Patents Assigned to Panasonic Corporation of North America
  • Patent number: 11679720
    Abstract: A motor vehicle includes a left side view camera attached to the left lateral side of the body and having a field of view in a rearward direction. A right side view camera is attached to the right lateral side of the body and has a field of view in a rearward direction. There is a right back up camera and a left back up camera. An optics module receives resulting video signals and produces light fields such that the light fields are reflected off of windows of the motor vehicle and are then visible to a driver of the motor vehicle as virtual images.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2023
    Assignee: Panasonic Automotive Systems Company of America, Division of Panasonic Corporation of North America
    Inventor: Benjamin David Sweet
  • Patent number: 11675190
    Abstract: A head up display arrangement for a motor vehicle includes a picture generation unit producing a light field. An optical element reflects the light field such that the light field is visible to a human driver of the motor vehicle as a virtual image. A holographic film is attached to the optical element. A driver monitoring system senses infrared energy reflected by the holographic film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2023
    Assignee: Panasonic Automotive Systems Company of America, Division of Panasonic Corporation of North America
    Inventors: Liang Yuan, John Avery
  • Patent number: 11673544
    Abstract: An autonomous parking arrangement for a motor vehicle includes at least one camera associated with the vehicle and capturing images of parking spaces surrounding the vehicle. An electronic processor is communicatively coupled to the at least one camera and processes the captured images. A touch-sensitive display screen is communicatively coupled to the electronic processor and displays the processed images. The display screen enables a user of the motor vehicle to select a parking space in the processed images by touching the display screen. The display screen indicates to the electronic processor which of the parking spaces has been selected by the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2023
    Assignee: Panasonic Automotive Systems Company of America, Division of Panasonic Corporation of North America
    Inventor: Donald Allen Turner
  • Patent number: 11675433
    Abstract: A picture generation unit emits a light field. A mirror reflects the light field toward a windshield of a motor vehicle such that the light field is reflected off of the windshield and is visible to the driver as a virtual image. An infrared emitter transmits infrared energy through the mirror such that the infrared energy is substantially co-axial with the light field, and such that the infrared energy is reflected off of the windshield toward the human driver. An infrared camera captures infrared images based on the transmitted infrared energy reflected off of the human driver and received by the infrared camera. Eye tracking is performed based on the captured infrared images. The infrared energy is transmitted at a higher power level at a beginning of the eye tracking than after the beginning of the eye tracking.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2022
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2023
    Assignee: Panasonic Automotive Systems Company of America, Division of Panasonic Corporation of North America
    Inventor: Liang Yuan
  • Patent number: 11658454
    Abstract: A system and method for tuning and infrared source laser in the Mid-IR wavelength range. The system and method comprising, at least, a plurality of individually tunable emitters, each emitter emitting a beam having a unique wavelength, a grating, a mirror positioned after the grating to receive at least one refracted order of light of at least one beam and to redirect the beam back towards the grating, and a micro-electro-mechanical systems device containing a plurality of adjustable micro-mirrors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2023
    Assignee: Panasonic Connect North America, Division of Panasonic Corporation of North America
    Inventors: Bien Chann, Robin Huang, Parviz Tayebati
  • Patent number: 11647316
    Abstract: A loudspeaker arrangement for a seat within a motor vehicle utilizes one or more localized sound output ports for low frequency sound reproduction. A housing, such as an enclosure, substantially surrounds a loudspeaker. One or more audio transmission line channels acoustically interconnect the interior of the enclosure to one or more sound output ports. The enclosure is situated below, behind, or in some fixed location around or within a vehicle seat. The sound outputs ports are situated at or near a headrest such that the output ports are located substantially less than a wavelength of sound at the highest operating frequency from either ear of the seat's occupant. The acoustic response and resonances of a 1) rear enclosure, 2) a front vented enclosure, 3) a loudspeaker, and 4) an audio transmission path from the enclosure to one or more output ports are used to provide localized low frequency sound reproduction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2023
    Assignee: Panasonic Automotive Systems Company of America, Division of Panasonic Corporation of North America
    Inventor: Mark William Ziemba
  • Patent number: 11642961
    Abstract: An optical arrangement for a motor vehicle includes a head up display light field emitter that emits a light field. At least one mirror is positioned to reflect the light field such that the light field is again reflected by a windshield of the vehicle, and such that the light field is visible to a driver of the vehicle as a virtual image. The at least one mirror has a transparent section. A driver monitoring camera is positioned to capture an image of a face of the driver through the transparent section of the at least one mirror.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2023
    Assignee: Panasonic Automotive Systems Company of America, Division of Panasonic Corporation of North America
    Inventor: John Avery
  • Patent number: 11641092
    Abstract: In various embodiments, laser devices include a thermal bonding layer featuring an array of carbon nanotubes and at least one metallic thermal bonding material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2023
    Assignee: Panasonic Connect North America, Division of Panasonic Corporation of North America
    Inventors: Won Tae Lee, Michael Deutsch, Zhongyong Liu
  • Patent number: 11635667
    Abstract: In various embodiments, a beam-parameter adjustment system and focusing system alters a spatial power distribution of a radiation beam, via thermo-optic effects, before the beam is coupled into an optical fiber or delivered to a workpiece.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2023
    Assignee: Panasonic Connect North America, division of Panasonic Corporation of North America
    Inventors: Parviz Tayebati, Francisco Villarreal-Saucedo, Bien Chann, Dat Nguyen, Michael Deutsch
  • Patent number: 11551742
    Abstract: Examples of the present disclosure relate to a device, method, and medium storing instructions for execution by a processor for refreshing memory blocks of solid state memory through a temperature compensated refresh rate. Techniques discussed herein include a solid state memory to store data and a temperature sensor to identify a temperature of the solid state memory. The memory device with solid state memory also includes a memory controller that periodically refreshes memory blocks of the solid state memory at an adjustable refresh rate, wherein memory controller is to adjust the adjustable refresh rate based on the temperature of the solid state memory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2023
    Assignee: Panasonic Automotive Systems Company of America, Division of Panasonic Corporation of North America
    Inventors: David Luc Belcourt, Shivaramraje Nimbalkar, Vishnuchakravarthi Nagarajan
  • Patent number: 11550150
    Abstract: Examples of the present disclosure relate to a device and system in a vehicle for guiding light towards a user. In an example, the device includes a heads up display (HUD) to guide light towards a user in a vehicle, the HUD. In an example, the device includes a HUD housing with a base plane and a stationary mirror mount on the HUD base. The example can include an adjustable mirror mount on the HUD base and an attachment slot disposed in the HUD housing, the attachment slot to accept a mounting tab, wherein the attachment slot is shaped to accept both of either a predominantly vertical mounting tab or a predominantly horizontal mounting tab.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2023
    Assignee: Panasonic Automotive Systems Company of America, Division of Panasonic Corporation of North America
    Inventors: Patrick O'Connell, Edo Omanovic
  • Patent number: 11546954
    Abstract: A server device includes a memory and processor. A vehicle identification number (VIN) is stored in the memory. The VIN is associated with connection information for a vehicle associated with the VIN. The processor executes A VIN matcher stored in the memory, and denies a request for connection information in response to a mismatch between a supplied VIN from a connecting device and the VIN stored in memory. The processor executes a network connector stored in the memory, and sends connection information to a connecting device in response to a match between the supplied VIN from the connecting device and the VIN stored in memory. The connection information is sent through the network connection using a first communication protocol and contains information for the connecting device to connect to the vehicle through direct pairing using a second communication protocol.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2023
    Assignee: Panasonic Automotive Systems Company of America, Division of Panasonic Corporation of North America
    Inventors: Jeffrey Michael Zellen, Matthew Bourdua, Janardhan Thodeti
  • Patent number: 11447988
    Abstract: A motor vehicle includes an engine and a fuel tank having a cap with a first position in which the cap seals the fuel tank and a second position in which the cap does not seal the fuel tank. A sensor detects whether the cap is in the first position or the second position. An electronic processor is communicatively coupled to the engine and to the sensor. The electronic processor turn offs the engine in response to the sensor detecting that the cap is in the second position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2022
    Assignee: Panasonic Automotive Systems Company of America, Division of Panasonic Corporation of North America
    Inventor: Mahender Reddy Kotha
  • Patent number: 11391946
    Abstract: A head up display arrangement for a motor vehicle includes a head up display module having a picture generation unit emitting a light field. A polarizing device is rotatable between at least a first rotational position and a second rotational position. The polarizing device receives the light field from the picture generation unit and emits the light field regardless of whether the polarizing device is in the first rotational position or the second rotational position. More of the light is emitted by the polarizer in a P-polarization state in the second rotational position than in the first rotational position. A windshield reflects the light field from the polarizing device such that the reflected light field is visible to a human driver of the motor vehicle as a virtual image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2022
    Assignee: Panasonic Automotive Systems Company of America, Division of Panasonic Corporation of North America
    Inventors: Edo Omanovic, Patrick O'Connell
  • Patent number: 11383732
    Abstract: A driver alert arrangement for a motor vehicle includes a sensor detecting that the motor vehicle is in motion and transmitting a signal indicative of whether the motor vehicle is in motion. A driver monitoring camera captures images of a human driver of the motor vehicle. An electronic processor is communicatively coupled to the sensor, the driver monitoring camera, and to a user interface. The electronic processor receives the signal from the sensor, receives the images captured by the driver monitoring camera, determines from the images where the driver is looking, and alerts the driver via the user interface that the motor vehicle is in motion. The alerting is dependent upon the signal and where the driver is looking.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2022
    Assignee: Panasonic Automotive Systems Company of America, Division of Panasonic Corporation of North America
    Inventors: Rohan Repale, William Asa Hughes
  • Patent number: 11376959
    Abstract: A motor vehicle includes at least one camera capturing images of an environment outside of the motor vehicle. A proximity sensor detects an object disposed adjacent to the motor vehicle. An electronic processor receives the images captured by the at least one camera, and receives a proximity signal from the proximity sensor. The proximity signal is indicative of whether an object is disposed adjacent to the motor vehicle. The electronic processor determines, based upon the images captured by the at least one camera and the proximity signal, whether the motor vehicle is disposed within an enclosure. The electronic processor receives an engine start request signal that has been wirelessly transmitted by a user. In response to receiving the engine start request signal, the electronic processor causes the engine start system to start an engine of the motor vehicle when the motor vehicle is not disposed within an enclosure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2022
    Assignee: Panasonic Automotive Systems Company of America, Division of Panasonic Corporation of North America
    Inventors: Padmanaban Kanagaraj, Katherine Freund
  • Patent number: 11375303
    Abstract: A loudspeaker arrangement for a seat within a motor vehicle utilizes one or more localized sound output ports for low frequency sound reproduction. A housing, such as an enclosure, substantially surrounds a loudspeaker. One or more audio transmission line channels acoustically interconnect the interior of the enclosure to one or more sound output ports. The enclosure is situated below, behind, or in some fixed location around or within a vehicle seat. The sound outputs ports are situated at or near a headrest such that the output ports are located substantially less than a wavelength of sound at the highest operating frequency from either ear of the seat's occupant. The acoustic response and resonances of a 1) rear enclosure, 2) a front vented enclosure, 3) a loudspeaker, and 4) an audio transmission path from the enclosure to one or more output ports are used to provide localized low frequency sound reproduction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2022
    Assignee: Panasonic Automotive Systems Company of America, Division of Panasonic Corporation of North America
    Inventor: Mark William Ziemba
  • Patent number: 11360302
    Abstract: A head up display arrangement for a motor vehicle includes an image source emitting a light field. A first freeform mirror is positioned to provide a first reflection of the light field. A generally concave second freeform mirror is positioned to receive the first reflection and provide a second reflection of the light field. The second reflection is reflected off of a windshield of the vehicle so as to be visible to a driver of the vehicle as a virtual image. The generally concave second freeform mirror includes a reflective surface having a shape such that the virtual image appears to be curved to the driver of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2022
    Assignee: Panasonic Automotive Systems Company of America, Division of Panasonic Corporation of North America
    Inventors: Patrick O'Connell, Edo Omanovic
  • Patent number: 11333886
    Abstract: A head up display arrangement for a motor vehicle includes a head up display module having a picture generation unit emitting a light field. A plurality of linear polarizers are arranged in a stack. A first of the linear polarizers receives the light field from the picture generation unit. A last of the linear polarizers emits the light field. A windshield reflects the light field from the last linear polarizer such that the reflected light field is visible to a human driver of the motor vehicle as a virtual image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2022
    Assignee: Panasonic Automotive Systems Company ot America, Division of Panasonic Corporation of North America
    Inventors: David Kay Lambert, Steven Craig Bower
  • Patent number: 11313701
    Abstract: A manual control for an electronic apparatus includes a manually activated rocker actuator mechanism coupled to a magnet source. The magnet source is in a rest position relative to a Variable Hall effect sensor device when the rocker actuator mechanism is in a rest position. A variable output signal from the sensor device is substantially at a minimum value when the magnet source is in the rest position relative to the sensor device. The magnet source is in a maximum position relative to the sensor device when the rocker actuator mechanism is in a maximum position. The variable output signal is substantially at a maximum value when the magnet source is in the maximum position relative to the sensor device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2022
    Assignee: Panasonic Automotive Systems Company of America, Division of Panasonic Corporation of North America
    Inventor: Daniel John Marderosian