Patent application number | Description | Published |
20080277497 | Vehicle Windshield Cleaning System - Apparatus and method for providing a heated cleaning fluid to a vehicle surface. The apparatus has an inlet port for receiving an amount of fluid; an outlet port for dispensing an amount of heated fluid two glow plug heating elements and a control for activating or energizing the glow plugs to heat fluid within a reservoir. | 11-13-2008 |
20080283629 | VEHICLE WINDSHIELD CLEANING SYSTEM - Apparatus and method for providing a heated cleaning fluid to a vehicle surface. The apparatus has an inlet port for receiving an amount of fluid; an outlet port for dispensing an amount of heated fluid; a heating element that heats up fluid passing from the inlet to the outlet; and a control circuit for energizing at least a portion of the heating element with a voltage to heat the fluid passing from the inlet to the outlet. | 11-20-2008 |
20090158857 | ANTI-ENTRAPMENT SYSTEM - An anti-entrapment system for preventing an object from being entrapped by a translating device includes a sensor positionable adjacent to or on the translating device. The sensor has a non-conductive compressible jacket with a cavity, and first and second conductors positioned within the cavity opposite from one another. In response to an object pressing against the jacket, the jacket compresses from a non-compressed state in which the conductors are not in electrical contact to a compressed state in which the conductors are in electrical contact. The sensor has a compressible support either inside or outside of the cavity. In response to the object pressing against the jacket while the jacket is compressed, the support compresses to allow the jacket to compress further in order reduce pinching of the object by the translating device when the object is between the jacket and the translating device. | 06-25-2009 |
20090272035 | COLLISION MONITORING SYSTEM - Disclosed is an improved system and method for sensing both hard and soft obstructions for a movable panel such as a sunroof. A dual detection scheme is employing that includes an optical sensing as the primary means and electronic sensing of motor current as a secondary means. The secondary means utilizes system empirical precharacterization, fast processing algorithms, motor parameter monitoring including both current sensing and sensorless electronic motor current commutation pulse sensing, and controller memory, to adaptively modify electronic obstacle detection thresholds in real time without the use of templates and cycle averaging techniques. | 11-05-2009 |
20100085179 | VEHICLE LIGHT SYSTEM - One embodiment of the present application includes a vehicle illumination system. The vehicle illumination system comprises an input keypad configured to receive at least one input provided by a user. The vehicle illumination system also comprises a controller configured to receive input commands provided by the input keypad and to sequentially control a state of a plurality of output device drivers corresponding to a respective plurality of vehicle lamps. The vehicle illumination system also comprises mean for reducing or eliminating undesired LED illumination. The vehicle illumination system further comprises overvoltage protection circuitry configured to continuously monitor an electrical signal associated with each of the plurality of output device drivers relative to respective over-current condition thresholds and a summation over-current condition threshold. The summation over-current threshold can be less than a sum of the respective over-current condition thresholds associated with each of the plurality of outputs. | 04-08-2010 |
20100102140 | VEHICLE WINDSHIELD CLEANING SYSTEM - Apparatus and method for providing a heated cleaning fluid to a vehicle surface. The apparatus has an inlet port for receiving an amount of fluid; an outlet port for dispensing an amount of heated fluid; a heating element coil or tube covered with a plastic sheath that heats up fluid passing from the inlet to the outlet; and a control circuit for energizing at least a portion of the heating element with a voltage to heat the fluid passing from the inlet to the outlet. The apparatus also has expandable and compressible features and parts for protection against freezing. | 04-29-2010 |
20100200671 | VEHICLE WINDSHIELD CLEANING SYSTEM - Apparatus and method for providing a heated cleaning fluid to a vehicle surface. The apparatus has an inlet port for receiving an amount of fluid; an outlet port for dispensing an amount of heated fluid; a heating element that heats up fluid passing from the inlet to the outlet; and a control circuit for energizing at least a portion of the heating element with a voltage to heat the fluid passing from the inlet to the outlet. The apparatus also has expandable and compressible features and parts for protection against freezing. | 08-12-2010 |
20110056986 | VEHICLE WINDSHIELD CLEANING SYSTEM - Apparatus and method for providing a heated cleaning fluid to a vehicle surface. The apparatus has an inlet port for receiving an amount of fluid; an outlet port for dispensing an amount of heated fluid two glow plug heating elements and a control for activating or energizing the glow plugs to heat fluid within a reservoir. | 03-10-2011 |
20110163764 | ANTI-ENTRAPMENT SYSTEM - An anti-entrapment system for preventing an object from being entrapped by a translating device such as a vehicle window includes a capacitance sensor and a controller. The sensor has a jacket with a cavity, a dielectric element within the cavity, and first and second electrical conductors. The conductors are within the cavity on opposite sides of the dielectric element such that the conductors are separated from one another by a separation distance. The capacitance of the sensor changes in response to an electrically conductive object moving in proximity to at least one of the conductors. The controller is configured to control a translating device as a function of the capacitance of the sensor. The jacket is attachable to a seal configured to receive the translating device. | 07-07-2011 |
20120119898 | VEHICLE LIGHT SYSTEM - One embodiment of the present application includes a vehicle illumination system. The vehicle illumination system comprises an input keypad configured to receive at least one input provided by a user. The vehicle illumination system also comprises a controller configured to receive input commands provided by the input keypad and to sequentially control a state of a plurality of output device drivers corresponding to a respective plurality of vehicle lamps. At least one indicator is configured to indicate to a user a condition associated with at least one of the plurality of output device drivers wherein the controller communicates with the indicator by means of a communications protocol. | 05-17-2012 |
20120204374 | VEHICLE WINDSHIELD CLEANING SYSTEM - Apparatus for providing a heated cleaning fluid to a vehicle surface having an inlet port for receiving an amount of fluid; a housing bounding a reservoir in fluid communication with the inlet port; and an outlet port in fluid communication with the reservoir for dispensing an amount of heated fluid. A heater element heats fluid that passes from the inlet to the outlet port through the reservoir. A heat exchanger in thermal contact with the heater element for conveying heat to the fluid within the reservoir has a strut that divides fluid entering the housing through the inlet port into two flow paths and elongated fins that extend outwardly from the strut at transverse angles that bound fluid flow channels for fluid moving through said reservoir. A control circuit energizes the heater element with a voltage to heat the heating element. | 08-16-2012 |
20120285086 | COLLISION MONITORING SYSTEM - Disclosed is an improved system and method for sensing both hard and soft obstructions for a movable panel such as a sunroof. A dual detection scheme is employing that includes an optical sensing as the primary means and electronic sensing of motor current as a secondary means. The secondary means utilizes system empirical precharacterization, fast processing algorithms, motor parameter monitoring including both current sensing and sensorless electronic motor current commutation pulse sensing, and controller memory, to adaptively modify electronic obstacle detection thresholds in real time without the use of templates and cycle averaging techniques. | 11-15-2012 |
20130263672 | ANTI-ENTRAPMENT SYSTEM - An anti-entrapment system for preventing an object from being entrapped by a translating device such as a vehicle window includes a capacitance sensor and a controller. The sensor has a jacket with a cavity, a dielectric element within the cavity, and first and second electrical conductors. The conductors are within the cavity on opposite sides of the dielectric element such that the conductors are separated from one another by a separation distance. The capacitance of the sensor changes in response to an electrically conductive object moving in proximity to at least one of the conductors. The controller is configured to control a translating device as a function of the capacitance of the sensor. The jacket is attachable to a seal configured to receive the translating device. | 10-10-2013 |
20130306165 | VEHICLE WINDSHIELD CLEANING SYSTEM - Apparatus for providing a heated cleaning fluid to a vehicle surface having an inlet port for receiving an amount of fluid; a housing bounding a reservoir in fluid communication with the inlet port; and an outlet port in fluid communication with the reservoir for dispensing an amount of heated fluid. A heater element heats fluid that passes from the inlet to the outlet port through the reservoir. A heat exchanger in thermal contact with the heater element for conveying heat to the fluid within the reservoir has a strut that divides fluid entering the housing through the inlet port into two flow paths and elongated fins that extend outwardly from the strut at transverse angles that bound fluid flow channels for fluid moving through said reservoir. A control circuit energizes the heater element with a voltage to heat the heating element and the fluid passing from the inlet to the outlet through the reservoir. | 11-21-2013 |
20130311039 | VEHICLE ASSEMBLY HAVING A CAPACITIVE SENSOR - 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. | 11-21-2013 |
20140012465 | VEHICLE TRAILER CONNECT SYSTEM - A vehicle trailer connect system and automated parking system for use with a motor vehicle. Apparatus of the system has an input for obtaining information from a vehicle communication bus; an output for sending information to a vehicle communications bus; a control circuit for controlling the position and movement of a motor vehicle; an image gathering system to obtain visual or spatial data between a motor vehicle hitch and a hitch receiver attached to the trailer. A system controller guides vehicle steering as the vehicle is backed through a field of view of the image gathering system. | 01-09-2014 |