Denso International America, Inc.

Denso Corporation

Gareth Webb

Sibu Varughese

Thomas Krzyzak, Jr

Wilson Yim

Matthew Johnson

Martin Nespolo

Cary Horvath

Marc Arceo

Martín Nespolo

Michael Lozano

Dustin Garrett

Justin McBride

Robert Wunsche, Iii

Christopher Levay

Christopher Guzman

Christopher Abrego

Kyle Golsch

Doua Vang

Christopher Alan Arms

Shunji Yamauchi

Jagadeesh Krishnamurthy

Austin Simpson

Feng Xue

Victor George Vulcu

Jay Robert Gloomis

Zakary Gertlar

Jill Garcia

Ronald Woo

Hiroki Matsui

Charles Jaber

Kazushige Hara

Bart Zudell

Heather Windel

Ronald Clogg

Dan Hwang

A vehicle system includes: at least one of: a sensor configured to measure an amount of a chemical in air within a passenger cabin of a vehicle; and a camera configured to capture images within the passenger cabin of the vehicle; and a control module configured to: detect smoking within the passenger cabin based on the at least one of the amount of the chemical and at least one of the images; and in response to smoking being detected within the passenger cabin, adjust operation of at least one of a luxury feature of the vehicle and a comfort feature of the vehicle.

Vehicle feature control systems and methods based on smoking

A vehicle system includes: a volatile organic compounds (VOC) sensor configured to measure an amount of a VOC within a passenger cabin of a vehicle; a particulate matter sensor configured to measure an amount of particulate matter within the passenger cabin of the vehicle; a triggering module configured to, during a use of the vehicle, selectively trigger the VOC and particulate matter sensors to measure the amount of the VOC and the amount of particulate matter; an odor database including a mapping of amounts of VOCs and amounts of particulate matter to odors; and an odor determination module configured to, using the odor database, determine an odor introduced into the passenger cabin of the vehicle during the use of the vehicle based on the measured amounts of VOCs and particulate matter.

Systems and methods for measuring and managing odor brought into rental vehicles

A vehicle system includes: an olfaction sensor comprising: a blower configured to draw air through an inlet; a dehumidifier configured to decrease a humidity of the air; and a sensor located downstream of the dehumidifier and configured to measure an amount of a chemical in the air after the air flows through the dehumidifier; and a control module configured to selectively take one or more remedial actions based on the amount of the chemical in the air measured by the sensor.

Humidity control for olfaction sensors

A vehicle system includes: at least one of: a particulate matter sensor configured to measure an amount of particulate within a passenger cabin of a vehicle; and a volatile organic compounds (VOC) sensor configured to measure an amount of VOCs within the passenger cabin of the vehicle; and a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system including a blower; a blower control module configured to: operate the blower in a first direction and blow air into the passenger cabin of the vehicle; and based on at least one of the amount of particulate and the amount of VOCs within the passenger cabin of the vehicle, selectively operate the blower in a second direction that is opposite the first direction, thereby blowing air from within the passenger cabin out through the HVAC system.

Passenger cabin air control systems and methods

A vehicle system includes: a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system including: a passenger cabin air filter; and a blower configured to draw air through the passenger cabin air filter and blow air into a passenger cabin of a vehicle; an olfaction sensor configured to measure an amount of a chemical in air in a duct of the HVAC system downstream of the passenger cabin air filter; and a filter module configured to determine and indicate whether to replace the passenger cabin air filter based on the amount of the chemical in the air measured by the olfaction sensor.

Diagnostic and recirculation control systems and methods

A vehicle system includes: smoke sensors located at different locations within a passenger cabin of a vehicle and configured to measure amounts of cigarette smoke at the locations, respectively, within the passenger cabin of the vehicle; and a smoking module configured to, based on the measured amounts of cigarette smoke, determine that: a smoking event occurred at a first location within the passenger cabin; and the smoking event did not occur at a second location that is different than the first location within the passenger cabin of the vehicle.

Systems and methods for identifying smoking in vehicles

A vehicle system includes: at least one of: (a) a particulate matter sensor configured to measure an amount of particulate within a passenger cabin of a vehicle; and (b) a volatile organic compounds (VOC) sensor configured to measure an amount of VOCs within the passenger cabin of the vehicle; and a control module configured to, based on at least one of the amount of particulate and the amount of VOCs within the passenger cabin of the vehicle, diagnose at least one of: a characteristic of the vehicle; presence of a chemical in the passenger cabin of the vehicle; occurrence of an event within the passenger cabin of the vehicle; and a remaining life of engine oil of the vehicle.

Diagnostic systems and methods of vehicles using olfaction

A system for providing ticket based authorized entry of a mobile access device includes a memory, a transceiver and a control module. The memory stores an access code of a ticket of an event to be accessed by the mobile access device. The mobile access device also stores the access code. The control module: determines an amount of time since the ticket was purchased or an amount of time since the access code of the ticket was last updated; and updates the access code stored in the memory and signals the mobile access device via the transceiver to update the access code stored at the mobile access device in response to the amount of time since the ticket was purchased exceeding a first predetermined amount of time or the amount of time since the access code of the ticket was last updated exceeding a second predetermined amount of time.

Rolling code based point of access system for event tickets stored in mobile access devices

A vehicle system includes: a blower configured to draw air from within a passenger cabin of a vehicle through an inlet; a binding agent source configured to flow a binding agent into the air; and a sensor disposed downstream of the binding agent source in the direction of airflow, the sensor configured to determine an amount of smoke in the air from within the passenger cabin based on a measured characteristic of particulate at the sensor and a predetermined characteristic of the binding agent.

Binding agent and olfaction sensor

A vehicle system includes: an olfaction sensor comprising: a blower configured to draw air from a passenger cabin through an inlet; a sensor located downstream of the inlet and including one or more proteins configured to measure an amount of a chemical in the air passing the sensor; and a purge source configured to selectively flows a purge gas into the sensor; and a control module configured to selectively take one or more remedial actions based on the amount of the chemical in the air.

Olfaction sensor preservation systems and methods

A vehicle system includes: an olfaction sensor comprising: a blower configured to draw air through an inlet; a filter configured to filter particulate from the air; and a volatile organic compounds (VOC) sensor disposed downstream of the filter and configured to measure an amount of VOCs in air after the air flows through the filter; and a control module configured to selectively take one or more remedial actions based on the amount of VOCs.

Particulate control systems and methods for olfaction sensors

A battery charging system of an electronic device includes: a battery having a first nominal voltage and including: battery cells each having a second nominal voltage that is less than the first nominal voltage; and electrical connectors that electrically connect ones of the battery cells to provide the battery with the first nominal voltage; a first charge port configured to electrically connect to a first type of connector; a charging module configured to: receive power via the first charge port; and when a voltage of the received power is less than the first nominal voltage at least one of: charge ones of the battery cells individually; and charge groups of two or more of the battery cells.

Battery charging systems and methods

An identification system for a property includes: a mobile device including a display and configured to: selectively output a feature during execution of an application; and transmit user data stored on the mobile device; a scanning module configured to scan the feature and to generate an output based on the feature; an identity module configured to, based on the user data, determine an identity identifier indicative of an identity of a user of the mobile device; and a checking module configured to one of approve and deny an action based on: the output generated based on the feature; and the identity identifier indicative of the identity of the user of the mobile device.

Vehicle control and identification systems and methods

A smoking cessation system of a vehicle includes: a microphone configured to generate an output based on sound within a passenger cabin of the vehicle; a virtual assistant module configured to identify a future smoking event within the passenger cabin of the vehicle based on the output of the microphone; and a smoking module configured to take at least one remedial action in response to the identification of a future smoking event.

Smoking cessation systems and methods

A mobile access device includes a memory, a user interface, a transceiver, and a control module. The memory stores a service application. The user interface receives an input from a user to execute the service application. The transceiver signals a vehicle to establish a connection and initiate a location determining process to determine a location of the mobile access device within the vehicle. The control module: determines whether the service application is permitted to be executed based on the location of the mobile access device; based on the location of the mobile access device, performs an identity verification process to verify identity of at least one of the user or the mobile access device; and tracks driving behavior of the user based on (i) whether the service application is permitted to be executed, and (ii) a result of the identity verification process.

Growing community of inventors

Farmington, MI, United States of America

Gareth Webb