A text-prevention device designed to restrict the cell-phone user from texting while driving a vehicle. This device, which is installed in the vehicle, into which the phone is inserted, is a clear, rectangular-shaped case with designated openings for the user to answer the phone and access specific numbers. The device has an electrical plug at the base which fits into the cell phone's port and serves to provide power to the phone. It also serves as an electrical component to help start the vehicle and maintain operability once the phone has been inserted into the device.

A retainer has a housing comprising a plunger receiver having a slot disposed therein and an outer wall comprising a lever opening. A plunger has a body and a foot. The body comprises a pin opening. A pin is disposed in the pin opening and the slot. A lever is rotatably coupled to the housing at the lever opening and operably coupled to the plunger. The lever has a first end extending within the housing. The first end rotates relative to the housing within the lever opening. The first end comprising a cam and a pin opening receiving the pin. A spring is disposed between the housing and the plunger within the plunger receiver. The spring urging the foot away from the plunger receiver. A cam engaging surface is disposed within the housing retaining the first end of the lever in the lever opening.

A vehicle storage system is provided having closable storage container which is slidably and removably mounted in a vehicle tailgate, the cover portion of which can serve as a work surface extension of the tailgate, and the interior of which contains reconfigurable dividing walls for separation of contents into discrete locations during both use and storage. One or more of these containers can be mounted, stacked or side by side, within an interior cavity of the tailgate or of a tailgate segment, that tailgate being lockable and removable from the vehicle. Full extension of the storage container from the tailgate interior can be achieved by a double draw slide mechanism. The tailgate end cover is enlarged for both aesthetic and supplemental support surface purposes.

A vehicle interfaced smartphone control device for limiting phone distraction while driving includes a docking station, which selectively engages a smartphone of a driver of a vehicle so that the smartphone is operationally engaged to the docking station. The docking station is mountable to an interior element of the vehicle so that the smartphone is accessible to the driver. The docking station is operationally engageable an electronic control module of the vehicle. First and second programming code are selectively positionable on the electronic control module and the smartphone, respectively. The first programming code enables the electronic control module to operate the vehicle with at least one operational aspect of the vehicle being limited. The second programming code enables the smartphone, when operationally engaged to the docking station, to continuously signal the electronic control module to operate the vehicle without limiting any operational aspects of the vehicle.

A vehicular heads-up-display system includes an apparatus having a base configured to receive and maintain a pico-projector case in combination with a handheld electronic device, and to output optical transmissions from the pico-projector case to an at least partially reflective surface to form a heads-up display. The partially reflective surface may be a combiner and/or mirror coupled to a base comprising the holder. The handheld electronic device may be a smartphone. For example, the system can be used to cause a pico-projector to project information from a smartphone to a partially reflective mirror for viewing by a vehicle operator.

Various disclosed embodiments include illustrative vehicle roofs, vehicles, and bicycle carriers. In an illustrative embodiment, a vehicle roof includes a rooftop and a forward recess section. The forward recess section is disposed near a forward end of the rooftop. The forward recess section defines a first cavity. The forward recess section includes a recreational device mount disposed within the first cavity and a lid configured to aerodynamically cover the first cavity.

A vehicular driver monitoring system includes an interior electrochromic rearview mirror assembly and a camera disposed at the interior electrochromic rearview mirror assembly behind and viewing through an electrochromic mirror reflective element into the interior cabin of the vehicle. Supplemental sources of near infrared illumination are integrated into the mirror assembly that, when powered to emit near infrared light, illuminate at least the driver-side front seating area within the interior cabin of the vehicle. Presence of the camera is not readily apparent to an occupant of the vehicle. The camera at least (a) views the driver-side front seating area of the equipped vehicle and (b) views a passenger-side front seating area of the equipped vehicle. The driver of the equipped vehicle is monitored via processing at the processor of image data captured by the camera.

An entertainment system including a removable seat-back display unit and a docking station. The seat-back display unit can include a rotating latch butterfly release mechanism that prevents unauthorized release of the display unit from the docking station. The system can include a three-point attachment system that provides additional protection against accidental detachment of the display unit, and provide safety in the event of partial dislodging. The system can include a current control pin system that ensures that current is not provided from the docking station to the display unit until the respective connectors have been properly engaged. The system can further include a floating pin connector dock that can allow for installation of the display unit even when the connectors of the display unit and docking station become misaligned. The system can also include a heat dissipation system that employs the docking station to share the heat dissipation load with the display unit.

An attachment device for attaching an electronic device to a vehicle structure includes a base attached to the vehicle structure for supporting the electronic device, and a cover attached to the base by a first engagement portion and a second engagement portion. The first engagement portion includes an engagement concave formed in one of the base and the cover, and an engagement piece formed in the other of the base and the cover and inserting into the engagement concave. The engagement concave includes a first wall and a second wall facing each other in a first direction and opening toward a second direction perpendicular to the first direction. The engagement piece includes a first portion abutting against one of the first wall and the second wall, and a second portion extending from the first portion and abutting against the other of the first wall and the second wall.

A mobile device holder having a front face, an integral fixed jaw, and a movable jaw positioned facing the fixed jaw and movable in translational motion on the front face. The movable jaw receives a bottom edge of the mobile device and can be moved between a released position for inserting or removing the mobile device, and a holding position in which the mobile device is held clamped against the fixed jaw. The movable jaw includes a protuberance extending along a plane parallel to the front face of the holder and defining a clamping tab for clamping the bottom edge of the mobile device. In use, the tab maintains a space between the rear face of the mobile device and the front face of the holder in order to limit the frictional contact of the rear face of the mobile device with the front face of the holder when mounted.