Abstract: According to one aspect, driver management is provided. One or more speech segments of a driver of an autonomous vehicle may be recorded. A position, a destination, or a previous destination of a driver or an autonomous vehicle may be tracked. An estimated state of the driver may be determined based on one or more of the speech segments, the position, the destination, or the previous destination, and a calendar event associated with the driver or a passenger of the autonomous vehicle. Autonomous driving features may be automatically enabled, disabled, or operation of the autonomous vehicle may be enabled or disabled in different modes based on the estimated state of the driver. Additionally, notifications may be displayed, rideshare applications may be launched, or warnings may be sent based on the estimated state of the driver.

Abstract: A motor vehicle comprising side doors, a bonnet and a boot lid, power-operated key-cylinder-less locks associated with all the side doors, a power-operated lock associated with the boot lid, a key-cylinder lock associated with the bonnet, and an electronic control system configured to sense operation of the key-cylinder lock by means of a mechanical key and, upon determining a specific operation of the key-cylinder lock by means of a mechanical key, responsively unlock one or more of the power-operated key-cylinder-less locks.

Abstract: A system and method for providing supplemental power to a notification unit of a device in a fire alarm system. The notification unit generates alert signals for indicating an alarm. The device includes a power unit for providing the supplemental power to the notification unit and a device controller for charging the power unit. The device controller charges the power unit in response to receiving a charging synchronization signal from a system controller of the system.

Abstract: A method includes listening, at a mobile collector, for beacons from a plurality of nodes to locate and communicate with a targeted node, each beacon comprising a utility device identification (ID) and communication channel information; receiving, by the mobile collector, the beacon from the targeted node of the plurality of nodes; and determining, by the mobile collector, that the beacon was received from the targeted node based on the utility device ID included in the beacon.

Abstract: The seed counting sensor (200) for pneumatic seeding machines comprises a detection chamber (210) within a house (204), said detection chamber allowing the seeds to pass through the sensor and having a center axis (211) extending in the flow direction of the seeds (102); a plurality of light sources (240) arranged within the house (204), outside the detection chamber (210), at predetermined distances from each other, said light sources being in a plane (P) extending substantially perpendicularly to said center axis of the sensor; a plurality of light detectors (250) arranged within the house (204), outside the detection chamber (210) at predetermined distances from each other, said light detectors being in the same plane (P) as the light sources, wherein the number of the light detectors equals to the number of the light sources, and a signal processing unit (502) for controlling operation of the light sources (240) and for processing the electronic signals produced by the light detectors (250).

Abstract: Example techniques involve a speaker grille of a playback device that is connectable to a capacitive proximity sensor, which may increase the area over which an object's proximity to the sensor can be sensed. An example implementation includes a playback device that includes an enclosure comprising a first surface and a second surface, one or more speakers mounted on the first surface, a conductive speaker grille covering the one or more speakers, one or more playback controls mounted on the second surface, and a capacitive proximity sensor oriented away from the second surface. The capacitive proximity sensor includes a grounding plane that is connectable to the conductive speaker grille.

Abstract: The solution is directed to access control systems and verifying proximity of a user to an access point that the user is wirelessly requesting access to. The proximity verification is based on placing proximity hubs adjacent to the different access points. Each proximity hub advertises a different unique identifier that changes periodically over a short-range wireless network and can be detected with a mobile device if the mobile device is physically within a short distance from the proximity hub. The unique identifier changes based on a rolling code. A user is permitted access to a restricted access point in response to the mobile device sending over a different long-range wireless network, the unique identifier advertised from a proximity hub adjacent to a desired access point and user access credentials authenticating access privileges of the user to the desired access point.

Abstract: A system and method for real-time pollution control at a traffic junction are presented. A pollution level may be determined at the traffic junction according to weather, traffic volume, traffic type, pollution measurements, topology, or a combination thereof. A traffic volume threshold may be determined for the traffic junction to maintain the pollution level below a pollution threshold. One or more parameters of the traffic junction may be set to maintain traffic volume below the traffic volume threshold.

Abstract: An electronic lock system including an access control device configured to provide system instructions, an interface module electrically coupled to the access control device and configured to transmit RF signals in response to system instructions received from the access control device, and a plurality of wireless electronic door locks each configured to wirelessly communicate with the interface module. Each of the wireless electronic door locks includes a controller and a wireless receiver operatively connected to the controller, the wireless receiver including a first antenna defined as a circuit board trace and a second antenna, spaced from the first antenna and defined as a circuit board trace. Each of the first antenna and the second antenna include one of a monopole antenna and a fractal antenna. The controller is configured to switch between the first antenna and the second antenna to receive a wireless signal having a greater signal strength.

Abstract: The invention relates to an ultrasonic measuring system (10), in particular for measuring distance and/or as a parking aid in vehicles, having an electroacoustic ultrasonic transducer (12) which has a oscillating element (14), does not have a voltage converter, can be alternately operated as an ultrasonic transmitter and an ultrasonic receiver and has a signal connection (16), which is used either as an input or as an output of the ultrasonic transducer (12), and an earth connection (18) which is connected to earth, and a control and evaluation unit (20) for exciting the oscillating element (14) of the ultrasonic transducer (12) to emit ultrasonic waves for operating the ultrasonic transducer (12) during a transmission interval for the purpose of subsequently deactivating the excitation of the oscillating element (14) and attenuating the latter during a decay phase and for receiving and processing ultrasonic waves in a reception interval.

Abstract: A passive entry system for a vehicle includes a portable fob and a communication and control unit disposed on the vehicle, the communication and control unit configured to control a function of the vehicle. The portable fob and the communication and control unit are configured to communicate ultra-wideband (UWB) signals therebetween. When the function of the vehicle is triggered, the communication and control unit initiates a double-sided UWB ranging session with the portable fob where (i) the portable fob determines a first distance between the portable fob and the communication and control unit, and (ii) the communication and control unit determines a second distance between the portable fob and the communication and control unit. The communication and control unit is configured to prevent control of the function of the vehicle if a final distance, determined from the first and second distances, is greater than the predetermined distance.

Abstract: An attention attracting device for a vehicle includes an electronic control unit configure to: detect a plurality of types of attention information around an own vehicle; apply vibration, by using a vibrator, to a vehicular seat; display, using a display, an attention information content corresponding to each of the plurality of types of attention information; when the information detection unit detects attention information, operate the vibrator when the attention information is detected and cause a display to display the attention information content corresponding to the detected attention information when the attention information is detected.

Abstract: An improved electric road flare assembly formed of a plurality of LED arrays, a concave tripodal housing, and a translucent or transparent lens operable to be deployed along a roadside at night and display a plurality of high-intensity colors in a plurality of display modes. The electric road flare may be configured to display any color light on the visible light spectrum.

Abstract: A method including: receiving a music input; determining values of musical parameters based on the input; generating a spatial representation of the music input based on the values; and at a plurality of haptic actuators defining a spatial distribution, cooperatively producing a haptic output based on the spatial representation.

Abstract: A system and method for measuring powerline temperature based on self-powered power sensors (SPPS), including: retrieving a powerline current reading and an SPPS temperature reading from an SPPS; determining a powerline temperature based on an isothermal curve of the powerline current reading and the SPPS temperature reading; and generating an alert when the powerline temperature exceeds a predetermined threshold.

Abstract: A server causes a storage to store identification information of a vehicle and a position of the vehicle as a set of information; specifies, based on position information of an abnormality occurring vehicle which is a vehicle that has transmitted abnormality occurrence information to the server, an image-shooting instructed vehicle which is a vehicle that can shoot an image of the abnormality occurring vehicle with a camera, using position information stored in the storage, without causing activation of a vehicular alarm; transmits, to the image-shooting instructed vehicle, an instruction to shoot the image of the abnormality occurring vehicle with the camera mounted in the image-shooting instructed vehicle; and transmits the image shot by the image-shooting instructed vehicle to a mobile terminal of a user of the abnormality occurring vehicle, as a description of an abnormality occurring in the abnormality occurring vehicle.

Abstract: Systems and methods for operating a tag. The methods comprise: actuating a telescoping actuator of the tag to transition a pin from an unengaged position in which the pin is retracted into a first portion of the tag's housing to an engaged position in which the pin extends through an insert space and into a second portion of the tag's housing; and mechanically securing the pin in the engaged position using a securement mechanism disposed in the second portion of the tag's housing. The pin is securely coupled to a movable component of the telescoping actuator so as to be integrated into the tag's body, and the first and second portions of the tag's housing are coupled to each other so as to form a unitary piece.

Abstract: An RFID tag is provided with an RFID chip and an antenna and interactive switch electrically coupled to the RFID chip. When a user physically interacts with the switch (such as by pressing the switch with a finger), the antenna transmits an input signal to an RFID reader of an RFID-based control system. The RFID reader, in turn, transmits a control signal to an electronic device for controlling the device. The RFID tag may be incorporated into any of a number of devices, such as a keyboard or article of clothing, and can function to operate a variety of electronic devices, including audio-visual devices and gaming systems.

Abstract: A method includes receiving, by a user device, information regarding a sensed condition in a structure. The sensed condition is sensed by a sensory node. The method also includes providing, by the user device, a notification identifying the sensed condition to a user of the user device, and receiving, by the user device, information regarding navigable pathways of the structure. The method further includes determining, by the user device, a location of the user device, and identifying, by the user device, a first evacuation route based at least in part on the information regarding the sensed condition, the information regarding navigable pathways of the structure, and the location of the user device. The method also includes displaying, by the user device, the first evacuation route.

Abstract: Techniques of tracking a user's location are disclosed. In some embodiments, a mobile device captures first sensor data using at least one sensor, determines that a predetermined hazard criteria is not satisfied by an environment of a user of the mobile device, suppresses transmission of a representation of the captured first sensor data to a remote computing device based on the determination that the predetermined hazard criteria is not satisfied, captures second sensor data using the sensor(s), determines that the predetermined hazard criteria is satisfied by the environment of the user, and transmits a representation of the captured second sensor data to the remote computing device based on the determination that the predetermined hazard criteria is satisfied by the environment of the user.