Abstract: Systems and methods monitor loading of cargo onto a transport vehicle to avoid incorrect cargo loading incidents. A wireless monitoring device positioned near an access port of a cargo hold of the transport vehicle receives a tracking identifier of a wireless tracking tag attached to a logistic container containing the cargo as the logistic container is conveyed into the cargo hold. An alert is generated by the wireless monitoring device when the tracking identifier is not listed in a manifest listing identifiers of wireless tracking tags attached to logistic containers expected to be loaded into the cargo hold. Within the cargo hold, the wireless tracking tags may also exchange their tracking identifiers such that any one of the wireless tracking tags may determine, by counting, when less than a target threshold number of wireless tracking tags are present.

Abstract: A mobile cart that holds a bag for receiving solid waste generated during a medical or surgical procedure. The cart includes a sensor that monitors whether or not an object containing metal is placed in the bag. A processor monitors the signal output by the sensor. If the sensor signal indicates that an object with a minimal amount of metal is placed in the bag, the processor momentarily asserts an audible alarm and continuously asserts a light alarm. The light alarm remains asserted until turned off. If, while the light alarm is on, the sensor signal indicates a second object with the minimal amount of waste is placed in the container, the processor again momentarily asserts the audible alarm. This provides notice that it may be necessary to investigate the contents of the bag to determine if not one but two or more objects were inadvertently discarded.

Abstract: A communication apparatus executes authentication via wireless communication with a mobile device and, based on an authentication process, controls execution of a vehicle operation requested by a user. The communication apparatus includes a detection unit configured to detect closure of a door of a vehicle, an authentication processing unit configured to determine, in response to detection of the closure of the door by the detection unit, whether a specific mobile device is inside the vehicle by executing a first authentication process corresponding to a vehicle operation for which a highest security is set, among a plurality of vehicle operations that can be requested by the user, and an execution unit configured to execute, when the authentication processing unit has determined that the specific mobile device is inside the vehicle, a requested vehicle operation requestable from an inside of the vehicle and included in the plurality of vehicle operations.

Abstract: Problem: To provide an autonomous driving indication system that allows a pedestrian or another vehicle to clearly discriminate driving states of an autonomous driving vehicle and provide a vehicle communication system capable of sending an appropriate message to a pedestrian from a vehicle according to the probability of the pedestrian crossing the road. Means to Solve the Problem: Left and right headlamps (3) are each provided with a first communication lamp (6) and a second communication lamp (7) for indicating an autonomous driving state of a vehicle (1). The first and second communication lamps (6) and (7) are each comprised of a plurality of light emitting segments, and each light emitting segment is caused to flash by a lamp ECU. When flashing the light emitting segments, the lamp ECU controls the change in the brightness of the light emitting segments according to the driving state of the vehicle.

Abstract: A system and method that enables individual travelers, including pedestrians or individuals on smaller conveyances, to communicate their location and direction of travel to signal light controllers at an intersection, enables traffic networks to receive this communication and output the detected data to the corresponding intersection traffic-signal controller to allow for individuals not in standard motor vehicles to be detected by traffic detection systems and to allow for priority of traveler flow either independent of vehicle use, or based on specifics of the vehicle used. The system also provides feedback to the traveler to provide information about the actions of the system or to alter the movement of the traveler.

Abstract: A wireless ultra-low power portable lock may be realized as a lock apparatus including: a locking mechanism having at least locked and unlocked states, the locking mechanism operable to provide physical resistance to being unlocked when in the locked state; an actuator operable to move the locking mechanism from the locked state to the unlocked state in response to a received signal; and a controlling unit configured to control the actuator and to receive one or more signals from one or more devices external to the lock apparatus.

Abstract: A system for alerting a user when a preset distance between any of a plurality of wireless transceiver devices or a secondary client device such as a smartphone is achieved. Each of the wireless transceiver devices are pairable to each other and to the secondary client device. Each of the wireless transceiver devices may be placed on or worn by a person or object to be tracked. Once a preset distance is achieved between any of the wireless transceiver devices or between any of the wireless transceiver devices and the secondary client device, each of the wireless transceiver devices is configured to alert the user that the preset distance was breached. The system may employ a software application for coordinating the system and tracking separation and other related data collected by each of the wireless transceiver devices.

Abstract: The described methods and systems decrease instances of distracted driving, encourage more frequent use of vehicle tracking services, and generally improve the risk profile of a driver and vehicle. These benefits are achieved by way of a vehicle computer system that incentivizes users to place mobile devices in a do-not-disturb (DND) mode and to activate vehicle tracking services. The vehicle computer system encourages these behaviors by enabling content delivery for devices within the vehicle based on the status of the mobile device(s) and the status of the vehicle tracking service(s). Specifically, the content delivery may comprise data for providing a gamified user interface within the vehicle.

Abstract: A signal-emitting retail display device that includes a wire having a top portion and a bottom portion, the top portion configured to support a label holder, the bottom portion configured to store one or more retail items. The signal-emitting retail display device also has an electronic unit that includes an emitter. The emitter is configured to emit a warning signal, and configured to transmit a wireless signal to an alarm box in response to the warning signal. The wire is electrically coupled to the electronic unit such that the wire functions as an antenna for the transmission of the wireless signal to the alarm box.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus for nanosatellite-based property monitoring are disclosed. A method includes receiving satellite data related to conditions of a property monitored by a monitoring system; determining, based on the satellite data, that the property is at risk from a threat; requesting, from a sensor of the monitoring system, sensor data related to the threat; receiving, from the sensor, the sensor data related to the threat; and based on analyzing the sensor data related to the threat, performing one or more monitoring system actions. The threat may include one of a weather hazard, a security hazard, or a property damage hazard. The monitoring system actions can include sending an instruction to adjust a sensor or component of the monitoring system and can include sending, to a user device, a notification that the property is at risk from the threat.

Abstract: An advanced driver-assistance system (ADAS) that performs accident prediction by taking into account at least the following types of data: (i) current information about vehicles in proximity of a first vehicle; (ii) data about the direction of travel of vehicles in the proximity of the first vehicle; (iii) historical data about erratic driving that has previously occurred in proximity of the first vehicle; and (iv) historical data about vehicular accidents that have previously occurred in proximity of the first vehicle.

Abstract: Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, obtaining data from a plurality of sensors at a first point in time, analyzing the data to identify a first level of alertness of a user, predicting a second level of alertness that is required by the user to operate a machine at a second point in time that is subsequent to the first point in time, comparing the first level of alertness to the second level of alertness to generate a first comparison result, identifying a first type of a first notification based on the first comparison result, identifying a third point in time to provide the first notification based on the first comparison result, wherein the third point in time is subsequent to the first point in time and prior to the second point in time, and providing the first notification at the third point in time. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Abstract: A parking assistance device includes a range setting unit configured to set a search range searching for an obstacle based on a movement range of a host vehicle for a case in which the host vehicle is moved along a parking route, in terms of two directions, and a judgment unit configured to detect an object having a possibility of interfering with the movement of the host vehicle, based on the surrounding condition around the host vehicle, in a case in which the detected object is positioned within the search range, to judge whether the detected object is an obstacle interfering with the movement of the host vehicle along the parking route, and, in a case in which the detected object is positioned outside the search range, not to make judgment whether the detected object is the obstacle.

Abstract: A position determination system a determines whether a mobile terminal is present outside a vehicle compartment based on a reception strength of a radio signal transmitted from the mobile terminal through a vehicle interior antenna and a reception strength of a radio signal transmitted from the mobile terminal through a vehicle exterior antenna, and the vehicle exterior antenna is configured to be disposed in a predetermined region in a vicinity of a window of a vehicle in an outer surface portion of a vehicle.

Abstract: A method for monitoring the transmission of a safety audio message to the occupants of the passenger compartment of a vehicle. The method including transmitting an audio signal comprising the safety audio message and, mixed with said safety audio message, an identification signal including an identification digital audio message that is looped and frequency modulated, recording the ambient sound in the passenger compartment using a microphone, filtering and demodulating the signal to reconstruct the identification signal, analyzing the reconstructed identification signal to determine: whether the unique identifier corresponding to the transmitted safety audio message is found therein, and whether the time for which the identification signal was transmitted without interruption is indeed equal to the known duration of the safety audio signal, determining that the safety audio message has or has not been correctly transmitted in its entirety depending on the analyzing step.

Abstract: A vehicular driver monitoring system includes a camera and an electronic control unit. The camera is disposed at an interior rearview mirror assembly of the vehicle so as to view at least the face of a driver of the vehicle. The camera captures image data and the captured image data includes image data representative of the face of the driver. The vehicular driver monitoring system detects changes at the driver's eyes via processing by the image processor of image data captured by the camera, and determines driver attentiveness based at least in part on detected changes at the driver's eyes. The vehicular driver monitoring system functions as a remote Photoplethysmography system, and monitors a heart rate of the driver based at least in part on processing at the electronic control unit of image data captured by the camera, and determines impairment of the driver's capability to operate the vehicle.

Abstract: A vehicle and an obstacle avoidance assist method thereof are capable of performing obstacle avoidance assist control by tracking a previously sensed obstacle that deviates from a sensing region of a sensor. The obstacle avoidance assist method of a vehicle includes: detecting at least one obstacle near a vehicle using a proximity sensor; determining a travel range corresponding to a predicted travel trajectory of the body of the vehicle based on a gear stage and a steering angle; determining at least one effective obstacle, based on the travel range, from the at least one detected obstacle; and outputting a warning about the determined at least one effective obstacle.

Abstract: One variation of a method for detecting a fire includes: during a first time period: detecting an increase in ambient light intensity and detecting an increase in ambient humidity; responsive to the increase in ambient light intensity and the increase in ambient humidity, detecting a fire event; during a second time period: correlating a decrease in ambient light intensity with an increase in visual obscuration; detecting an increase in ambient air temperature; in response to a magnitude of the increase in visual obscuration remaining below a high obscuration threshold and a magnitude of the increase in ambient temperature remaining below a high temperature threshold, classifying the fire as an incipient fire; and, in response to the magnitude of the increase in visual obscuration exceeding the high obscuration threshold and the magnitude of the increase in ambient temperature exceeding the high temperature threshold, classifying the fire as a developed fire.

Abstract: Example embodiments described in this disclosure are generally directed to systems and methods for preventing vehicle mishaps. In an example method, a vehicle receives an alert signal from a personal transportation device. A driver of the vehicle may be made aware of the alert by a sound that is produced through a speaker system of the vehicle (for example, a ringing sound produced by a bicycle bell or a beep of a motorcycle horn). In some cases, an intensity and/or a directionality of the sound produced through the speaker system may provide location and/or distance information of the personal transportation device with respect to the vehicle. The vehicle may transmit an acknowledge signal to the personal transportation device. A rider of the personal transportation device may be informed of the acknowledgement via an audio announcement through a speaker mounted on the personal transportation device.

Abstract: A housing of a light emission/reception device includes a housing body and a window member. The housing body has an opening and accommodates a light emitting unit having one or more light emitting elements, and a light receiving unit having one or more light receiving elements. The window member covers the opening of the housing body, enables emitted light that is emitted from the light emitting unit to be transmitted therethrough toward the exterior of the housing, and enables incident light from the exterior of the housing to be transmitted therethrough, so that the incident light enters the light receiving unit. Also, the window member is provided with a propagation suppressing member configured to suppress propagation of light within the window member.