A window glass apparatus includes a heater for heating a part of a windshield which is a particular part of a window glass of a host vehicle, and a control ECU configured to control an amount of the electric power supplied to the heater. The control ECU detects a preceding vehicle and controls the amount of the electric power supplied to the heater in such a manner that the amount of the electric power supplied to the heater is reduced as compared with a case where the preceding vehicle is not detected, using information on the detected preceding vehicle.

A distance measuring device includes a measuring unit, a controlling unit, and an accessory part. The measuring unit includes an applying unit that applies a transmission wave and a detector that detects a reflected wave resulting from the transmission wave. The controlling unit is configured to perform a measurement, by using the measuring unit, a distance to an object to which the transmission wave is applied. The accessory part is attached to the measuring unit and configured to operate when energized. The controlling unit is configured to control energization of the accessory part in accordance with a state of the measurement of the distance performed by using the measuring unit.

An electronic device that automatically modifies an environmental control is described. During operation, the electronic device may acquire, using the one or more sensors, a measurement within an environment that is external to the electronic device, where the measurement includes a non-contact measurement associated with a window or one or more biological lifeforms in the environment. Then, the electronic device may determine an environmental condition based at least in part on the measurement. Next, the electronic device may automatically modify the environmental control associated with the environment based at least in part on the environmental condition. For example, the environmental condition may include perception of temperature in the environment by a biological lifeform in the environment, and the environment control may adapt a temperature in at least a portion of the environment that includes the biological lifeform.

There is provided an electric automobile including: a battery installed beneath a floor of a vehicle cabin; a driving unit provided at either one side, in a vehicle longitudinal direction, with respect to the battery; a high-voltage part disposed at the one side with respect to the battery and further toward a vehicle longitudinal direction inner side than an end portion at the one side of the driving unit and electrically connected to the driving unit; a control unit disposed at the one side with respect to the battery and further toward the vehicle longitudinal direction inner side than the end portion of the driving unit, and that controls autonomous driving of the vehicle; and an accessory part disposed further toward a vehicle longitudinal direction outer side than the end portion of the driving unit and independent from a control system that relates to traveling.

There is provided an electric automobile including: a battery installed beneath a floor of a vehicle cabin; a driving unit provided at either one side, in a vehicle longitudinal direction, with respect to the battery; a high-voltage part disposed at the one side with respect to the battery and further toward a vehicle longitudinal direction inner side than an end portion at the one side of the driving unit and electrically connected to the driving unit; a control unit disposed at the one side with respect to the battery and further toward the vehicle longitudinal direction inner side than the end portion of the driving unit, and that controls autonomous driving of the vehicle; and an accessory part disposed further toward a vehicle longitudinal direction outer side than the end portion of the driving unit and independent from a control system that relates to traveling.

An apparatus includes an interface and a processor. The interface may be configured to receive video frames comprising at least one of a vehicle or an outdoor environment near the vehicle and a correction signal. The processor may be configured to perform video operations on the video frames to detect objects, predict a state of the vehicle based on the objects detected in the video frames and generate the correction signal. The correction signal may be configured to apply a corrective measure based on the predicted state of the vehicle. The state of the vehicle may be predicted when the vehicle is parked in the outdoor environment. The state of the vehicle may comprise factors that prevent driving the vehicle.

A vehicle defrosting assembly includes a blower that is positioned in a cab of a vehicle. The blower circulates air within the cab when the blower is turned on. Additionally, the blower is in fluid communication with a defrost duct of the vehicle's air conditioning system. A heater is integrated into the blower to heat the cab of the vehicle thereby inhibiting the formation of frost on the vehicle's windows. A heater battery is coupled to the vehicle and the heater battery is independent from an ignition battery of the vehicle. Each of the blower and the heater is in electrical communication with the heater battery. A solar panel is coupled to an exterior of the vehicle for charging the heater battery when the vehicle is not running.

A heating system for use with a vehicular camera assembly including a heater bracket having a first surface and a second surface, the first surface having a plurality of adjacent ridges and a valley being defined between at least two of the adjacent ridges; a heating assembly disposed adjacent the second surface of the heater bracket; and at least one through opening in the valley between the at least two adjacent ridges, the at least one through opening extending from the first surface to the second surface of the heater bracket.

Energy management techniques for heating or cooling a surface of a component of a vehicle comprise determining a heating lag time indicative of a lag time for a surface element of the vehicle component to heat to a first target temperature in response to a power on-off or power off-on modulation of a heat transfer component, determining a cooling lag time indicative of a lag time for the surface element to cool to a second target temperature in response to a power on-off or power off-on modulation of the heat transfer component, and controlling power-on and power-off times of the heat transfer component based on the determined heating and cooling lag times so as to not require a temperature sensor for feedback-based temperature control.

A temperature sensor device for sensing a temperature of a windshield of a vehicle includes a single printed circuit board having a circuitry, a temperature sensor mounted on the printed circuit board, and a thermally conductive pad attached to the temperature sensor. The thermally conductive pad is arranged to thermally and mechanically directly contact the windshield.