Patent application number | Description | Published |
20100026142 | HUMAN ENERGY HARVESTING AND STORAGE SYSTEM - A human energy harvesting and storage system that captures energy from various human activities and stores that energy on a vehicle to be used for various vehicle applications. In one embodiment, piezoelectric devices, or other types of energy generating devices, are provided in the seat of the vehicle that generate electricity from the weight and movement of a person sitting in the seat that is collected by a suitable electrical storage device. The electrical storage device provides power to a power port in the vehicle so that various devices can be plugged into the power port to be operated. In alternate embodiments, the energy is collected outside of the vehicle by human activity, and the storage device is brought into the vehicle to be plugged into the power port. | 02-04-2010 |
20100198754 | METHOD OF PROVIDING MODULAR BATTERY PACKS FOR A HYBRID VEHICLE - A method of offering or providing batteries for a hybrid or electric vehicle allows the customer to choose a vehicle electrical battery power rating that will match their expected driving range needs. Specifically, the method includes offering different modular battery packs for an electric or hybrid electric vehicle. Each of the different modular battery packs has a different number of interconnected batteries, a different energy level, and is configured to be operable for providing propulsion power to the vehicle. At least one of the different modular battery packs is installed on the hybrid or electric vehicle. The method may include recharging and/or recycling used battery back modules. | 08-05-2010 |
20110279282 | MEMORY FEATURES FOR A MANUALLY ADJUSTABLE APPARATUS - A system is disclosed for manually pre-selecting and retrieving a position of an apparatus arranged inside a vehicle. The system includes an adjustment device operatively connected to the apparatus and configured to manually pre-select and lock the position of the apparatus relative to the vehicle. The system additionally includes a sensory signaling device operatively connected to the apparatus and selectively moveable within a predetermined range with respect to the vehicle. The sensory signaling device is configured to identify the pre-selected position of the apparatus and provide a sensory signal indicative of the pre-selected position, thereby facilitating the manual retrieval of the position without trial and error experimentation. A method for manually pre-selecting and retrieving a position of an apparatus arranged inside a vehicle is also disclosed. | 11-17-2011 |
20110307118 | Vehicle Aerodynamic Efficiency Advisor Systems and Methods - A method is provided. The method includes estimating aerodynamic efficiency values of a vehicle; comparing the aerodynamic efficiency values to determine vehicle settings; and generating a recommendation based on the at least one of the efficiency values and the vehicle settings. | 12-15-2011 |
20130226905 | INTEGRATED TRAVEL SERVICES - Integrated travel services are provided via a computer processing device and logic executable by the computer processing device. The integrated travel services map activities to information databases, define conditions for generating alerts, and monitor user behaviors. Upon determining one of the user behaviors matches one of the activities, the integrated travel services access a corresponding database and, using the conditions in conjunction with data from the user behavior, search the corresponding database. The integrated travel services also generate an alert, in response to the search, upon determining that the search results indicate one of the conditions has been met. | 08-29-2013 |
20130333966 | VEHICLE AND A MODULAR DRIVE APPARATUS FOR THE VEHICLE - A vehicle and a modular drive apparatus for the vehicle are disclosed. The apparatus includes a wheel assembly rotatable about a central axis in first and second directions. The wheel assembly is also pivotable about a pivot axis transverse to the central axis in third and fourth directions. The apparatus includes an electric motor coupled to the wheel assembly for rotating the wheel assembly in the first and second directions. The apparatus includes a braking device coupled to the wheel assembly for braking the wheel assembly. The apparatus includes a steering mechanism coupled to the wheel assembly for pivoting the wheel assembly in the third and fourth directions. The apparatus includes a housing receiving the wheel assembly, the electric motor, the braking device, and the steering mechanism to define a self-contained unit for attaching to and detaching from the vehicle to provide interchangeability of the self-contained unit. | 12-19-2013 |
20140202779 | SELF-MOTIVATED CARGO POD - One variation may include a module including a body and a control arm; the control arm being constructed and arranged to allow a user to direct, steer, or move the module in a plurality of modes. | 07-24-2014 |
20140205401 | ELECTRIC VEHICLE MOBILE HOST SYSTEM - LOAD, LOCKDOWN AND CHARGING - One variation may include a system including a mobile host having a vehicle compartment defined therein and a receiving platform in the vehicle compartment having a plurality of guide features for guiding vehicles into the vehicle compartment of the mobile host, and a loading station including a loading platform having a plurality of vehicle guide features for guiding vehicles over the loading platform and onto the receiving platform. One variation may include a method comprising loading a vehicle into a mobile host having a vehicle compartment defined therein, wherein the mobile host includes a receiving platform having a plurality of raised guide features, and wherein the loading comprises guiding the vehicle onto the receiving platform using the plurality of raised guide features. | 07-24-2014 |
20140205404 | HALF-TILT BED UNLOADING SYSTEM - One variation may include a product including: a vehicle including a cargo bed comprising a tilting portion and a non-tilting portion. | 07-24-2014 |
20140205409 | LIFT AND ROLL LOAD SYSTEM - One variation may include a product including a vehicle including a powered lift arm connected thereto and a hand connected to the powered lift arm, and a body panel ramp, the hand being constructed arranged to capture a grab pin on a container, and wherein the powered lift arm, the hand in the body panel ramp are constructed and arranged so that the power lift arm may load and unload a container onto and off of the vehicle wherein the container rolls over the body panel ramp. One variation may include a method including providing a vehicle and a container, wherein the vehicle including at least one powered lift arm connected thereto, a hand connected to the powered lift arm, and a body panel ramp, the hand capturing a grab pin on the container, unloading the container from the vehicle comprising moving the at least one power lift arm so that the container rolls along and off of the body panel ramp and off of the vehicle. | 07-24-2014 |
20140212253 | GRAVITY-FED CURB SIDE DISPENSER - A number of variations of the invention may include a product comprising a vehicle including a cargo area, the vehicle comprising at least one of a titled unloading stage in the cargo area or at least one inclined ramp surface in the cargo area. | 07-31-2014 |