Abstract: Apparatus and method for measuring the volume of a liquid in a fuel tank in a vehicle subject to varying external forces caused by movement or changes in the roll and pitch angles of the vehicle wherein the tank is mounted to the vehicle and subject to forces along the yaw axis of the vehicle. One or more tank load cells provides an output proportionally representing the load thereon. The load cells are placed between a portion of the tank and a portion of a reference surface of the vehicle and are sensitive along an axis that is substantially normal to the mounting surface and generally parallel to the yaw axis of the vehicle. A processor executes a derived relationship between the load cell output and the volume of fuel in the tank so as to convert the output signal from the load cell into output information representative of the volume of the fuel in the tank.

Abstract: A vehicle including a ground speed sensor arranged to detect the speed of travel of the vehicle on the ground and including a wave transmitter arranged to transmit waves toward the ground, a wave receiver arranged to received waves reflected from the ground and a processor coupled to the transmitter and receiver to determine the speed of travel based on the transmitted waves and received waves. The waves are transmitted in pulses or modulated such that the processor is able to determine the distance between a wave-transmission and reception point and the ground (by time of flight for ultrasonic and electromagnetic waves or phase difference-for electromagnetic waves) and the velocity of the vehicle (using Doppler analysis).

Abstract: System and method for detecting the presence of an object in an aperture in which for modulated electromagnetic waves are directed from an edge of a frame defining the aperture and electromagnetic waves reflected from an opposite edge of the frame are received at substantially the same location. The phase change between the modulated electromagnetic waves and the reflected electromagnetic waves is measured wherein the presence of an obstacle in the aperture causes a variation in the phase change from a situation where an obstacle is not present. The system and method can be used in vehicles to determine the presence of obstacles in the path of a closing window, door, trunk lid, convertible top, or sunroof.

Abstract: Method and system for controlling deployment of an airbag in which the position of an occupant to be protected by deployment of the airbag is determined, the probability that a crash requiring deployment of the airbag is occurring is assessed and deployment of the airbag enabled in consideration of the determined position of the occupant and the assessed probability that a crash is occurring. Deployment of the airbag may be enabled by analyzing the assessed probability relative to a pre-determined threshold whereby deployment of the airbag is enabled only when the assessed probability is greater than the threshold. The threshold may be adjusted based on the determined position of the occupant.

Abstract: Methods for controlling a vehicle system in which waves are directed from a transducer into the passenger compartment and is reflected off or modified by an object in the passenger compartment and received by the same or a different transducer. One or more techniques are used to compensate for thermal gradients in the passenger compartment and/or enable the use of a single transducer to send and receive waves, for example, a tubular mounting structure for the transducers, electronic reduction of ringing of the transducer, mechanical damping of the transducer cone, shaped horns, grills and reflectors for the output of the transducers to precisely control the beam pattern, a logarithmic compression amplifier, a temperature compensation method based on change in transducer properties with temperature and/or a dual level network, one level for categorization and the second for occupant position sensing.

Abstract: Vehicular monitoring arrangement for monitoring an environment of the vehicle including at least one active pixel camera for obtaining images of the environment of the vehicle and a processor coupled to the active pixel camera(s) for determining at least one characteristic of an object in the environment based on the images obtained by the active pixel camera(s). The active pixel camera can be arranged in a headliner, roof or ceiling of the vehicle to obtain images of an interior environment of the vehicle, in an A-pillar or B-pillar of the vehicle to obtain images of an interior environment of the vehicle, or in a roof, ceiling, B-pillar or C-pillar of the vehicle to obtain images of an interior environment of the vehicle behind a front seat of the vehicle. The determined characteristic can be used to enable optimal control of a reactive component, system or subsystem coupled to the processor.

Abstract: Arrangement and method for controlling a component in a vehicle in which at least one morphological characteristic of an occupant is measured and a current position of at least a part of a seat on which the occupant is situated is obtained. The component is controlled based on the measured morphological characteristic(s) and the current position of the seat. The component may be an occupant restraint device, such as an airbag whose inflation, deflation and/or deployment direction is/are controlled.

Abstract: System for obtaining information about an object in the vehicle including one or more resonators or reflectors arranged in association with the object, each resonator emitting an energy signal upon receipt of a signal at an excitation frequency, a transmitter device for transmitting signals at least at the excitation frequency of each resonator, an energy signal detector for detecting the energy signal emitted by each resonator upon receipt of the signal at the excitation frequency, and a processor coupled to the detector for obtaining information about the object upon analysis of the energy signal detected by the detector. The information obtained about the object may be a distance between each resonator and the detector, which positional information is useful for controlling components in the vehicle such as the occupant restraint or protection device.

Abstract: Vehicle telematics system including an occupant sensing system arranged to determine one or more properties or characteristics of occupancy of the vehicle, a crash sensor system for determining when the vehicle experiences a crash and a communications device arranged to enable a communications channel to be established between the vehicle and a remote facility after the vehicle is determined to have experienced a crash. Information determined by the occupant sensing system is transmitted via the communications channel to the remote facility, even in the absence of initiation of the communications channel by the occupant. The occupant sensing system may include an image-obtaining sensor for obtaining images of the passenger compartment of the vehicle, a motion sensor, receivers arranged to receive waves, energy or radiation from seating locations in the passenger compartment, heartbeat sensors, weight sensors associated with seats in the vehicle and/or chemical sensors.

Abstract: Methods for reducing clicking of ultrasonic air-coupled transducers in which a mechanical filter that attenuates audible frequencies relative to ultrasonic frequencies is placed in the path of the ultrasonic waves as the travel from the transducer to a target such as an object in the vehicle compartment.

Abstract: Method and arrangement for obtaining and conveying information about occupancy of a passenger compartment of a vehicle including a health state determining mechanism for determining the occupant's health state, and a communications mechanism coupled to the health state determining mechanism for establishing a communications channel between the vehicle and a remote facility to enable the occupant's health state to be transmitted to the remote facility. The determining mechanism may include a heartbeat sensor, a sensor for detecting motion of the occupants such as a micropower impulse radar sensor and/or an arrangement for detecting changes in the weight distribution of the occupants, a motion sensor for determining whether the occupants are breathing, a chemical sensor for analyzing the amount of carbon dioxide in the passenger compartment or around the occupants and/or a chemical sensor for detecting the presence of blood in the passenger compartment.

Abstract: Arrangement and method for controlling a component in a vehicle in which at least one morphological characteristic of an occupant is measured and a current position of at least a part of a seat on which the occupant is situated is obtained. The component is controlled based on the measured morphological characteristic(s) and the current position of the seat. The component may be an occupant restraint device, such as an airbag whose inflation, deflation and/or deployment direction is/are controlled.

Abstract: Arrangement for obtaining information about an occupying item of a seat having a seat portion and a back portion. The arrangement including a distance-determining sensor arranged in the back portion of the seat and enabling the determination of the distance between the occupying item and the back portion, an angle sensor arranged in connection with the seat for detecting an angle between the back portion and the seat portion, and a seat displacement sensor arranged in connection with the seat for detecting longitudinal displacement of the seat. Additional sensors systems can be used to provide additional information about the occupying item, such as a weight sensing system arranged in connection with the seat for measuring weight applied to the seat by the occupying item and one or more wave-based, capacitance or electric field sensor systems arranged to provide information about the position of the occupying item.

Abstract: Apparatus and method for adjusting a steering wheel extending from a front console of a vehicle in which at least one motor is coupled to the steering column or steering wheel and is at least automatically controllable without manual intervention to adjust the steering wheel relative to the front console. A system determines at least one morphological characteristic of a driver and a control circuit is coupled to the system and the motor(s) for automatically controlling the motor(s) based on the morphological characteristic(s). In this manner, the position of the steering wheel can be adjusted for each driver and can be changed when the driver of the vehicle varies between sequential uses.

Abstract: Arrangement and method for controlling audio reception by occupants of a vehicle in which the position of any occupants is determined and the entertainment system controlled to provide specific sound for the occupants based on the determined positions of the occupants. Sound generating components of the entertainment system are automatically adjustable based on the determined position of the occupants. A hypersonic sound generating system may be used wherein ultrasonic frequency generators generate ultrasonic waves which mix with ultrasonic waves generated by another ultrasonic frequency generator to thereby cause the creation of new audio frequencies in an area determined based on the position of the occupants. In addition, the presence and direction of unwanted noise may be detected and sound created to cancel the unwanted noise in the area including the determined positions of any occupants.

Abstract: Vehicular monitoring arrangement for monitoring an environment of the vehicle including at least one active pixel camera for obtaining images of the environment of the vehicle and a processor coupled to the active pixel camera(s) for determining at least one characteristic of an object in the environment based on the images obtained by the active pixel camera(s). The active pixel camera can be arranged in a headliner, roof or ceiling of the vehicle to obtain images of an interior environment of the vehicle, in an A-pillar or B-pillar of the vehicle to obtain images of an interior environment of the vehicle, or in a roof, ceiling, B-pillar or C-pillar of the vehicle to obtain images of an interior environment of the vehicle behind a front seat of the vehicle. The determined characteristic can be used to enable optimal control of a reactive component, system or subsystem coupled to the processor.

Abstract: A vehicle including a ground speed sensor arranged to detect the speed of travel of the vehicle on the ground and including a wave transmitter arranged to transmit waves toward the ground, a wave receiver arranged to received waves reflected from the ground and a processor coupled to the transmitter and receiver to determine the speed of travel based on the transmitted waves and received waves. The waves are transmitted in pulses or modulated such that the processor is able to determine the distance between a wave-transmission and reception point and the ground (by time of flight for ultrasonic and electromagnetic waves or phase difference-for electromagnetic waves) and the velocity of the vehicle (using Doppler analysis).

Abstract: Control system and method for controlling a vehicle or a component of a vehicle in which an inertial reference unit includes accelerometers and gyroscopes which provide data on vehicle motion and a processor processes the data and controls the vehicle or the component of the vehicle based thereon. Movement of the vehicle may be controlled via control over servos, such as a servo associated with the braking system, a servo associated with the drive train or throttle and a servo associated with the steering system. A display to the driver can also be controlled by the processor to provide data on vehicle motion or data or information derived from the data on vehicle motion. Optionally, a Kalman filter is coupled to the processor for optimizing the data on vehicle motion from the inertial reference unit.

Abstract: Arrangement and method for monitoring a tire mounted to the vehicle in which a thermal radiation detecting device detects the temperature of the tire at different circumferential locations along the circumference of the tire. The detected temperatures of the tire are analyzed to determine, for example, whether a difference in thermal radiation is present between the circumferential locations of the tire, and if so, an action is effected in response to the analysis. The thermal radiation detecting devices are preferably supplied with power wirelessly, e.g., through an inductive system, a capacitive system or a radio frequency energy transfer system.

Abstract: Weight sensor for determining the weight of an occupant of a seat including a bladder arranged in a seat portion of the seat and including material or structure in an interior thereof which constrains fluid flow therein and one or more transducers for measuring the pressure of the fluid in the bladder. The material or structure might be open cell foam. The bladder may include one or more chambers, and if more than one chamber is formed, each chamber can be arranged at a different location in the seat portion of the seat.