Ford Global Technolgoies, LLC

Martin Scheck

Matus Banyay

Thomas Oeltjebruns

Eric L Reed

James Weinfurther

Frank Aust

Gabriel Dascalu

Paul Braithwaite

Sebastian Bummel

Michael Alberti

Hans Hoffmann

Stefan Becker

Ralf Klingenstein

Andrew Jamison

Systems and methods are described for a push-button switch assembly with the ability to diagnose faults. The push-button switch assembly comprises a first circuit comprising a first resistor arranged in series with a first switch, and a second resistor arranged in parallel with the first resistor and the first switch, and a second circuit comprising a third resistor arranged in series with a second switch, and a fourth resistor arranged in parallel with the third resistor and the second switch, wherein the first switch and the second switch are each closable by displacement of a push-button of the push-button switch assembly.

Push-button switch assembly and diagnosic methods thereof

A rotary controller for a vehicle apparatus such as an infotainment system has at least two operating elements which are arranged at a spacing from one another in a direction of extent of an axis of rotation of the rotary controller. The rotary controller has a receptacle on which the operating elements are mounted along with a plurality of contact-sensitive sensor elements. Each sensor element associated with a respective operating element to detect a rotational movement about the axis of rotation when a user manually contacts the respective operating element.

Rotary controller

An identity of a user may be verified using a computer-implemented identification. User-specific sensor data arising through use of the portable computer by the user is collected from sensors of a portable computer. A user profile is prepared based on the user-specific user data. Current sensor data is read in, from the sensors, representative of current usage of the portable computer. The current sensor data is compared with the user profile. The identity of the user is confirmed responsive to the current sensor data corresponding to the user profile.

Computer-implemented identification method

A switch for activating the turn signals (blinkers) of a vehicle is actuated by a lever movable from a central position in opposite first and second directions to respective first and second switching positions. A first electromagnet is located such that movement of the lever to the first switching position brings a portion of the lever closer thereto. A second electromagnet is located such that movement of the lever to the second switching position brings the portion of the lever closer thereto. A control unit controls energization of the first and second electromagnets in a manner to attract and/or repel the lever to alternatively: a) hold the lever in the first switching position; b) hold the lever in the second switching position; and c) release the lever to return to the central position from the first switching position and from the second switching position.

Turn indicator switch with electromagnetic latching device

A system for controlling the exterior lighting of a motor vehicle has a switch unit having a rotary switch which can be rotated clockwise and counter-clockwise to sequentially activate a plurality of operating modes of the vehicle lights. The rotary switch is a continuously adjustable rotary encoder, and a plurality of indicator lights are arranged around the rotary encoder, each of the operating modes is respectively assigned a mode indicator light. The operating mode selected by the rotary encoder is displayed by the corresponding indicator light. The rotary encoder has a plurality of latched positions that correspond to the plurality of indicator lights.

System for controlling exterior lighting of a motor vehicle

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Pulheim, Germany

Martin Scheck