A vehicle includes a puddle lamp control system configured to control a puddle lamp to display vehicle identification information, passenger information, advertisements, company logos, and other information on a ground surface proximate to the vehicle. The puddle lamp control system may communicate with a central server using high-speed wireless communication protocols such as Wi-Fi, Wi-max, or other protocols to select images and animations based on vehicle location and pedestrian activity nearby the vehicle. The system may also activate the vehicle puddle lamps based on vehicle sensor triggers associated with vehicle location, based on population and pedestrian density indicative of potential message viewers indicating when pedestrians are close enough to the vehicle to view the advertisement, and based on ridehail activity such as ridehail user information, and seat assignments. The messages and images may be customized using an interface device onboard the vehicle.

In one instance, a light weight safety arm is coupled to and extends beyond a stop sign coupled to a motor-driven rotatable mount on an exterior side of a school bus. In another instance, a school bus safety device is disclosed that includes a stop sign portion, an arm portion, and a mounting portion. The arm portion, stop sign portion and mounting portion are cut out together as one piece from a single sheet of material. Other embodiments and variations are further disclosed.

Systems and methods for IR readable transmissive and reflective displays are disclosed that do not suffer from a mirror-like appearance or undesirable dimming of the display due to sequential stacks of polarizers. The disclosed systems and methods use available IR LEDs in addition to, or in place of, visible light LEDs. An illuminator or integrator, which is a lightguide, is designed to maintain the polarization state of the light. The display can use a regular visible light, front polarizer and hence does not suffer from brightness reduction caused by an IR capable polarizer. A digital license plate application comprising a reflective liquid crystal display with a front light, which includes polarized IR illumination, is also disclosed.

A retrofittable modular school bus safety apparatus comprising a CPU, a plurality of sensors and scanners, an electrical plug device, and an output device. The electrical plug device is preferably adapted to plug into an auxiliary power port, a USB port or an OBD port to provide electrical power to the apparatus and to provide actuatable communication to school bus devices such as lights, horns, crossing arm, etc. The sensors include machine vision sensors, proximity detection sensors, and speed detection sensors. The apparatus is adapted to “read” a vehicle's license plate via ALPR, perform facial recognition, automatically monitor and warn/alert traffic proximate the school bus, to automatically respond with an appropriate level of response depending on an observed level of a moving violation, and to automatically wirelessly obtain the traffic laws/regulations applicable to location of the school bus and to operate accordingly.

Method and apparatus are disclosed for mobile device tethering for a remote parking assist system of a vehicle. A vehicle includes a camera and a body control module. The body control module sends an instruction to a mobile device and captures, with the camera, an image of the mobile device. The body control module also analyzes the image to determine an initial location of the mobile device relative to the vehicle, and based on the initial location, performs dead reckoning on the mobile device to track the mobile device. When the mobile device is within a threshold distance, the body control module enables autonomous parking.

A trim panel assembly includes a printed foil extending for a first area, a printed circuit board disposed overtop the foil, the printed circuit board extending for a second area smaller than the first area, and a light guide disposed overtop the printed circuit board and having a perimeter. The perimeter is inset from the printed foil, and surrounds the printed circuit board, forming a sealed interface with the printed foil. At least a portion of the perimeter of the light guide is beveled. A reflector is disposed overtop the light guide. In an electronic assembly the reflector, the light guide, the printed circuit board, and the printed foil are disposed at least partially in a cavity of a molded support panel. The molded support panel is substantially planar, and a semi-transparent material is overmolded directly onto and overtop the electronic assembly and the molded support panel.

A self-contained illuminated sign for mounting on a vehicle is disclosed. The sign includes a front panel, a rear panel situated opposite and substantially parallel to the front panel in spaced relation therefrom to define a space therebetween, and a light source comprising a plurality of LEDs. The light source is positioned between the front and rear panels and is configured to emit light that emanates from the front panel. The front panel is thus backlit to display indicia. A system for supporting a self-contained illuminated sign on a vehicle is also disclosed. The system includes the sign and a separate mounting frame mountable on a vehicle. The mounting frame is configured to removably receive the sign and, when the sign is received in the mounting frame, to surround a perimeter of the sign while permitting visibility of the front display area. Related methods are also disclosed.

Various embodiments relate generally to autonomous vehicles and associated mechanical, electrical and electronic hardware, computer software and systems, and wired and wireless network communications to provide map data for autonomous vehicles. In particular, a method may include accessing subsets of multiple types of sensor data, aligning subsets of sensor data relative to a global coordinate system based on the multiple types of sensor data to form aligned sensor data, and generating datasets of three-dimensional map data. The method further includes detecting a change in data relative to at least two datasets of the three-dimensional map data and applying the change in data to form updated three-dimensional map data. The change in data may be representative of a state change of an environment at which the sensor data is sensed. The state change of the environment may be related to the presence or absences of an object located therein.

The present disclosure relates to an apparatus and a method for projecting images and/or video data through the head lights of vehicles, especially head lights of assisted driving vehicles.

The apparatus comprises: an entertainment system; a head light having at least a Digital Light Processing (DLP) unit integrated therein; a control unit configured to receive images and video data from the entertainment system and control the DLP unit to project at least an image and/or a video content through the head light.

A vehicle may have vehicle controls that are used in steering, braking, and accelerating the vehicle. The vehicle may have sensors that gather information on vehicle speed, orientation, and position. The sensors may also gather information on relative speed between the vehicle and a following vehicle, information on risks of a collision between a vehicle and an external object, and other vehicle status information and vehicle operating environment information. Control circuitry may use light-based devices to display braking information, information on vehicle speed, the relative speed between a vehicle and a following vehicle, autonomous driving mode status information, custom brake light information or other user-selected information, or other information on vehicle status and the operating environment of a vehicle.