Visteon Global Technolgoies, Inc.

Ford Global Technolgoies, LLC

Ford Motor Company Limited

Dinu Petre Madau

Behrouz Ashrafi

Gary Edward Zack

Paul O Morris

Hongtei Eric Tseng

Lee Albert Feldkamp

Matthew Mark Mikolajczak

Jeffrey Mark Schroeder

J William Whikehart

Myron Lemecha

Leighton Ira Davis, Jr

Shadi Mere

Upton Beall Bowden

Fumin Yuan

Steven H Seippel

A wireless charging steering wheel device is described herein. The wireless charging steering wheel device is coupled to a power source via a clockspring included in the steering wheel. Also disclosed herein is an integrated wireless charging/heating system. Also disclosed herein are multiple coil placements for implementing the wireless charging steering wheel device.

Wireless charging steering wheel

A system for monitoring a driver of a vehicle is provided. The system includes an infrared flash to beam an infrared light at the driver; an infrared camera to capture the reflection from the beam; and a reflective infrared film adhered to a windshield of the vehicle. A method for implementing a driver monitoring system is provided. The method includes installation of an infrared reflective layer on a vehicle; installing an infrared camera and an infrared flash in a dashboard of the vehicle; and orientating either the infrared camera or the infrared flash in a direction facing the infrared reflective layer.

System and method for monitoring a driver of a vehicle

A system and method for indicating an alert associated with a mobile device are provided. The system includes a device detector to detect whether the mobile device is in a state of wireless charging; an exit signal receiver to detect an event associated with an exit; a device determiner to determine, after the event is detected, whether the mobile device is in an area associated with the wireless charging; and a vehicle notifier to transmit an alert based the determination by the device determiner. Also provided is a method for augmenting a wireless charging system with a notification system.

Initiating an alert based on a mobile device being left behind

A system and method for integrating a wireless charging device with a display is provided herein. The system includes an information receiver to receive information from the wireless charging device; an information processor to process the information, and the processed information being about a wireless charging device or an electronic device on the wireless charging device; and an information communicator to communicate the processed information to a display coupled to the system.

Integrating a wireless charging device with a human machine interface (HMI)

A system and method for determining a re-configuration of a wireless surface with a multi-coil system are provided. The system includes a reference generator to determine a reference parameter associated with the wireless surface; a recheck initiator to instigates a re-measurement; a re-measurer, in response to the initiated re-measurement, to measure a parameter associated with the reference parameter; and an analyzer to retrieve a determination about the wireless surface based on a difference between the measured parameter and the measured reference parameter.

Determining a re-configuration of a wireless surface with a multi-coil system

A system and method for selecting a configuration of coils in response to a multi-coil wireless charging system initiating charging are provided. The system includes a ping generator to measure a reference coil peak voltage for each of the coils of the multi-coil wireless charging system; an object detector to detect that an object is placed on a surface associated with the wireless charging system; a charge detector to detect that the object is chargeable; and in response to the object being chargeable, a switch transmitter determines which of the coils of the multi-coil wireless charging system to connect to a power source.

Selecting a configuration of coils in response to a multi-coil wireless charging system initiating charging

A system and method for providing information to a driver of a vehicle includes: an image-capture device; a head or eye-gaze tracker; at least one processor; and an output device. The image-capture device captures an image of an environment external to a vehicle. The head or eye-gaze tracker determines an item a driver of the vehicle is viewing. The at least one processor processes the captured image. The at least one processor also translates language contained in the captured image of the item the driver is viewing to a second language, or determines point-of-interest information based on the captured image of the item the driver is viewing. The output device outputs information containing the second translated language of the captured image of the item the driver is viewing, or containing the determined point-of-interest information based on the captured image of the item the driver is viewing.

Vehicle system and method for providing information regarding an external item a driver is focusing on

An adaptive display system includes a display component to present an image to a user, a sensor for detecting a vision characteristic of the user and generating a sensor signal representing the vision characteristic of the user; and a processor in communication with the sensor and the display component, wherein the processor receives the sensor signal, analyzes the sensor signal based upon an instruction set to determine the vision characteristic of the user, and controls a visual output of the display component based upon the vision characteristic of the user.

Method of controlling a display component of an adaptive display system

A variable blind spot warning system for detecting objects in a blind spot of a motor vehicle. The system includes at least one movable side view device coupled to a position sensor. The position sensor generates a position signal corresponding to an orientation of the side view device. At least one external detector generates a detector signal corresponding to a location of objects outside of the motor vehicle. A processor reads the position signal and the detector signal and calculates blind spot boundaries based on the position signal. The processor thereafter compares the blind spot boundaries to the object locations and provides an indication to a driver of the vehicle if an object is within the calculated blind spot boundaries.

Variable blind spot warning system

A system and a method for low speed collision avoidance by a vehicle are provided. The low speed collision avoidance system includes an operation control module in communication with a plurality of signal generators for determining a distance to an object, a vehicle velocity, an accelerator position, a brake switch position and a shift position to effect vehicle operation. The system and the method for low speed collision avoidance operate when the vehicle is traveling below a predetermined low velocity and when the vehicle is stopped.

Low-speed collision avoidance system

An automatic turn signal deactivation system monitors and deactivates a turn signal indicator for a vehicle. A lane departure warning device compares a vehicle position with an originating roadway lane and provides a monitoring signal to a communication bus. A turn signal module activates the turn signal indicator under manual control and automatically deactivates the turn signal indicator in response to the monitoring signal when the monitoring signal received from the lane departure warning device over the communication bus indicates that a lane change maneuver is complete.

Lane based automatic turn signal deactivation

For a motor vehicle , a method for generating a map of a vehicle's dynamic steering ratio as a function of vehicle velocity and yaw rate. The steering ratio accounts for vehicle system compliance during dynamic maneuvers. The mapping of the steering ratio is used in an algorithm to estimate the vehicle's steering wheel angle while the vehicle is in a dynamic maneuver such as a turning maneuver. This estimation is based on the front wheel steer angles that are derived from the yaw rate and longitudinal velocity and the steering ratio.

Algorithm for computing vehicle's steering ratio under dynamic maneuver

A misalignment detection system ( ) for steering system of an automotive vehicle ( ) includes a controller ( ) coupled to a velocity sensor ( ), and a yaw rate sensor ( ). The controller is also coupled to a memory ( ) that is used to store a steering ratio memory map and a historic steering wheel angle. The controller ( ) determines a base steering wheel angle when the vehicle velocity is at a predetermined velocity. The base steering wheel angle is a function of the vehicle velocity, the yaw rate, and the steering ratio. The controller compares the current steering wheel angle with a historic steering wheel angle to determine an error. An indicator ( ) may be provided to the vehicle operator to signal the presence of the misalignment of the steering system.

Misalignment detection system for a steering system of an automotive vehicle

When a motor vehicle is not in motion, an algorithm for establishing the initial zero point offset values for a yaw rate sensor as may be used in motor vehicle software control systems. The initial values are the manufactured values and are downloaded into the vehicle ECU at the time of the manufacture of the ECU. When the vehicle is waken at the vehicle assembly and the ignition is first turned on, the initial actual value of the zero point offset is stored both as a maximum and minimum value. At subsequent adjusting times when the vehicle is not moving, but the ignition is on, the spread between the maximum and minimum values are checked. If the spread becomes greater than a desired predetermined spread, the value, be it the maximum or minimum value reflects the measured value and the other value is adjusted to be within the desired spread. When the ignition is turned off and the vehicle is not moving, the zero point offset maximum and minimum values are stored in memory. The mean value is calculated to provide the new zero point offset value of the yaw rate sensor when the vehicle ignition is then turned on and the vehicle is not moving.

Compensation algorithm for initializing yaw rate sensor's zero point offset

A system and method for vehicle dynamic control processes a compensated yaw rate signal measurement and a compensated lateral acceleration signal measurement (,) to derive a signal measurement of road bank angle disturbance not compensated for in a compensated steering angle signal measurement and provides the derived signal to a controller (,). The compensated steering angle signal measurement is an input to the controller. Because a disturbance already compensated in the compensated steering angle signal measurement is transparent to the controller, the controller is able to adjust the control action of the vehicle dynamic control system based on the derived signal measurement of road bank angle disturbance not compensated for in a compensated steering angle signal measurement, thereby providing enhanced robustness of control.

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Canton, MI, United States of America

Dinu Petre Madau