Patents Assigned to SMR Patent S.a.r.l.
  • Patent number: 11519585
    Abstract: A covering device for fully or partially covering one or more of a recess, a flat portion, a curved portion, and a stepped portion of at least one of a vehicle body component and a vehicle part includes a cover element provided by a strip element or a cap element, and at least one lip element which is fixedly or detachably connected to the cover element on at least one of its longitudinal sides, the covering device is designed so that light from a lighting device can shine through at least a portion of the covering device, at least one of the cover element and the at least one lip element is made at least partly of a polymeric substrate which is coated with a chromium-based reflective coating material, and the polymeric substrate and the chromium-based reflective coating are at least partially translucent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2022
    Assignee: SMR Patent S.à.r.l.
    Inventors: Raimund Negel, Arne Schmierer, Daniel Fritz, Andreas Herrmann
  • Patent number: 11519746
    Abstract: A method includes determining the position of the motor vehicle, identifying at least one object not relevant to road traffic as an object in the landscape in the surroundings of the motor vehicle, depending on the determined position, detecting at least the direction of view of a passenger as an occupant of the motor vehicle, and providing a display with information about the at least one object in the landscape viewed by the passenger, such that said information is provided in the direct field of view of the passenger, as defined by the direction of view of the same, in the same place as the object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2022
    Assignee: SMR Patents S.à.r.l.
    Inventors: Nils Arne Müller, Andreas Herrmann
  • Patent number: 11518310
    Abstract: A lighting device of a rear view device of a motor vehicle, includes at least one light source with at least one light emitter for emitting light which can be coupled into and out of a light guide with at least one light funnel in order to pass at least through part of a light transmission unit and illuminate an area adjacent to the motor vehicle, where each light funnel extends upward or downward from its light input end to its light output end, and each light emitter is associated with a light funnel determining an optical axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2022
    Assignee: SMR Patents S.à.r.l.
    Inventors: Arne Schmierer, Volker Erhart, Levente Acs, Mikhail Kudryavtsev, Tobias Schwenger, Oliver Schmidt
  • Patent number: 11500231
    Abstract: A modulation control method for a filter device for avoiding flicker appearing in streamed video images before acquiring images, includes setting the exposure time to be equal or longer than an oscillating light source's period duration or to be as long as possible between two frames in the image acquisition of streamed video images, polarizing of incoming light in a first polarizer to turn into polarized light with a first polarization, altering the polarization of the light with the first polarization in an electro- or magneto-optic modulator by an angle ? to turn into light with a second polarization, and reducing an amount of light with the second polarization in a second polarizer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2022
    Assignee: SMR Patents S.à.r.l.
    Inventors: Thomas Jochmann, Andreas Herrmann
  • Patent number: 11480853
    Abstract: A heating device for a lens of a camera includes at least one body including at least one conductive material, the at least one body forming at least one of a transparent coating, a non-transparent coating, a free standing film, a paint, or a bulk composite material, and at least two electrical contacts contacting the conductive mass for applying an electrical voltage to the conductive mass, the at least two electrical contacts being at least one of injection-molded onto the body and injected into the body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2022
    Assignee: SMR Patents S.à.r.l
    Inventors: Urszula Kosidlo, Romeo Wieczorek
  • Patent number: 11472290
    Abstract: A vehicle arrangement includes a display device for displaying at least one item of information on a display surface for at least one person being transported by the vehicle, a detection device for detecting disturbance of the view of the person of the display surface, and a further component which is compensating the detected disturbance of the view of the person of the display surface at least partially by at least one of movement relative to the display surface and alteration of its external shape. A vehicle includes at least one such vehicle arrangement, and a method provides a display in or on a vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2022
    Assignee: SMR Patents S.à.r.l.
    Inventors: Alf Liesener, Stefanie Göttlicher, Christian Schär, Maximilian Kauffmann
  • Patent number: 11400860
    Abstract: A image detection and classification system for a vehicle includes a first display, a second display, an image capturing unit for capturing an image and displaying the image on at least one of the first display and the second display, and an image processing unit configured to process the captured image to improve a clarity of the captured image in response to the captured image having an obstruction value exceeding a threshold obstruction value. A method for operation of the image detection and classification system is also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2022
    Assignee: SMR Patents S.à.r.l.
    Inventors: Firas Mualla, Andreas Herrmann
  • Patent number: 11370359
    Abstract: In accordance with the teachings described herein, a rearview device for a vehicle is provided that includes a moveable head assembly; a base assembly to be fixed to the vehicle; an actuator assembly; and a cradle configured to attach the actuator assembly to the moveable head assembly and/or the base assembly and a vehicle with such a rearview device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2022
    Assignee: SMR Patents S.à.r.l.
    Inventors: Andrew Lettis, Graham Rehill, Callum Scott-Collins
  • Patent number: 11358470
    Abstract: A method for operating a display device for a motor vehicle, in particular for an autonomously or partially autonomously operable motor vehicle, which includes a plurality of display areas, wherein a display area is selected from the plurality of display areas on the basis of a configuration of the motor vehicle that is adjustable by a driver of the motor vehicle. A motor vehicle includes a control device for implementing such a method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2022
    Assignee: SMR Patents S.à.r.l.
    Inventors: Romeo Wieczorek, Stefanie Göttlicher, Ilka Rötzer
  • Patent number: 11325534
    Abstract: An assembly includes a head assembly for an external rear view device to be attached to a motor vehicle, a lower casing element, an upper casing element, an articulation assembly, a bezel assembly for carrying at least one rear view element, and a hinge connection between the bezel assembly and a first sub assembly provided by at least the lower casing, the articulation assembly and attachment means with the articulation assembly being mounted on the attachment means or the attachment means being mounted on the articulation assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2022
    Assignee: SMR Patents S.à.r.l.
    Inventors: Andrew Lettis, Callum Scott-Collins, Graham Rehill
  • Patent number: 11305733
    Abstract: A wiping device for an optical device with a lens includes a surface, such as a curved or calotte-shaped surface, where the wiping device has a wiping element for wiping the surface of the lens free from water and dirt particles with at least one passage channel and at least one outlet channel which branches off from the passage channel in order to guide cleaning fluid onto the surface of the lens. In addition, a rear view device for a motor vehicle with an optical device includes such a wiping device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2022
    Assignee: SMR Patents S.à.r.l.
    Inventors: Andreas Herrmann, Ilka Rötzer
  • Patent number: 11305696
    Abstract: An external rearview device for a motor vehicle includes a housing, and one or more of at least one light emitting or a receiving device, including one or more of at least one light producing device or at least one camera device arranged within the housing, and at least one at least partially transparent element closing an opening provided by the housing, the at least partially transparent element being provided in form of a first module attached to the housing, and the one or more of the light producing device or the camera device being provided in form of a second module attached to the first module, the first module and the second module being mechanically releaseably coupled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2022
    Assignee: SMR Patents S.à.r.l.
    Inventors: Steve Horne, Andrew Lettis, Graham Rehill, Andreas Herrmann
  • Patent number: 11273764
    Abstract: An external rearview device for a motor vehicle includes a base assembly provided for arrangement on the motor vehicle; a head assembly configured to be attached to the base assembly; rearview means including at least one of a camera unit and a reflective element secured within the head assembly, the head assembly configured to be detachable and selected from a set comprising a first head assembly with a first rearview means including at least one reflective element and a second head assembly with a second rearview means including at least one reflective element, and a camera unit configured to obtain a rearview image through the reflective element, and a third head assembly with a third rearview means including the camera unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2022
    Assignee: SMR Patents S.à.r.l.
    Inventors: Andrew Lettis, Graham Rehill, Callum Scott-Collins, Andreas Herrmann, Arne Schmierer, David Simon Field, Francis Charlet
  • Patent number: 11260831
    Abstract: A wiper device for a small and curved surface such as a spherical surface of an optical element includes at least one elongate wiper element with two ends, two drive units to which the ends of the wiper element are attached so that the wiper element can be moved on the surface of the optical element using the two drive units, and at least one contacting means for bringing the wiper element into contact with a surface of the optical element, the contacting means shapes the wiper element around at least that part of the surface which is exposed to the environment due to an opening provided by the housing and is to be cleaned.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2022
    Assignee: SMR Patents S.à.r.l.
    Inventor: Henrik Schäfer
  • Patent number: 11256931
    Abstract: A method for displaying and processing an image captured by an optical system used to simulate a rear-view system of a vehicle, includes capturing the image, calculating a region of interest (ROI) on the captured image, calculating a blur factor for blurring the ROI using one or more inputs, manipulating an image gradient pixel by pixel using the blur factor to reduce at least one of a brightness or a contrast of one or more pixels of the ROI, and displaying the processed image on a display.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2022
    Assignee: SMR Patent S.à.r.l
    Inventors: Andreas Herrmann, Martin Schwalb, Frank Linsenmaier, Oliver Eder, Ilka Rötzer, Thomas Jochmann, Firas Mualla, Maximilian Kauffmann, Thorsten Steder
  • Patent number: 11230228
    Abstract: A pivot detent system acts between two components that rotate with respect to one another around an axis to control rotation from a first set position to at least a second set position with each of said two components including a cylindrical section and a resilient means being arranged within a cylindrical space between the cylindrical sections to act between the two components.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2022
    Assignee: SMR Patents S.à.r.l.
    Inventors: Callum Scott-Collins, Andrew Lettis
  • Patent number: 11220217
    Abstract: A rearview device for a motor vehicle includes a moveable head assembly, an actuator assembly having a fixed part and a moveable part, the moveable part being attached to the head assembly, a motor cradle configured to attach the actuator assembly to the moveable head assembly. A method of assembling a rearview device comprises providing the rearview device and attaching the actuator assembly to the moveable head assembly using the motor cradle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2022
    Assignee: SMR Patents S.à.r.l.
    Inventors: Andrew Lettis, Graham Rehill, Callum Scott-Collins
  • Patent number: 11180085
    Abstract: An exterior rearview device includes a base suited to be fixed to a vehicle, a head mounted on the base, at least one of a mirror and a display attached to the head and at least one of a camera and an illumination device attached to the base, a locking system with a locked state and an unlocked state, where the head is removable from the base in the unlocked state, and the locking system is suited to be actuated by a driver of the vehicle to switch between the locked and the unlocked state, and vice versa. A vehicle includes the at least one exterior rearview device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2021
    Assignee: SMR Patents S.à.r.l.
    Inventor: Philipp Hottmann
  • Patent number: 11180088
    Abstract: A mounting assembly for an attachment device of a vehicle includes receiving or holding means on a rearview device of the vehicle, the receiving or holding means being adapted so that the attachment device can be fixed by means of at least one fixing means of the attachment device in operative connection with at least one complementary fixing means of the receiving or holding means, where at least one of the at least one fixing means of the attachment device or the receiving or holding means is configured to be in operative connection, where after fixation, the attachment device cannot be released from the fixing means without destruction, and at least one of the at least one fixing means of the attachment device or the complementary fixing means of the receiving or holding means includes at least one of a clip, an undercut and a latch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2021
    Assignee: SMR Patents S.à.r.l.
    Inventors: Andreas Herrmann, Ilka Rötzer
  • Patent number: 11173839
    Abstract: A camera module for use in a vehicle includes a camera for capturing a surrounding of the vehicle, and which is configured to move from a retracted position to a deployed position, a camera lens forming a housing or part of the housing around the camera, a camera holder which carries the camera and the surrounding camera lens, and a drive system including a motor for moving the camera from the retracted position to the deployed position or from the deployed position to the retracted position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2021
    Assignee: SMR Patents S.à.r.l.
    Inventors: Douglas Wilson, Vincent Wilson