Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.

Derek A Thompson

Frankie B Reed

Krishna V Buddharaju

Jeffrey Edward Pierfelice

Clinton John Williams

John Charles Rafferty

Stephen L Robertson

Darin Paul Rosekrans

Preston Steffey

Sean Xu

A system that includes a vehicle horn can reduce noise pollution caused by vehicles. The system can include a vehicle horn that has a signal-based mode and a sound-based mode. In the signal-based mode, the vehicle horn can output an electronic signal. In the sound-based mode, the vehicle horn can output an audible signal. The system can select one of the signal-based mode and the sound-based mode for the vehicle horn based on the driving environment data acquired by one or more sensors. Upon receiving a horn command, the system can cause the vehicle horn to output a signal based on the selected mode.

Adaptive vehicle horn

A method of controlling an operating condition of a seat belt warning mechanism and a power window of the vehicle is provided. The method, implemented by a computing device of the vehicle, includes detecting, using a sensor of the vehicle, an animal in an interior of the vehicle, activating, automatically and without user intervention, an operating mode for the vehicle responsive to detecting the animal, and controlling, based on the operating mode, an operating condition of a seat belt warning mechanism of the vehicle and an operating condition of a power window of the vehicle.

Methods and systems for controlling operating conditions of vehicle components

Embodiments related to systems and methods for determining an identity of a trailer coupled to a vehicle are provided herein. The system includes one or more trailer lamps, a trailer lamp current sensing device electrically coupled to the one or more trailer lamps, one or more processors, one or more data storage devices, one or more memory modules communicatively coupled to the one or more processors and storing machine readable instructions that cause the system to perform at least the following when executed by the one or more processors: receive a sensed current signal from the trailer lamp current sensing device, determine whether an amperage level of the sensed current signal is associated with a trailer identification stored within the one or more data storage devices, and notifying a user of the trailer identification stored in the one or more data storage devices for the trailer connected to the vehicle.

Systems and methods for determining an identity of a trailer

A method of displaying a message associated with a likelihood of an animal appearing within a proximity of vehicle is provided. The method includes detecting, using a sensor of a vehicle, an animal warning sign in an area external to the vehicle at a particular time. The method further includes accessing in real time, using a computing device, a database including data associated with the animal depicted on the animal warning sign, determining in real time, using the computing device of the vehicle, a likelihood of the animal appearing within a proximity of the vehicle based on the accessed data, and displaying in real time, on a user interface associated with the computing device of the vehicle, a message based on the likelihood of the animal appearing within the proximity of the vehicle.

Methods and systems for displaying animal encounter warnings in vehicles

A vehicle includes an automotive staged diagnostic system including: one or more components of the vehicle, a user interface, and a control unit configured to receive a signal identifying at least one malfunctioning component of the vehicle. The system may automatically identify a diagnostic procedure for the malfunctioning component from a plurality of diagnostic procedures, initiate and execute the steps of the identified diagnostic procedure by: soliciting information from a user, issuing instructions to the user, executing branching logic steps, and checking electrical pathways upstream and downstream of the malfunctioning component. The control unit is further configured to initiate repair or replacement of the malfunctioning component based on a user action received via the user interface, and recommend service options if the diagnostic procedure is unable to return the malfunctioning component to working order.

Staged troubleshooting and repair of vehicle electromechanical components

Systems and methods for providing meter time notifications to a user are disclosed. The system includes a display, a receiver that receives one or more signals from one or more parking meters via a vehicle-to-infrastructure communication system, the one or more signals including an identification of an occupied parking space and an amount of time remaining before the occupied parking space must be vacated, and a processing device communicatively coupled to the display and to the receiver. The processing device is configured to receive the one or more signals from the receiver, determine the amount of time remaining for one or more occupied parking spaces based on the one or more signals received via the receiver, and cause the display to display an indicator of one or more occupied parking spaces and the associated amount of time remaining.

Meter time notification of other vehicles to driver

Disclosed is a vehicle accessory calibration and reset module that includes a sensor associated with a vehicle component, and configured to detect a malfunction of the vehicle component, and generate a signal to indicate the malfunction. The vehicle accessory calibration and reset module also includes a control unit configured to receive the signal indicative of the malfunction, automatically identify a diagnostic procedure for the vehicle component, initiate the diagnostic procedure, determine whether a calibration or reset is indicated as part of the diagnostic procedure, initiate an automatic calibration or reset of the vehicle component, initiate a test of the vehicle component, and recommend service options to a user if a result of the test indicates a continuing malfunction status of the vehicle component.

Auto calibration and auto reset of vehicle components

In one embodiment, a method for trailer safety is provided. The method includes: receiving a request to perform a trailer safety check, wherein the request is associated with a vehicle and a trailer; in response to the request, providing a trailer safety checklist, wherein the trailer safety checklist includes a plurality of user-interface elements, and at least one of the user-interface elements corresponds to a light component of the trailer; receiving a first signal indicating that an operator has selected the user-interface element corresponding to the light component of the trailer, wherein the operator is located outside of the vehicle; and in response to the first signal, causing the light component of the trailer corresponding to the selected user-interface element to turn on.

Growing community of inventors

Ypsilanti, MI, United States of America

Derek A Thompson