Uusi, LLC

Nartron Corporation

Npc Corporation

Narton Corporation

Natron Corporation

Uusl, LLC

Uusi LLC D/b/a Nartron

Todd R Newman

John M Washeleski

David W Shank

Andrew E Blank

Edward J Cox

Robert E Taylor

John M Taylor

Douglas M Warnke

Stephen R W Cooper

Peter H Strom

Ronald L Ballast

Bradley D Looy

Randy Perrin

Jeffery Swan

A bus includes a vehicle body, a plurality of doors, a nosing seal, at least one sensor disposed inside the nosing seal, wherein the at least one sensor capacitively couples to an electrically conductive moving object proximal to the nosing seal such that the capacitance of the at least one sensor changes, and a controller coupled to the at least one sensor, the controller analyzing the sensing by the at least one sensor and senses a non-smooth signal from the at least one sensor and determines that an obstruction is present, senses signal fluctuation from the at least one sensor is not monotonic and determines that an obstruction is present, senses that the one of the doors has not closed after a predetermined time period and determines that the obstruction is present, senses that one of the doors has stalled and determines that the obstruction is present, the controller being configured to alert an operator of the bus when the obstruction is present.

Vehicle assembly having a capacitive sensor

A bus includes a vehicle body, a plurality of capacitive sensors mounted along a perimeter of the vehicle body, wherein one of the capacitive sensors capacitively couples to an electrically conductive object proximal to the portion of the vehicle body such that the capacitance of the one of the capacitive sensors changes, and a controller coupled to the capacitive sensors, the controller being configured to alert an operator of the bus when the object is coupled to the at least one capacitive sensor.

A keyless entry assembly includes a vehicle opening movable between locked and unlocked positions, an electrical conductor (i.e., a capacitance sensor) mounted to the vehicle opening, and a controller. The conductor capacitively couples to an electrically conductive object proximal to (or touching) the conductor while the conductor is driven with an electrical charge such that capacitance of the conductor changes due to the conductor capacitively coupling with the object. The conductor is in the shape of an emblem identifying a vehicle associated with the vehicle opening. The controller is operable for driving the conductor with the electrical charge and measuring the capacitance of the conductor to determine whether an electrically conductive object is proximal to the conductor. The controller is further operable for controlling the vehicle opening to move the vehicle opening between the positions upon determining that the object is proximal to (or touching) the conductor.

Keyless entry assembly having capacitance sensor operative for detecting objects

A keyless entry assembly for a vehicle includes a sensor carrier, a sensor in the form of an electrically conductive pad, and a controller. The sensor is mounted to the sensor carrier and the sensor carrier is positioned adjacent a panel such that the sensor is adjacent the panel. The sensor capacitively couples to an electrically conductive object proximal to the panel while the sensor is driven with electrical charge such that capacitance of the sensor changes due to the sensor capacitively coupling with the object. The controller is operable for driving the sensor with the electrical charge and controlling a vehicle operation as a function of the capacitance of the sensor.

Vehicle keyless entry assembly having capacitance sensor operative for detecting objects

An illustrative assembly includes a panel and a capacitive sensor. The panel is movable between an opened position and a closed position relative to a closure of a vehicle body. The sensor is positioned on the panel such that at least a portion of the sensor is perpendicular to the closure of the vehicle body as the panel moves between the opened and closed positions. The sensor capacitively couples to an electrically conductive object proximal to the closure of the vehicle body such that capacitance of the sensor changes.

A system including a control interface including a display panel and a processor, the display panel including a touch surface, an electronically non-conductive touch surface, and a plurality of touch areas having an array of electrically conductive rows and columns, which capacitivily couples to a conductive object, moving into close proximity to one of the conductive rows and columns, while being driven with an electrical charge, and the processor detecting the capacitive coupling of the conductive row to the conductive object, generating a signal and providing the signal wirelessly to one of an accessory and remote device, based on a first movement, followed by a second movement when a pattern or sequence has been detected, remotely communicating to a wireless device using a transceiver associated with the processor, and controlling at least one of the remote accessories in accordance with an output command from the wireless device.

Vehicle accessory control interface having capacitive touch switches

A vehicle assembly includes an electrically non-conductive fascia panel and an electrical conductor mounted to the fascia panel. The conductor capacitively couples to an electrically conductive object proximal to the fascia panel while the conductor is driven with an electrical charge such that capacitance of the conductor changes due to the conductor capacitively coupling with the object. The assembly may further include a controller operable for driving the conductor with the electrical charge and for measuring the capacitance of the conductor to determine whether an electrically conductive object is proximal to the fascia panel. The controller controls a vehicle function such as movement of a movable panel like a lift gate associated with the fascia panel depending on whether an electrically conductive object is proximal to the fascia panel.

Vehicle assemblies having fascia panels with capacitance sensors operative for detecting proximal objects

A fascia panel assembly includes an electrically non-conductive fascia panel, an electrically non-conductive isolator, and a capacitance sensor. The sensor capacitively couples to an electrically conductive object proximal to the sensor while the sensor is driven with an electrical charge such that capacitance of the sensor changes due to the sensor capacitively coupling with the object. The isolator is sandwiched between the fascia panel and the isolator.

Fascia panel assembly having capacitance sensor operative for detecting objects

A system includes a controller and a sensor. The controller is configured to transmit a panel control signal to a motor for the motor to move a movable panel of a vehicle along a path between opened and closed positions. The sensor is configured to detect an object in the path of the panel without monitoring the motor. The sensor is further configured to generate an object signal indicative of an object detected in the path of the panel. Upon receipt of the object signal, the controller is further configured to transmit a panel control signal to the motor to move the panel along the path in an opening direction towards the opened position in order to prevent the panel from entrapping the object. The controller is further configured to communicate with at least one vehicle module over an in-vehicle local area network (LAN).

Vehicle panel control system

A keyless entry assembly includes a carrier with an electrical conductor thereon, a light pipe having an indicator, and a controller. The light pipe is connected to the carrier such that the indicator and conductor are in alignment. The light pipe is operable for receiving light to illuminate the indicator. The carrier with the light pipe connected thereto is mountable to a user accessible portion of a vehicle. The conductor capacitively couples to an electrically conductive object proximal to the conductor while the conductor is driven with an electrical charge such that capacitance of the conductor changes due to the conductor capacitively coupling with the object. The controller is operable for driving the conductor with the electrical charge, measuring the conductor capacitance to determine whether an electrically conductive object is proximal to the conductor, and controlling a vehicle operation as a function of the object being proximal to the conductor.

A system for enabling an operator to control a vehicle accessory includes a control interface and a processor. The control interface has a display surface and a touch area defined by an electrically conductive layer adjacent the display surface. The conductive layer capacitively couples to an electrically conductive object upon the object touching or being in proximity with the touch area while the conductive layer is driven with an electrical charge. The processor drives the conductive layer with the electrical charge, detects the capacitive coupling of the conductive layer to the object upon the object touching or being in proximity with the touch area while the conductive layer is driven, generates a signal indicative of the object touching or being in proximity with the touch area upon detecting the capacitive coupling of the conductive layer to the object, and provides the signal to the accessory for controlling the accessory accordingly.

Vehicle accessory control interface having capactive touch switches

A system or method for tracking items proximate a user interface device include a user interface device having at least one solid-state touch-sensitive region and a receiver for wirelessly receiving a signal from at least one item to determine proximity of the item relative to the user interface device. The device may also include a display screen for displaying controls and information. The user interface device may be permanently or removably mounted in a vehicle and used to interface with vehicle systems and personal electronic devices for control and information display. Tracked items or objects may include passive or active data tags and communicate identification information and optionally position information to the user interface device. The device may alert the user to movement of tracked objects, and/or confirm presence of a group of objects intended for a particular task or project.

User interface with proximity detection for object tracking

A fuel level sensor for sensing and monitoring the level of remaining fluid in a container such as a fuel tank for a motorized vehicle is disclosed. The fuel level sensor incorporates an improved float and pivot arm member attached to a hub that rotates about a pivot base. The conventional resistor card technology, commonly found in automotive applications for translating the position of the float into an electrical signal, is replaced by a more reliable non-contact magnetic flux sensing circuit. The fuel level sensor incorporates a magnetic sensor and magnetic circuit in a commonly known and practiced rotational position sensor configuration for determining the angular position of a hub relative to its pivot base, where the hub is attached to a conventional float-arm member and the base remains stationary relative to the fuel container. The preferred embodiment includes a magnetic flux sensor positioned between two movable magnets. The magnetic flux sensing element is a Hall effect integrated circuit, magnetoresistor, magnetodiode, magnetotransistor, or similar magnetic flux sensing element with associated electronic circuitry having adjustable or programmable features including ratiometry, gain, offset voltage, temperature coefficient, and output signal range limiting. Critical electronic components are hermetically sealed making the fuel level sensor fully submersible in fuel for long term fuel exposure.

Fuel level sensor

A system includes a controller and a sensor. The controller transmits a panel control signal to a motor for the motor to move a movable panel of a vehicle along a path between opened and closed positions while the motor receives power from a power source. The motor receives power from the power source upon receiving the panel control signal. The sensor detects objects in the path without monitoring the motor. The sensor generates an object signal indicative of an object being detected in the path of the panel. When the panel is moving in a closing direction, the controller transmits a panel control signal to the motor to reverse movement of the panel to an opening direction upon receiving the object signal in order to prevent the panel from entrapping an object. The controller communicates with vehicle modules over an in-vehicle local area network (LAN).

Growing community of inventors

Traverse City, MI, United States of America

Todd R Newman