Patent application number | Description | Published |
20080228358 | Vehicle Personalization System - A vehicle includes at least one reconfigurable system having a plurality of selectively variable parameters, and a controller that is operatively connected to the at least one reconfigurable system to control the values of the plurality of selectively variable parameters. The controller is also configured to receive data indicative of physical characteristics of a person from at least one data storage medium, and configured to determine values of the selectively variable parameters according to a predetermined algorithm based on the data indicative of physical characteristics of a person. The controller is also configured to cause the selectively variable parameters to assume the determined values. | 09-18-2008 |
20090025995 | Vehicle Hood With Sandwich Inner Structure - An energy-absorbing hood assembly for a vehicle includes upper and lower layers and a middle panel. The upper and lower layers have first and second interface surfaces, respectively. The middle panel has opposing first and second surfaces defining a corrugated profile having a plurality of bonding surfaces, the bonding surfaces being attached to the first and second interface surfaces to thereby define a plurality of laterally oriented channels. The corrugated profile further defines a height and wavelength along a substantial portion of the hood assembly, each being configured to be variably tunable to provide different predetermined levels of absorption and attenuation of kinetic energy imparted to the hood assembly by objects upon impact therebetween. Preferably, the hood assembly also includes an upper hood panel having an inner surface secured to the upper layer. Ideally, the corrugated profile is a trapezoidal waveform profile. | 01-29-2009 |
20090026807 | Energy-Absorbing Vehicle Hood Assembly with Cushion Inner Structure - An energy-absorbing hood assembly for a vehicle includes an upper layer having a plurality of polyhedral protuberances extending outward therefrom, and preferably a lower layer. The protuberances are disposed between the upper and lower layers, and preferably arranged in longitudinal and transverse rows. The polyhedral protuberances are adapted to absorb and attenuate crush loads imparted to the hood assembly and resultant forces imparted to an object resulting from an impact between the object and the hood assembly. The polyhedral protuberances define various structural and material characteristics along different regions of the hood assembly that are selectively configured to provide different levels of absorption and attenuation of the crush loads and resultant forces. The lower layer is preferably configured to controllably fail at a first predetermined threshold crush load and the polyhedral protuberances are each configured to controllably deform at a second predetermined threshold crush load. | 01-29-2009 |
20090065277 | Vehicle Hood Assembly with Rippled Cushion Support - An energy-absorbing hood assembly for a vehicle includes an inner layer operatively secured to an upper layer having a first interface surface. The inner layer has opposing first and second surfaces defining a sinusoidal profile that is oriented to extend from the forward end of the vehicle towards the rearward end of the vehicle. The sinusoidal profile includes varying amplitudes and wavelengths along different regions of the hood assembly. The amplitudes and wavelengths are individually configured to provide regionally distinct predetermined levels of absorption and attenuation of kinetic energy imparted to the hood assembly by an object upon impact therebetween. Preferably, the hood assembly also includes a lower layer having a second interface surface; wherein the inner layer has a plurality of bonding surfaces attached to the first and second interface surfaces to thereby define a plurality of laterally oriented channels. | 03-12-2009 |
20090195020 | Energy Absorbing Vehicle Hood Assembly with Asymmetric Sandwich Inner Structure - An energy-absorbing hood assembly for a vehicle includes upper, lower, and middle panels. The upper and lower panels respectively include first and second interface surfaces. The upper panel is preferably secured to an inner surface of an outer panel. The middle panel has opposing first and second surfaces defining an asymmetric waveform profile, preferably having a polygonal geometry. The middle panel member is secured to the first and second interface surfaces at preselected locations along the upper and lower surfaces, thereby defining a plurality of laterally oriented asymmetric channels. The asymmetric waveform profile is configured with distinct amplitudes and wavelengths along different regions of the hood assembly, each configured to provide different predetermined levels of absorption and attenuation of kinetic energy imparted to the hood assembly by objects upon impact therebetween. Ideally, the lower and middle panels are respectively configured to controllably fail at first and second predetermined crush loads. | 08-06-2009 |
20090326766 | TIME DILATION FORMULAS, ALGORITHMS AND APPLICATIONS - An algorithm that is part of a collision preparation system that provides selective and limited vehicle braking to avoid undesirable intrusive high-G braking while still giving the system adequate time to activate collision mitigation devices on the vehicle before impact with an object. If a predicted time to collision between the vehicle and the object is less than a required time to collision, which is determined by how much time is necessary for a certain collision mitigation device to be activated, the algorithm calculates a time dilation deceleration. The system causes the vehicle to automatically brake to decelerate the vehicle at the time dilation deceleration until the time dilation deceleration reaches a predetermined decelerating threshold so that more time is available for the collision preparation system to determine whether to activate the collision mitigation device. | 12-31-2009 |
20090326774 | MECHANICAL TIME DILATION ALGORITHM FOR COLLISION AVOIDANCE SYSTEM - A system and method for providing mechanical time dilation by pre-braking a vehicle in the event there is a collision threat so as to reduce or eliminate the need for full automatic braking if the collision becomes imminent. The system calculates a time dilation deceleration to either maintain a time to collision at a previous value before the calculation or at a predetermined value. The system also estimates a projected closing speed of the vehicle to the object at a distance that would require full automatic braking to prevent a collision. The system then determines whether the time dilation deceleration is greater than a decelerating threshold and, if so, provides automatic vehicle braking at the threshold until the vehicle comes to a full stop. If the time dilation deceleration is not greater than the threshold, then the system provides automatic braking to decelerate the vehicle at the time dilation deceleration. | 12-31-2009 |
20100109306 | CONTINUOUSLY VARIABLE DEPLOYMENT AIRBAG - An occupant restraint device includes an inflatable airbag cushion, a tether including a first end connected to the airbag cushion and a second end connected to a tether control mechanism. The tether control mechanism including a tether payout mechanism and a tether length adjustment mechanism. The tether length adjustment mechanism controls a length of tether available for payout by the tether payout mechanism, and the tether payout mechanism is operationally decoupled from the tether length adjustment mechanism. | 05-06-2010 |
20100121535 | PERFORMANCE-BASED CLASSIFICATION METHOD AND ALGORITHM FOR DRIVERS - A system and method for classifying the optimization of safety features on a vehicle for a driver of the vehicle based on the height and mass of the driver. The method includes determining a number of basic driver sizes based on driver height and mass and determining a driver's seat position for each basic driver height. The method also identifies a set of tunable design variables that are used to adjust the safety features of the vehicle and performs design optimization analysis to identify an optimal design for the vehicle safety features for each of the basic driver sizes. The method then identifies the design from the optimal designs that provides the best performance for randomly selected reference drivers and classifies all drivers into a predetermined number of classifications where each classification represents a particular optimal design. | 05-13-2010 |
20100121536 | PERFORMANCE-BASED CLASSIFICATION METHOD AND ALGORITHM FOR PASSENGERS - A system and method for classifying the optimization of safety features on a vehicle for a vehicle passenger based on the passenger seating position and passenger body mass index. The method includes determining a number of basic passenger sizes based on the passenger height and mass and determining a number of passenger seating positions. The method further includes identifying a set of tunable design variables that are used to adjust the vehicle safety features, and performing design optimization analysis for identifying optimal designs, called basic optimal designs, for the vehicle safety features for each of the basic passenger sizes and the predetermined seating positions. The method identifies the design from the basic optimal designs that provides the best performance for randomly selected reference passengers in randomly selected seating positions, and classifies all passengers in their actual seating positions into one of the predetermined number of classifications where each classification represents a particular basic optimal design. | 05-13-2010 |
20100229663 | ADJUSTABLE FACE TOOL FOR POSITIONING A FREE MOTION HEADFORM - An adjustable head tool (AHT) is configured for positioning a free motion headform (FMH) having a regulated FMH backoff requirement prior to an impact between the FMH and a target surface having a target point. The AHT has a built-in or a variable backoff angle relative to the position of the target point, and includes a cranial portion and an adjustable facial template. The cranial portion encloses a linkage assembly, and the facial template has one or more facial features. A rotary dial translates the facial template with respect to the cranial portion to maintain the regulated FMH backoff requirement. The cranial portion includes a forehead impact zone having a first set of demarcations, and the rotary dial has a second set of demarcations corresponding to the first set of demarcations. The dial is set so the second set of demarcations matches the first set during positioning of the AHT. | 09-16-2010 |
20110109462 | Driver Configurable Drowsiness Prevention - A driver drowsiness mitigation system of a vehicle includes a driver impairment detection system for detecting drowsiness of a driver of the vehicle. A plurality of alert devices is provided for countering a drowsiness of the driver of the vehicle. A controller enables at least one of the alert devices when a drowsiness of the driver is detected. A prioritized order for enabling respective alert devices is selectively configurable within the controller according to the identity of the driver. | 05-12-2011 |
20120078472 | Individualizable Post-Crash Assist System - A method for predicting potential injury assessment for at least one occupant of a vehicle involved in a crash event and for broadcasting assessment of the occupant to a medical response unit. An occupant seated in each seat of a vehicle is detected. Occupant data is obtained relating to physical characteristics of each occupant seated in the vehicle. A crash event involving the vehicle is detected. Vehicle dynamic data and safety restraint data during the crash event is recorded. The potential injury assessment of each occupant is predicted by an injury assessment processing module based on the vehicle dynamic data and safety restraint data obtained during the crash event and the occupant data of each occupant in the vehicle. The corresponding injury assessment of each occupant of the vehicle is broadcast to a medical response unit. | 03-29-2012 |
20120136567 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR PLANNING VEHICLE ROUTES BASED ON SAFETY FACTORS - A method and system are provided for planning a route for a vehicle from a starting point to a destination. The method includes the steps of generating a plurality of routes based on a non-safety factor; evaluating the plurality of routes based on a safety factor; selecting a first route from the plurality of routes based on the safety factor; generating driving instructions based on the first route; displaying the first route on a display device. | 05-31-2012 |
20130221643 | ADAPTIVE VENT AND METHOD FOR AIRBAG - An airbag assembly includes an housing, an inflator mounted in the housing, and an airbag. A vent opening is provided in the wall of the housing for venting inflation gas from the housing. A vent cover closes the vent opening so that inflation gas does not reach the vent opening. A valve member also closes the vent cover and is selectively moveable by an electric actuator to adapt the valve member to a selected degree of closure in response to sensed conditions of the occupant and the vehicle. A tether is connected to the airbag and to the vent cover to suddenly open the vent cover as the airbag reaches a certain stage in its deployment, so that the rate at which inflation gas is vented from the housing through the vent opening will be determined by the previously established selected degree of closure of the vent opening. | 08-29-2013 |
20130325264 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR AUTOMATICALLY ADJUSTING A STEERING TILT POSITION - A system and method for detecting the position of the head and/or eye of a driver of an automobile and automatically adjusting the position of the steering wheel based on the head and/or eye position in order to provide the driver with an optimized view of the instrumentation panel and road. The system and method utilizes the vehicle parameters, driver parameters, and various settings to determine the proper position of the steering wheel including the height, proximity to driver, and tilt angle of the steering wheel. The system may also adjust the height and/or length of the steering column in order to adjust and provide the proper position of the steering wheel. | 12-05-2013 |
20150028624 | VEHICLE HOOD ASSEMBLY - A vehicle hood assembly includes a first panel member, a second panel member, and a third panel member disposed between the first panel member and the second panel member. The third panel member includes a corrugated body. The third panel member defines a plurality of panel perforations extending through the corrugated body in order to attenuate kinetic energy imparted to the hood assembly. | 01-29-2015 |