Patents by Inventor Peter Harda

Peter Harda 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: 20150283998
    Abstract: A method for transition between driving modes of a vehicle is disclosed. The driving modes include an autonomous driving (AD) mode, a partly autonomous driving (PAD) mode and a manual driving (MD) mode. A transition from the PAD mode to the AD mode is performed by enabling the AD mode. A transition from the AD mode to the PAD mode is performed by releasing a steering wheel lock when the PAD mode is in an enabled state. A transition from the MD mode to the AD mode is performed by enabling the AD mode. A transition from the AD mode to the MD mode is performed by releasing the steering wheel lock when the PAD mode is in a disabled state. A system for performing the method and a vehicle including the system are also disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 1, 2015
    Publication date: October 8, 2015
    Inventors: Henrik LIND, Erik COELINGH, Mattias Erik BRANNSTROM, Peter HARDA, Julia NILSSON
  • Publication number: 20150165997
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a method for operating a safety system of a vehicle, which safety system comprises a remote sensor, an impact sensor and a protection system adapted to be activated by the impact sensor. The method includes scanning a selectable region in front of the vehicle by means of the remote sensor, determining that the selectable region provides a free path for the vehicle based on information from the remote sensor, and lowering a sensitivity of the impact sensor. The disclosure further relates to the safety system and a vehicle comprising the safety system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 3, 2014
    Publication date: June 18, 2015
    Inventors: Par NILSSON, Stefan JARVHOLM, Peter HARDA, Bjorn JOHANSSON, Anders DAHLEN
  • Publication number: 20150165937
    Abstract: An apparatus and method are disclosed for vehicle occupant protection in large animal collisions. Objects forward of the host vehicle are monitored using at least one forward looking remote sensor and object signals output. A velocity of the host vehicle is determined and velocity signals output. The object signals and the velocity signals are processed to determine whether the host vehicle unavoidably will suffer a collision with a large animal while traveling at or above a threshold velocity and a collision signal is output. Operation of a motor operated height adjustment device, an inclination adjustment device and/or a longitudinal position adjustment device of a vehicle seat is triggered to move a seat cushion and a backrest thereof away from a leading edge of a roof of the host vehicle in response to the collision signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 9, 2014
    Publication date: June 18, 2015
    Inventors: Peter HARDA, Anders AXELSON, II, Par NILSSON, Stefan BERGE
  • Publication number: 20150165996
    Abstract: A method and apparatus are disclosed for vehicle occupant protection in unintentional roadway departure by a vehicle having at least one vehicle seat with a seat cushion mounted on a seat frame, the height of which is adjustable through a motor operated height adjustment device. Vehicle travel is monitored using a remote sensor and/or a vehicle dynamics sensor. The remote sensor detects edges of the road. The vehicle dynamics sensor determines vehicle dynamics parameters. Road edge signals and/or vehicle dynamics signals are processed to determine whether the vehicle is about to leave the road. Operation of the height adjustment device to move a seat cushion towards a crash-position is triggered in response to an off-road signal indicating that the vehicle is about to leave the road.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 4, 2014
    Publication date: June 18, 2015
    Inventors: Peter HARDA, Anders AXELSON, Magnus BJORKLUND, Gunnar BENGTSSON
  • Patent number: 9056615
    Abstract: A vehicle, a method and a vehicle system for control of vehicle safety parameters is provided. The system is arranged to determine a closing velocity between a host vehicle exterior portion and an external object in a road environment where the host vehicle and the external object approach each other. The system comprises image capturing means, processing means and a sensor arrangement. The processing means are arranged to determine the closing velocity for each time instance by forming a quota of a distance between a first position and the host vehicle exterior portion and the estimated time to collision between the first position and the external object. The vehicle system is arranged to control the one or more vehicle safety parameters as a function of the determined closing velocity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2015
    Assignee: VOLVO CAR CORPORATION
    Inventor: Peter Harda
  • Publication number: 20150100208
    Abstract: A method for activating safety systems of a motor vehicle, the method including the steps of: monitoring signals from at least one vehicle sensor; analysing the signals from the at least one sensor to determine that the vehicle appears to be involved in a particular one of a plurality of pre-defined “run off the road” events: confirming the determination by analysing signals from at least one different vehicle sensor, performing a different analysis on the signals from the at least one sensor, or analysing signals from the at least one sensor over a predetermined period of time; where a detection is confirmed, estimating the severity of the event; and based on a confirmed determination that the vehicle is involved in a particular event, and the estimated severity of the event, selecting one or more vehicle safety systems to be activated to protect an occupant of the vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 15, 2013
    Publication date: April 9, 2015
    Inventors: Anders Wogel, Pär Nillson, Peter Hardå, Anders Axelsson, Moroine Laoufi, Alessandro Zin
  • Publication number: 20150012185
    Abstract: A vehicle, a method and a vehicle system for control of vehicle safety parameters is provided. The system is arranged to determine a closing velocity between a host vehicle exterior portion and an external object in a road environment where the host vehicle and the external object approach each other. The system comprises image capturing means, processing means and a sensor arrangement. The processing means are arranged to determine the closing velocity for each time instance by forming a quota of a distance between a first position and the host vehicle exterior portion and the estimated time to collision between the first position and the external object. The vehicle system is arranged to control the one or more vehicle safety parameters as a function of the determined closing velocity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 12, 2014
    Publication date: January 8, 2015
    Inventor: Peter HARDA
  • Publication number: 20140350796
    Abstract: A method performed by a retraction control system of a vehicle for controlling refraction of a seat belt of a reversible seat belt refractor arrangement for a vehicle occupant is provided. The control system determines fulfillment of an activation condition based on an initiating input derived from a vehicle situation sensing system, which initiating input indicates that the vehicle, at an initiating time instant, is considered likely to be, or is about to become, involved in a hazardous situation and/or uncomfortable dynamic situation. The control system generates an activation signal utilizable for initiation of retraction of the seat belt. If the control system determines absence of fulfillment of a confirming condition within a predetermined confirming time period, and/or if the control system determines fulfillment of an abort condition within a predetermined abort time period, the control system generates a deactivation signal utilizable for aborting the initiation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 20, 2014
    Publication date: November 27, 2014
    Applicant: VOLVO CAR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Par NILSSON, Peter HARDA, Anders AXELSON, Stefan BERGE
  • Publication number: 20140347209
    Abstract: A system for determining a position of a living being in a vehicle interior includes at least three components, each component of a first type or a second type, one of the first or second type being a transmitter and the other a receiver. Two components are of the first type and one component is of the second type. Each component is adapted to transmit or receive a signal dependent on type. The signal is adapted for determining a presence of the living being and for determining a distance (d1, d2) between the living being and each component of the first type. The components have active sectors adapted to at least partly overlap within the vehicle interior. The components of the first type are located at different positions known relative to each other. The system is adapted to determine the living being position based on the determined distances (d1, d2).
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 19, 2014
    Publication date: November 27, 2014
    Applicant: VOLVO CAR CORPORATION
    Inventor: Peter HARDA
  • Publication number: 20140327234
    Abstract: An inflatable head restraint system comprises an inflatable airbag and a housing for storing the airbag in a packed condition, the housing located behind the back of a head and/or a nape of a user of the inflatable head restraint system. The airbag includes a portion at least partly enclosing the head when the airbag is in an inflated state, which restrains movement of the head in a direction away from the housing. The inflatable head restraint system may be included in a vehicle or a kit, and a method for activating inflation of the airbag of the inflatable head restraint system may be carried out via communication between the inflatable head restraint system and a collision detection system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 25, 2014
    Publication date: November 6, 2014
    Inventors: Fredrik Heurlin, Peter Harda
  • Patent number: 8876157
    Abstract: A method is provided for operating a system of a vehicle for protection of a vulnerable road user. The system includes a remote sensor, a contact-based sensor, and a pedestrian protection device. The method may include scanning a region in front of the vehicle by the remote sensor to detect a target object and, if a target object is detected, classifying the target object into an object category based on information from the remote sensor. The method may also include selecting the selectable fire interval of an evaluation algorithm using the object category as input and, if an impact is detected by the contact-based sensor, the contact-based sensor sending information about the impact to the evaluation algorithm. The method may also include the evaluation algorithm evaluating if the signal is within the selectable fire interval, and in that case activating the pedestrian protection device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2014
    Assignee: Volvo Car Corporation
    Inventors: Par Nilsson, Bjorn Johansson, Stefan Jarvholm, Peter Harda, Martin Ask
  • Publication number: 20140158806
    Abstract: A method for retracting a seat belt of a vehicle includes determining an excessive length of seat belt pulled out as the difference between the current length and the minimum length of seat belt pulled out, when the seat belt is in use. The method further includes, if a collision or and/or a risk situation involving the vehicle is detected, retracting the seat belt by applying a retraction force, the retraction force being a function of the excessive length of seat belt pulled out. Further, a safety arrangement of a vehicle includes a seat belt, a first sensor for determining an excessive length of seat belt pulled out, a collision detection system, a retractor for retracting the seat belt by applying the retraction force, and a processor for determining the retraction force as a function of the excessive length of seat belt pulled out.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 11, 2013
    Publication date: June 12, 2014
    Applicant: Volvo Car Corporation
    Inventor: Peter Harda
  • Publication number: 20140000974
    Abstract: A method is provided for operating a system of a vehicle for protection of a vulnerable road user. The system includes a remote sensor, a contact-based sensor, and a pedestrian protection device. The method may include scanning a region in front of the vehicle by the remote sensor to detect a target object and, if a target object is detected, classifying the target object into an object category based on information from the remote sensor. The method may also include selecting the selectable fire interval of an evaluation algorithm using the object category as input and, if an impact is detected by the contact-based sensor, the contact-based sensor sending information about the impact to the evaluation algorithm. The method may also include the evaluation algorithm evaluating if the signal is within the selectable fire interval, and in that case activating the pedestrian protection device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 26, 2013
    Publication date: January 2, 2014
    Inventors: Par Nilsson, Bjorn Johansson, Stefan Jarvholm, Peter Harda, Martin Ask
  • Patent number: 8489288
    Abstract: A method of activating a passenger safety arrangement of a vehicle, the method including reading in a roll rate of the vehicle and triggering the passenger safety arrangement when, at a first time, at least one roll rate value is present, which exhibits a positive sign and is larger than a roll rate positive threshold value and when, at a second time after the first time, at least one roll rate value is present, which exhibits a negative sign and is smaller than a roll rate negative threshold value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2013
    Assignees: Robert Bosch GmbH, Volvo Car Corporation
    Inventors: Christian Rauh, Jens Becker, Anders Wogel, Anders Axelson, Alfons Doerr, Christian Korn, Paer Nilsson, Peter Harda, Stephan Rittler, Hansjoerg Markus Hild, Olaf Koerner
  • Patent number: 8406960
    Abstract: A vehicle safety system comprising: at least one occupant safety device (6) for protecting an occupant of the vehicle (1) in the event of a side impact; and a control unit (7) operable to receive information from one or more vehicle sensors (2, 3, 4, 5) and to provide a trigger signal to activate the occupant safety device (6). Under normal driving conditions, a default deployment algorithm is used by the control unit (7) to determine whether the trigger signal should be generated; and if it is determined that loss of control of the vehicle (1) is occurring, or is expected to occur, and the longitudinal speed of the vehicle (1) exceeds a first threshold, the control unit (7) employs a first further deployment algorithm to determine whether the trigger signal should be generated. The first further deployment algorithm being adapted to cause the trigger signal to be generated a shorter time after the initiation of a side impact than is the case for the default deployment algorithm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2013
    Assignee: Autoliv Development AB
    Inventors: Yannick Erb, Yann Le Merrer, Peter Hardå, Andreas Wallin
  • Patent number: 8332102
    Abstract: A vehicle safety system for detecting a side impact, the system comprising at least one sensor operable to detect one or more parameters relating to the rate of yaw of the vehicle, and to provide an output that is dependent upon the longitudinal position along the vehicle of the side impact.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2012
    Assignees: Autoliv Development AB, Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Yannick Erb, Yann le Merrer, Sylvain Triquigneaux, Andreas Wallin, Peter Hardå
  • Publication number: 20120256404
    Abstract: A method of activating a passenger safety arrangement of a vehicle, the method including reading in a roll rate of the vehicle and triggering the passenger safety arrangement when, at a first time, at least one roll rate value is present, which exhibits a positive sign and is larger than a roll rate positive threshold value and when, at a second time after the first time, at least one roll rate value is present, which exhibits a negative sign and is smaller than a roll rate negative threshold value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 17, 2012
    Publication date: October 11, 2012
    Inventors: Christian Rauh, Jens Becker, Anders Wogel, Anders Axelson, Alfons Doerr, Christian Korn, Paer Nilsson, Peter Harda, Stephan Rittler, Hansjoerg Markus Hild, Olaf Koerner
  • Publication number: 20110071732
    Abstract: A vehicle safety system comprising: at least one occupant safety device (6) for protecting an occupant of the vehicle (1) in the event of a side impact; and a control unit (7) operable to receive information from one or more vehicle sensors (2, 3, 4, 5) and to provide a trigger signal to activate the occupant safety device (6). Under normal driving conditions, a default deployment algorithm is used by the control unit (7) to determine whether the trigger signal should be generated; and if it is determined that loss of control of the vehicle (1) is occurring, or is expected to occur, and the longitudinal speed of the vehicle (1) exceeds a first threshold, the control unit (7) employs a first further deployment algorithm to determine whether the trigger signal should be generated. The first further deployment algorithm being adapted to cause the trigger signal to be generated a shorter time after the initiation of a side impact than is the case for the default deployment algorithm.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 28, 2008
    Publication date: March 24, 2011
    Inventors: Yannick Erb, Yann Le Merrer, Peter Hardå, Andreas Wallin
  • Patent number: 7905515
    Abstract: An air bag deployment system includes a pre-impact sensor operative to detect an imminent impact and at least one post-impact sensor operative to detect an impact. An air bag has a non-deployed volume, a pre-impact deployed volume, and a post-impact deployed volume smaller than the pre-impact deployed volume. The air bag is deployed to the pre-impact volume wherein the air bag deployment system is arranged to deploy the air bag before the impact and the at least one air bag is deployed into the pre-impact deployed volume, in reaction to the imminent impact, and to the post-impact deployed volume in reaction to the impact. The system provides for enhanced occupant safety during a collision by allowing pre-impact deployment of the air bag in order to utilize the full possible length of deceleration for the occupant as the impact pulse affects the occupant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2011
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Fredrik Heurlin, Peter Hardå, Mark A. Cuddihy, Manoharprasad K. Rao
  • Publication number: 20100198446
    Abstract: A vehicle safety system for detecting a side impact, the system comprising at least one sensor operable to detect one or more parameters relating to the rate of yaw of the vehicle, and to provide an output that is dependent upon the longitudinal position along the vehicle of the side impact.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 21, 2007
    Publication date: August 5, 2010
    Inventors: Yannick Erb, Yann Le Merrer, Sylvain Triquigneaux, Andreas Wallin, Peter Hardå