A vehicle entertainment system includes a video display unit and a user interface (UI) control processor. The UI control processor is configured to receive passenger attributes sensed from the passenger operating the video display unit, generate a passenger metric that characterizes the passenger based on the attribute, and control a UI of the video display unit based on the passenger metric. The passenger metric may be a passenger demographic metric determined based on facial features of the passenger. The passenger demographic metric may be a passenger emotion metric, a passenger attentiveness metric, a passenger UI operational effectiveness metric, a passenger biometric feature metric, etc.

A vehicle entertainment system includes a video display unit and a user interface (UI) control processor. The UI control processor is configured to receive passenger attributes sensed from the passenger operating the video display unit, generate a passenger metric that characterizes the passenger based on the attribute, and control a UI of the video display unit based on the passenger metric. The passenger metric may be a passenger demographic metric determined based on facial features of the passenger. The passenger demographic metric may be a passenger emotion metric, a passenger attentiveness metric, a passenger UI operational effectiveness metric, a passenger biometric feature metric, etc.

The invention relates to a system and method for the reprogramming of ECU devices in automotive vehicles, via digital radio, which allows new software files to be transmitted when synchronizing a radio station, automatically and safely downloading the new updates without having to take the vehicle directly to a dealership, characterized by comprising means for encrypting audio files with software files, data files with vehicle information files; means for mixing the files to be transmitted simultaneously from a radio broadcast station in digital format; means for receiving the files by digital radio receiver that are sent to receiving ECUs in the vehicles; memory means for storing said files; means for demodulating the files; means for decrypting the files that are retransmitted within the bus of the ECU device through the internal network of the vehicle, so that all ECUs receive the message simultaneously and, after authenticating the information, auto-reprogram with the software file received in an application memory.

A computer system for assessing sound within a vehicle to alert a driver of the vehicle to an approaching emergency services vehicle includes a processor and a non-transitory, tangible, computer-readable storage medium having instructions stored thereon that, in response to execution by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations including: (i) analyzing, based upon a machine learning algorithm, sound data associated with an emergency services vehicle siren; (ii) identifying, based upon the analyzing, a first characteristic associated with the emergency services vehicle siren; (iii) receiving, from a client device disposed within the vehicle, sound data collected within the vehicle; (iv) analyzing the sound data collected within the vehicle; (v) identifying, based upon the analyzing, a second characteristic associated with the sound data collected within the vehicle; (vi) comparing the first characteristic to the second characteristic; and (vii) determining, based upon the comparing, whether the first characteristic substantially matches the second characteristic to determine whether the emergency services vehicle is approaching the vehicle.

A computer system for assessing sound within a vehicle to alert a driver of the vehicle to an approaching emergency services vehicle includes a processor and a non-transitory, tangible, computer-readable storage medium having instructions stored thereon that, in response to execution by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations including: (i) analyzing, based upon a machine learning algorithm, sound data associated with an emergency services vehicle siren; (ii) identifying, based upon the analyzing, a first characteristic associated with the emergency services vehicle siren; (iii) receiving, from a client device disposed within the vehicle, sound data collected within the vehicle; (iv) analyzing the sound data collected within the vehicle; (v) identifying, based upon the analyzing, a second characteristic associated with the sound data collected within the vehicle; (vi) comparing the first characteristic to the second characteristic; and (vii) determining, based upon the comparing, whether the first characteristic substantially matches the second characteristic to determine whether the emergency services vehicle is approaching the vehicle.

An in-vehicle broadcast reception apparatus includes the following. A viewing or listening determiner section determining whether a relay broadcasting of a sports game is viewed or listened to via a first broadcast. A team determiner section determining whether a team in the sports game is a team of interest to a user among a plurality of teams. A retriever section retrieving a second broadcast that performs a relay broadcasting of a sports game which is identical to the relay broadcasting of the sports game viewed or listened to via the first broadcast. A switcher section switching to the second broadcast to enable continued viewing or listening of the sports game when the relay broadcasting of the sports game via the first broadcast is ended, in response to that the team in the sports game is determined to be the team of interest to the user.

A system includes a plurality of antennas, positioned to be capable of receiving a wireless near field communication (NFC) device signal associated with a device located in any one of a driver's back pocket or front pocket, a center console or a passenger seat. The system also includes an NFC reader, in communication with the plurality of antennas. The NFC reader is operable to assign, based at least in part on a number of signals received and a signal strength, one of one or more devices associated with detected signals to a driver. The NFC reader is in communication with a vehicle computing system, operable to retrieve additional information associated with the device assigned to the driver and to apply that information to control vehicle settings.

Systems and methods are disclosed allowing a passenger of a vehicle to use a personal electronic device to control a saving, on a storage device, of image data of video streams arising from cameras of the vehicle. The system includes at least one client/server module configured to receive and retransmit image data of a video stream received from one of the cameras to the storage device. The client/server module includes a processor configured to connect the personal electronic device to the client/server module, a receiver for receiving a request, originating from the personal electronic device, including an item representative of a set of images of the video stream to be saved and a transmitter for transmitting to the storage device image data of the video stream corresponding to the item, with a view to their saving.

Systems and methods are disclosed allowing a passenger of a vehicle to use a personal electronic device to control a saving, on a storage device, of image data of video streams arising from cameras of the vehicle. The system includes at least one client/server module configured to receive and retransmit image data of a video stream received from one of the cameras to the storage device. The client/server module includes a processor configured to connect the personal electronic device to the client/server module, a receiver for receiving a request, originating from the personal electronic device, including an item representative of a set of images of the video stream to be saved and a transmitter for transmitting to the storage device image data of the video stream corresponding to the item, with a view to their saving.

The present disclosure provides a method (1100) and apparatus (702) for inhibiting the interruption of the content being consumed by a user that is provided by an entertainment system. The method (1100) and apparatus (702) of the present disclosure may detect an interruption event and determine, based on the current state of a user, whether the interruption event matches the current state of the user. If the method (1100) and apparatus (702) of the present disclosure determine that the interruption event does not match the current state of the user, the method (1100) and apparatus (702) of the present disclosure may inhibit the interruption of the content being consumed by the user.