A communication system for a vehicle comprises a mechanism for sensing a motion status of a vehicle, a control device, plurality of data acquisition sensors, and one or more alerting device activation circuits. The communication system is customizable with the plurality of data acquisition sensors and one or more alerting device activation circuits based upon the needs of the vehicle.

When an automatic transmission shift start condition is satisfied, an electronic control unit calculates a meter target rotational speed of an engine by adding a correction amount corresponding to the state of a torque converter to a turbine rotational speed corresponding to a post-shift gear stage, and makes a meter display rotational speed follow after the meter target rotational speed, fixes the correction amount to a value obtained at the time of shift start determination, when immobilization conditions including that the shift start condition for a downshift is satisfied and that the engine is driven are satisfied. When actual rotational speed display conditions are satisfied, it can be predicted that differences between an engine rotational speed and a turbine rotational speed before and after shifting are large, and so the electronic control unit sets a current engine rotational speed as the meter target rotational speed or ends the control.

A communication system comprises a pointable range finder to calculate a distance between the vehicle and an object, a recorder for recording a status of the vehicle and a control device. The range finder sends a signal to the control device corresponding to the vehicle's distance from the object and the control device operates the recorder in a manner dependent upon the signal from the range finder. The recorder is able to record the event if the vehicle is an unsafe distance from the object. The unsafe distance is able to be a programmed distance. In some embodiments, the unsafe distance increases with an increase in speed of the vehicle. In some embodiments, the unsafe distance is determined by a programmable constant. In these embodiments, the unsafe distance is determined according to a speed of the vehicle, the vehicle's distance from an object and a pre-defined safe zone threshold value.

A vehicle illumination apparatus is disclosed. The apparatus comprises at least one light generating layer configured to conform to an outer surface of a panel of the vehicle. The light generating layer comprises a plurality of electrodes having a plurality of LEDs in a semiconductor ink disposed therebetween. The plurality of LEDs is operable to emit a first emission. The apparatus further comprises a controller configured to selectively activate the plurality of LEDs in response to a navigational direction of the vehicle.

The invention relates to a dynamic signaling system of the evolution of the braking maneuver that has visual proportionality with respect to the loss of speed of the vehicle, with fixed or programmed response sensitivity of the system in each braking maneuver, which enables visual proportionality and dynamic unambiguous representation of the variation of speed of the vehicle during braking. It can be applied with advantages to any type of vehicle, with an electric or hybrid combustion engine, with manual or automatic transmission. The system can be applied to both brake lights and the third brake light (high-mount brake light) indistinctly or jointly, further reinforcing the dynamic effect of attention and the transmission of information.

A communication system for a vehicle comprises a mechanism for sensing a motion status of a vehicle, a control device, plurality of data acquisition sensors, and one or more alerting device activation circuits. The communication system is customizable with the plurality of data acquisition sensors and one or more alerting device activation circuits based upon the needs of the vehicle. In some embodiments, the communication system is customized before it is installed within the vehicle. Alternatively, in some embodiments, the communication system is customizable after it is installed within the vehicle by turning on and/or turning off one or more of the data acquisition sensors and one or more alerting device activation circuits. The communication system is able to be implemented on a bus or other such fleet vehicles.

The method comprises the steps of generating speed signals indicative of the angular speed of the wheels of said axle; generating an error signal indicative of the error or difference between a set point speed for the wheels, determined by means of a reference model, and the speed indicated by said speed signals; and generating a driving signal for torque-controlling apparatuses applied to the wheels of said axle, by adaptive filtering of an input signal which is a function of said set point speed, modifying parameters of the adaptive filtering as a function of said error signal, such as to make such speed error or difference tend to zero.

A lighting system enables a lighting pattern to be displayed on a vehicle when the vehicle is in motion. A lighting pattern may include lights that fluctuate (with respect to luminosity) or lights that stay on at the same luminosity. The length of time that a light, such as an LED lamp, is powered on may vary. Similarly, the amount of time between two adjacent lights are powered off and powered on may also vary. As such, the lighting sequence is flexible and can be customized so that all lights are not on for the same length of time and the time between two lights being powered may vary. A vehicle front alert system allows for improved perception of speed of an approaching vehicle, human, or object.

A communication system for a vehicle comprises a mechanism for sensing a braking of the vehicle and a control device for sending a signal to a headlight activation circuit to modulate the vehicle's headlights based upon the braking of the vehicle. In particular, a headlight of the vehicle is able to be modulated based upon an application of one or both of a front brake and a rear brake. The headlight activation circuit is able to modulate the headlight between an on position and an off position or modulate the headlight between a high beam position and a low beam position. Consequently, the vehicle is better seen as it approaches likely congestion areas such as intersections and slowing or stopped traffic and attempts to enter traffic.

A remote lighting system for a safety helmet operable with a vehicle lighting system. The system includes a vehicle portion and a helmet portion comprising a helmet brake light; a microcontroller in communication with the brake light; and a helmet transceiver in communication with the microcontroller. The vehicle portion includes a vehicle transceiver in wireless communication with the helmet transceiver; a gate in communication with the vehicle transceiver, and under a condition when a signal is received from the vehicle transceiver, operable to electrically connect the battery to the brake light of the vehicle lighting system; and an accelerometer in communication with the vehicle transceiver, and operable to send a signal indicative of vehicle acceleration to the vehicle transceiver. When a threshold level of deceleration is exceeded, the microcontroller sends a signal to the transceivers and the gate, causing a brake light of the vehicle lighting system to be illuminated.