Tesla Motors, Inc.

Dan Adams

Evan Small

Brian Finn

Adam Scott Kilgore

David Wheeler

Brenda Cucci

Robert B Mooney

Aspects of the disclosure provide for controlling a hood latch using an electrically actuated primary hood latch and an electrically actuated secondary hood latch. To open the hood of the vehicle, a person presses a hood release button. Before attempting to release either the primary hood latch or secondary hood latch, a determination is made whether a vehicle speed of the vehicle is below a minimum vehicle speed threshold. If the vehicle speed is below this threshold, both the primary electrical actuator for the primary hood latch and the secondary electrical actuator for the secondary hood latch are triggered, thereby releasing hood from a closed position into an open position. When the vehicle speed is above this vehicle speed threshold, only the primary electrical actuator for primary hood latch is triggered; leaving the hood in a partially open position held in place by the secondary hood latch.

Power release hood latch method and system

A method for using a vehicle user interface is provided, the user interface utilizing a touch screen display mounted within the vehicle. A proximity detection system provides a means for switching the touch screen display from the sleep mode to the normal use mode without the user having to touch the screen, thus expediting user interaction with the touch screen. The proximity detection system may be configured to distinguish the user's presence per touch screen zone, thereby allowing the system controller to switch only a zone of the touch screen from the sleep mode to the normal use mode.

Vehicle user interface with proximity activation

A method for configuring and personalizing a vehicle user interface is provided, the user interface utilizing a touch screen display mounted within the vehicle. User configurable aspects of the user interface include the number of zones within the touch screen display, the size of each zone, the subsystem interface assigned to each zone, the style and information contained within each subsystem interface, display brightness levels for the overall display or per zone, and the assignment and location of persistent soft buttons.

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Palo Alto, CA, United States of America

Dan Adams