With Belt Or Harness For Restraining Occupant, And Means Whereby The Belt Or Harness Controls, Or Is Controlled By, The Functioning Of A Vehicle System Or Component Patents (Class 180/268)
  • Patent number: 11661028
    Abstract: A system for detecting improper usage of a seatbelt of a vehicle includes a vehicle seat having a seat cushion and a seat back. A shoulder belt and a lap belt are intended to restrain an occupant sitting on the vehicle seat. The system includes a sensor module associated with the shoulder belt and the lap belt. The sensor module generates signals indicative of at least one parameter associated with the vehicle seat, the shoulder belt, and the lap belt when the occupant is sitting on the vehicle seat. The system also includes a controller that receives the signals indicative of the at least one parameter associated with the seat back, the shoulder belt, and the lap belt. The controller analyzes the received one or more signals, and determines whether the seatbelt is being used improperly by the occupant, based on the analysis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2023
    Assignee: Tesla, Inc.
    Inventor: Forrest Wen Liau
  • Patent number: 11623608
    Abstract: A vehicle and a method of controlling the vehicle may include a seat belt apparatus to reduce the tension of the seat belt in the normal situation in which the collision does not occur by appropriately adjusting the tension of the seat belt based on the driving state of the vehicle, providing convenience to a passenger. In the collision situation, the safety of the passenger may be ensured by sufficiently increasing the tension of the seat belt. The vehicle according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes: a seat belt provided to adjust a tension; a driving assistance device configured to obtain vehicle driving information for assisting a driving of the vehicle; and a controller coupled to the driving assistance and configured to adjust the tension of the seat belt to correspond to a driving state of the vehicle based on the vehicle driving information obtained through the driving assistance device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2023
    Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Motors Corporation
    Inventor: Hyunsu Kim
  • Patent number: 11560108
    Abstract: A vehicle safety system implements a method for helping to protect a vehicle occupant in the event of a frontal collision. The method includes determining a passive safety crash mode classification in response to crash signals received in response to the occurrence of a crash event. The method also includes determining an active safety crash mode classification in response to active safety signals received prior to the occurrence of the crash event. The method also includes determining an active safety confidence factor for the active safety crash mode classification. The method also includes determining the weighted crash mode classification as being the active crash mode classification in response to the active safety confidence factor exceeding a predetermined confidence value. The method further includes determining the weighted crash mode classification as being the passive crash mode classification in response to the active safety confidence factor not exceeding the predetermined confidence value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2023
    Assignee: ZF FRIEDRICHSHAFEN AG
    Inventors: Kiran Balasubramanian, Charles A. Bartlett, Andreas Fleckner, Harald Pfriender, Raymond David, Huahn-Fern Yeh
  • Patent number: 11498518
    Abstract: A radar-based occupancy detection system that includes a seatbelt buckle disposed adjacent a seat of a vehicle and a radar module disposed within the seatbelt buckle, the radar module including an antenna, a radio frequency (RF) transmitter, a RF receiver, and a processor, the antenna configured to broadcast a RF signal generated by the RF transmitter toward the seat, the processor configured to derive signal information from output received from the receiver and to characterize occupancy of the seat based on the signal information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2022
    Assignee: Littelfuse, Inc.
    Inventors: Juergen Scheele, Efrem Fesshaie, Rimantas Misevi{hacek over (c)}ius
  • Patent number: 11426569
    Abstract: A fluid applicator including a skin contact detector device. The contact detector device includes a flexible outer substrate (S1) that defines an outer contact surface (S11), the flexible outer substrate (S1) covering a detection zone (Z) that has a plurality of conductive pellets (P1, P2, P3, P4, P5) separate from one another, the conductive pellets (P1, P2, P3, P4, P5) being arranged above a common conductive plate (D). The conductive pellets (P1, P2, P3, P4, P5), in the absence of stress, are spaced apart from the common conductive plate (D) by insulating spacers (C), so that pressure exerted on the flexible outer substrate (S1) causes at least one of the conductive pellets (P1, P2, P3, P4, P5) to come into contact with the common conductive plate (D), thereby creating at least one short-circuit signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2022
    Assignee: APTAR FRANCE SAS
    Inventor: Alexandre Chen
  • Patent number: 11407379
    Abstract: A vehicle occupant restraint system is configured to, when a vehicle speed is higher than or equal to a vehicle speed threshold, a steering angle velocity is higher than or equal to a steering angle velocity threshold set for each vehicle speed, and an estimated lateral acceleration is higher than or equal to an acceleration threshold, drive a retractor motor. The steering angle velocity threshold is as a condition to drive the retractor motor. Therefore, by setting an appropriate steering angle velocity threshold according to an amount of movement of an occupant with inertia in a vehicle width direction, the vehicle occupant restraint system is able to take up a webbing when the occupant is estimated to move with inertia by a relatively large amount in the vehicle width direction. The amount of movement with inertia varies for each vehicle speed even at the same steering angle velocity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2022
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Kenji Fukuta
  • Patent number: 11400834
    Abstract: A system and method are provided for controlling an interior configuration of a vehicle. The system may include an interior vehicle component, an actuator component configured to adjust a physical configuration of the interior vehicle component, an external communication component configured to collect driving environment data representing an external environment of the vehicle, and one or more processors configured to receive driving environment data and detect, by processing the driving environment data, an external driving condition. When the one or more processors detect the external driving condition, the one or more processors may cause the actuator component to adjust the interior vehicle component from a first physical configuration to a second physical configuration, or may cause the actuator component to restrict movement of the interior vehicle component to a predetermined range of physical configurations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2022
    Assignee: STATE FARM MUTUAL AUTOMOBILE INSURANCE COMPANY
    Inventors: Brian Mark Fields, Steve Roberson, Scott T. Christensen, Stephen R. Prevatt
  • Patent number: 11370328
    Abstract: An ISS is a seating system that actively adjusts to improve an occupant's comfort, performance, and safety in a specific driving environment. The ISS determines the occupant's posture, position on the seat surface, and/or physiological state, for example, by applying a machine vision process. The ISS can further determine a driving environment. The ISS adjusts its settings and settings of the vehicle according to one or more factors such as an occupant's posture, the occupant's physiological state, the occupant's preferences, and/or the driving environment. The ISS can include a state machine that determines a current state and determines if a change has occurred such that the system should shift to another state that best suits this change. The ISS makes adjustment according to system settings associated with the best suitable state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2022
    Assignee: XSENSOR Technology Corporation
    Inventors: Ian Main, Melissa Elizabeth Remus Jones
  • Patent number: 11346687
    Abstract: A latching system with a hall-effect sensor as described herein. A vehicle latch, including: a component movably secured to the latch; a magnet secured to the component; and a hall effect sensor positioned to detect a polarity of the magnet as the component moves, wherein the magnet is arranged with respect to the hall effect sensor so that a direction of the magnet's polarity (North and South) is parallel to the hall effect sensor as the component moves with respect to the hall effect sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2022
    Assignee: INTEVA PRODUCTS, LLC
    Inventor: Daniel Alexander Ney
  • Patent number: 11332129
    Abstract: A method for activating an emergency braking function of a vehicle. At least one restraint unit is activated in the process for restraining at least one occupant of the vehicle in response to an identification of an imminent triggering of the emergency braking function, using at least one sensor signal of at least one sensor of the vehicle. The triggering of the emergency braking function takes place when the restraint unit is activated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2022
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Andreas Schulz, Armin Koehler, Gian Antonio D'Addetta
  • Patent number: 11192521
    Abstract: A vehicular seat belt device includes a first pretensioner provided in a retractor and configured to apply tensile force to a shoulder belt portion of a webbing, a second pretensioner provided in a belt anchor part and configured to apply tensile force to a lap belt portion of the webbing, a third pretensioner provided in a side portion of the vehicle seat opposite to the belt anchor part and configured to apply tensile force to the lap belt portion via a buckle, and a controller. The controller is configured to activate the first pretensioner at a time of predicting vehicle collision, and activate the second pretensioner and the third pretensioner after detection of collision.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2021
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Seigo Kuzumaki, Osamu Fukawatase
  • Patent number: 11173865
    Abstract: An airbag system includes a front airbag device that is provided in front of an occupant and that includes a front bag body configured to be deployed by being inflated by a gas being supplied during input of an impact, a door-side guide device that is provided on a door, and that includes a door-side guide member which displaces laterally toward the occupant from an inner side surface of the door during input of the impact and which is configured to guide the occupant toward the front bag body in front, and a console-side guide device provided on a console, and that includes a console-side guide member which displaces upward from an upper surface of the console during input of the impact and which is configured to guide the occupant toward the front bag body in front.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2021
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Ito, Takashi Saso, Takayuki Shimizu
  • Patent number: 11173874
    Abstract: An occupant restraint system in a self-driving vehicle, in particular a robot taxi, for customer transport, wherein the occupant restraint system provides to the customer a restraint system that can be activated by the customer to be transported, and the occupant restraint system has an analysis unit via which a check is made in a safety check as to whether or not the restraint function is activated by the customer to be transported. The analysis unit prevents the vehicle from driving if an activated restraint function is absent. A diagnostic module, with which a functional diagnostic of the functionality of the occupant restraint system can be carried out independently of the safety check, is associated with the analysis unit. In the event that a fault is present, the diagnostic module initiates a suitable service action to remedy the fault.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2021
    Assignee: Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Thomas Wohllebe, Florin Baiduc
  • Patent number: 11124152
    Abstract: Buckle assemblies having electronic engagement indicating devices for use with child seats and other restraint systems are disclosed herein. In some embodiments, a restraint system for use with a child seat can include first and second web connectors which each have a corresponding tongue, and a buckle assembly including a housing that encloses a latch configured to engage the tongues. The buckle assembly can further include a magnet operably coupled to the latch, and an electronic switch operably positioned in the housing. The latch is configured to move between a first latch position in which the latch is disengaged from the tongues, and a second latch position in which the latch is engaged with the tongues. Movement of the latch from the first latch position to the second latch position moves the magnet relative to the electronic switch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2021
    Assignee: Shield Restraint Systems, Inc.
    Inventor: Brian George Babin
  • Patent number: 11091121
    Abstract: The rotatable locking section engages with the fixed locking section resulting in pull-out direction rotation of the spool being locked. The webbing take-up device includes a permanent magnet and an electromagnet that restrict displacement of the rotatable locking section toward the fixed locking section, and that are actuated in a vehicle emergency so as to displace the rotatable locking section toward the fixed locking section. A restricting force of the rotatable locking section by the permanent magnet and the electromagnet is set such that the rotatable locking section is displaced toward the fixed locking section by an inertial force that spins the rotatable locking section about its own center of rotation when the electromagnet is deactivated and the spool has been rotated in the pull-out direction with an angular acceleration greater than a predetermined angular acceleration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2021
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Kazuhito Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 11052853
    Abstract: A passenger protection system for a vehicle includes: a seat which slides forwards and backwards and rotates laterally, where the seat has a seat belt equipped with a belt airbag, and a side airbag provided on a side of a seatback of the seat; a front airbag provided in a front structure located in front of the seat of the vehicle to be deployed towards the seat; a curtain airbag provided in a pillar trim on an upper end of a vehicle door to be deployed downwards; and a controller to selectively deploy the belt airbag, the side airbag, the front airbag and the curtain airbag, depending on a sliding position and a rotating direction of the seat and a detection or a predicted direction of a vehicle collision.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2021
    Assignees: HYUNDAI MOTOR COMPANY, KIA MOTORS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Jae Ho Choi
  • Patent number: 11046275
    Abstract: A seat belt module includes a buckle having an internal slider and an insertion hole through which a tongue of a seat belt is configured to be inserted and fastened so that the slider protrudes above the tongue to be externally exposed of the buckle in a response to an insertion of the tongue. The seat belt module also includes a sensor mounted in an internal space of a vehicle to detect the slider exposed to the outside.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2021
    Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Corporation
    Inventor: Young Rok Kim
  • Patent number: 11027696
    Abstract: A vehicle seat belt system includes a retractable seat belt buckle, one or more buckle sensors, and a control unit. The control unit is communicatively coupled to the one or more buckle sensors and one or more drive systems of a vehicle. The retractable seat belt buckle is movable between an extended position and a retracted position. The one or more buckle sensors are positioned to sense a position of the retractable seat belt buckle and output a signal indicative of the position of the retractable seat belt buckle. The control unit receives the signal from the one or more buckle sensors, determines the position of the retractable seat belt buckle based on the signal from the one or more buckle sensors, and transmits a stop signal to the one or more vehicle drive systems to cause the one or more vehicle drive systems to prevent motion of the vehicle when the retractable seat belt buckle is positioned in the extended position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2021
    Assignee: TOYOTA MOTOR ENGINEERING & MANUFACTURING NORTH AMERICA, INC.
    Inventor: Lauren Abro
  • Patent number: 11027744
    Abstract: An apparatus for controlling a sensor of an object's safety system is provided. The apparatus includes an input node configured to receive safety information about a likelihood that the sensor senses a safety-relevant event. Further, the apparatus includes a processing circuit configured to control the sensor to perform a sensor diagnosis procedure, if the safety information indicates that it is unlikely that the sensor senses the safety-relevant event within a future period of time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2021
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventor: Dirk Hammerschmidt
  • Patent number: 11027684
    Abstract: An occupant protection device which can protect an occupant without delay is provided. An image taken by an imaging device is analyzed to judge whether there is an object approaching the subject car. In the case where a collision between the object and the subject car is judged to be inevitable, an airbag device is activated before the collision, whereby the occupant can be protected without delay. By using selenium for a light-receiving element of the imaging device, an accurate image can be obtained even under low illuminance. Imaging in a global shutter system leads to an accurate image with little distortion. This enables more accurate image analysis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2021
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shunpei Yamazaki, Takayuki Ikeda, Yoshiyuki Kurokawa
  • Patent number: 11007961
    Abstract: An assembly includes a seat. The assembly includes a bin adjacent the seat and defining a chamber having an open top. The assembly includes an uninflatable member having a front and a rear and above the open top, the uninflatable member movable to an elevated position with the front and the rear spaced from the bin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2021
    Assignee: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Zhibing Deng, Joseph Edward Abramczyk, Deepak Patel, Yun Cai, Zhaorong Li
  • Patent number: 11008013
    Abstract: A vehicle and a method of controlling an airbag of a vehicle enhances the efficiency in airbag deployment by predicting the possibility of collision of the vehicle in advance from a driving manipulation pattern of a driver and actively and variably adjusts a threshold value for deploying an airbag on the basis of a result of the prediction of the possibility of collision. The method of controlling an airbag of a vehicle includes determining a possibility of collision of the vehicle from a driving manipulation pattern of the vehicle, and variably adjusting a threshold value for deployment of the airbag on the basis of a result of the determination of the possibility of collision.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2021
    Assignees: HYUNDAI MOTOR COMPANY, KIA MOTORS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Sungdon Wee
  • Patent number: 11002755
    Abstract: A method for indicating impact of external shocks on an electronic device and the electronic device thereof are provided. An operating method of the electronic device includes monitoring shock related information due to an external force, calculating a shock amount and a shock position based on the shock related information, and calculating a shock state of a component in the electronic device based on the shock amount and the shock position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2021
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Taekeun Kim, Kihoon Kang, Shinyoung Na, Kihun Eom, Jeongmin Park
  • Patent number: 10964133
    Abstract: A state detection sensor includes a housing and a position sensing component mounted in the housing. The position sensing component is being configured to provide position data in response to detecting the presence or position of vehicle structure relative to the sensor. The state detection sensor also includes an analog input component mounted in the housing. The analog input component is configured to provide external analog sensor data in response to an analog signal received from an external analog sensor to which the analog input component can be operatively connected. The state detection sensor further includes a component configured to communicate the position data and the external analog sensor data via a serial bus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2021
    Assignee: ZF ACTIVE SAFETY AND ELECTRONICS US LLC
    Inventors: Marco Bracalente, Keith Miciuda
  • Patent number: 10946979
    Abstract: Apparatus for controlling vehicle impact absorption systems and related methods are disclosed herein. An example apparatus includes a predictor to generate a prediction of an impact event for a vehicle based on data received from sensors of the vehicle. The example apparatus includes an energy absorption allocator to determine an amount of vehicle energy to be absorbed by a crash protection system of the vehicle upon the impact event. The example apparatus includes a communicator to generate an instruction to activate the crash protection system based on the prediction and the amount of vehicle energy to be absorbed by the crash protection system and transmit the instruction to a controller of the crash protection system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2021
    Assignee: THE BOEING COMPANY
    Inventor: Akif O. Bolukbasi
  • Patent number: 10940828
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a system of detecting seat belt operation in a vehicle includes at least one light source configured to emit a predetermined wavelength of light onto structures within the vehicle, wherein at least one of the structures is a passenger seat belt assembly having a pattern that reflects the predetermined wavelength at a preferred luminance. At least one 3-D time of flight camera is positioned in the vehicle to receive reflected light from the structures in the vehicle and provide images of the structures that distinguish the preferred luminance of the pattern from other structures in the vehicle. A computer processor connected to computer memory and the camera includes computer readable instructions causing the processor to reconstruct 3-D information in regard to respective images of the structures and calculate a depth measurement of the distance of the reflective pattern on the passenger seat belt assembly from the camera.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2021
    Assignee: Joyson Safety Systems Acquisition LLC
    Inventors: Leonard Cech, Chakravarthi Mallikarjun Nagolu, Josh Ramaglia, Salvatore Brauer, Babak Bakhtiar
  • Patent number: 10906504
    Abstract: A system includes a seatbelt retractor having a spool and a braking claw selectively engageable with the spool. The system includes an actuator designed to inhibit engagement of the braking claw with the spool. The system includes a processor and a memory storing program instructions executable by the processor to actuate the actuator to inhibit engagement of the braking claw with the spool for a threshold amount of time after detecting an impact of a vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2021
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Dean M. Jaradi, Mohammad Omar Faruque, S. M. Iskander Farooq
  • Patent number: 10889262
    Abstract: A system for detecting improper usage of a seatbelt of a vehicle includes a vehicle seat having a seat cushion and a seat back. A shoulder belt and a lap belt are intended to restrain an occupant sitting on the vehicle seat. The system includes a sensor module associated with the shoulder belt and the lap belt. The sensor module generates signals indicative of at least one parameter associated with the vehicle seat, the shoulder belt, and the lap belt when the occupant is sitting on the vehicle seat. The system also includes a controller that receives the signals indicative of the at least one parameter associated with the seat back, the shoulder belt, and the lap belt. The controller analyzes the received one or more signals, and determines whether the seatbelt is being used improperly by the occupant, based on the analysis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 12, 2021
    Assignee: Tesla, Inc.
    Inventor: Forrest Wen Liau
  • Patent number: 10875435
    Abstract: A system and method for determining whether a passenger is seated in a seating area and, based at least in part on detecting the passenger, engaging or disengaging a flap in a headrest. Such a headrest may span multiple seats so that a single headrest is used by multiple passengers. Each of one or more flaps in the single headrest may then be configured by the passenger to provide each passenger with their own privacy and comfort. By actively controlling the state of the flap, a uniform passenger experience may be created so that the flap is in the same state upon a passenger entering the vehicle. Further, examples of the headrest are designed and configured to couple directly, or indirectly, to a vehicle body, such that the headrest does not couple directly to a seat or passenger seating area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2020
    Assignee: Zoox, Inc.
    Inventors: Nahuel Elias Battaglia, Anke Christine Bodack, Felix Jacob Lorsignol, Andrew Frank Raczkowski, Herman Francisco Delos Santos, Christopher John Stoffel, Bryan Scot Thompson, Timothy David Kentley-Klay
  • Patent number: 10857969
    Abstract: A device for influencing the force of a seatbelt acting on an occupant of a passenger vehicle during a collision, for example. The device includes a rotary damper with a magnetorheological fluid as a working fluid for damping a rotational movement of a damper shaft of the rotary damper when winding or unwinding the seatbelt. The rotary damper has a displacing device with displacing components which engage into one another and which are wetted by the magnetorheological fluid. By using a paired controller, a magnetic field of a magnetic field source with an electric coil can be controlled and the magnetorheological fluid can be influenced in order to adjust the damping of the rotational movement of the damper shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2020
    Assignee: INVENTUS Engineering GmbH
    Inventor: Stefan Battlogg
  • Patent number: 10814829
    Abstract: A passenger restraint device for amusement rides and a method for retaining at least one passenger by means of the restraint device. The device comprises at least one restraint element provided with at least one contact surface intended to be placed in contact with at least one part of the body of a passenger. The restraint element is movable between at least one open position, in which the restraint element is not in contact with the passenger and at least one closed position in which the restraint element is in contact with at least one part of the passenger's body. The restraint element comprises at least one sensor to detect a contact between the restraint element and at least one part of the body of the passenger, preferably a contact with a passenger's thighs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2020
    Assignee: ANTONIO ZAMPERLA S.P.A.
    Inventor: Antonio Zamperla
  • Patent number: 10814813
    Abstract: A method for protecting an occupant of a motor vehicle in the case of an imminent collision with a collision object includes: recognizing that a collision with the collision object is imminent, analyzing the collision object and recognizing whether a particularly sensitive upper area of the motor vehicle will be affected by the collision, and at least partially suppressing a trigger signal of a protective mechanism to enable an evasive action by the occupant if it is recognized that the particularly sensitive upper area of the motor vehicle will be affected by the collision that has been recognized to be imminent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2020
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventor: Johannes Ludwig Foltin
  • Patent number: 10722002
    Abstract: An illuminated belt buckle (1) for a seat belt device of a motor vehicle, having a housing (2), a push button (3) displaceable in the housing (2), an insertion slot (4) bounded by an edge section (21) of the housing (2). A light source (10) and the at least one light emission surface (12, 13, 38, 39) are connected via at least one optical waveguide (11), and wherein a deflecting element (14, 15, 16) is arranged or formed on at least one boundary surface (7) of the optical waveguide (11) and/or on at least one boundary surface (8, 9) of the light emission surface (12, 13, 38, 39). The deflecting element having a geometry that differs from the rest of the boundary surface (7, 8, 9).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2020
    Assignee: AUTOLIV DEVELOPMENT AB
    Inventors: Fabian Harms, Arndt Sohnchen, Iulian Rotariu
  • Patent number: 10717381
    Abstract: A tie down anchor tension monitoring system includes a tension level monitoring module and at least one tie down anchoring point integrated into a cargo carrying space configured for connecting to a free end of a cargo tie down strap. The system further includes at least one tension level monitoring sensor integrated with the at least one tie down anchoring point, wherein the at least one tension monitoring sensor is configured to output a signal to the tension monitoring module that is indicative of a tension level of the cargo tie down strap.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2020
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventor: Benjamin Chu
  • Patent number: 10703327
    Abstract: A restraint system includes a first member including a first hole and fixable to a seat frame, a second member including a second hole and slidably coupled to the first member between a retracted position in which the first and second holes are aligned and an extended position in which the first and second holes are spaced from each other, a buckle housing fixed to the second member, and a tongue including a third hole and insertable into the buckle housing to an inserted position in which the second and third holes are aligned.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2020
    Assignee: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventor: Daniel Vincent Vega
  • Patent number: 10682979
    Abstract: A sensor system for determining extension or tension in a seat belt of a seat-belt system in which the belt extends from and can be wound up on a retractor. The system has an electrical conductor extending longitudinally along the belt, a retractor for paying out and winding up the belt and the conductor thereon, and n electrode juxtaposed with the retractor. A controller connected to the conductor applies an electrical voltage to the conductor and is also connected to the electrode for detecting the voltage in the conductor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2020
    Assignee: paragon GmbH & Co. KGaA
    Inventor: Ralf Moenkemoeller
  • Patent number: 10668895
    Abstract: A variable force limiter control system for a vehicle includes a variable force limiter mechanism, a relative speed sensor, an acceleration sensor and an electronic control unit. The variable force limiter mechanism is configured to change a force limiter load. The relative speed sensor is configured to detect a relative speed of the vehicle with respect to a collision object before a collision. The acceleration sensor is configured to detect an acceleration of the vehicle. The electronic control unit is configured to predict a severity of a collision on the basis of at least the relative speed. The electronic control unit is configured to control the force limiter load on the basis of both the predicted severity and the acceleration in an initial stage of the collision of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2020
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Jiro Ohachi, Takuya Nezaki, Takashi Hasegawa, Katsunori Yamada, Mitsuaki Gotoh, Makoto Aki, Yusuke Mase, Takashi Fujinami
  • Patent number: 10647281
    Abstract: An occupant restraining device for a vehicle has: a time to collision estimating section that estimates a time to collision, the time to collision being a time until a front collision with a vehicle ahead; a force imparting portion that imparts force toward a vehicle rear side to a vehicle occupant of an own vehicle; a gap enlarging portion that enlarges a gap between the vehicle occupant and a seatback of a vehicle seat; a gap estimating section that estimates a size of the gap between the vehicle occupant and the seatback; and a control section that, in a case in which the gap enlarging portion operates, controls a timing of a start of operation of the force imparting portion on the basis of the time to collision estimated by the time to collision estimating section and the size of the gap estimated by the gap estimating section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2020
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Takashi Hasegawa
  • Patent number: 10640009
    Abstract: A seat occupancy sensor includes: a first sensor group having a plurality of first sensor cells that are arrayed in a front-rear direction of a seat and become conductive as a load is applied thereto; a second sensor group having a plurality of second sensor cells that are arrayed in the front-rear direction, farther on a front side of the seat and closer to an end of the seat in a width direction than the first sensor group, and that become conductive as a load is applied thereto; and an electronic control unit. The electronic control unit determines that someone is sitting on the seat when both of at least one of the first sensor cells and at least one of the second sensor cells become conductive.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2020
    Assignees: AISIN SEIKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA, TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yoshihiro Mizokawa, Keiichi Yanai, Atsushi Kobayashi, Keiichi Kondo, Shunsuke Nagai
  • Patent number: 10636303
    Abstract: An electronic device included in a first vehicle comprises a first communication unit communicating with a second vehicle other than the first vehicle or a roadside unit, a second communication unit communicating with first vehicle, and at least one processor. The at least one processor transmits information of a passenger of the first vehicle to the second vehicle or the roadside unit by a communication via the first communication unit when it is determined based on a communication via the second communication unit that a power engine of the first vehicle is not activated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2020
    Assignee: KYOCERA Corporation
    Inventors: Isao Masuike, Hideki Morita, Koutaro Yamauchi
  • Patent number: 10631597
    Abstract: A belt buckle includes a casing (12) and an illumination system (24) present in the area of a locking tongue insertion opening (14). The illumination system (24) includes a lamp (32) and a light conductor (26; 26?) having a light emission area, and the light conductor (26; 26?) includes an annular portion (42; 42?) which surrounds at least a major part of the locking tongue insertion opening (14).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2020
    Assignee: TRW AUTOMOTIVE GMBH
    Inventors: Hans-Peter Betz, Peter Haas, Jörg Meyer, Ralf Knoedl
  • Patent number: 10605701
    Abstract: An analysis system includes detectors provided in an apparatus, first analysis devices each configured to generate processed data by performing predetermined processing on detection information from each of the detectors, and to evaluate an object to be evaluated based on the detection information from each of the detectors and on an evaluation pattern, and a second analysis device configured to update the evaluation pattern based on the processed data generated by each of the first analysis devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2020
    Assignee: JTEKT CORPORATION
    Inventors: Toshiyuki Tsuzuki, Sakon Murayama, Yuki Ishigure
  • Patent number: 10583804
    Abstract: A guide ring sensor has a fixing seat, a guide ring, an elastic member, and a sensing element. The guide ring is pivoted on the fixing seat by a positioning member. The elastic member is mounted on the body of the fixing seat, is connected to the guide ring, and provides resilience to the guide ring. The sensing element is mounted on the fixing seat to detect a pivoting angle change of the guide ring and generate a signal corresponding to the pivoting angle change of the guide ring. The sensing element may detect whether a webbing is correctly fastened or not by the pivoting angle change of the guide ring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2020
    Inventor: Liang-Hsiung Wang
  • Patent number: 10538272
    Abstract: A multi-purpose vehicle includes a rollover protection structure frame (ROPS frame) associated with a seat. The ROPS frame includes right and left front struts, and right and left rear struts. A handrail frame is attached to a lateral outer side of the seat. A cover member is attached to the handrail frame and extends upwards from the handrail frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2020
    Assignee: Kubota Corporation
    Inventors: Koji Nada, Hiroki Bessho, Sechan Park, Masaru Nakaji
  • Patent number: 10520601
    Abstract: According to some embodiments there is provided a sound and detection system comprising at least a digital sound reconstruction speaker apparatus, comprising a plurality of pressure-pulse producing elements, and at least a controlling unit configured to control the actuation of the plurality of pressure-pulse producing elements, so as to produce at least an ultrasonic beam directed towards space during at least a first time interval, for the calculation of at least the position of at least part of an object present in space based on the sensing of at least ultrasonic sound waves reflected by said part of the object, and control the actuation of the plurality of pressure-pulse producing elements, so as to produce audible content during at least a second time interval. Various other systems, methods and applications are described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2019
    Assignee: AUDIO PIXELS LTD.
    Inventors: Yuval Cohen, Daniel Lewin, Eric Andreas Haber, Shay Kaplan, Meir Ben Simon
  • Patent number: 10507790
    Abstract: A system for detecting usage of a seat belt and initiating a notification signal on detecting non-usage of the seat belt. Further, the system transmits the detected data to a plurality of computing units over a communication network. The system is integrated with the seat belt of a vehicle, wherein the seat belt comprises a female unit and male unit. The system comprises a first sensor unit, circuitry unit, second sensor unit, communication unit, and power unit. The first sensor unit and the circuitry unit are integrated with the female unit to detect an unbuckled position of the seat belt. The second sensor unit is integrated with the male unit to detect a buckled position of the seat belt on completing a circuitry when the male unit is secured into the female unit of the seat belt. The circuitry unit is electrically coupled to the first sensor unit to transmit a plurality of notification signals to computing units.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2019
    Inventor: Earnest L. Banks
  • Patent number: 10479237
    Abstract: A rebound bar adapted for being supported between a child safety seat and a backrest of a car seat is disclosed. The rebound bar includes a main body and at least one shock absorbing portion. The main body is connected to one of a seat portion and a base portion of the child safety seat. The at least one shock absorbing portion combined with the main body for absorbing an impact from the backrest. The at least one shock absorbing portion can produce deformation when the rebound bar receives the impact from the backrest. Therefore, it can effectively reduce risk of injury to a child. Furthermore, a child safety seat assembly having the aforementioned rebound bar is disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2019
    Assignee: Wonderland Switzerland AG
    Inventors: Esther R. Saint, Steven Glenn Gerhart, Brad Thomas Bickley
  • Patent number: 10471800
    Abstract: A vehicle seat belt system is provided. The vehicle seat belt system includes a seat belt comprising a webbing, an electric powered device such as a heater coupled to the webbing, electrical circuitry connected to the heater and extending through a seat belt buckle and connector tongue, and an electric power source for providing electric power to the electric heater via the electrical circuitry. The electrical circuitry supplies power through the connector tongue and seat belt buckle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2019
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Clay Wesley Maranville, John Craig Elson, Victoria Schein, Kerrie Gath
  • Patent number: 10460603
    Abstract: A method for the preparation of an obstacle map, wherein the obstacle map comprises cells, includes assigning each of the cells to segments of an environment of the vehicle, and assigning to each of the cells information as to whether the corresponding segment of the environment is occupied by an obstacle. The method also includes preparing an environment map that comprises the cells, and determining a threshold value specification, where the threshold value specification specifies different threshold values for the cells of the environment map. The threshold value specification is determined depending on a trajectory of the vehicle. An obstacle map is then determined on the basis of the environment map and the threshold value specification.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2019
    Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Marc Walessa, Oliver Kormann
  • Patent number: 10441036
    Abstract: At a present buckle device, lateral slits are formed in lateral portions of a slider of a buckle switch. A tab is formed at a portion, which is further toward a device upper side than the lateral slit, of a lateral portion that is at a device left side. A portion, which is further toward a device lower side than the lateral slit, at the lateral portion is an elastic portion, and a magnet is held thereat. Therefore, even if the tab receives pushing force from an ejector and is deformed, deformation arising at the elastic portion can be suppressed, and holding of the magnet can be stabilized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2019
    Assignee: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOKAI-RIKA-DENKI-SEISAKUSHO
    Inventors: Koji Hayashi, Tomotaka Suzuki, Tetsushi Urushibata