Did You Know...
...that it was melting ice cream that inspired the invention of the outboard motor? It was a lovely August day and Ole Evinrude was rowing his boat to his favorite island picnic spot. As he rowed, he watched his ice cream melt and wished he had a faster way to get to the island. At that moment the idea for the outboard motor was born!
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 8190331 | Systems for detecting animate objects in a vehicle compartment Systems for detecting animate objects in a vehicle compartment include active materials based sensors for detecting the presence of an animate object in the compartment. The systems produce a response if the sensors detect the presence of an animate object in the co... | 05/29/2012 |
| 8190332 | Intelligent child safety seat An intelligent child safety seat, or ICSS, having an electronic unit loaded with manufacturer's specifications particular to the ICSS, or ICSS-data, configured for communication of at least one item of datum to vehicle systems via a joint interface. The ICSS-data su... | 05/29/2012 |
| 8185271 | Methods and device for determining the roll angle for occupant protection devices A method and device for determining a roll angle for occupant protection devices. Transverse acceleration and vertical acceleration of a vehicle are detected, and the roll angle of the vehicle is estimated on the basis of the detected lateral acceleration and the de... | 05/22/2012 |
| 8185272 | Method and device for activating a personal protection arrangement in the event of a rollover A method and a device for activating a personal protection arrangement in the event of a rollover are provided, according to which, initially, at least one first driving dynamic variable is ascertained and then, based on this first driving dynamic variable, a second... | 05/22/2012 |
| 8185273 | Device and method for deactivating safety function In a method for deactivating a safety function in a motor vehicle after being activated, the safety function may be deactivated by the driver only after a dead time has elapsed. ... | 05/22/2012 |
| 8180531 | Safety device for motor vehicles A safety device for motor vehicles includes an impact detection system and a triggering device for triggering a braking operation as a function of a signal of the impact detection system characterized in that the triggering device is designed for the purpose of trig... | 05/15/2012 |
| 8180520 | Electronic safing system The electronic safing system is provided with a safing sensor, a comparator, and a microcomputer. The microcomputer has a programmable analog I/O port which is connected to a built-in AD-DA converter. The programmable analog I/O port can be switched to an analog inp... | 05/15/2012 |
| 8175774 | Capacitive object recognition using adjustable electrode A system for capacitive object recognition including a pair of electrodes, one of the electrodes having an adjustable parameter, and a controller modeling current pathways formed by interaction of an object with an electric field between the pair electrodes as a net... | 05/08/2012 |
| 8170753 | Vehicle and method of determining whether or not to stop engine mounted in vehicle A vehicle including an engine, a tilting sensor configured to detect that a vehicle body of the vehicle has been tilted a predetermined angle or larger, a driving state sensor configured to detect a driving state of the vehicle using a component other than the tilti... | 05/01/2012 |
| 8170754 | Vehicle body drifting restraining device A vehicle body drifting restraining device which restrains a drifting of a vehicle body, wherein: when a brake control device operation prohibition switch, which prohibits an operation of a brake control device, is in a state of prohibition, a control for restrainin... | 05/01/2012 |
| 8165759 | Tilt sensor assembly and method A tilt sensor arrangement and method that allows a tilt angle sensor of a vehicle to be tested without tilting the vehicle. In one embodiment, a tilt angle sensor of a vehicle is tested when the vehicle is positioned in a generally horizontal position. The tilt angl... | 04/24/2012 |
| 8165760 | Method and system for electronically operating a vehicle occupant seat safety restraint system An electrically activated, electronically controlled web grabber in conjunction with a pre-impact braking system that holds the vehicle safety belt from the moment of activation, restricting forward movement of the occupant and can be activated prior to the impact t... | 04/24/2012 |
| 8165758 | Vehicular seatbelt apparatus A seatbelt apparatus for a vehicle includes a control device for controlling an amount of electric current fed to a motor for winding a seatbelt. The control device controls the motor such that a predetermined amount of electric current is applied to the motor in a ... | 04/24/2012 |
| 8155841 | Arrangement for detecting a crash A crash detection arrangement, to be installed in a motor vehicle, for detecting a crash and providing a control signal for controlling a safety device in the event that a crash is detected, the arrangement comprising an accelerometer and a control unit, the acceler... | 04/10/2012 |
| 8155842 | Occupant protection device for vehicle An occupant protection device includes: a controller; first and second bus lines; a first collision sensor arranged on a side of the vehicle, and transmitting a first signal to the controller via the first bus line; a second collision sensor arranged on a center of ... | 04/10/2012 |
| 8150583 | Method and apparatus for avoiding or mitigating vehicle collisions In a method and apparatus for collision avoidance or collision mitigation for a vehicle, an existing driving space between the vehicle and a potential collision object is detected. A first warning function and/or an information function is activated when a first thr... | 04/03/2012 |
| 8150815 | System, method and computer program product for real-time event identification and course of action interpretation A system for identifying events includes a memory capable of storing a compressed event table including a number of events, the event table having been compressed by reducing the number of events in the event table without reducing the number of events represented b... | 04/03/2012 |
| 8145387 | Communications network of passenger protection system A communications network for a passenger protection system of a vehicle has an electronic control unit and a plurality of sensors, which is bus-connected to the electronic control unit. Each of the sensors includes a current detection circuit for detecting a current... | 03/27/2012 |
| 8145386 | Activation apparatus for occupant protection system An activation apparatus for an occupant protection system includes acceleration sensors which are disposed on the respective right and left sides of a vehicle with respect to the center of the vehicle on the vehicle and each of which is provided for detecting the ac... | 03/27/2012 |
| 8140224 | Diagnosis apparatus for passenger protection system A diagnosis apparatus for an airbag system includes a squib, a driving transistor connected in series with the squib to activate the squib by driving current when driven by a control circuit. The control circuit drives the driving transistor to supply small monitori... | 03/20/2012 |
| 8140227 | Vehicle airbag device and control method thereof A vehicle airbag device provided in a steering apparatus, wherein the steering apparatus is configured with grips positioned on the right and left sides but are not positioned on an upper side. An airbag, installed at the center of the steering apparatus, is configu... | 03/20/2012 |
| 8140226 | Security system and a method to derive a security signal This invention relates to a security system for vehicles that have a side-looking pre-crash sensor for anticipating impact by a closing object, such as another motor vehicle, from a direction that is non-parallel to the direction of travel of the host vehicle. Such ... | 03/20/2012 |
| 8140225 | System and method for classifying a target vehicle A system and method for classifying a target vehicle using a sensor system, including a plurality of target vehicle sensors. The sensor system acquiring target vehicle data points that define at least an upper and lower portion of the target vehicle. The sensor syst... | 03/20/2012 |
| 8135510 | On-board emergency reporting apparatus An on-board emergency reporting apparatus includes a collision detection sensor, an airbag inflator for inflating an airbag in the event of collision detection, an airbag deflator for deflating the inflated airbag, a camera for capturing an image of an occupant seat... | 03/13/2012 |
| 8131428 | Control module for seat belt retractor and seat belt retractor A control module for seat belt retractor capable of controlling a winding torque of a seat belt within a predetermined range, and such a seat belt retractor are provided. The seat belt retractor includes a spool 300 around which a seat belt for vehicle is wou... | 03/06/2012 |
| 8131429 | Driver observation and security system and method therefor A driver observation and security system has a plurality of sensors located on a vehicle. The sensors will indicate unauthorized entry into the vehicle. A plurality of interior camera modules is mounted in an interior of a vehicle. The interior camera modules provid... | 03/06/2012 |
| 8121761 | Acceleration sensor arrangement, safing arrangement for an activation system, activation system An acceleration sensor arrangement comprises, in one package, an acceleration threshold detector for detecting acceleration and for providing an output signal and a processor circuit for receiving the output signal. The acceleration threshold detector provides an ou... | 02/21/2012 |
| 8116949 | Method and device for determining an initial float angle for skid detection in rollover sensing A method for determining an initial float angle for skid detection in rollover sensing of a rollover of a vehicle having at least one sensor system for vehicle-dynamic signals and a control unit for activating a restraining device, which divides the driving state of... | 02/14/2012 |
| 8116947 | Safety arrangement for a vehicle using separate sensing and control units A vehicle safety arrangement having a sensor unit (7) comprising at least one sensor (8, 9) responsive to acceleration; an actuator (13) for activating a safety device, the actuator being located remotely from the sensor unit; and a control unit... | 02/14/2012 |
| 8116948 | Force limiter An energy-absorbing force limiter for a safety device comprises a first component (5) and a second component (2), such as a seat-belt, that is moveable relative to the first component (5). The force limiter provides an energy-absorbing movement-... | 02/14/2012 |
| 8108107 | Safety system A safety system for vehicle occupants having a device for determining the position of the vehicle occupant. A status monitor to which the output signals of sensors are conveyed is provided for determining the position of the vehicle occupant, the sensors detecting t... | 01/31/2012 |
| 8103413 | Communications network of passenger protection system An electronic control unit charges capacitors of sensors to produce idle phase waveforms having different waveform parameters assigned to the sensors, and transmits nothing between the signal phase time periods. Each sensor detects the idle phase waveform parameter ... | 01/24/2012 |
| 8103412 | System and method for controlling blind spot monitoring and cross traffic alert based on driver status A system for controlling the operation of performing at least one of blind spot monitoring and cross traffic alert in a vehicle based on driver status is provided. The system comprises a controller configured to receive at least one driver status signal indicative o... | 01/24/2012 |
| 8095274 | Device and method for protecting a vehicle occupant in a motor vehicle A device for protection of a vehicle occupant (14) in a motor vehicle (10) comprises a means for detecting a maloperation during use of a seat belt system by the vehicle occupant (14). The detection means includes means for characterizing the ve... | 01/10/2012 |
| 8095275 | Method and apparatus for controlling an actuatable safety device A method for determining a crash condition of a vehicle comprises the step of sensing crash acceleration in a first direction substantially parallel to a front-to-rear axis of the vehicle and providing a first crash acceleration signal indicative thereof. The method... | 01/10/2012 |
| 8095276 | Sensor system including a confirmation sensor for detecting an impending collision In at least one embodiment of the present invention, a sensor system for detecting an impending collision of a vehicle is provided. The sensor system comprises a primary radar arrangement providing the assessment of the severity of an impending impact and the time l... | 01/10/2012 |
| 8095277 | Method for determining a direction of travel in a motor vehicle Disclosed is a method for detecting a direction of travel in a vehicle with a protection system which avoids accidents. When an object is detected in front of the vehicle in the direction of the vehicle and contact between the vehicle and the object is possible, the... | 01/10/2012 |
| 8090504 | Feedback loop system for passenger safety Methods, systems and apparatus for automatically ensuring passenger safety by identifying article(s) in need of securing in a vehicle and attaching at least one wireless signaling component to each article. Each wireless signaling component includes a wireless signa... | 01/03/2012 |
| 8086375 | Method for adjusting sensitivity of load detecting device of seat for a vehicle A method for adjusting sensitivity of a load detecting device of a seat for a vehicle includes a seat assembling step for assembling the seat with plural load sensors assembled, a zero point adjusting step for obtaining a non-load output value by totaling output val... | 12/27/2011 |
| 8078362 | Electrostatic seat occupant detection system An electrostatic seat occupant detecting system of a vehicle has a vehicle body and a seat. The electrostatic seat occupant detecting system includes an antenna unit that includes a main electrode and a sub-electrode disposed near the main electrode, an AC power sou... | 12/13/2011 |
