Abstract: A method and system for aiding in the design of an automotive vehicle enables dynamic placement of particle injection points relative to a computer aided design model representative of the vehicle to permit visual observation and alteration of resulting particle trajectories with respect to the model. Various particle trajectories, representing stones ejected from a tire toward the vehicle surface, soil deposition patterns, and the like can be simulated relative to the vehicle surface to evaluate a vehicle design, compare alternate designs and compare results from physical aerodynamic tests to predicted results.

Abstract: A control system (10) for an automotive vehicle (50) has a remote object sensor (18) that generates an object signal in the presence of an object. A vehicle trajectory sensor (34) generates a signal indicative of the vehicle traveling on a curved road. A vehicle speed sensor (32) generates a speed signal corresponding to the longitudinal speed of the vehicle. A controller (12) is coupled to the object sensor (18), the vehicle trajectory sensor, and the vehicle speed sensor. When the remote object sensor (18) indicates the presence of an object with a minimum cross section in a pre-defined decision zone meeting pre-defined relative velocity criteria, and when the vehicle speed is above a first threshold and below a second threshold, and when said vehicle trajectory signal indicates the vehicle traveling on a curved road with a radius of curvature above a threshold value, a vehicle safety countermeasure system (40) is deployed.

Abstract: The present invention disclosed is an apparatus for detecting a confined occupant in a confined space in a transportation vehicle. A transportation vehicle contains an apparatus for detecting a confined occupant in a confined space in a transportation vehicle including a minimum of one carbon dioxide sensor, a method for detecting a confined occupant in a confined space in a transportation vehicle and a computing means having an algorithm for detecting a confined occupant in a confined space based upon analysis of a carbon dioxide concentration measured in a confined space of a transportation vehicle.

Abstract: A pre-crash sensing system is provided for sensing an impact of a target vehicle (46) with a host vehicle (12). The target vehicle (46) has side transponders that generate side identification signals. The host vehicle (12) has a remote object sensor (20) that generates an object distance signal in response to the target vehicle. A countermeasure system (42) resides in the host vehicle (12). A controller (14) in the host vehicle is coupled to the remote object sensor (20) and the countermeasure system (42). The controller (14) activates the countermeasure in response to the object distance signal and side identification signal.

Abstract: A vision system 10 which allows images of a vehicular ambient environment 52 to be selectively acquired and displayed upon a display portion 14. The system 10 may be operatively used within vehicle 12 and may be selectively removed from the vehicle 12 and deployed within the environment 52. Further, display portion 14 is adapted to selectively acquire and display images from an entertainment type device or DVD type player 38 and/or other images from a wide variety of other sources, thereby further increasing the overall utility of the vision system 10.

Abstract: The method and system for aiding in the design of an automotive vehicle enables dynamic placement of particle injection points into a flow domain to permit visual observation and alteration of resulting particle trajectories with respect to a computer aided design model representative of the vehicle. Various particle trajectories, representing windshield washer spray, water droplets along the vehicle surface, and the like can be simulated relative to the vehicle surface with or without the influence of a flow field around the vehicle surface to evaluate a vehicle design, compare alternate designs and compare results from physical aerodynamic tests to predicted results.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method and system which allows evaluation of vehicle designs both aerodynamically and aeroaccoustically in a virtual environment. Starting with a computer aided design (CAD) description of the vehicle, a CFD simulation can be constructed and executed. This information can be used to provide an estimate of interior sound due to wind noise, which can then be played through speakers for A-to-B comparisons of alternate vehicle designs. The method generates predicted wind noise within a passenger compartment of an automotive vehicle from a computer aided design (CAD) model representative of the vehicle without use of a physical wind tunnel. A CAD model of a desired portion of the vehicle is prepared and a computational mesh of the desired portion of the vehicle design is created from the CAD model.

Abstract: A method for designing an automotive vehicle body shape having fixed and free boundaries to meet a pre-specified velocity or pressure distribution for a portion of the vehicle body migrates a set of vortex elements, whose strengths are related to the desired velocity and pressure distributions, until they reach spatial positions consistent with the desired velocity and pressure profile. A desired velocity and pressure profile is specified for a first portion and a shape is specified for a second portion of the vehicle body, and an initial shape for the first portion is estimated having a free surface cross-section, which is divided into free surface elements. Free surface vorticies are assigned in one-to-one correspondence to the free surface elements, and fixed surface vorticies in one-to-one correspondence with the fixed surface elements are determined.

Abstract: Meshes for finite element analysis are formed by characterizing two or three dimensional bodies as passages for fluid flow. For a two dimensional body, the body perimeter is discretized and two portions of the perimeter are selected as inlet and outlet ends; the remainder serves as solid walls through which fluid cannot flow. A potential flow problem is solved for streamlines extending from inlet nodes to the outlet. Intersections of grid lines and streamlines determine interior inlet nodes on the surface. Quadrilaterals covering the surface are formed by connecting the nodes. For a three dimensional body, bounding surfaces are selected: one of the surfaces being an inlet surface and another of the surfaces being an outlet surface. The inlet is processed as described. A three dimensional potential flow problem from the inlet to the outlet is then solved. A series of grid planes are formed generally transverse to the three dimensional streamlines and progressing from the inlet to the outlet.