Did You Know...
...that power steering was invented by independent inventor Francis W. Davis? As chief engineer in the 1920s of the truck division of the Pierce Arrow Motor Car Company, he saw how hard it was to steer heavy vehicles. So that he would be able to keep the profits from his future invention, Davis left his job, rented a small engineering shop in Waltham, Mass., and developed a hydraulic power steering system that led to power steering.
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 8190333 | Vehicle control apparatus and control method thereof A vehicle control apparatus includes a drive unit that drives a mechanism provided in a vehicle, an operating portion that is operated by an occupant and instructs the drive unit to drive, a collision predicting portion that predicts a collision, and a control porti... | 05/29/2012 |
| 8185274 | Environment customization with extensible environment-settings data Environment customization includes downloading extensible environment-settings data from a data-storage device and adjusting one or more environmental parameters defined by the extensible environment-settings data. The extensible environment-settings data is amended... | 05/22/2012 |
| 8180532 | Vector controlled leveling system for a forestry machine The present invention provides a leveling control system for a forestry machine (10) employing position sensors that relay information about the orientation of the carriage (12) in relation to the swing-house assembly (14) in order to control ro... | 05/15/2012 |
| 8145388 | Automatic driving position adjustment control system and method An automatic driving position adjustment system and its method are disclosed in which a manual adjustment to a first adjustable component results in the automatic adjustment of a second adjustable component. When the position or angle of a seat or other first adjust... | 03/27/2012 |
| 8145389 | Driving assisting system, method and vehicle incorporating the system A system for assisting an operator in driving a vehicle. The system calculates risk potential associated with the vehicle. Responsive to an acceleration command issued by the operator via an operator-controlled input device to perform an intended acceleration operat... | 03/27/2012 |
| 8126615 | Adjustable seat bolster for easy access An ergonomic device (10, 110) for a vehicle seat includes a pressure surface (106, 206) oriented toward a seat cushion so that the pressure surface deploys to support a seat occupant. A mount bracket (102,202) fixes the device to a frame of the ... | 02/28/2012 |
| 8126617 | Folding head restraint assembly for convertible vehicle A vehicle head restraint assembly is provided with a folding head restraint mechanism for pivoting a head restraint between use and folded positions. A head restraint is mounted to the folding head restraint mechanism. A controller for a convertible roof may be prov... | 02/28/2012 |
| 8126616 | Vehicle seating system and method A vehicle seating system including a seat and at least one powered seat adjustment actuator for altering the seating position formed by the seat. Additionally, the system includes a vehicle braking system including vehicle brakes and a brake pedal. The system furthe... | 02/28/2012 |
| 8103416 | System and method for dynamic braking a vehicle closure system A system for dynamic braking a vehicle closure including a drive mechanism mounted to the vehicle, the drive mechanism having contacts to receive a drive signal to cause the drive mechanism to move the vehicle closure between an open and a close position in response... | 01/24/2012 |
| 8103415 | Headrest apparatus for vehicle A headrest apparatus for a vehicle includes a headrest rear portion supported at a seatback, a headrest front portion movable between a fully closed position and a fully open position, a driving device for moving the headrest front portion, a capacitance sensor dete... | 01/24/2012 |
| 8099216 | Vehicle driving position control system and method A detector detects at least one of environmental information on the environment and physical information on the user's physical condition, when the user gets into a vehicle. Each of the environment and the physical condition is divided into a plurality of zones. A m... | 01/17/2012 |
| 8095278 | Interface for vehicle function control via a touch screen A method and apparatus for controlling a particular vehicle function, for example the adjustment of a vehicle seat, using a graphical user interface (GUI) is provided. The GUI is activating by toggling a control, switch intuitively linked to the particular vehicle f... | 01/10/2012 |
| 8090506 | Electrically operated mirror control device and method of controlling reverse linking operation An electrically operated mirror control device comprises a controller which includes a reverse linking unit for carrying out a reverse linking operation to tilt a mirror to change a mirror surface angle in linking with reversing of a vehicle, and a mirror switch whi... | 01/03/2012 |
| 8078366 | Seat control device A seat control device has an input unit for performing at least one of an operation to incline and move a first seat, and a drive control unit for at least one of inclining and moving the first seat based on an output of the input unit. The seat control device has a... | 12/13/2011 |
| 8078364 | Vehicle seat apparatus A vehicle seat apparatus includes: a vehicle seat; a swiveling drive unit that swivels the vehicle seat between the frontward-oriented position in which the vehicle seat faces the front of a vehicle and at least one of the outward-oriented position in which the vehi... | 12/13/2011 |
| 8078365 | Control system for a wheelchair having movable parts The invention relates to a control system for controlling a wheelchair having movable parts. The control system comprises a controller and a number of actuators for effectuating movements of the movable parts. The controller comprises a mathematical model of the kin... | 12/13/2011 |
| 8073598 | Vehicular device control system An in-vehicle device wirelessly sends a request signal to an assistance-possible area in which a user of a welfare-use seat device can be assisted. When a wireless portable key device, i.e., a remote control is present inside of the assistance-possible area, the por... | 12/06/2011 |
| 8068959 | Vehicle door active and passive control device An apparatus for vehicle door deflection and movement control. The apparatus includes a primary electromagnetic device disposed generally in a vehicle door frame or generally in an area of a vehicle body adjacent the vehicle door frame, and a controller for activati... | 11/29/2011 |
| 8068960 | Control device of an adjustment apparatus of a motor vehicle A control device of an adjustment apparatus of a motor vehicle for controlling a driven adjustment element of the motor vehicle in an adjustment movement along an adjustment path includes a memory unit with a non-volatile digital memory with more than 108 | 11/29/2011 |
| 8068958 | Method for monitoring the adjustment movement of a component driven by a drive device A method for monitoring the adjustment movement of a component, in particular a window pane or a sunroof in motor vehicles, which is driven by a drive device and can be adjusted in a translatory or rotary fashion. A plurality of input signals which can be derived fr... | 11/29/2011 |
| 8068961 | Snow plow position-controlled vehicle headlight operation system and method A headlight control system for use on a snow plow mounted on the front of a vehicle and a related method are disclosed that automatically, selectively illuminate the headlights of the vehicle in addition to the headlights of the snow plow only when the snow plow bla... | 11/29/2011 |
| 8055412 | System and method for displaying control information to the vehicle operator Vehicle control information is displayed to a vehicle operator in a central display area. In one embodiment, a sensor associated with a vehicle control is configured to detect an approaching operator. A graphical representation of the vehicle control may be displaye... | 11/08/2011 |
| 8036796 | Seat apparatus for vehicle A seat apparatus for a vehicle includes a side support portion moved in first and second directions, a driving device moving the side support portion in the first direction and in the second direction, a vehicle location obtaining means for obtaining vehicle locatio... | 10/11/2011 |
| 8032285 | Device with memory function for controlling closure of vehicle and method thereof A device with a memory function for detecting closure of vehicle doors and the method thereof is disclosed. Before a vehicle door is open, a detecting signal near the outer side of the door is emitted and its detection status is recorded. When the vehicle door is to... | 10/04/2011 |
| 8032286 | Irradiating direction control system for a vehicle lamp A system for controlling an irradiating direction of a vehicle lamp includes a target swivel angle calculating section to calculate a target swivel angle based on a vehicle steering angle, a swivel driver to execute, based on the target swivel angle, a swivel contro... | 10/04/2011 |
| 8032284 | Seat apparatus for vehicle A seat apparatus for controlling a side support portion on the basis of a road shape includes a control program cooperating with a car navigation system, a self-directed control program, a sensor error detecting program, and a map matching error detecting program, w... | 10/04/2011 |
| 8027769 | Device and method for controlling a vehicle flap or a vehicle door The present invention relates to an apparatus and a method for controlling a vehicle flap or a vehicle door, the apparatus having a housing, a first end of which is pivotably coupled to one of the following: a vehicle flap or a vehicle door and a vehicle frame, and ... | 09/27/2011 |
| 8024093 | Method of and apparatus for adjusting a motorcycle headlight, and motorcycle incorporating same A headlight optical axis adjustment apparatus for motorcycle includes an ECU for adjusting an optical axis of a headlight in accordance with a vehicle body attitude. The apparatus includes a center kickstand switch and a side kickstand switch for detecting respectiv... | 09/20/2011 |
| 8024092 | Vehicle governance system Disclosed are a method and system for preventing the unauthorized use of a vehicle. A set of vehicle operating parameters is entered onto a person's driver's license, and that person registers as an authorized user of a specified vehicle. When that person enters the... | 09/20/2011 |
| 8019512 | System for adjusting direction of optical axis of headlight In a system for controlling a headlight of a vehicle to be controlled, a distance detector detects a distance between the controlled vehicle and an other vehicle ahead thereof. A determiner determines a first target direction for an optical axis of the headlight in ... | 09/13/2011 |
| 8014923 | Travel device A travel device includes a plurality of wheels disposed parallel to one another, a step plate mounted between the wheels, a handle mounted to the step plate, and a driving motor that allows the step plate and handle to tilt in a roll axis direction. The device furth... | 09/06/2011 |
| 8010259 | Control apparatus of irradiating direction of vehicle lamp and initializing method thereof An irradiating direction control apparatus includes a storing portion for storing a design reference value of a vehicle and storing output voltages of vehicle height sensors when the vehicle is in a reference attitude as measured reference values, an operating porti... | 08/30/2011 |
| 7987032 | Driver feeling adjusting apparatus A driver feeling adjusting apparatus includes a seat that is fixed to a vehicle and on which a driver is seated, a movable portion that is provided in the seat and that can be displaced in a vehicle lateral direction or a yaw direction, and a control unit that displ... | 07/26/2011 |
| 7987033 | Method for determining the morphology of an occupant in an automotive seat with capacitive sensors The present invention relates to a method determining the morphology of the occupant of an automotive car, characterized in that it comprises the steps of collecting (200) the outputs of a plurality of capacitive sensors (100) provided on a seat, deter... | 07/26/2011 |
| 7974755 | Motor vehicle acoustic noise reduction system A motor vehicle acoustic noise reduction system is provided. The acoustic noise reduction system particularly reduces or eliminates wind throb in a moving vehicle. The system includes a window sensor operable to sense when a first window of the motor vehicle is open... | 07/05/2011 |
| 7970517 | Passive control of vehicle interior features based upon occupant classification The present invention includes a method of monitoring and controlling interior functions of a vehicle, for example, a memory seat position, a vehicle pedal position, a steering column position, a vehicle interior temperature, and/or whether the vehicle is occupied o... | 06/28/2011 |
| 7962265 | Vehicular linear sensor system Vehicular sensor systems are provided. The vehicular sensor systems includes a support, first, second, and third sensors, and a support actuator. The first sensor is coupled to the support and configured to rotate about a first sensor axis. The first sensor has a fi... | 06/14/2011 |
| 7945363 | Vehicle control system A storage device stores map data, which indicates a road map, and a reliability of the map data. A navigation controller determines an absolute position of a vehicle based on signals of a GPS sensor, a gyrosensor and a vehicle speed sensor. The controller sets a sen... | 05/17/2011 |
| 7933703 | Control system of open/close part for a vehicle A control system of an open/close part for a vehicle includes an open/close part which can open or close, installed at an opening of a vehicle, a driving device supplying power for operating the open/close part, a load detection unit detecting a load of operation ap... | 04/26/2011 |
| 7930083 | Method of controlling beam projection of headlights of a motor vehicle A method for traffic-dependent control of beam projection of headlights of motor vehicles requires the passing of images from at least two image recording units to a control unit for evaluation. A road profile is generated as a three-dimensional image by reference t... | 04/19/2011 |
