A method for localizing a sensor in a vehicle includes using a first sensor mounted on a vehicle to capture at least one image of a moveable element of the vehicle, the moveable element having a predetermined spatial relationship to a second sensor mounted on the vehicle, the moveable element being moveable relative to the first sensor; determining spatial information on the moveable element on the basis of the at least one image; and localizing the second sensor on the basis of the spatial information by a transformation rule representing the predetermined spatial relationship between the moveable element and the second sensor.

A steering wheel control interface module that can automatically detect the type of vehicle it is installed in and automatically detect the type of aftermarket radio it is sending messages to. In addition, the interface module can retain certain user pre-selects and use those to properly set the state of an aftermarket radio.

The present invention “car driver alcohol level and sleeping status detection and notification system using machine learning programming and IOT-based technology “is a vehicle driver sleepiness monitor, configured as a auto-contained Unit for dashboard unit. The invention is also providing for individual driver interrogation and notification response integrated with defined and fixed unit sensory inputs on vehicle condition and driver control action and translates these inputs into weighing factors to adjust a previous history and biological activity circadian rhythm reference Unit. The invention is also including an in turn to provide a vibration, water spray and audio-visual sleepiness warning alert and an automatic dialog system capable of keeping a drive awake while driving during a long trip or one that extends into the late evening. The invented system also warns the driver or changes the topic of conversation if the system determines that the driver is about to fall asleep and the system may also detect whether a driver is effected by alcohol or drugs or any other activity. The invented technology also includes a for drowsiness detection and accident prevention using Raspberry Pi. This system is an auto rune a real-time system which captures high resolution image continuously and measures the state of the eye movement according to the specified algorithm and gives a warning if required.

The present invention provides a safety control system for a vehicle with controls located on the vehicle steering wheel. The controls maybe arranged in a cluster on one or both sides of the upper half of the steering wheel. The controls can be located in areas of the steering wheel including the spokes, the rim or a special flange extended from the rim or the spoke of the steering wheel and are easily recognizable and accessible by the driver while the driver is looking ahead from a normal driving position with the driver's eyes focused on the road and maintaining the driver's hands on the steering wheel. The controls can be further enhanced by varied coloring, shape, size, and texture to make them easily identifiable. The controls can be used to access and control vehicle systems or portable telematics devices in multi modal process in conjunction with thumb gesture interpretation or speech recognition. A further enhancement to the system is the introduction of a universal portable devices docking station to eliminate falling devices and the consequences of accident.

An airbag module assembly for mounting to a steering wheel assembly has an airbag, a housing and a visual display unit. The housing has a chamber for stowing the airbag. The housing has an attachment for rigidly fixing to a steering wheel and a forward-facing opening of the chamber for receiving the airbag. The cover encloses the housing and stowed airbag. The housing is fixed to the steering wheel offset and positioned removed from a center region of the steering wheel spaced from a rim of the steering wheel. The airbag module is configured upon deployment to have the inflated airbag project outward over the rim toward an occupant.

An airbag device includes an airbag, an airbag cover which covers the airbag, and a holder which holds the airbag and the airbag cover. The airbag cover includes a door portion which is pushed by the inflating airbag and opened with a hinge portion around a rotation center. A functional component is provided on the door portion and connected to and held by a deformable holding member. The holding member includes a distal side connecting portion connected to the functional component, a proximal side connecting portion connected to a part which can ensure an attachment strength, and a deformation portion which is provided between the distal and proximal side connecting portions and deformed to maintain a connection and holding state of the distal side connecting portion with the functional component and reduce a centrifugal force of the functional component acting on the hinge portion when the airbag is inflated.

A steering wheel includes a decorative component and a surface skin on a surface of the rim. The decorative component is formed into a band and a leading-end portion of the decorative component has a tapered form in which an inner edge curves towards an outer circumference of the rim and serves as a curving edge. The surface skin includes a curved-side section adjoining the curving edge and a non-curved-side section adjoining a non-curving edge of the leading-end portion. The curved-side section includes a main body that includes a curving portion which corresponds to the curving edge of the leading-end portion in shape, and an extended portion that extends beyond an apex of the leading-end portion and extends towards the non-curving edge of the leading-end portion of the decorative component. A region of the extended portion beyond the apex is joined to a leading edge of the non-curved-side section.

A steering wheel desk comprising a single unit desk, the desk having an opening near top center of the desk, the opening shaped to allow for inserting the desk over a top portion of a steering wheel through the opening positioning the desk at an incline relative to the steering wheel, the opening having a center groove, the incline being ergonomically beneficial for a user employing the desk and the incline and the center groove preventing the user from accidentally activating a horn built into the steering wheel.

An acoustic device to be mounted in a vehicle, the acoustic device including at least two speakers arranged before a front face of an occupant sitting in a seat to sandwich a center line of the seat and a control unit that controls characteristics of sound output from each of the speakers such that a stereophonic sound image produced by sounds output from the at least two speakers is maintained. The at least two speakers are installed on a steering wheel of the vehicle.

Systems and methods for selecting a control mode to launch an application in a vehicle are described. For one embodiment, a system for selecting control modes for launching applications in a vehicle with a dashboard screen can include a computing device embedded in the vehicle, the computing device connected to the dashboard screen and a control display; and an operating system installed on the computing device, the operating system running a multi-display controller and one or more applications. The multi-display controller is to receive a request from the control display for launching an application, determine a control mode used to launch the application based on an integration level indicator of the application, and launch the application in the determined control mode. A metabar and a global widget can be created on top of the dashboard screen. The metabar is permanently displayed across the dashboard screen, and can contain environmental and driving-related information. The global widget appears contextually in response to a state change of a system component in the vehicle.