Patents by Inventor Justin E. Sobecki

Justin E. Sobecki has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20240124014
    Abstract: A vehicular driver monitoring system includes a camera disposed at an interior rearview mirror assembly within a cabin of a vehicle and viewing a driver operating of the vehicle. Image data captured by the camera is transferred to and is processed at an electronic control unit (ECU). The vehicular driver monitoring system, via processing at the ECU of image data captured by the camera, determines posture of the driver operating the vehicle. The vehicular driver monitoring system, based at least in part on a comparison between the determined posture of the driver and a proper posture stored in memory, determines improper posture of the driver. The proper posture stored in memory is determined based at least in part on a determined head position of the driver relative to the interior rearview mirror assembly of the vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2023
    Publication date: April 18, 2024
    Inventors: Justin E. Sobecki, Austen C. Peterson
  • Publication number: 20240125154
    Abstract: A vehicular exterior door handle assembly includes a base portion configured to mount at an exterior door handle region of a vehicular door, a handle portion, and a sensing device operable to sense presence of a person's fingers in a pocket region behind the lower portion of the handle. The handle portion is pivotable between a non-deployed orientation, where an outer surface of the handle portion is coplanar with an outer surface of the vehicular door at the exterior door handle region, and a deployed orientation, where the handle portion is pivoted inward into a door handle pocket within the vehicular door. With the handle in the deployed orientation and when a person's fingers are in the pocket region, the sensing device senses presence of the person's fingers at the pocket region and triggers an actuator of the vehicular exterior door handle assembly to unlatch the vehicular door.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2023
    Publication date: April 18, 2024
    Inventors: Kenneth C. Peterson, Justin E. Sobecki
  • Publication number: 20240116442
    Abstract: A vehicular exterior rearview mirror assembly includes a mirror head and a mounting base configured to mount the mirror assembly at a side of a vehicle. The mirror head accommodates a reflective element and an indicator module. With the vehicular exterior rearview mirror assembly mounted at the side of the vehicle, and responsive to actuation by a driver of the vehicle of a turn signal input of the plurality of inputs, the indicator module projects a turn signal icon onto the ground proximate the side of the vehicle. With the vehicular exterior rearview mirror assembly mounted at the side of the vehicle, and responsive to another input of the plurality of inputs, the indicator module projects another icon onto the ground proximate the side of the vehicle. The other icon projected onto the ground is a different color than the turn signal icon projected onto the ground.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2023
    Publication date: April 11, 2024
    Inventors: Justin E. Sobecki, Kenneth C. Peterson, Darryl P. De Wind, Jake A. Mohan, Matthew V. Steffes, Eric S. Deuel
  • Publication number: 20240116434
    Abstract: A vehicular exterior rearview mirror assembly includes a mirror head accommodating a mirror reflective element and an illumination module, which includes a light source, a first mask, and a second mask. When the light source is powered, emitted light that passes through the first mask is a first color and emitted light that passes through the second mask is a second color. With the mirror assembly mounted at a vehicle, and when the light source is powered to emit light, light emitted by the light source passes through the first mask to project a first projected image onto a ground region and passes through the second mask to project a second projected image onto the ground region. The first projected image includes a first logo portion having the first color, and the second projected image includes a second logo portion having the second color.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2023
    Publication date: April 11, 2024
    Inventors: Justin E. Sobecki, Gregory A. Huizen
  • Publication number: 20240101023
    Abstract: A vehicular communication system includes a near field communication device disposed at a vehicle. Responsive to a near field communication-enabled device being within a threshold distance of the vehicle, the near field communication device wirelessly receives a wakeup near field communication from the near field communication-enabled device. Responsive to the near field communication device wirelessly receiving the wakeup near field communication from the near field communication-enabled device, the near field communication device (i) wakes up and (ii) determines whether the near field communication-enabled device is an authorized device. Responsive to determining that the near field communication-enabled device is an authorized device, the near field communication device authenticates the near field communication-enabled device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 11, 2023
    Publication date: March 28, 2024
    Inventors: Darryl P. De Wind, Justin E. Sobecki, Eric S. Deuel
  • Publication number: 20240076915
    Abstract: A vehicular exterior door handle assembly includes a base, a handle, and a deployment mechanism operable to move the handle between a recessed position and a deployed position. The deployment mechanism includes a return cam biased in a first direction relative to the base. The deployment mechanism, with the handle in the recessed position, secures the return cam relative to the base. The handle is manually movable beyond the recessed position away from the deployed position to actuate the deployment mechanism. The deployment mechanism, responsive to being actuated, releases the return cam and the return cam moves in the first direction to move the handle toward the deployed position. The handle is manually movable beyond the deployed position away from the recessed position to actuate a latch of the door. The deployment mechanism, responsive to the handle actuating the latch, moves the handle toward the recessed position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 29, 2023
    Publication date: March 7, 2024
    Inventors: Anthony J. LaCross, Connor G. Cervone, Justin E. Sobecki, Nathan C. Shipaila
  • Patent number: 11904762
    Abstract: A vehicular exterior rearview mirror assembly includes a mirror reflective element and an illumination module that includes a freeformed lens optic and a circuit board with an illumination source disposed thereat. With the vehicular exterior rearview mirror assembly mounted at a side of a vehicle, light emitted by the illumination source passes through the freeformed lens optic and provides ground lighting that illuminates a ground region located at the side of the vehicle. The ground lighting includes (a) ground illumination of the illuminated ground region and (b) within the ground illumination of the illuminated ground region, a logo formed by the freeformed lens optic. The logo formed by the freeformed lens optic has a light intensity greater than any light intensity of the ground illumination of the illuminated ground region. The illumination module is snap-attached at a portion of the vehicular exterior rearview mirror assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2023
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Assignee: MAGNA MIRRORS OF AMERICA, INC.
    Inventors: Justin E. Sobecki, Jake Mohan
  • Publication number: 20240042932
    Abstract: A vehicular exterior rearview mirror system includes an exterior rearview mirror assembly configured for attachment at a vehicle and an electrically-operable actuator. An exterior mirror head is movable relative to an exterior portion of the vehicle via operation of the actuator. The exterior mirror head accommodates an exterior mirror reflective element attached at an attachment plate. A heater pad is disposed between the exterior mirror reflective element and the attachment plate. An outermost side of the exterior mirror reflective element is exposed to and is viewable by a driver of the vehicle and is contactable. The attachment plate includes wall structure that spans a perimeter circumferential edge of the exterior mirror reflective element. No part of the exterior mirror head encroaches onto the outermost side of the exterior mirror reflective element. No part of the exterior mirror head overlaps the outermost side of the exterior mirror reflective element.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 23, 2023
    Publication date: February 8, 2024
    Inventors: Darryl P. De Wind, Eric S. Deuel, Justin E. Sobecki, Joseph R. Mambourg, Keith D. Foote, Niall R. Lynam
  • Patent number: 11890990
    Abstract: A vehicular interior rearview mirror assembly includes a mirror head accommodating an interior mirror reflective element. The mirror reflective element has a mirror transflector that transmits near infrared light incident thereon, transmits visible light incident thereon and reflects visible light incident thereon. A camera is disposed within the mirror head and views through the mirror transflector. The camera includes an imaging sensor having a quantum efficiency (QE) of at least 15% for near infrared light having a wavelength of 940 nm. First, second and third near infrared illumination sources are disposed within the mirror head and operable to emit near infrared light that passes through the mirror transflector. The near infrared illumination sources are at respective locations at the mirror reflective element and, when powered, illuminate respective seat regions for a driver-monitoring function or an occupant-detection function.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2023
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2024
    Assignee: Magna Mirrors of America, Inc.
    Inventors: Gregory A. Huizen, Justin E. Sobecki, Austen C. Peterson, Ian A McCabe, Rodney K. Blank, Niall R. Lynam
  • Publication number: 20240035318
    Abstract: A vehicular exterior door handle assembly includes a base portion configured to mount at a door of a vehicle, and a handle portion. The base portion has a longitudinal axis that extends along a length dimension of the base portion and a lateral axis that extends laterally across the vehicle. The handle portion is movable along the lateral axis relative to the base portion between a recessed position and a deployed position. An actuator, when operated, imparts translational movement of a sliding element along the longitudinal axis relative to the base portion. As the sliding element moves along the longitudinal axis relative to the base portion, the sliding element imparts movement of the handle portion along the lateral axis between the recessed position and the deployed position according to movement of the sliding element along the longitudinal axis.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 26, 2023
    Publication date: February 1, 2024
    Inventors: Justin E. Sobecki, Connor G. Cervone
  • Publication number: 20240025344
    Abstract: A vehicular cabin monitoring system includes an interior rearview mirror assembly configured for attaching at an interior portion of an equipped vehicle and having a having a mirror head accommodating a driver monitoring camera and first and second near infrared light emitters. When the equipped vehicle is a left hand drive vehicle, a beam of light emitted by the first near infrared light emitters is directed toward a driver-side front seating location of the left hand drive vehicle when the first near infrared light emitter emits near infrared light for a driver monitoring function. When the equipped vehicle is a right hand drive vehicle, a beam of light emitted by the second light emitting element is directed toward a driver-side front seating location of the right hand drive vehicle when the second near infrared light emitter emits near infrared light for the driver monitoring function.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 11, 2023
    Publication date: January 25, 2024
    Inventors: Justin E. Sobecki, Austen C. Peterson, Gregory A. Huizen, James A. Ruse, Yuesheng Lu, Martin Solar
  • Patent number: 11851080
    Abstract: A vehicular driver monitoring system includes a camera disposed in a cabin of a vehicle and viewing a driver operating of the vehicle. The camera captures image data and provides captured image data to an electronic control unit (ECU). The vehicular driver monitoring system, via processing captured image data at the ECU, determines posture of the driver operating the vehicle. Responsive to the determined posture of the driver being indicative of at least a threshold degree of improper posture, the vehicular driver monitoring system generates an alert to the driver that the driver has improper posture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2023
    Assignee: Magna Mirrors of America, Inc.
    Inventors: Justin E. Sobecki, Austen C. Peterson
  • Patent number: 11851004
    Abstract: A vehicular exterior rearview mirror assembly includes a mirror head and a mounting base configured for attachment at a side of a vehicle. The mirror head includes a mirror casing and a reflective element. The vehicular exterior rearview mirror assembly includes a turn signal indicator. The turn signal indicator, with the mounting base of the vehicular exterior rearview mirror assembly attached at the side of the vehicle, and responsive to actuation by a driver of the vehicle of a turn signal of the vehicle, projects a turn signal icon onto the ground proximate the side of the vehicle. The turn signal indicator may be disposed at a lower region of the mirror casing and may intermittently project a direction-indicating icon or shape onto the ground, with the direction-indicating shape indicating a direction away from the side of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2023
    Assignee: MAGNA MIRRORS OF AMERICA, INC.
    Inventors: Justin E. Sobecki, Kenneth C. Peterson, Darryl P. De Wind, Jake A. Mohan, Matthew V. Steffes, Eric S Deuel
  • Patent number: 11851920
    Abstract: A vehicular exterior door handle assembly includes a base portion configured to mount at an exterior door handle region of a vehicular door, a handle portion pivotally mounted at the base portion, and a light projection device. The handle portion is pivotable between a non-deployed orientation, where an outer surface of the handle portion is coplanar with an outer surface of the vehicular door at the exterior door handle region, and a deployed orientation, where the handle portion is pivoted inward into a door handle pocket within the vehicular door. The light projection device is operable to project an icon or character onto the outer surface of the handle portion when the handle portion is in the deployed orientation. The light projection device projects the icon or character responsive to the handle portion pivoting to the deployed orientation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2023
    Assignee: Magna Mirrors of America, Inc.
    Inventors: Kenneth C. Peterson, Justin E. Sobecki
  • Patent number: 11850998
    Abstract: A vehicular exterior rearview mirror assembly includes a mirror casing, a mirror reflective element and a ground illumination module having a freeform optic, a ground illumination light source, and first, second and third icon light sources. With the vehicular exterior rearview mirror assembly mounted at the side of the vehicle and when the ground illumination light source is electrically powered to emit light, light emitted by the ground illumination light source that passes through the freeform optic illuminates the ground region adjacent to and along the side of the vehicle with a ground illumination intensity. When each individual icon light source is electrically powered to emit light, light emitted by the respective icon light source projects a respective projected image onto an icon region that is within the ground region. The respective projected images are individually projected to provide animated images projected onto the icon region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2023
    Assignee: Magna Mirrors of America, Inc.
    Inventors: Justin E. Sobecki, Gregory A. Huizen
  • Patent number: 11840172
    Abstract: A vehicular exterior rearview mirror assembly includes a ground illumination module or turn signal indicator that includes at least one light source operable to emit light when electrically powered. A near field communication device communicates utilizing a near field communication (NFC) standard. Responsive to a near field communication-enabled device being present exterior the vehicle, the near field communication device wirelessly receives a communication from the near field communication-enabled device and determines whether the near field communication-enabled device is an authorized device. Responsive to determining that the near field communication-enabled device is an authorized device, the near field communication device authenticates the near field communication-enabled device as an authorized device for communication with the near field communication device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2023
    Assignee: MAGNA MIRRORS OF AMERICA, INC.
    Inventors: Darryl P. De Wind, Justin E. Sobecki, Eric S. Deuel
  • Publication number: 20230340813
    Abstract: A vehicular exterior door handle assembly includes a base portion and a handle portion having a base end and a swing end opposite the base end. The handle portion is movable relative to the base portion between a retracted position and a deployed position. An actuator includes a motor that is electrically operable in a deploying direction to move the handle portion toward the deployed position and is electrically operable in a retracting direction opposite the deploying direction. The motor operates in the deploying direction and imparts pivotal movement of a connecting link to move the handle portion toward the deployed position. With the handle portion at the deployed position, electrical operation of the motor of the actuator in the retracting direction imparts retracting movement of a reset element that engages a bellcrank and/or the connecting link to retract the handle portion toward the retracted position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 16, 2023
    Publication date: October 26, 2023
    Inventor: Justin E. Sobecki
  • Publication number: 20230339404
    Abstract: A vehicular driver monitoring system includes an interior rearview mirror assembly having a driver monitoring camera and first and second near-infrared light emitting elements accommodated by a mirror head. The light emitting elements are oriented at the mirror head so that (i) a beam of light emitted by the first light emitting element would be directed toward a driver's region of a left hand drive vehicle if the mirror assembly were installed in the LHD vehicle, and (ii) a beam of light emitted by the second light emitting element would be directed toward a driver's region of a right hand drive vehicle if the mirror assembly were installed in the RHD vehicle. The system enables and/or operates the first or second light emitting element for a driver monitoring function responsive to indication that the mirror assembly is installed or will be installed in a LHD vehicle or a RHD vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 11, 2022
    Publication date: October 26, 2023
    Inventors: Justin E. Sobecki, Austen C. Peterson, Gregory A. Huizen, James A. Ruse, Yuesheng Lu, Martin Solar
  • Patent number: 11794648
    Abstract: An exterior rearview mirror assembly configured for mounting at a vehicle includes a mounting arm, an electrically operated actuator at one end of the mounting arm, an attachment portion at the other end of the mounting arm, and an exterior mirror head movable relative to the mounting arm via the actuator. The exterior mirror head includes an exterior mirror reflective element attached at an attachment plate of the exterior mirror head. The exterior mirror reflective element attached at the attachment plate moves in tandem with movement of the exterior mirror head relative to the mounting arm when the driver of the equipped vehicle operates the actuator. The attachment plate of the exterior mirror head includes wall structure that extends from the front side of the attachment plate. No part of the exterior mirror head encroaches onto or overlaps the outermost side of the exterior mirror reflective element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2023
    Assignee: MAGNA MIRRORS OF AMERICA, INC.
    Inventors: Darryl P. De Wind, Eric S. Deuel, Justin E. Sobecki, Joseph R. Mambourg, Keith D. Foote, Niall R. Lynam
  • Publication number: 20230331158
    Abstract: A vehicular interior rearview mirror assembly includes a mirror head accommodating an interior mirror reflective element. The mirror reflective element has a mirror transflector that transmits near infrared light incident thereon, transmits visible light incident thereon and reflects visible light incident thereon. A camera is disposed within the mirror head and views through the mirror transflector. The camera includes an imaging sensor having a quantum efficiency (QE) of at least 15% for near infrared light having a wavelength of 940 nm. First, second and third near infrared illumination sources are disposed within the mirror head and operable to emit near infrared light that passes through the mirror transflector. The near infrared illumination sources are at respective locations at the mirror reflective element and, when powered, illuminate respective seat regions for a driver-monitoring function or an occupant-detection function.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 28, 2023
    Publication date: October 19, 2023
    Inventors: Gregory A. Huizen, Justin E. Sobecki, Austen C. Peterson, Ian A. McCabe, Rodney K. Blank, Niall R. Lynam