Electric Control And/or Sensor Means Patents (Class 280/735)
  • Patent number: 11130446
    Abstract: A method for detecting objects ejected from a cabin of a vehicle includes generating window image data of a vehicle window opening of the vehicle with a camera mounted on the vehicle; and processing the window image data with a controller operably connected to the camera to generate ejected object data corresponding to at least one object ejected from the cabin through the vehicle window opening. The method further includes associating the ejected object data with occupant data of an occupant of the vehicle with the controller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 28, 2021
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventor: Sören Wildemann
  • Patent number: 11132562
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus for a detection system. The detection system includes a memory configured to store image data and a first camera configured to capture first image data including a first set of objects in the environment when the vehicle is moving. The electronic control unit is configured to obtain, from the first camera, the first image data including the first set of objects, determine a motion of an object of the first set of objects based on the first image data, and determine that the motion of the object will be different than a baseline motion for the object. The electronic control unit is configured to record and capture, in the memory and using the camera, the first image data for a time period before and after the determination that the motion of the object will be different than the baseline motion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 28, 2021
    Assignee: TOYOTA MOTOR ENGINEERING & MANUFACTURING NORTH AMERICA, INC.
    Inventors: Katsumi Nagata, Shojiro Takeuchi
  • Patent number: 11125834
    Abstract: A method and system for diagnosing the squib leakage resistance through a restraint control module is disclosed in the present application. The newly proposed system and method provides a highly accurate measurement by minimizing/eliminating the effect of the unknown source voltage effects. The concept utilizes the squib leakage resistance diagnostic resources with a multi-step measurement approach, for example utilizing measurements of two currents and/or two voltages.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2021
    Assignee: VEONEER US, INC.
    Inventors: Vincent Colarossi, Stuart Koch
  • Patent number: 11104367
    Abstract: A steering wheel unit is equipped with an electrode which is provided on a steering wheel and constitutes an electrostatic capacitance sensor, a sensor circuit that passes an alternating current to the electrode, a comprehensive control unit adapted to energize the sensor circuit at a time of failure diagnosis, and a failure diagnosis unit that performs a short circuit failure diagnosis continuously or periodically when a power source of a vehicle is on, and performs an open circuit failure diagnosis when the power source of the vehicle is switched from off to on.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2021
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Shotaro Odate
  • Patent number: 11101636
    Abstract: A squib driver circuit for deployment of a deployable restraint in a vehicle. The safety restraint may have a minimum firing voltage. The voltage regulator may regulate the input voltage to be the minimum firing voltage at the input terminal. The squib driver circuit may be formed on a single chip. The squib driver circuit may include a high side driver and a low side driver. An input terminal for receiving an input voltage used to fire the deployable restraint. The high side driver may supply current from the input terminal to the deployable restraint. The low side driver may supply current from deployable restraint to the electrical ground.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2021
    Assignee: VEONEER US, INC.
    Inventors: Vincent Colarossi, Bankim Patel
  • Patent number: 11084441
    Abstract: An airbag firing control system may include an inertial measurement unit (IMU) including a low gravity (G) sensor configured to detect a longitudinal acceleration (ax), a filter configured to convert a first signal detection range of the low G sensor into a second signal detection range and to filter converted output of the low G sensor to generate a first output signal, and an adjuster configured to perform zero-point adjustment on the first output signal transmitted through the filter, and a microcomputer configured to use the first output signal for firing safing when the first output signal satisfies a safing condition as a performing result of the adjuster.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2021
    Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Corporation
    Inventor: Sung Don Wee
  • Patent number: 11077792
    Abstract: A driver focus analyzer including one or more sensors configured to measure a distance of a driver or computing device from the one or more sensors, processing circuitry configured to compare the distance to a predetermined distance threshold, determine if the distance exceeds the predetermined distance threshold, and cause an alert in response to at least determining that the distance exceeds the predetermined threshold, and an alert output device configured to generate an audio or visual output in response to the alert.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2021
    Inventor: Arjun Kundan Dhawan
  • Patent number: 11077818
    Abstract: An airbag device includes an airbag, an airbag cover which covers the airbag, and a holder which holds the airbag and the airbag cover. The airbag cover includes a door portion which is pushed by the inflating airbag and opened with a hinge portion around a rotation center. A functional component is provided on the door portion and connected to and held by a deformable holding member. The holding member includes a distal side connecting portion connected to the functional component, a proximal side connecting portion connected to a part which can ensure an attachment strength, and a deformation portion which is provided between the distal and proximal side connecting portions and deformed to maintain a connection and holding state of the distal side connecting portion with the functional component and reduce a centrifugal force of the functional component acting on the hinge portion when the airbag is inflated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2021
    Assignee: TOYODA GOSEI CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Takamitsu Murai, Shunsuke Kamei, Hisanori Kihara
  • Patent number: 11067673
    Abstract: Techniques of designing an image sensor particularly useful in lidar applications are described. According to one aspect of the present invention, an image sensor is designed to take advantage of the architecture of CMOS sensor with correlated double sampling, or CDS, to avoid the sensing speed being halved in order to cancel background light interference. It is commonly known that a photosensor is read twice (i.e., first and second readouts) in CDS for removing the inherent noises from the photosensor itself. Instead of subtracting a pixel's dark or reference output level from an actual light-induced signal, a background image is managed to be captured before the second readout of the sensor and subtracted from an actual image, where the actual image is defined to include an target. As a result, the readout speed of an image sensor is maintained while the background light interference is removed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2021
    Assignee: CMOS Sensor, Inc.
    Inventor: Hui Wei
  • Patent number: 11062582
    Abstract: The disclosure is directed to a vehicle cargo bed capacitive sensor system programmed to determine when items in the cargo bed (e.g., the bed of a pickup truck) are being manipulated. The system may include one or more capacitive sensors disposed on one or more cargo bed walls. The system detects items exiting the cargo bed (e.g., by falling out of the cargo bed), and detects shifting cargo. The system may also detect a person reaching into the cargo bed, and can provide information such as the location where the cargo was taken or lost from the cargo bed, and live feed images of the intruding party. The system may automatically extend and contract the capacitive field to control sensor sensitivity, and adjust the sample rate of the sensor data based on characteristics of vehicle operation, such as drive mode, speed, GPS direction, and other factors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2021
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: John Robert Van Wiemeersch, Stuart C. Salter, Paul Kenneth Dellock, Pietro Buttolo
  • Patent number: 11046273
    Abstract: A seat belt status determining system and method for a vehicle that evaluate a seat belt and determine if it is buckled and if it is properly routed on a passenger. In order to evaluate the seat belt status, the system and method use seat belt sensors and cameras inside the vehicle cabin to generate data that is then analyzed in conjunction with machine learning techniques (e.g., supervised machine learning techniques implemented through the use of neural networks) to classify the seat belt status into one or more categories, such as: passenger not present, passenger present/seat belt not being worn, passenger present/seat belt being worn improperly, passenger present/seat belt being worn properly, and blocked view.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2021
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Michael Baltaxe, Ruben Mergui, Kobi Nistel, Gila Kamhi
  • Patent number: 11047729
    Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for systems and methods to detect and/or classify a vehicle occupant, such as a passenger seated within the cockpit of a vehicle. An occupant classification system includes an occupant weight sensor, an occupant presence sensor, and a logic device configured to communicate with the occupant weight sensor and the occupant presence sensor. The logic device is configured to receive occupant weight sensor signals from the occupant weight sensor and occupant presence sensor signals from the occupant presence sensor, determine an estimated occupant weight and an occupant presence response based, at least in part, on the occupant weight sensor signals and the occupant presence sensor signals, and determine an occupant classification status corresponding to the passenger seat based, at least in part, on the estimated occupant weight and/or the occupant presence response.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2021
    Assignee: Tesla, Inc.
    Inventors: Akin Aina, Markell Baldwin, Bronson Aden, Zach Stuart
  • Patent number: 11034318
    Abstract: In a triggering system for activating a safety device, an acceleration sensor outputs a signal for a time duration in which an acceleration impulse exceeds an acceleration magnitude threshold. A first switching device receives the signal output by the acceleration sensor, and electrically connects a power supply to at least one safety response device for the time duration. A time delay device, upon completion of a delay time after receiving the signal output by the acceleration sensor, outputs a signal for the time duration. A second switching device receives the signal output by the time delay device, and electrically connects the power supply to the at least one safety response device for the time duration. When the time duration exceeds the delay time, the first switching device and the second switching device concurrently electrically connect the safety response device to the power supply, activating the safety response device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2021
    Assignee: B/E Aerospace, Inc.
    Inventors: Adam M. Doyle, Russell C. Proctor
  • Patent number: 11026026
    Abstract: A sensing device comprises a charge pump, a MEMS sensor, a source follower and a PGA. The charge pump is configured to provide a pump voltage. The MEMS sensor is electrically connected to the charge pump and configured to generate an input voltage according to environment variations. The source follower is electrically connected to the MEMS sensor and configured to generate a followed reference voltage according to the pump voltage and to generate a followed input voltage according to the input voltage. The PGA has an input end of the PGA electrically connected to the source follower and is configured to generate two-ended differential output voltages outputted through a first output end and a second output end according to a difference between the followed reference voltage and the followed input voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2021
    Assignee: SILICON INTEGRATED SYSTEMS CORP.
    Inventors: Ssu-Che Yang, Wen-Chi Lin, Keng-Nan Chen
  • Patent number: 11026318
    Abstract: A method for identifying sensor units (3) at fault in a lighting system (1) performed using three or more sensor units (3), each respective one of the sensor units (3) comprising a respective sensor (116) configured to generate sensor data, the method comprising at an external processing apparatus (20) external to the sensor units (3): receiving from each of the sensor units (3) the sensor data; generating correlation parameters from the sensor data for selected pairs of neighbouring sensor units (3); and monitoring the correlation parameters to determine a sensor unit (3) at fault.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2021
    Assignee: SIGNIFY HOLDING B.V.
    Inventors: Ashish Vijay Pandharipande, David Ricardo Caicedo Fernandez
  • Patent number: 11021132
    Abstract: Disclosed are a rear occupant protection apparatus and a control method thereof for controlling a seat belt, or an airbag, based on the state of a rear occupant and a vehicle driving environment to safely protect the rear occupant. The rear occupant protection apparatus includes a first monitoring unit configured to monitor a state of a rear occupant, a second monitoring unit configured to monitor a surrounding situation of a subject vehicle, and a controller configured to control the first and second monitoring units, wherein the controller controls the first and second monitors units to monitor the state of the rear occupant and the surrounding situation of the subject vehicle when the rear occupant wears a seat belt, and controls the seat belt seat belt worn by the rear occupant based on at least one of the state of the rear occupant or the surrounding situation of the subject vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2021
    Assignees: HYUNDAI MOTOR COMPANY, KIA MOTORS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Yu Kyoung Sung
  • Patent number: 11007965
    Abstract: An airbag device includes an airbag. A passenger protection portion of the airbag has a frontal collision restraint surface, an oblique collision restraint surface, and a restraint recess portion. The airbag has a recess portion tether that couples a tip side of a recess of the restraint recess portion and a front end side of the airbag to each other, and at least one longitudinal tether that couples the front end side of the airbag and a recess portion-side region that is located on the restraint recess portion side with respect to a center of the frontal collision restraint surface in a lateral direction to each other, inside the airbag. The frontal collision restraint surface has at least two protruding surfaces that are configured to protrude backward, due to the longitudinal tether. The at least two protruding surfaces are arranged in alignment in the lateral direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2021
    Assignee: TOYODA GOSEI CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Ikuo Yamada, Motoyuki Tanaka
  • Patent number: 11001168
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a seat (20), in particular for a vehicle, comprising a first sensor (32) arranged in order to generate a first electrical signal upon a user seating themselves on a seat (20) and upon the vacating of the seat (20) by the user. The seat (20) also comprises a second sensor (34) that is capable of generating a second electrical signal in a substantially continuous or repeated manner when the user is seated on the seat (20).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2021
    Assignee: ALSTOM TRANSPORT TECHNOLOGIES
    Inventors: Bastian Simoni, Selim Dagdag
  • Patent number: 10997440
    Abstract: According to one embodiments, a wearing detection apparatus includes a restraint device, an imaging device, a control unit, and an output device. The restraint device is to restrain a passenger seated in a seat, and includes a strap an exposed area of which changes when the strap is being worn and not worn. The imaging device captures an image of the restraint device including the strap. The control unit detects from the image captured by the imaging device, a recognition image corresponding to a recognition member provided in an area that is exposed when the strap is worn. The output device outputs a result of detection of the recognition image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 4, 2021
    Assignee: Toshiba Digital Solutions Corporation
    Inventors: Akifumi Ohno, Tatsuei Hoshino, Tamotsu Masuda, Satoshi Maesugi, Kousuke Imai, Naoto Shinkawa
  • Patent number: 10994692
    Abstract: A frontal airbag for vehicle occupants comprises a contact panel (26) facing the vehicle occupant in the inflated state and including upper and lower edges (146, 148) as well as two lateral edges (150). In the interior of the airbag, tension means (30) that withhold portions of the contact panel (26) in the inflated state are arranged at the contact panel (26) so that the contact panel has plural indentations. The contact panel (26) is composed of plural interconnected cut parts (42, 44).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 4, 2021
    Assignee: TRW AUTOMOTIVE GMBH
    Inventors: Daniele Aranzulla, Martin Burkhardtsmaier
  • Patent number: 10997607
    Abstract: To detect a risk of insurance fraud in a vehicle insurance claim for physical injuries, injury data may be retrieved from previous crashes involving similar type vehicles as the damaged vehicle, and having similar crash characteristics. One or several likelihoods that the claimant suffered physical injuries from the crash may be determined based on the percentage of people who suffered similar types of injuries or similar severity according to the injury data. If the one or several likelihoods are very small, the claim for physical injuries may be flagged as a risk of fraud and a suspicious loss indicator may be transmitted to a mobile computing device for display.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 4, 2021
    Assignee: STATE FARM MUTUAL AUTOMOBILE INSURANCE COMPANY
    Inventor: William J. Leise
  • Patent number: 10988107
    Abstract: A vehicle system equipped with an apparatus for detecting a vehicle buckle may include: a buckle switch device which is turned on or off depending on whether a vehicle seat belt buckle is fastened; and a buckle detection apparatus that determines whether the vehicle seat belt buckle is fastened based on an on or off operation of the buckle switch device and diagnoses a failure of the buckle detection apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2021
    Assignees: HYUNDAI MOTOR COMPANY, KIA MOTORS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Sang Uk Chu, Ga Ram Hwang
  • Patent number: 10988095
    Abstract: An on-board vehicle system including: an electronic computing and control unit connected to vehicle internal sensors and to a vehicle main computer, which in turn is connected to crash sensing related sensors and vehicle driving sensors, and the electronic computing and control unit is also operatively connected to an occupant weighing devices of the on-board vehicle system connected to seats of passengers which are operatively connected to inflators through controllers which are connected to electronic computing and control unit by using a method of occupant weighing, and wherein a restraint power line of an air bag of a child seat is connected to a low pressure air bag source which is connected to and controlled by the electronic computing and control unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2021
    Inventor: Yefim G. Kriger
  • Patent number: 10974675
    Abstract: A method for operating an automobile vehicle pedestrian sensing system includes: embedding multiple piezoelectric sensors in a vehicle bumper fascia, each generating a voltage in response to an impact of an object with the fascia; retrieving multiple threshold values from a memory, each assigned to one of the sensors; reading the voltage from each of the sensors; grouping individual sensors into multiple different logic circuits, each including at least two of the sensors; determining for each sensor in each of the logic circuits if the voltage is greater than the assigned threshold value; creating a positive signal following any one of the logic circuits when the voltage is determined to be greater than the assigned threshold value for the sensors grouped into the one of the logic circuits; and generating a hood deployment system deployment signal when the positive signal is output from all of the logic circuits.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2021
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Hanif Muhammad, Dorel M. Sala, Richard J. Skurkis
  • Patent number: 10970746
    Abstract: Embodiments herein can determine an optimal route for an autonomous electric vehicle. The system may score viable routes between the start and end locations of a trip using a numeric or other scale that denotes how viable the route is for autonomy. The score is adjusted using a variety of factors where a learning process leverages both offline and online data. The scored routes are not based simply on the shortest distance between the start and end points but determine the best route based on the driving context for the vehicle and the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2021
    Assignee: NIO USA, Inc.
    Inventors: Abhishek Singhal, Gautam Muralidhar, Christopher F. Pouliot, Edward H. Baik, Jonathan A. Cox
  • Patent number: 10946724
    Abstract: An apparatus for controlling a compressor includes: an operation information detector which detects operation information from various sensors according to an operation of a vehicle; a compressor which compresses a refrigerant for operating an air conditioner; and a controller which performs starting acceleration control of momentarily decreasing an operation rate of the compressor, which uses engine power in an acceleration situation of the vehicle, in which the controller stores a first map, in which a starting acceleration entry condition according to a driving pattern and a heat load of the vehicle is defined in a plurality of levels, sets a starting acceleration entry condition having a final level corresponding to the driving pattern according to a starting acceleration entry frequency of a driver for a predetermined unit time within a limited level range of the first map, and adjusts a starting acceleration control frequency of the compressor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2021
    Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Motors Corporation
    Inventors: Tae Hun Jung, Jeong Sik Seo, Jaeyeon Moon
  • Patent number: 10940826
    Abstract: A passenger airbag inflator for a vehicle includes: a housing having a first gunpowder therein, including a vent hole, and communicating with an airbag cushion; a first chamber located in a first side inner space of the housing, having a first booster and a first igniter, and configured to be triggered forwardly when the first igniter is ignited; and a second chamber located in a second side inner space of the housing, having a second booster and a second gunpowder, including a second igniter, and configured to be triggered forwardly when the second igniter is ignited.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2021
    Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Motors Corporation
    Inventor: Jun Yeol Choi
  • Patent number: 10906495
    Abstract: A passenger protection apparatus for vehicle includes an airbag, a tether, a tension member, and a controller. The airbag is configured to deploy via a seat on which a passenger sits or a periphery member of the seat. The tether has a first end coupled to a front portion of the airbag in a deployment direction of the airbag. The tension member is coupled to a second end of the tether and configured to pull the first end to the seat side. The controller is configured to activate the tension member to pull the tether at the same time as the airbag deploys, when the airbag is deploying, or after the airbag has deployed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2021
    Assignee: SUBARU CORPORATION
    Inventor: Isamu Nagasawa
  • Patent number: 10896679
    Abstract: Devices and techniques are generally described for sending a first instruction for a device to output first content while the speech-processing device is in an ambient state during a first time period. First feedback data is received indicating that a first action associated with the first content was requested at a first time. A determination is made that the first time is during the first time period. Timing data related to a current time of the device is determined. Second content is determined based at least in part on the first action being requested during the first time period and the timing data. A second instruction is sent effective to cause the device to output second content while in the ambient state during a second time period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 19, 2021
    Assignee: AMAZON TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Guoning Hu, Michael Hart, Seth Brickman, Ashok Gupta, David Jason Jones, Sandy Huang Cook
  • Patent number: 10894546
    Abstract: A method for enabling driver operation of a motor vehicle includes receiving an electrical signal representing a property sensed by touching a region of skin of an occupant in the motor vehicle, and determining whether the occupant's ability to drive the motor vehicle is impaired based on the electrical signal. The method further includes performing an image based verification to determine whether the occupant from whom the property was sensed is in a driving position of the motor vehicle, and providing a control signal to enable operation of the motor vehicle based on a result of the determining and a result of the image based verification.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 19, 2021
    Assignee: Valeo Comfort and Driving Assistance
    Inventors: Stephane Vanhelle, Mithran Menon
  • Patent number: 10894524
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides an alarm apparatus and a vehicle safety system for preventing leaving child in a vehicle. The alarm apparatus includes: a power supply circuit configure to supply power to the alarm apparatus; a central processing unit; a communication module configured to transmit alarm information to an external communication terminal; a vehicle condition monitoring device; at least an infrared monitor configured to monitor whether there is a human in the vehicle and transmit a human monitoring result to the central processing unit; and a temperature sensor configured to monitor a temperature inside the vehicle and transmit a temperature detection result to the central processing unit such that the central processing unit control the communication module to transmit the alarm information to the external communication terminal based on the temperature detection result. In this manner, leaving children in vehicles can be effectively prevented to avoid accidents.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 19, 2021
    Inventor: Zhengzheng Luo
  • Patent number: 10882418
    Abstract: A method for classifying an occupant and providing the occupant classification for a safety device in a motor vehicle. The method includes reading in a first piece of information that indirectly describes the occupant; reading in a second piece of information that directly describes the occupant; classifying the occupant, taking the indirect and direct information into account; and providing the occupant classification to an interface to the safety device for the vehicle. A corresponding device is also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2021
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventor: Marlon Ramon Ewert
  • Patent number: 10885314
    Abstract: A face identification system includes a transmitter, a receiver, a database, an artificial intelligence chip, and a main processor. The transmitter is used for emitting at least one first light signal to an object. The receiver is used for receiving at least one second light signal reflected by the object. The database is used for saving training data. The artificial intelligence chip is coupled to the transmitter, the receiver, and the database for identifying a face image from the object according to the at least one second light signal and the training data. The main processor is coupled to the artificial intelligence chip for receiving a face identification signal generated from the artificial intelligence chip.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2021
    Assignee: Kneron Inc.
    Inventor: Chun-Chen Liu
  • Patent number: 10875487
    Abstract: A side airbag device stored in a side support of a vehicle seat includes an airbag module having an airbag with first and second chambers and an inflator and a webbing partially covering the airbag module. The first chamber is deployed toward a front side of the side support and the second chamber accommodates the inflator therein and is deployed at an inner side with respect to the first chamber. The webbing extends from a rear side of the airbag module along an inner side surface of the airbag module, passes through a pad of the side support along a first path so as to reach an outside of the side support, and further extend along an outer surface of the side support and reach proximately a front edge of the side support when viewed in horizontal cross section of the airbag module from above.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2020
    Assignee: AUTOLIV DEVELOPMENT AB
    Inventors: Yuto Kobayashi, Mitsuo Nogami
  • Patent number: 10864877
    Abstract: A passenger protection apparatus includes a seat, an activation member, a first detector, a second detector, and a controller. The seat has a seat cushion on which a passenger can sit. The activation member is configured to be activated upward in the seat cushion. The first detector is configured to detect or predict a collision of a vehicle. The second detector is configured to detect a sitting state of the passenger sitting on the seat cushion. The controller is configured to control activation of the activation member. The activation member can change an activation point at which the activation member is activated upward. When the first detector detects or predicts a collision of the vehicle, the controller sets the activation point on a basis of the sitting position detected by the second detector, and activates the activation member upward in the seat cushion at the determined activation point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2020
    Assignee: SUBARU CORPORATION
    Inventor: Isamu Nagasawa
  • Patent number: 10864876
    Abstract: An assembly includes a vehicle interior component. The assembly includes an airbag mounted to the vehicle interior component. The assembly includes a deployable panel supported by the vehicle interior component adjacent the airbag, the deployable panel being movable relative to the vehicle interior component between a retracted position and an extended position. The assembly includes a spring between the vehicle interior component and the deployable panel. The spring biases the deployable panel toward the extended position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2020
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Srinivas Reddy Malapati, Mangesh Kadam
  • Patent number: 10860116
    Abstract: A gesture control system includes a processor, the processor in communication with a plurality of sensors. The processor is configured to perform the steps of detecting, using the plurality of sensors, a gesture in a volume occupied by a plurality of occupants, analyzing a prior knowledge to associate the gesture with one of the plurality of occupants, and generating an output, the output being determined by the gesture and the one of the plurality of occupants.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2020
    Assignees: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD., EDGE 3 TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Stuart Yamamoto, Matt Conway, Graeme Asher, Matt McElvogue, Churu Yun, Tarek El Dokor, Josh King, James E. Holmes, Jordan Cluster
  • Patent number: 10857964
    Abstract: A side airbag device for restraining an occupant at an initial stage of airbag deployment. A seatback includes a side support portion that bulges out in a vehicle advancement direction on a vehicle width direction side portion. A side frame having a frame side wall that extends in the vehicle advancement direction when a horizontal section is disposed in the interior of the side support portion. The side airbag device is housed on a vehicle width direction inner side of the frame side wall. An inflator is provided on the vehicle width direction inner side of the frame side wall to supply inflation gas to the airbag. An internal vent hole through which the inflation gas flows from a sub-chamber into a main chamber is provided in a partition between the main chamber and the sub-chamber. The sub-chamber deploys so as to overlap the frame side wall when seen from the side of the vehicle. The main chamber deploys without overlapping the frame side wall when seen from the side of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2020
    Assignee: AUTOLIV DEVELOPMENT AB
    Inventors: Yuto Kobayashi, Hiroyuki Taguchi
  • Patent number: 10856109
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a method and device for recording a parking location of a vehicle more accurately at a more accurate time point by performing machine learning through situation recognition by the device. A method for recording parking according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes, when a communication is established between the terminal and the vehicle, recognizing that a user gets in the vehicle, when a strength of a communication connection signal between the terminal and the vehicle is lowered to be equal to or lower than a predetermined level, recognizing that the user exits the vehicle, when it is determined by the motion sensor of the terminal that the user has moved a predetermined number of walking steps or more, recognizing that parking of the vehicle is completed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2020
    Assignee: LG ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventors: Yongsuk Lee, Yoonkyum Kim, Jongjin Park, Wonkyum Kim, Sung Hyun Park, Dong Woo Sohn
  • Patent number: 10843592
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a method for collision impact force reduction for a vehicle. The method comprises determining a smallest relative distance (D) between a head of a driver of the vehicle and a steering wheel assembly comprising an airbag of the vehicle, obtaining information of an imminent collision, the collision being at least partly frontal, comparing (300) the smallest relative distance (D) to a pre-defined threshold, and, when said smallest relative distance (D) is equal to or less than said pre-defined threshold, initiating a forward displacement of a driver seat of the vehicle and a retraction of the steering wheel assembly comprising an airbag, preferably a retraction along the steering column of the steering wheel assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2020
    Assignee: Volvo Car Corporation
    Inventors: Lucas Rolka, Martin Ostergren
  • Patent number: 10845864
    Abstract: A computing device includes a control system that communicates with multiple sensors that capture data regarding a user. The control system communicates with each of the sensors to obtain information regarding the capabilities of each sensor, and uses this capability information to determine how to configure each of the sensors. The control system also selects one of the multiple sensors to be the master sensor, and the rest of the multiple sensors are slave sensors, and notifies the multiple sensors of whether they are a slave sensor or a master sensor. The master sensor collects sensor data for the multiple sensors, capturing data itself as well as receiving data captured by the slave sensors from the slave sensors. The master sensor sends an indication of the collected data (e.g., the collected data itself or data resulting from processing the collected data) to the control system for analysis and/or processing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2020
    Assignee: Motorola Mobility LLC
    Inventors: Scott Patrick DeBates, Vivek Kumar Tyagi, Sudhir C. Vissa, Douglas Alfred Lautner
  • Patent number: 10836338
    Abstract: A method for monitoring an energy reserve for a safety device for a vehicle includes the task of evaluating a change of a voltage present in the energy reserve between a starting value suitable for operating the safety device and a test voltage value suitable for operating the safety device to monitor the energy reserve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2020
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Carsten List, Hartmut Schumacher, Falko Sievers
  • Patent number: 10829125
    Abstract: A processing method for a processing apparatus is disclosed. The processing method causes a computer of the processing apparatus to perform a process. The process includes detecting a position and a sleep state of a passenger inside a vehicle on a basis of information indicating a state of space including seats of the vehicle. The information is obtained from a sensor provided inside the vehicle. The process also includes notifying an operator of the vehicle of the detected position and the detected sleep state of the passenger. Further, the process also includes transmitting, upon detecting an operation, the operation being performed by the operator of the vehicle in response to the notifying, for controlling a device near the detected position of the passenger, a control command corresponding to the operation to the device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2020
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY CORPORATION OF AMERICA
    Inventors: Shinichi Shikii, Koichi Kusukame
  • Patent number: 10830584
    Abstract: It is provided a computer-implemented method for performing body posture tracking, comprising the steps of collecting (S10) depth measurements of a body with at least one depth sensor; collecting (S20) inertial measurements with at least one inertial sensor attached to the body; and determining (S30) at least one posture of the body as a function of the depth measurements and the inertial measurements. Such a method improves the field of body posture tracking.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2020
    Assignee: Dassault Systemes
    Inventors: Malika Boulkenafed, Fabrice Francis Michel
  • Patent number: 10814810
    Abstract: A bumper apparatus for vehicle is disposed between a vehicle body frame extending in a front-to-rear direction of a vehicle and a bumper beam extending in a vehicle width direction. The bumper apparatus includes an axial crush member formed in a hollow cylindrical shape and extending in the front-to-rear direction. The axial crush member has a closed cross-section formed by bonding flat band-like flanges provided on a pair of panels to one another. Each of the pair of flanges is formed in a wavelike pattern along the front-to-rear direction while the pair of flanges is bonded to one another. Each of the pair of flanges has a convex surface and a concave surface as bonded surfaces which are arranged alternately in the front-to-rear direction, and a inclined surface as a non-bonded surface which connects the convex surface to the convex surface and is inclined with respect to the front-to-rear direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2020
    Assignee: SUBARU CORPORATION
    Inventor: Yoshio Wada
  • Patent number: 10807550
    Abstract: A vehicle includes a vehicle door and a diaphragm. The vehicle door includes an inner door panel and an outer door panel that define a door cavity therebetween. The diaphragm is disposed within the door cavity and is attached to an inner surface of the outer door panel. The diaphragm cooperates with the inner surface of the outer door panel to define a diaphragm cavity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2020
    Assignee: FCA US LLC
    Inventors: Dipu Purushothaman, Kalu Uduma, Hamid Keshtkar
  • Patent number: 10800363
    Abstract: A system includes control modules, a low-voltage communications bus, e.g., a CAN bus of a vehicle, a voltage sensor that measures a bus voltage and outputs 2.5-3.5 VDC high-data and 1.5-2.5 VDC low-data, and a host electronic control unit (ECU). The host ECU detects a recoverable fault using a data pattern in the bus voltage data when the data is outside of a calibrated range, and recalibrates the sensor. Recalibration may be by adjustment to a scaling factor and/or a bias value. Non-recoverable “stuck-at-fault”-type or “out-of-range”-type faults may be detected using the pattern, as may be a ground offset fault. A method includes measuring the bus voltage using the sensor, comparing the output data to a range to detect the fault, and isolating a sensor fault as a recoverable fault using the data pattern when the data is outside of the range. The sensor is then be recalibrated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2020
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Xinyu Du, Shengbing Jiang, Dongyi Zhou, David Gumpert, Atul Nagose, Rod Niner, Aaron D. Motyl
  • Patent number: 10793245
    Abstract: A safety system for a boat, watercraft or other vehicle includes a kill switch connected to the motor for preventing the motor from running under dangerous circumstances. The system includes a fob that wirelessly communicates with the kill switch, so that the motor only runs when the fob is within a predetermined distance from the captain's console. Other sensors communicate with the kill switch, either hard-wired together or wirelessly, upon detection of dangerous situations, including proximity sensors to detect if a swimmer is near the propeller or if the captain is not in position at the helm, gate sensors to detect when gates on the boat are in an open position, and ladder sensors to detect when a ladder is in a down position. The system may also include an alarm emitting a visual or audible warning to the boat captain based on input from the sensors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2020
    Inventor: Daniel Scott Trotter
  • Patent number: 10787202
    Abstract: A lateral-section frame is positioned to the outside of a front side frame in the vehicle widthwise direction, and is equipped with a wheel housing upper member, the rear end of which is connected to a front pillar, and a wheel housing lower member which extends from the wheel housing upper member via an upper curved section and a lower curved section in a manner such that the front end thereof extends forward and downward to a substantially identical location in the vertical direction and front-rear direction as does the front end of the front side frame. The wheel housing lower member is equipped with an outer panel and an inner panel which are joined by upper flange sections and lower flange sections, and the upper flange sections in the front section of the wheel housing lower member are configured from upward-facing flanges that extend upward.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 29, 2020
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Takehiro Kondo, Tomohito Kamada
  • Patent number: 10782358
    Abstract: A circuit for diagnosing an open circuit in an airbag driving device may include: an open circuit sensing unit configured to sense, in a test mode for diagnosing an open circuit in a power ground (PGND) of the airbag driving device, whether an open circuit is present in the power ground (PGND) of the lower switch (L_SW) using power (VH) that is applied through an upper switch (H_SW) and the lower switch (L_SW) of the airbag driving device, and an open circuit determination unit configured to receive a voltage (VDrop) sensed by the open circuit sensing unit and determine whether the power ground (PGND) is open through a comparison between the voltage (VDrop) and a preset first reference voltage (VPG_TH).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2020
    Assignee: Hyundai Mobis Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Chung Hoon Cho