Patent application number | Description | Published |
20100123568 | SUSPENSION HEIGHT SENSOR - A system is provided for determining a distance between a first portion of a vehicular suspension assembly and a second portion of the suspension assembly. The system comprises a transceiver coupled to the first portion for emitting a first signal toward the second portion, and for receiving a reflection of the first signal from the second portion, and a processor coupled to the transceiver for determining the distance between the first portion and the second portion. | 05-20-2010 |
20100125389 | HEIGHT SENSING SYSTEM FOR A VEHICULAR SUSPENSION ASSEMBLY - A system is provided for determining a distance between a vehicular suspension assembly and the ground, wherein the suspension assembly has a first member. The system comprises a first transceiver coupled to the first member for emitting a first interrogation signal toward the ground, and for receiving a first reflection of the first interrogation signal from the ground, and a processor coupled to the first transceiver for determining the distance of the first transceiver from the ground. | 05-20-2010 |
20100128174 | ATSC MOBILE RECEPTION THROUGH OPTIMAL PLACEMENT OF MOBILE SENSITIVE PACKETS - A method for producing data frames by the optimal placement of mobile sensitive data packets in the data frame that has particular application for transmitting mobile data to be received by portable consumer electronics devices and/or moving vehicles. The method includes forming the data frame by inserting the mobile data in the data frame just after a frame sync and before the broadcast data. | 05-27-2010 |
20100201584 | METHOD FOR AUTOMOBILE ROOF EDGE MOUNTED ANTENNA PATTERN CONTROL USING A FINITE FREQUENCY SELECTIVE SURFACE - An antenna for a vehicle where the antenna is positioned close to an edge of a roof-top of the vehicle. A frequency selective surface is provided on a glass of the vehicle, generally the vehicle windshield, to extend the antenna ground plane beyond the roof-top to maintain a maximum antenna pattern directivity parallel to the ground. The frequency selective surface may be formed on a substrate that is adhered to the vehicle glass and includes a pattern of conductive portions and dielectric portions that provide proper current generation for the particular antenna frequency band of interest. | 08-12-2010 |
20100202353 | WIRELESS ACCESS MODULE WITH INTEGRATED ANTENNA - An integrated wireless antenna/transceiver module that has particular application for use on a vehicle. The module includes a plurality of antenna radiating elements integrated on a circuit board where a separate radiating element is typically provided for each wireless application desirable for the particular vehicle. The module further includes a separate transceiver integrated on the circuit board where each transceiver is electrically coupled to a particular radiating element. Each of the transceivers is also electrically coupled to a local area network hub that receives signals from the transceiver, where the hub multiplexes the signals onto a digital interface to be sent to the particular application in the vehicle. | 08-12-2010 |
20100219641 | HARVESTING ENERGY FROM VEHICULAR VIBRATIONS - An energy harvesting apparatus is deployed on a vehicle and comprises a vehicular shock absorber capable of reciprocating translational movement in response to roadway perturbations. A coil is mounted within the shock absorber. An engine is also mounted within the shock absorber for converting the translational movement into rotational movement. A magnet is coupled to the engine and is configured to be rotated in the vicinity of the coil to produce electrical energy in the coil. | 09-02-2010 |
20100219720 | HARVESTING ENERGY FROM VEHICULAR VIBRATIONS USING PIEZOELECTRIC DEVICES - An energy harvesting apparatus for deployment on a vehicle having a frame includes a spring assembly coupled to the frame and configured for compressions and extensions during vehicle travel. A piezoelectric device is mounted on the spring assembly for generating electrical energy in response to the strain imposed thereon. A rectifier is coupled to the piezoelectric device for converting AC electrical energy to DC. | 09-02-2010 |
20100219721 | HARVESTING ENERGY FROM VEHICULAR VIBRATIONS USING PIEZOELECTRIC DEVICES - An energy harvesting apparatus, for deployment on a vehicle, comprises a shock absorber, including a dust tube assembly, a jounce bumper assembly mounted within the dust tube assembly at a first end thereof, and a damper tube mounted for telescopic movement through a second end of the dust tube, the jounce bumper assembly configured for impact with the damper tube. A piezoelectric device is coupled to the jounce bumper assembly. | 09-02-2010 |
20100219798 | HARVESTING ENERGY FROM VEHICULAR VIBRATIONS - An energy harvesting apparatus, for deployment on a vehicle, comprises a vehicle shock absorber including a dust tube, and a damper tube telescopically mounted within the dust tube and configured for oscillating translational movement with respect thereto. A magnet is fixedly coupled to one of the dust tube or the damper tube, and a coil is fixedly coupled to the other of the dust tube or the damper tube to achieve relative translational movement between the magnet and the coil to induce a current in the coil. | 09-02-2010 |
20100225527 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR MEASURING A RELATIVE DISTANCE BETWEEN VEHICLE COMPONENTS USING ULTRA-WIDEBAND TECHNIQUES - A system for measuring relative distance between a first component on a vehicle and a second component on the vehicle is provided. The system includes a wireless ultra-wideband (UWB) transceiver attached to the first component. The wireless UWB transceiver transmits a UWB measurement pulse toward the second component, and receives a reflected UWB pulse from a reflective surface of the second component. The reflected UWB pulse represents a reflected version of the UWB measurement pulse. The system also includes a processor coupled to the wireless UWB transceiver. The processor derives a relative distance between the first component and the second component, based upon characteristics of the UWB measurement pulse and the reflected UWB pulse. The system further includes a power generating system for the wireless UWB transceiver. The power generating system generates operating voltage for the wireless UWB transceiver from kinetic energy associated with motion of the first component relative to the second component. | 09-09-2010 |
20100245184 | CONTROL MODULE CHASSIS-INTEGRATED SLOT ANTENNA - A control module has a conductive metal chassis with a chassis body and a chassis lid. A non-conductive opening is formed within the chassis body and a tab extends from the chassis lid engaging edges of the non-conductive opening to create a rectangularly-shaped non-conductive aperture with a longitudinal axis having a predetermined length for forming a slot antenna structure. The predetermined length is designed to communicate with a specific communications frequency. The slot antenna structure is signally interconnected to a transceiver housed within the chassis. | 09-30-2010 |
20100302066 | ALERT NOTIFICATION NETWORK - A network server operable to communicate information over a half-duplex push-to-talk over cellular wireless communication system includes a location manager operable to determine geographic location of a plurality of recipients, an alert notification manager for preparing alert messages based information regarding events and respective geographic locations of the events, and a message delivery notification manager operable to deliver alert messages to the recipients over the half-duplex push-to-talk over cellular wireless communication system based upon the geographic location of each recipient relative to the geographic locations of the events, with the alert messages being delivered to the recipients without completion of calling procedures and incoming call acceptance by the recipients that are required by conventional full-duplex cellular communication systems. | 12-02-2010 |
20110084503 | SELF-POWERED VEHICLE SENSOR SYSTEMS - A vehicle system is provided. The vehicle system includes a vehicle suspension apparatus configured for movement during vehicle travel; an energy harvesting device mounted on the vehicle suspension apparatus and configured to generate electrical energy in response to the movement of the vehicle suspension apparatus; and a sensor mounted on the vehicle suspension apparatus and coupled to the energy harvesting device for receiving the electrical energy. | 04-14-2011 |
20110210820 | MULTIPLE NEAR FIELD COMMUNICATION TAGS IN A PAIRING DOMAIN - A system and method for simply and securely pairing multiple Bluetooth or other wireless electronic devices in a network. Multiple Near Field Communication (NFC) read-only tags are places in a vehicle or other defined space, such that users of NFC-enabled electronic devices can pass their device near one of the NFC tags, which then transfers encryption key data to the user's device, allowing that device to be automatically joined to a small, secure wireless network. Various embodiments are disclosed for establishing and controlling the network, and applications are suggested for using the ad-hoc network—such as for the control of a vehicle's entertainment system. | 09-01-2011 |
20110210830 | SIMPLIFIED VEHICLE BLUETOOTH PAIRING EMPLOYING NEAR FIELD COMMUNICATION TAGS - A system and method for simply and securely pairing Bluetooth devices in a vehicle. A Near Field Communication (NFC) read-only tag is placed in the vehicle such that a user can pass an NFC-enabled Bluetooth device near the tag, which then transfers encryption key data for the vehicle's Bluetooth device to the user's Bluetooth device. Various embodiments are disclosed for initiating the pairing process with the vehicle's Bluetooth device, which ordinarily remains in a silent mode for security reasons. Once the pairing process has been initiated, and the user's Bluetooth device has been passed near the NFC tag, the pairing process is completed with no further action required by the user. | 09-01-2011 |
20110210831 | SIMPLIFIED DEVICE PAIRING EMPLOYING NEAR FIELD COMMUNICATION TAGS - A system and method for simply and securely pairing two Bluetooth devices. A Near Field Communication (NFC) read-only tag is placed in a first Bluetooth device such that a user of a second Bluetooth device can pass the second device near the tag, which then transfers encryption key data for the first Bluetooth device to the second Bluetooth device. An algorithm is employed for initiating the pairing process with the first Bluetooth device, which can ordinarily remain in a silent mode for security reasons. Once the pairing process has been initiated, and the second Bluetooth device has been passed near the NFC tag, the pairing process is completed with no further action required by the users. | 09-01-2011 |
20120158213 | VEHICLE DATA SERVICES ENABLED BY LOW POWER FM TRANSMISSION - A vehicle system and method that include a smart phone for communicating with a vehicle by an authorized user. The vehicle includes an FM transmitter that transmits vehicle information, including an authorization code, using an FM signal. The FM signal is received by the smart phone which deciphers the information, and automatically transmits a command signal back to the vehicle to perform a pre-programmed vehicle operation, such as unlocking the vehicle doors. | 06-21-2012 |
20120158214 | BI-DIRECTIONAL VHF UHF POLLING MECHANISMS FOR INTELLIGENT PEPS POLLING - A system and method for providing a polling signal transmitted from a vehicle that is received by a key fob held by an authorized user of the vehicle as the user approaches the vehicle, where the polling signal is a pulsed polling signal in the VHF-UHF band. The polling signal tells the key fob to transmit a command signal that causes the vehicle to perform a predetermined vehicle operation. Alternately, the polling signal is transmitted by the key fob where the vehicle sends an authorization message back to the key fob if it receives the polling signal that tells the key fob to transmit the command signal. | 06-21-2012 |
20120158244 | SECONDARY SENSING FOR INTELLIGENT PASSIVE ENTRY PASSIVE START POLLING - A system and method for providing a polling signal transmitted from a vehicle that is received by a key fob held by an authorized user of the vehicle as the user approaches the vehicle. When the key fob receives the polling signal, it will automatically transmit a command signal back to the vehicle for some vehicle operation to be performed. Battery power is conserved on the vehicle by using an infrared detector to first detect whether a living thing is in proximity to the vehicle prior to the vehicle transmitting the polling signal. | 06-21-2012 |
20120171977 | ANTENNA DIVERSITY SCHEME EMPLOYING BAND PASS SAMPLING AND FAST SEMICONDUCTOR SWITCHING - A vehicle or other host station includes first and second antennas, a fast semiconductor switch, a switching controller, and an RF receiver. The controller toggles the switch at a calibrated switching rate to selectively and alternately connect the first antenna to one of the RF receiver and a load having a calibrated impedance value. The first antenna may be a parasitic element in any embodiment using the load. The semiconductor switch may be a CMOS device or a Gallium Arsenide semiconductor switch. A switching control method for use in a vehicle or other host station having the first antenna, the second antenna, and the RF receiver includes transmitting a switching signal from the controller to the switch, and toggling the switch at a calibrated switching rate in response to the switching signal to selectively and alternately connect the first antenna to one of the RF receiver and the load. | 07-05-2012 |
20120282895 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MULTIMEDIA CONTENT PROMOTION IN VEHICULAR WIRELESS NETWORKS - A multimedia content dissemination system is provided for mobile vehicles. A wireless vehicle communication network provides communication among mobile vehicles in the network. At least one host vehicle within the wireless vehicle communication network is selected by an authorized entity for disseminating multimedia content received by the authorized entity. The at least one host vehicle transmits an inquiry to target vehicles in the wireless vehicle communication network. The inquiry comprises a content profile that includes descriptors associated with the multimedia content for allowing target vehicles to determine whether an interest exists in the multimedia content. The at least one host vehicle transmits the multimedia content in encrypted form to an interested target vehicle for sampling the multimedia content. The interested target vehicle requests ongoing use of the multimedia content from the authorized entity in response to sampling the multimedia content. The authorized entity provides to the interested target vehicle a decryption key for authorizing ongoing use of the multimedia content. | 11-08-2012 |
20130017816 | BLUETOOTH LOW ENERGY APPROACH DETECTIONS THROUGH VEHICLE PAIRED CAPABLE DEVICES - A method of enabling communications between a Bluetooth low energy master communication device in a vehicle and a slave communication device. The slave communication device is successfully paired with a Bluetooth high energy master communication device in the vehicle. An identifier of the slave communication device is stored when it is successfully paired with the Bluetooth high energy master communication device. The Bluetooth low energy master communication device identifies an advertising event broadcast by the slave communication device. The advertising event relates to a notification by the slave communication device of the availability of its services. A determination is made whether the identifier of the slave communication device matches the stored identifier. Wireless communications between the Bluetooth low energy master communication device and the slave communication device is autonomously established without a manual pairing operation in response to an identifier of the slave communication device matching the stored identifier. | 01-17-2013 |
20140142783 | METHODS OF CONTROLLING VEHICLE INTERFACES USING DEVICE MOTION AND NEAR FIELD COMMUNICATIONS - Methods for establishing continuous communications between a vehicle and a mobile device using Near Field Communications (NFC), and using the NFC communication to enable application hosting on the mobile device and other features. An NFC-enabled mobile device is placed in close proximity to an NFC antenna in the vehicle, where in one embodiment the NFC antenna is integrated into a wireless charging pad for the device. Continuous wireless NFC communications are established between the mobile device and the vehicle, such that the device can serve as a controller for in-vehicle systems. Control applications on the mobile device can include driver-commanded features such as operation of windows and door locks, as well as automatic features such as navigation and collision warning. Other uses of the NFC-enabled mobile device are also disclosed, such as event-based information capture and gesture-based control. | 05-22-2014 |
20140240091 | VEHICLE INTEGRATION OF BLE NODES TO ENABLE PASSIVE ENTRY AND PASSIVE START FEATURES - A system and method for employing BLE nodes in a PEPS system to determine whether a FOB is within or outside of a vehicle. The method includes interrogating the FOB using a signal transmitted by a BLE device on the vehicle to determine whether the FOB is in a predetermined vicinity of the vehicle and receiving a Bluetooth signal at the BLE device that is transmitted by the FOB if the FOB is in the vicinity of the vehicle. The method also included determining a transmit power of the Bluetooth signal transmitted by the FOB and determining a receive power of the Bluetooth signal transmitted by the FOB and received by the BLE device. The method uses the transmit power and the receive power in a comparison process to determine whether the FOB is inside or outside of the vehicle. | 08-28-2014 |
20140244066 | METHOD OF CONTROLLING DATA COMMUNICATION BETWEEN A VEHICLE AND HETEROGENEOUS WIRELESS NETWORKS - A method of controlling data communication between a vehicle and a plurality of wireless networks includes tracking a location of the vehicle over time to identify a known route, and tracking a signal duration for each of the plurality of wireless networks. One of the plurality of wireless networks that provides the longest signal duration for the vehicle, and which is available for data communication with the vehicle along the identified known route, is identified. When a current route of the vehicle is the same as the known route, data communication from the vehicle is connected to the available wireless network identified as providing the longest signal duration for the vehicle when moving along the identified known route. | 08-28-2014 |