Ford Global Technolgoies, LLC

Uwe Gussen

Ryan Abraham McGee

Jan Mehring

Frederic Stefan

Christoph Arndt

Frank Petri

Urs Christen

Rainer Busch

David Van Bebber

Thomas Rambow

Christoph Arndt Dr Habil

Goetz-Philipp Wegner

Erik Alpman

Markus Kees

Nadja Wysietzki

Tobias Emig

Timothy C Bettger

Armin Mueller-Lerwe

Peter Schmitz

Gilberto Burgio

Georg Neugebauer

Andreas R Schamel

Goetz-Phillipp Wegner

Julian David Pott

Hans Günther Quix

An apparatus for monitoring the blind spot of a motor vehicle has a mirror assembly with at least one mirror element that can be moved using an actuator, and a microphone assembly. The microphone assembly is designed to determine the sound direction, and the movable mirror element is in the form of a sound reflector.

Apparatus for monitoring the blind spot of a motor vehicle

The invention relates to an active parking assist system () for a motor vehicle (), wherein the parking assist system () comprises a plurality of capacitive ultrasonic converters () which are essentially spaced evenly in a horizontally circumferential manner outside the motor vehicle ().

Active parking assist system for a motor vehicle

The disclosure relates to a method and to a device that recognizes road users in an environment of a vehicle. The vehicle includes at least one camera-based sensor that acquires images of the vehicle environment, wherein the device implements the method to process the images. The method includes acquiring at each of a plurality of different times, an image of an object located in the vehicle environment, performing image analyses on the images acquired at different times, and deciding, based on a result of the image analyses performed, whether the object shall be interpreted as a road user or as an inanimate entity. The device implements the method to control an autonomous driving system to control vehicle movements based on the result.

Method and device that recognizes road users in an environment of a vehicle

A method to analyze of a vehicle's surroundings is specified. The method includes: arranging a first sensor group with at least two radar sensors on a vehicle, emitting radar waves using the radar sensors into the vehicle environment, reflecting the emitted radar waves at objects in the vehicle's environment, receiving the reflected radar waves using the radar sensors, identifying information about the vehicle's environment from the received radar waves and outputting the radar information. In order to improve the analysis of the carriageway environment, the radar sensors are arranged on the vehicle such that the emitted and received radar waves interfere. Radar information is obtained by taking account of the resulting interference data. In addition, a vehicle apparatus to analyze a vehicle's surroundings.

Method and apparatus for analysis of a vehicle environment, and vehicle equipped with such a device

Parameters that characterize a current driving situation of the motor vehicle are acquired. On the basis of the acquired parameters a current level of monotony is determined as a characterization of a monotony of the current driving situation. Whether the calculated current level of monotony exceeds a predetermined threshold is checked, and an exercise for the driver to increase concentration on driving the motor vehicle is performed when the threshold is exceeded.

Method and system for preventing concentration errors when driving a motor vehicle

A system and method for demand-activated remote monitoring and/or control of motor vehicles via a radio data communication link with a coordination unit. The coordination unit is configured for conveying requests for remote monitoring and/or remote control of a motor vehicle and offers for performing the remote control from control terminals located remotely from the coordination unit. After acceptance of an offer by the vehicle, the coordination unit provides a data communication link between the motor vehicle and the control terminal over which the remote control and/or monitoring is performed.

Method and system for remote control of motor vehicles

In order to obtain information about a salt-state of a road independently of drivers, a method that generates information about the salt-state of a road is specified that includes a determination of salt-state-dependent measurement values, processing of the measurement values into information about the salt-state of the road and outputting of the information about the salt-state of the road. A corresponding device that generates information about the salt-state of a road comprises sensors that determine of salt-state-dependent measurement values, a processing unit that is configured to process determined measurement values into information about the salt-state of the road, and output the information about the salt-state of the road.

Device that generates salt-state information of a road

A method of performing an autonomous parking maneuver of a vehicle begins with a human vehicle operator/driver issuing a command to a parking assistance system that the parking maneuver requires at least one vehicle wheel to encounter a vertical obstruction (such as a curb) undetected by a sensor providing information to the system. In reaction to the command, the parking assistance system enters an operating mode wherein a setpoint speed of the vehicle during the maneuver is decreased to operate the engine with a greater torque reserve so that it is better adapted to deal with the vertical obstruction. A brake system condition may also be changed when in the operating mode, such as decreasing a brake disk/pad distance. The command may be issued by a vehicle operator standing outside of the vehicle.

Method for operating a driver assistance system to perform an autonomous parking maneuver

The disclosure concerns a method for the remote-controlled operation of a tailgate of a motor vehicle. A sensor arrangement of the motor vehicle detects environmental data of the motor vehicle. A control apparatus of the motor vehicle triggers the opening of the tailgate on receiving a wireless opening signal from an operator and triggers the closing of the tailgate on receiving a wireless closing signal from an operator. The control apparatus checks for the presence of at least one closure condition of the tailgate that is independent of the wireless closing signal based on the environmental data detected by the sensor arrangement during opening of the tailgate, and if the closure condition is present, the control apparatus triggers the closing of the tailgate.

Method for automatic closure of a vehicle tailgate

A method for avoiding or reducing damage to a parked vehicle caused by a collision with an approaching vehicle performing a parking operation included determining, by the parked vehicle, a risk of collision, transmitting a warning signal if the risk of collision is sufficiently high, monitoring whether the approaching vehicle reacts to the warning signal, and performing a maneuver by the parked vehicle to avoid or reduce collision damage if there is no reaction. The maneuver may permit a controlled contact between the parked vehicle and the approaching vehicle to minimize the force of the contact. After such a controlled contact, a braking torque exerted by the parked vehicle is increased. Following completion of the damage avoidance maneuver, an estimate of the extent of the completed damage prevention is made and provided to the owner of the parked vehicle (including information about potential saved repair costs).

Method for preventing or reducing collision damage to a parked vehicle

A maneuvering process of a motor vehicle is assisted in at least partially automated fashion from a present position into a target position. A multiplicity of possible trajectories from the present position into the target position are determined. One of said trajectories is defined as the trajectory to be followed by the vehicle during the maneuvering process on the basis of a predefined criterion. The definition is performed repeatedly during the execution of the maneuvering process, with the trajectory to be followed being updated in each case.

Method and device for assisting a maneuvering process of a motor vehicle

A method for assisting a maneuvering process of a motor vehicle, and a parking assistance device are provided. In a method for assisting a maneuvering process of a motor vehicle, wherein longitudinal and lateral control of the movement of the motor vehicle is carried out on the basis of predefined setpoint values of the direction of travel, speed or steering angle in order to automatically carry out the maneuvering process, at least some of these setpoint values and the chronological sequence in which the setpoint values are predefined during the maneuvering process are stored.

Method for assisting a maneuvering process of a motor vehicle, and parking assistance device

A device for subdividing vehicle cabs and/or storage spaces into a number of sub-portions, comprising a number of deformable walls and a drive unit for moving the walls between an open position, in which the walls do not subdivide the cab and/or the storage space, and a closure position, in which the walls subdivide the cab and/or the storage space into the sub-portions. The walls become deformed during movement between the closure position and the open position. Also included is a method for subdividing vehicle cabs and/or storage spaces into a number of sub-portions and a vehicle.

Device and method for subdividing vehicle cab and/or storage space into a number of sub-portions

A driving assistance system for a vehicle has a longer-distance sensor device for determining longer-distance information between a vehicle and an obstacle, and a shorter-distance sensor device for determining shorter-distance information between the vehicle and the obstacle. A dual-mode light emitting diode (LED module) can selectively emit both visible light and infrared light, and is part of the vehicle's driving-lights system, such as a headlight and/or a reversing light. The LED module emits infrared light when operating as part of the shorter-distance sensor device and an infrared receiver detects the reflected infrared light for distance determination. The longer-distance sensor device uses ultrasonic waves to determine distance information, and when it indicates that the distance has fallen below a threshold distance (below which the longer-distance sensing device is not reliable), a controller activates the shorter-distance sensing device.

Driving assistance system with short-distance ranging

A vehicle suspension system having a twist beam axle including a crossbeam and two trailing arms connected thereto. The rear ends of each trailing arm, in the motor vehicle longitudinal direction, having with a wheel mount for fastening a motor vehicle wheel. The front ends of each trailing arm connected via a bearing to the motor vehicle body. Each bearing associated with a MEMS designed as an actuator wherein movements of the bearings and therefore the twist beam axle about the vertical motor vehicle axis can be caused or unfavorable movements of the twist beam axle can be counteracted.

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Huertgenwald, Germany

Uwe Gussen