A composite pane is described. The composite pane has a first pane, at least one intermediate layer, a second pane, a transparent, electrically conductive first coating between the intermediate layer and the first pane and/or between the intermediate layer and the second pane, a first busbar and a second busbar, and a transparent, electrically conductive second coating.

Method and apparatus are disclosed for infrared sensor arrays for monitoring vehicle occupants and windows. An example vehicle includes a side window and an infrared sensor array. The infrared sensor array includes first pixels of measurement resolution to monitor an occupant and second pixels of measurement resolution to monitor the side window. The example vehicle also includes a cabin environment controller to detect, via the first pixels, whether a body temperature of the occupant is outside a predetermined temperature range and detect, via the second pixels, whether fog is on the side window.

A vehicle is able to be set to operate in a factory mode (as opposed to a normal mode) in which certain features are disabled, such as an alarm system, a power liftgate, etc. This allows assembly workers to assemble, test, and calibrate the vehicle without various systems in the vehicle being undesirably activated. While in the factory mode, the vehicle can accomplish multiple ignition on/off cycles while being tested or driven between stations. A steering column and connected steering wheel are provided in the vehicle, and are situated between an instrument panel and a front seat. In response to the ignition completing an on/off cycle, a controller commands a motor to move the steering wheel and steering column to a predetermined position that is based on a visibility of the instrument panel relative to the steering wheel and steering column.

A blocked imager detection system includes a rearview assembly having an actuator device. The actuator device is adjustable to tilt an electro-optic element, thereby moving the electro-optic element to an off-axis position which changes an activation state of a display module. The actuator device is also adjustable to tilt the electro-optic element in another direction, thereby moving the electro-optic element to an on-axis position which changes the activation state of the display module. An imager is configured to capture image data of a scene external to the controlled vehicle and to generate image data for display on the display module. When a controller determines that the operational capability of the imager to capture image data is at least partially diminished, the controller can generate a control signal indicating that imager performance has been compromised and deactivate the display module.

A defroster and a vehicle are provided. The defroster includes: a housing defining an air outlet; a heating device disposed in the housing; an air blower defining a blowing outlet and disposed in the housing; and an air duct defining a duct inlet and a duct outlet, the air duct being disposed between the blowing outlet and the heating device so that air blown out from the blower outlet enters the air duct via the duct inlet and goes out of the air duct via the duct outlet, then passes through the heating device to exchange heat with the heating device, and is discharged out of the housing via the air outlet, wherein an area of the duct inlet is different from that of the duct outlet.

A heat generating system for a motor vehicle includes a carbon nanotube heating element and a controller. The controller is configured to activate the carbon nanotube heating element in response to a wireless activation signal received from a remote communication device. A related method of heating a passenger compartment of a motor vehicle is also disclosed.

A convertible top includes an outer layer, a liner and a heating element between the outer layer and the liner. The heating element may comprise a carbon nanotube heating element. A controller is configured to activate the heating element in response to a wireless activation signal received from a remote communication device.

An optical device includes an optical unit that is disposed with a closed space interposed between the optical unit and a windshield glass and is configured to acquire information of an outside of a vehicle cabin through the windshield glass, a heating unit that heats the closed space, an opening and closing unit that is disposed in an air flow path between the closed space and a vehicle cabin internal space and controls communication of air between the closed space and the vehicle cabin internal space, and a controller that controls an open and closed state of the opening and closing unit based on either an outside air temperature of a vehicle or a difference in humidity acquired by subtracting a humidity of the vehicle cabin internal space from a humidity of the closed space.

Icephobic coatings that reduce ice adhesion strength must also enable ice delamination to ensure effective ice removal, especially when adjacent areas are not coated with icephobic coatings in which case an ice bridging preventer must also exist. The resulting mechanical devices ensure ice removal by leveraging specific ice delamination propagation features of the icephobic coating.

A Lidar system, window of the Lidar system and a method of moving a fluid along a window. The window includes a first electrode disposed on a first side of a outermost layer of the window, a second electrode disposed on the first side of the outermost layer, and a processor. The processor is configured to activate the first electrode to draw a fluid to a first location on a second side of the outermost layer opposite the first electrode, deactivate the first electrode, and activate the second electrode to draw the fluid to a second location on the second side of the outermost layer opposite the second electrode.