interest.

Abstract: A flat-screen display system is providing having a transmitting unit that includes a power supply, a display signal generating unit, a transmitter for transmission of the display signal and for transmission of the supplied power; and a receiving unit that includes a receiver for receiving the transmitted display signal and wirelessly coupling to the power supplied from the transmitter for power supply of the receiving unit, a control unit that decodes the received display signal, and a display that displays the decoded display signal.

Abstract: To display a navigation map for a navigation device more accurately and realistically and with less memory capacity, roads, railroad lines, rivers, lakes, and similar cartographic parameters are composed not of straight lines but of Cornu spirals. A Cornu spiral is defined by its curvature and its length.

Abstract: A fastening element for connecting a housing to a printed circuit board comprises a first surface having a through hole for receiving a connecting element for connecting the fastening element to the housing, at least one first mounting pin extending from the first surface for mounting the fastening element to the printed circuit board, a second surface from which a second mounting pin extends for mounting a fastening element to the printed circuit board and a third surface connecting the first surface and the second surface.

Abstract: A navigation system is provided that includes a storage unit, a processing unit, and an optical output unit. The storage unit includes a first storage portion for storing type definition data for a plurality of object types, the type definition data defining a graphical representation of an object type in terms of at least one basic geometrical shape. A second storage portion includes object data for a plurality of objects, the object data for an object comprising object type data specifying an object type of the object and object position data specifying an object position of the object. To display an object having a specific object type, the processing unit reads the type definition data of the corresponding object type from the first storage portion and generates graphical representations of the basic geometrical shapes that constitute the object type on the optical output unit.

Abstract: A navigational system provides information on unmapped terrain based on a waypoint positioned between a point of departure and a destination. The navigational system includes position data stored in a memory and communication logic. The position data represents a current position and a waypoint position in an unmapped space. The memory includes navigational information about the waypoint. The communication logic audibly communicates the navigational information to a vehicle operator.

Abstract: A method for identifying the position of a stolen vehicle is provided that includes the steps of detecting the start of an engine of the vehicle, retrieving vehicle identification information, establishing a connection to an external database of stolen vehicles, transmitting the retrieved vehicle identification information via a wireless communication system to the database and verifying whether the identified vehicle is in the database of stolen vehicles. If the identified vehicle is in the list of stolen vehicles, the position of the vehicle is then determined.

Abstract: A system compensating audio signal components in a communication system is disclosed, the method comprising the steps of detecting, by a microphone, a sound signal, the sound signal comprising audio signal components resulting from reproducing an audio signal of an audio source, the sound signal further comprising speech signal components corresponding to a speech signal from a person, filtering the sound signal to whiten the sound signal, compensating the audio signal components in the whitened sound signal, and removing the whitening of the compensated sound signal, where the filtering of the audio signal is performed using at least two filters in an alternating way, each filter using time-dependent filter coefficients.

Abstract: In order to suppress as much noise as possible in a hands-free device in a motor vehicle, for example, two microphones (M1, M2) are spaced a certain distance apart, the output signals (MS1, MS2) of which are added in an adder (AD) and subtracted in a subtracter (SU). The sum signal (S) of the adder (AD) undergoes a Fourier transform in a first Fourier transformer (F1), and the difference signal (D) of the subtracter (SU) undergoes a Fourier transform in a second Fourier transformer (F2). From the two Fourier transforms R(f) and D(f), a speech pause detector (P) detects speech pauses, during which a third arithmetic unit (R) calculates the transfer function HT of an adaptive transformation filter (TF). The transfer function of a spectral subtraction filter (SF), at the input of which the Fourier transform R(f) of the sum signal (S) is applied, is generated from the spectral power density Srr of the sum signal (S) and from the interference power density Snn generated by the adaptive transformation filter (TF).

Abstract: Route determination systems and methods are provided for determining a route for a hybrid vehicle having at least two different mechanisms for driving the vehicle. One example of a method includes determining the resource status of at least one of the at least two different driving mechanisms, determining a destination location for the vehicle, and determining a route to the predetermined destination location. The uses of the different driving mechanisms may be determined in accordance with the determined resource status.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a vehicle communication system comprising a plurality of microphones adapted to detect speech signals of different vehicle passengers, a mixer combining the audio signal components of the different microphones to a resulting speech output signal, a weighting unit determining the weighting of the audio signal components for the resulting speech output signal, where the weighting unit determines the weighting of the signal components based upon non-acoustical information about the presence of a vehicle passenger.

Abstract: A motor vehicle entertainment system includes a radio receiver and a control unit. The control unit receives a first status signal indicative of whether or not a motor vehicle door has been unlocked and initiates the application of power to the radio receiver upon the first status signal indicating that the door has been unlocked. Upon the application of power to the radio receiver, the radio receiver scans through a selected frequency spectrum to identify valid frequencies and their associated broadcast identifying information and stores a list of the valid frequencies and their associated broadcast identifying information in a memory device associated with the radio receiver. The radio receiver acquires and records information on a plurality of transmitters initially in a standby mode before it switches over to an operating mode. The radio receiver has a device for receiving an ON command from the user and switches from the standby mode to the operating mode when the ON command is received.

Abstract: The invention relates to an electromagnetic driver comprising a soft magnetic core in the form of an E with three legs and a back, an alternating field driver, magnetically coupled to the soft magnetic core, for generating an alternating magnetic field in the soft magnetic core, depending upon a sound signal, a constant field driver magnetically coupled to the soft magnetic core for generation of a constant magnetic field in the soft magnetic core, a soft magnetic element for coupling to the plate of the planar diaphragm loudspeaker, lying opposite the back and magnetically closing the legs across at least one small induction gap, whereby the constant field and the alternating field are asymmetrically superimposed such that a resulting force, or a resulting torque on the soft magnetic element, is proportional to the sound signal.

Abstract: A display module that includes a minimum of free space, and can pivot and remain stable at every pivot angle is presented. The display module generally includes a frame, a display unit, and a bearing. The bearing pivotably mounts the display unit to the frame and includes a first component that is provided with the display unit and a second component that is provided with the frame. One of the first and second components includes a channel, and the other of the first and second components includes at least one protrusion that moves in the channel. The protrusion may include or be arranged along a shape, such as a ring-segment shape. The channel may also include a shape, such as a ring-segment shape.