Turn Signal Patents (Class 340/475)
  • Patent number: 11903429
    Abstract: This present application discloses a turn direction indicating jacket having a plurality of directional indicators independently actuatable via a switch and a portable power supply. The invention illuminates the lights in sequential fashion from the wearer's shoulder to his or her wrist with an arrowhead at the base, there ensuring that other motorists and pedestrians alike are aware of the wearer's presence in traffic and the wearer's intended traffic movement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Inventors: Melodie Watson, Astor Morrison
  • Patent number: 11904974
    Abstract: An overturn-notification-rider-informing-device includes: an acquisition section that acquires notification preparation information indicating that a leaning-vehicle-overturn-notification-system is preparing to notify of overturn occurrence information to outside of the leaning vehicle, or notification completed information indicating that the leaning-vehicle-overturn-notification-system has notified of the overturn occurrence information to outside of the leaning vehicle; and an actuation section that, based on the notification preparation information or the notification completed information, causes light to be radiated or sound to be generated by actuating at least one component among a front light and the like in an operating state that is different from an operating state of the relevant component at a time when, or immediately before, the leaning vehicle changes from a travelling state to an overturned state, and thereby informs of the overturn notification state to the rider.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Assignee: YAMAHA HATSUDOKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hiroshi Shibuya, Kotaro Onishi, Tomohiro Takeuchi
  • Patent number: 11908322
    Abstract: A system and a method manage wireless traffic signals in order to aid autonomous driving systems and humans to quickly and accurately detect traffic signal changes and surrounding traffic. The system includes a plurality of road vehicles. Each road vehicle includes a vehicle receiver, a vehicle controller, and a vehicle output device. The system also includes a plurality of traffic-signal sources and a plurality of signal emitters. Each signal emitter is associated to a corresponding traffic-signal source from the plurality of traffic-signal sources. Each signal emitter processes traffic signals from the corresponding traffic-signal source and sends the processed traffic signals to the vehicle receivers. The vehicle receivers receive signals from the plurality of signal emitters. The vehicle controller processes the signals received by the vehicle receiver. The vehicle output device executes instructions that are extracted from the signals processed by the vehicle controller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Inventor: Ruishi Zhang
  • Patent number: 11909555
    Abstract: A system for establishing an intervehicle communication for at least first and second commercial vehicles includes at least one wireless, wired, and/or physical communication line, wherein the communication line is bidirectional. At one point of the communication line, a first authentication code generation module is provided, which is dedicated to the first vehicle. At another point of the communication line, a second code processing module is provided, which is dedicated to the second vehicle. The first authentication code generation module is configured to send identification information, authentication information, and/or encryption keys. The second code processing module is configured to process and send back identification information, authentication information, and/or encryption keys, especially processed and/or modified identification information, authentication information, encryption keys.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Assignee: KNORR-BREMSE Systeme fuer Nutzfahrzeuge GmbH
    Inventors: Bence Szemes, Huba Nemeth, Tamas Konya, Kristof Hillier
  • Patent number: 11847265
    Abstract: A method and an apparatus for controlling an onboard system includes determining, using a sensor mounted in a steering wheel, a track of a current gesture of a driver in a process of holding, by the driver, the steering wheel; determining a type of the current gesture from preset gesture types based on the track of the current gesture; and controlling the onboard system to perform an operation corresponding to the type of the current gesture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2023
    Assignee: HUAWEI TECHNOLOGIES CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Xinyu Zhao, Chengping Liu, Heshuai Si, Yongfang Su, Zeshi Zhang
  • Patent number: 11794638
    Abstract: A signaling device includes a light emitting unit, wherein the light emitting unit includes a plurality of lights; and a plurality of feedback lights configured to indicate to an operator of the signaling device whether electronics and the plurality of lights are functioning properly; and a remote controller unit in communication with the light emitting unit, wherein the remote controlling unit is configured to adjust a light intensity of the plurality of lights, wherein the plurality of lights is configured to resemble at least one of: turn signal arrows or indicators, brake lights, and flashing lights indicative of hazards.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2023
    Inventor: Michael Ejiawoko
  • Patent number: 11745656
    Abstract: Provided is a notification control apparatus for a vehicle configured to determine, based on surrounding information and an operation state of an operation unit, whether there exists a possibility that an own vehicle turns toward a specific direction while an oncoming vehicle is approaching, to determine, when affirmative determination is made, based on vehicle information including at least one of a steering input value or presence/absence of a brake operation and a vehicle speed, whether a possibility that the own vehicle completes crossing of an opposing lane or an intersection after elapse of a reference period is high, and when affirmative determination is made, to execute the notification control when a virtual passing period required for the own vehicle to virtually pass the oncoming vehicle is a lower limit period or longer and an upper limit period or shorter, the upper limit period being the reference period or shorter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2022
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2023
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Xi Chen, Tsunekazu Yasoshima
  • Patent number: 11731510
    Abstract: An autonomous vehicle is provided with a touch panel that enables an operator to input vehicle speed control instructions during an automatic driving mode and a mechanical operation unit for inputting driving control instructions. The mechanical operation unit can be stored in a storage compartment covered with a lid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2023
    Assignees: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, KOJIMA INDUSTRIES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masaki Shitara, Yasukazu Honda, Masahiro Nakamura, Makoto Kato, Eiichi Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 11514794
    Abstract: The vehicular blind spot warning system is a safety device. The vehicular blind spot warning system comprises a master alarm circuit, a plurality of sensor circuits, a plurality of remote alarm circuits, a personal data device, and a vehicle. The master alarm circuit mounts in the vehicle. The plurality of sensor circuits and the plurality of remote alarm circuits mount on the exterior surface of the vehicle. The personal data device forms a communication link with the master alarm circuit. The vehicular blind spot warning system monitors a 360 degree field of view around the vehicle. The vehicular blind spot warning system generates a plurality of audible and visible alarms when: a) the vehicular blind spot warning system detects traffic that is near to the vehicle; and, b) the vehicular blind spot warning system detects traffic that is moving in a dangerous direction relative to the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2022
    Inventor: Khari Brown
  • Patent number: 11474705
    Abstract: Disclosed is a power management integrated circuit with embedded address resolution protocol functionality. In one embodiment, a device is disclosed comprising a data storage device; and an address resolution protocol (ARP) state machine communicatively coupled to the data storage device and included within a power management integrated circuit (PMIC), the ARP state machine configured to assign an address to the data storage device and validate requests for data stored in the data storage device received over a bus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2022
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Matthew David Rowley, David Matthew Springberg, Dustin James Carter
  • Patent number: 11470702
    Abstract: A system and method to determine a health status of a LED light string. The system (100) includes a circuit that includes a LED light string (110) and a pulsed current driver (115) of the LED light string. The circuit is connected to a power source (105). The system includes a current sensor (120) measuring a current through the circuit. The system includes a detecting device (130) determining a state of the circuit. The detecting device determines an expected current expected to be passing through the circuit where the expected current is associated with the state. The detecting device receives a current measurement from the current sensor during a time when the circuit is in the state. The detecting device determines a comparison between the current measurement and the expected current. The detecting device generates an output indicative of a health status of the circuit based on the comparison.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2022
    Assignee: SIGNIFY HOLDING B.V.
    Inventor: Paul Smola
  • Patent number: 11440465
    Abstract: A lighting system for a vehicle includes a sequential illumination section including multiple illumination segments, and a constant illumination section. The multiple illumination segments of the sequential illumination portion activate or deactivate sequentially, and the constant illumination section illuminates at least a portion of the sequential illumination section when all of the multiple illumination segments are deactivated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2022
    Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.
    Inventor: Alexander L. Paradis
  • Patent number: 11377035
    Abstract: A BSM unit according to an embodiment is attached to a side surface facing the vehicle body of a visor of an outer mirror provided to a vehicle body of a vehicle. The BSM unit includes: a light source; a housing; and a lens configured to be attached to the housing and emit light from the light source to the outside of the housing. The visor has an edge portion which is positioned on a rear side of the vehicle on the side surface and is surrounding a mirror of the outer mirror, at least a portion of the lens is exposed on the side surface of the visor, and a shape of the exposure portion of the lens includes a center of the exposure portion and the edge portion and is bilateral-symmetrical with respect to a cross section orthogonal to the side surface of the visor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2022
    Assignee: MURAKAMI CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kota Iseki, Dinh Dong Van, Kosuke Muto
  • Patent number: 11345274
    Abstract: The present inventive concept relates to roof bar endcap for a vehicle, said endcap comprising one or more light emitting devices, an envelope arranged to at least partially surround said one or more light emitting devices, said envelope comprising one or more light exit surface portions, wherein said one or more light emitting devices is arranged to emit light through said one or more light exit surfaces, an engagement part adapted to engage a distal end of a roof bar such that the endcap is fixedly attached to said roof bar.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2022
    Assignee: MODUL-SYSTEM HH AB
    Inventors: Anders Carlsson, David Hodge
  • Patent number: 11321021
    Abstract: In a method for managing a storage device in a storage system, a client may send, based on an obtained start address that is of a queue of an NVMe storage device and to which an access request points and an obtained logical address that is of the NVMe storage device and to which the access request points, a remote direct memory access command to a storage node in which the NVMe storage device is located.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2022
    Assignee: HUAWEI TECHNOLOGIES CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Dan Luo, Yu Liu, Wei Zhang, Wei Mao
  • Patent number: 11208033
    Abstract: A vehicular lamp can enhance the impression of the direction indication due to the movement of light when performing sequential winker controls by sequentially turning off a plurality of light-emitting parts. A lighting control device for performing lighting control of the vehicular lamp including the plurality of light-emitting parts, includes processor circuitry configured to perform controls to repeat a lighting cycle including turning on the plurality of light-emitting parts and maintaining a lighting state of all the light-emitting parts, and then sequentially turning off the light-emitting parts in a predetermined direction with a time difference and maintaining a lights-out state of all the light-emitting parts in such a manner that a rise time from the lights-out state to the lighting state during energizing the light-emitting parts is made longer than a fall time from when the lighting state to the lights-out state during deenergizing the light-emitting parts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2021
    Assignee: STANLEY ELECTRIC CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kouki Kudo, Yasushi Kita, Takako Kimura, Wataru Nakashima, Shuto Oyama, Akihisa Kumakura, Hidetaka Okada
  • Patent number: 11203288
    Abstract: A lighting control device is capable of further enhancing the impression of direction indication due to the movement of light when performing sequential winker control. The lighting control device performs lighting control of a vehicular lamp including a plurality of light-emitting parts, and includes processor circuitry configured to perform controls to repeat a lighting cycle including turning on the plurality of light-emitting parts that have been turned off and maintaining a lighting state of all the light emitting parts, then sequentially dimming at least two or more of the light-emitting parts in a predetermined direction with a time difference, and thereafter turning off the plurality of light-emitting parts and maintaining a lights-out state of all the light-emitting parts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 21, 2021
    Assignee: STANLEY ELECTRIC CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Akihisa Kumakura, Yasushi Kita, Takako Kimura, Wataru Nakashima, Shuto Oyama, Kouki Kudo, Hidetaka Okada
  • Patent number: 11173831
    Abstract: Signaling system for vehicles, specific to warn the rest of users of the road that the opening any of the doors of the vehicle is going to occur imminently, before this opening occurs, which is achieved in the first place, with the installation around the outside mirrors of the vehicle of a set of powerful flashing lights (2R/2N), completely surrounding said mirrors by the mirror part, warning lights that will be oriented to be seen horizontally, and to the exterior of the vehicle so as to be easily seen by the users of the road and at the same time not to bother the driver. And second, this set of warning lights are connected to presence sensors installed on each of the interior handles of the vehicle doors that will allow detect the hand before it touches any of the interiors handles or concrete system of opening the doors, when the occupants are ready to operate them to open and exit, thereby gaining an essential time that does not exist until now.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2021
    Inventors: Ricardo Yagüe Hernánz, Maria Nieves Yagüe Hernánz
  • Patent number: 11172304
    Abstract: Systems and methods for generating sounds in a vehicle, comprising generating a first type of sound via a first channel, and generating remaining sounds via a second channel, wherein the second channel is different than the first channel, and wherein the remaining sounds are different than the first type of sound. In at least one example, the first channel has a volume output that is fixed-defined in an audio system of the vehicle. The first channel may additionally have a fixed output channel with a subset of speakers of the first channel being fixed-defined in the audio system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2021
    Assignee: Harman International Industries, Incorporated
    Inventor: Hongjun Wu
  • Patent number: 11131117
    Abstract: An electromagnetic-based sensor system includes a sensor assembly with a biometric identification sensor to determine a unique biometric characteristic of a user using a first non-visible electromagnetic radiation. Specifically, a palm vein sensor may measure a unique pattern of veins in a user's palm using near-field infrared light. A gesture sensor uses a second non-visible electromagnetic radiation, such as infrared or radio frequency to detect movement in a specific gesture pattern. An object detection sensor uses a third non-visible electromagnetic radiation to detect the presence of an object. A mirror overlies the sensor assembly and is reflective to visible light and transmissive to the non-visible electromagnetic radiation. The sensor assembly may be used within a vehicle to authenticate an individual user as an authorized user to unlock the vehicle. One or more settings of the vehicle may be set to predetermined values depending on the identity of the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 28, 2021
    Assignee: MAGNA CLOSURES INC.
    Inventors: Aashwita Shah, Traian Miu
  • Patent number: 11098874
    Abstract: The present disclosure discloses an indicator light, and belongs to the technical field of automobile indicator lights. The indicator light comprises a mirror, wherein a protrusion is formed around the edge of the mirror such that the mirror surrounds a cavity with an opened bottom end, the mirror forms at least one paraboloid at a top end of the cavity, and multiple reflection pieces are uniformly arranged on the paraboloid; a lens, wherein the lens covers the mirror and seals the protrusion, and a surface of the lens has etched optical dermatoglyph or electrical discharge machining marks; and at least one light bead, which is arranged in the cavity. The light bead can provide light rays for the mirror and the lens, and its emitted light rays are emitted between the mirror and the lens to increase the utilization ratio of the light rays and improve the light emission uniformity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2021
    Assignee: JIANGSU HAIHUA AUTO PARTS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yuncai He, Yuan Zhong, Junhua He
  • Patent number: 11017124
    Abstract: An optical electromagnetic radiation (EM) emitter and receiver are located upon a printed circuit board (PCB) layer and are connected to an optical security pathway. A predetermined reference flux is determined, the reference flux being the expected EM transmitted by the optical security pathway and received by the receiver. When the PCB is subject to an unauthorized access thereof (e.g., drilled, sawed, cut, etc.), the optical EM transferred by optical security pathway is altered. An optical monitoring device that monitors the flux of the optical EM received by the receiver detects a change in flux, in relation to the reference flux, and passes a tamper signal to one or more computer system devices to respond to the unauthorized access. For example, one or more cryptographic adapter card or computer system functions or secured crypto components may be disabled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2021
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Layne A. Berge, John R. Dangler, Matthew S. Doyle, Thomas W. Liang, Manuel Orozco
  • Patent number: 11004629
    Abstract: A lever switch which is capable of preventing loud operating noise from being generated during stepwise operation of an operating lever. The lever switch has a case, a click feeling generator placed inside the case, and a switch moving body placed inside the case and rotated with respect to the case by operating the operating lever. The click feeling generator has trough portions that abut against a convex portion of the switch moving body. Click feelings are given by the convex portion of the switch moving body sequentially abutting against the trough portions in response to stepwise operations of the operating lever. The convex portion of the switch moving body is urged toward the click feeling generator. The click feeling generator and the case are placed away from each other with a space left between them in a direction in which the first case is urged.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2021
    Assignee: TOYO DENSO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Masayuki Iwanami, Takatoshi Komatsu
  • Patent number: 10995929
    Abstract: A projection device for projecting an optical information, in the form of a logo or warning signal, onto a projection surface, includes a light source that has an emission maximum at a first wavelength, a mask disposed in the beam path of the light source, with at least one opening providing the optical information, and at least one optical lens disposed in the beam path. The mask and/or the lens may have a coating with at least one illuminant, the excitation wavelength of which corresponds to the first wavelength and which emits light with at least one second wavelength. A rearview device and a motor vehicle may also include the projection device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 4, 2021
    Assignee: SMR Patents S.à.r.l.
    Inventor: Eugen Meier
  • Patent number: 10938772
    Abstract: A method for analyzing and revealing physical links in a mixed wireless and wired network applied in an access device causes the access device to generate an address resolution protocol (ARP) request packet in which a unique identifier in a target hardware address field is inserted. The ARP request packet is broadcast. The access device further receives and determines ARP reply packet transmitted by the one or more client devices. For ARP reply packets which are received from client devices, the access device generates a list of client devices which are linked with the access device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2021
    Assignee: AMBIT MICROSYSTEMS (SHANGHAI) LTD.
    Inventor: Shao-Ming Kuo
  • Patent number: 10906455
    Abstract: To provide a lever switch that reduces collision sound when a switch moving body rotates while reducing the number of parts. A click feeling generator is made integrally of an elastic member and disposed inside a third case. An operation lever is operated to rotate the switch moving body with respect to the third case. The click feeling generator includes clicking surfaces that abut on a tip end of the switch moving body to impart a click feeling, a shoulder portion, and a low rigidity portion. A corner portion of the switch moving body in the rotation direction abuts on the corresponding low rigidity portion to limit a rotation range of the switch moving body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2021
    Assignee: TOYO DENSO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Masayuki Iwanami, Takatoshi Komatsu
  • Patent number: 10868800
    Abstract: A secure communication system includes a wearable secure communication device which may receive and transmit information via a network. A wearable secure communication device may include a noise generator. The wearable secure communication device further includes a power input connection. Additionally, the wearable secure communication device may include a communication processor. The secure communication system and the wearable secure communication device may provide access to a secure information exchange system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2020
    Assignee: WK Consulting, LLC
    Inventor: Wallace Lindsey
  • Patent number: 10837615
    Abstract: A light bar has a circuit board positioned within a housing and having a plurality of light emitting diodes (LEDs) or a thin-film-transistor liquid-crystal display (TFT LCD) is configured to transmit light. The housing has wiring electrically connected to a controller. The controller is configured to receive signals from the electrical system of the vehicle, interpret the signals received from the electrical system of the vehicle, and in response automatically control illumination of independently controllable segments of the vehicle light bar. The controller is initially programmed to perform specific function(s) and/or strobe according to specific patterns and is thereafter at least partially restricted from being reprogrammed by a user to serve other function(s), either by restricting the emission of light in at least one color and/or preventing specific strobing pattern(s).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2020
    Assignee: Putco, Inc.
    Inventors: James P. Elwell, James P. Elwell, II, Joshua J. Burhite
  • Patent number: 10807520
    Abstract: A vehicle U-turn signal indicating system for alerting on-coming and trailing vehicles to an operator's intention to make a U-turn is disclosed herein. The vehicle U-turn signal indicating system comprises a first lighting system provided at a front of a vehicle. Additionally, the vehicle U-turn signal indicating system also comprises a second lighting system provided at a rear of the vehicle. Furthermore, the vehicle U-turn signal indicating system includes a first U-turn signal activator and a second U-turn signal activator provided in the vehicle. The first U-turn signal activator is activated to flash the first lighting system and the second lighting system. The second U-turn signal activator is activated to flash the first lighting system and the third lighting system to alert the on-coming and the following vehicles to an operator's intention to make a U-turn.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2020
    Inventor: Mark Berry
  • Patent number: 10719241
    Abstract: Disclosed is a power management integrated circuit with embedded address resolution protocol functionality. In one embodiment, a device is disclosed comprising a data storage device; and an address resolution protocol (ARP) state machine communicatively coupled to the data storage device and included within a power management integrated circuit (PMIC), the ARP state machine configured to assign an address to the data storage device and validate requests for data stored in the data storage device received over a bus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2020
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Matthew David Rowley, David Matthew Springberg, Dustin James Carter
  • Patent number: 10711987
    Abstract: The indication system of the present invention includes an indication device and an activation device. The activation device includes a cover and an activator movable with the cover relatively. Wherein a first sensor is assembled inside the cover to generate a first signal by sensing a horizontal displacement of the activator, a second sensor is assembled inside the cover to generate a second signal by sensing a vertical displacement of the activator, and then a transmission unit transmits the first signal and the second signal to the indication device; the activator is constructed with a combination portion and a control portion separately on two opposite sides. When the control portion is driven by a user to move horizontally or vertically, the combination portion can drive an operation member to be displaced synchronously. The indicator light of the bike is activated synchronously in conjunction with the indication system of present invention.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2020
    Assignee: Morr Global Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Hung-hsin Ho
  • Patent number: 10661705
    Abstract: An exterior rearview mirror assembly for a vehicle includes a turn signal unit having a housing, a light source and a lens disposed in front of the light source and attached at the housing. The turn signal unit includes an aperture element disposed between the light source and the lens, and includes a film disposed between the lens and the housing so as to be in front of the light source. With the exterior rearview mirror assembly disposed at a side of the vehicle, light emitted by the light source, when powered, passes through the film and through an aperture of the aperture element and through the lens in the forward direction of travel of the equipped vehicle. The film includes structured sections such that light emitted by the light source, when powered, passes through the structured sections of the film and forms an illuminated logo.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2020
    Assignee: MAGNA MIRRORS HOLDING GMBH
    Inventors: Peter Juris, Mark Kennedy
  • Patent number: 10543879
    Abstract: A small-vehicle direction indicator device includes a directional signal light for small vehicles, such as saddle riding type vehicles, the directional signal light including a lighting unit and a plurality of light sources that are arrayed in the lighting unit in a vehicle width direction. The small-vehicle direction indicator device performs a dynamic direction indication by chain-reactive switch-ons or switch-offs of the plurality of light sources when the directional signal light is activated. In the directional signal light, between the plurality of light sources, a light-blocking wall made of an opaque member is arranged, and wherein a plurality of the light-blocking walls are arrayed in the vehicle width direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2020
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Daisuke Kuriki, Yuta Hosoda
  • Patent number: 10406972
    Abstract: This disclosure discloses various vehicle technologies for automatically activating a turn signal when a vehicle is turning or changing lanes based on analysis of data, which can include data from an image capture device, radar, a steering angle sensor, and a ultrasonic sensor. This disclosure also contemplates that a decision to automatically activate a turn signal in a vehicle that is turning or changing lanes may take into account whether other vehicles or pedestrians are in vicinity thereof and whether those other vehicles or pedestrians would benefit from the turn signal being activated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2019
    Assignee: TESLA, INC.
    Inventor: Sean Haight
  • Patent number: 10399483
    Abstract: An illumination assembly is provided herein. The illumination assembly includes a first light source configured to generate an illumination pattern. A second light source is configured to generate an image within the illumination pattern. A lens is optically coupled with the first and second light sources. A controller is configured to control the activation state of the first and second light sources.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2019
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Aaron Bradley Johnson, Stuart C. Salter, Paul Kenneth Dellock, Stephen Kenneth Helwig, James J. Surman
  • Patent number: 10399627
    Abstract: A signaling system is provided, comprising a vest having a rear-facing display and a controller. The vest is configured to communicate with the controller for operating the display. The controller is configured to operate the display based at least on data from a GPS module and one or more motion sensors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2019
    Assignee: ROADWAREZ INC.
    Inventor: Yeshaya Krispin
  • Patent number: 10271589
    Abstract: A smart safety garment with signal lights includes a basic garment, at least a pair of turn signal lights embedded on the external surface of the basic garment, and an electronic assembly for the control. The management and monitoring of the smart safety garment includes a control unit, the at least a pair of turn signal lights being connected or connectable to the control unit. The electronic assembly further includes a braking sensor connected or connectable to the control unit and adapted to perceive a deceleration and to generate a corresponding braking signal intended to the control unit. The control unit is configured to power up at least a pair of turn signal lights according to the braking signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2019
    Assignee: CLARA SWISS TECH SAGL
    Inventors: Marco Dal Lago, Paolo Cunzolo, Gianluca Costante, Gian Mattia Pettinato
  • Patent number: 10155558
    Abstract: A rider's apparel assembly for indicating turns includes a jacket that is configured to position over a torso and arms of a user. A power module and a plurality of first lights are coupled to the jacket. The first lights are positioned on and distributed between sleeves of the jacket. Each of a pair of controllers is positioned below an end of a respective sleeve proximate to a respective hand of the user. The controller is coupled to the power module and the first lights that are positioned on the respective sleeve. The controller is positioned to selectively couple the first lights to the power module to indicate the user's intent to execute a turn corresponding to the respective sleeve. A second light is reversibly couplable to the jacket and is operationally couplable to the power module. The second light is configured to render the user visible to others.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2018
    Inventors: Bambi Thompson Alvey, Franklin Alvey
  • Patent number: 10144346
    Abstract: A control system is operable within a host vehicle to control the operation of signaling apparatus indicative of a driver intent to execute right, left or U-turn actions. The control system includes a voice recognition circuit for activating turn signal devices within the vehicle. In some embodiments, a wireless link facilitates aftermarket applications while in other embodiments original equipment manufacturer is accommodated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2018
    Inventor: Jewel L. Dohan
  • Patent number: 10137828
    Abstract: The vehicular notification device comprises luminescent devices provided on the roof of a vehicle and a notification control device configured to control the luminescent devices to emit light when a person existing around the vehicle is detected. The luminescent devices are provided so as to extend in the vehicle's front-back direction on both sides in the vehicle's width direction of the roof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2018
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yasuhiko Takae, Nariaki Etori, Akira Morimoto, Takahiro Yano, Tatsuya Shino
  • Patent number: 10118542
    Abstract: A vehicle comprising: a front, a rear, a first side, and a second side; a first light capable of emitting light from the first side; a controller in communication with the first light; an exterior sensor that provides data to the controller, which determines whether an object is approaching the first side of the vehicle; and the controller causes the first light to emit light from the first side, when the controller determines that an object is approaching the first side. The first light is capable of emitting flashing light in a first color; and the controller causes the first light to emit flashing light in the first color, when the controller determines that an object is approaching the first side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2018
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Stuart C. Salter, Aaron Bradley Johnson, Paul Kenneth Dellock, Stephen Kenneth Helwig
  • Patent number: 10088533
    Abstract: An integrated magnetic field sensor includes a magnetic field sensing circuit and a power driving circuit disposed upon or within a common substrate. A method of powering on and off a load uses the above integrated magnetic field sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2018
    Assignee: Allegro MicroSystems, Inc.
    Inventors: Manuel Rivas, Gerardo A. Monreal, Christine M. Graham, Eric G. Shoemaker
  • Patent number: 10060594
    Abstract: A light guiding device for an illumination device, especially for a motor vehicle or an indicator device in a rearview device of a motor vehicle includes a light coupling side for incoupling light from a light source, a reflection side having a reflection layer; and a light outcoupling side, which is disposed generally opposite the reflection side. A clearance between the reflection side and the light outcoupling side generally decreases as the distance from the light incoupling side increases. The reflection side having the reflection layer is configured so that light arriving from the light incoupling side is deflected to the light outcoupling side. The reflection layer may be a paint or lacquer layer that is imprinted or evaporation-coated on the reflection side; and the having a white sheet on or next to the rejection side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2018
    Assignee: SMR Patents S.à.r.l.
    Inventors: Norbert Kürschner, Daniel Fritz, Eugen Meier, Volker Erhart, Andrew Brian Little, Harry Welfare, Stephen Edney
  • Patent number: 10062221
    Abstract: A system is configured to produce an alarm when wheel misalignment of a vehicle occurs. The system includes: a navigation device; a lane change detector configured to detect lane change frequency information of the vehicle; a driving information detector configured to detect vehicle speed information and brake frequency information; a steering wheel rotation angle detector configured to detect a rotation angle of a steering wheel; and a controller deriving a criterion based on the rotation angle, for determining whether or not the vehicle travels straight by receiving from the navigation device, the lane change detector, the driving information detector, and the steering wheel rotation angle detector, information necessary to determine whether or not the vehicle travels straight, the controller transmitting an alarm signal to a driver when a current rotation angle of the steering wheel detected by the steering wheel rotation angle detector fails to satisfy the criterion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2018
    Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company
    Inventor: Tae Young Yu
  • Patent number: 9969326
    Abstract: An intention signaling system for an autonomous vehicle (AV) can monitor sensor information indicating a situational environment of the AV, and detect an external entity based, at least in part, on the sensor data. The intention signaling system can generate an output to signal one of an intent of the AV or an acquiescence of the AV to the external entity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2018
    Assignee: Uber Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: William Payne Ross, Chenggang Liu
  • Patent number: 9944226
    Abstract: A light assembly includes a housing adapted for mounting on a vehicle, wherein the housing includes a brake light input coupled to the light source and a marker light input coupled to the light source. An electrical circuit is configured to energize the light source at a brightness suitable for an identification lamp when at least one headlight of the vehicle is illuminated and also is configured to energize the light source at a brightness suitable for a stop lamp when the vehicle brake is applied, whether or not the identification lamp is energized. In this configuration, the can function as an identification light and as a center high mount stop light (CHMSL).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2018
    Assignee: U-Haul International, Inc.
    Inventor: Robert A Dolan
  • Patent number: 9878665
    Abstract: A vehicle is provided with multiple object-detecting devices, such as cameras and radar devices, that are configured to detect approaching vehicles from the rear. The object-detecting devices sense the relative distance and speed of the approaching vehicles relative to the vehicle. Based on the relative distance and speed, at least one controller is programmed to determine an anticipated collision time, indicating how long it would take for the upcoming vehicles to potentially collide with the vehicle. The controller can be programmed to illuminate a colored display on a rear-view mirror at a location where an approaching vehicle appears on the mirror, and change a color of the colored display based on the relative distance and relative speed of the approaching vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2018
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Fernando Mar Orellana, Oscar Anaya, Jose Ramon Molina
  • Patent number: 9873427
    Abstract: A motor vehicle comprising at least one driver assistance system (2) to pre-calculate future driving situations of the motor vehicle (1) for a specified time interval by evaluating ego data related to the motor vehicle (1) and environmental data related to the motor vehicle environment, wherein the motor vehicle (1) is controllable by a driver in a first operating mode of the driver assistance system (2), wherein the driver assistance system (2) is designed, upon fulfillment of one switchover condition dependent at least upon future driving situations, to be temporarily switched over into a second operating mode in which the motor vehicle (1) is autonomously controlled by the driver assistance system (2) without the possibility of intervention by the driver, wherein driving is continued in the second operating mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2018
    Assignee: Audi AG
    Inventors: Martin Danzl, Sabine Wüst, Torsten Gollewski, Georg Kienzl, Franz-Michael Hagemann, Karl-Heinz Siedersberger, Thomas Miehling, Peter Kunsch
  • Patent number: 9786179
    Abstract: A method for assisting a driver of a vehicle during a lane change, in which for this purpose, an activation signal which represents an activation of a turn signal of the vehicle, which faces a setpoint direction of travel, and a sensor signal which is provided by at least one sensor of the vehicle and which represents a steering movement for steering the vehicle and/or a change in position of the vehicle within a lane are read in. Using the activation signal and the sensor signal, a control signal for controlling a steering system of the vehicle is provided if the steering movement is counter to the setpoint direction of travel and/or the change in position represents a movement of the vehicle in a direction counter to the setpoint direction of travel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2017
    Assignee: ROBERT BOSCH GMBH
    Inventor: Chengxuan Fu
  • Patent number: 9701239
    Abstract: Systems, apparatus and methods may be configured to implement actively-controlled light emission from a robotic vehicle. A light emitter(s) of the robotic vehicle may be configurable to indicate a direction of travel of the robotic vehicle and/or display information (e.g., a greeting, a notice, a message, a graphic, passenger/customer/client content, vehicle livery, customized livery) using one or more colors of emitted light (e.g., orange for a first direction and purple for a second direction), one or more sequences of emitted light (e.g., a moving image/graphic), or positions of light emitter(s) on the robotic vehicle (e.g., symmetrically positioned light emitters). The robotic vehicle may not have a front or a back (e.g., a trunk/a hood) and may be configured to travel bi-directionally, in a first direction or a second direction (e.g., opposite the first direction), with the direction of travel being indicated by one or more of the light emitters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2017
    Assignee: Zoox, Inc.
    Inventors: Timothy David Kentley, Rachad Youssef Gamara