Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.

Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha

Manish Shah

John D Harkleroad

Patrick J Edgar

Aamir U Warsi

Michal Ostrowski

An apparatus, a system, and a method for providing a smart multi-tier power running board (PRB) with ground sensing technologies. The apparatus includes one or more support bars, one or more steps, an actuator connected to one end of each support bar of the one or more support bars, one or more sensors, and a controller coupled to the actuator and the one or more sensors. The controller is configured to: obtain data indicative of a request to move the one or more support bars from a stowed position to a deployed position; determine, based on sensor data detected by the one or more sensors, the deployed position for moving the one or more support bars; and control, based on the determined deployed position, the actuator to move the one or more support bars from the stowed position to the deployed position.

Systems, methods, and apparatus for smart multi-tier power running board with ground sensing technologies

A seat assembly including a seat frame, an armrest pivotally coupled to the seat frame, a stopper, and an engagement member. The armrest pivots between a use position and a drop down position below the use position in a vertical direction. In the use position, the armrest is configured to support an arm of a user. The engagement member contacts the stopper in the use position to inhibit movement of the armrest from the use position toward the drop down position. The engagement member is configured to deform against the stopper upon application of a predetermined force to allow the armrest to move from the use position toward the drop down position.

Seat assemblies having resettable armrests

Lamp assemblies for reducing headlamp condensation are disclosed. One example lamp assembly includes a lamp housing including a front housing and a rear housing forming a lamp cavity; a light source extending from the rear housing into the lamp cavity; a reflector extending around the light source; and a duct extending between the rear housing and the reflector from the light source to a remote section of the lamp cavity spaced from the light source. The duct can include a duct cavity configured to draw air from the remote section of the lamp cavity toward the light source to reduce condensation in the lamp cavity.

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Canton, MI, United States of America

Manish Shah