At least one embodiment of this disclosure includes a method for an autonomous vehicle (e.g., a fully autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle) to communicate with external observers. The method includes: receiving a task at the autonomous vehicle; collecting data that characterizes a surrounding environment of the autonomous vehicle from a sensor coupled to the autonomous vehicle; determining an intended course of action for the autonomous vehicle to undertake based on the task and the collected data; and conveying a human understandable output via an output device, the human understandable output expressly or implicitly indicating the intended course of action to an external observer.

A vehicle lighting system provided in a vehicle includes: a lighting unit configured to emit light toward outside of a vehicle; and a lighting control unit configured to control the lighting unit such that the lighting unit visually presents, to an oncoming vehicle present ahead of the vehicle, predetermined information on traveling support of the oncoming vehicle, based on a vehicle width of the oncoming vehicle and a road width in a lateral region of the vehicle.

Among other things, we describe techniques for implementing a vehicle response to sensor failure. In general, one innovative aspect of the subject matter described in this specification can be embodied in methods that include receiving information from a plurality of sensors coupled to a vehicle, determining that a level of confidence of the received information from at least one sensor of a first subset of sensors of the plurality of sensors is less than a first threshold, comparing a number of sensors in the first subset of sensors to a second threshold, and adjusting the driving capability of the vehicle to rely on information received from a second subset of sensors of the plurality of sensors, wherein the second subset of sensors excludes the at least one sensor of the first subset of sensors.

Methods, systems, and apparatus for monitoring a vehicle. The system includes a sensor of the vehicle configured to detect sensor data indicating a presence of an electronic device within the vehicle. The system also includes an electronic control unit (ECU) of the vehicle communicatively coupled to the sensor. The ECU is configured to determine whether the electronic device is within the vehicle. The ECU is also configured to provide a notification to a user of the vehicle regarding the presence of the electronic device within the vehicle.

An audio notification system for an autonomous vehicle (AV) determines that the AV is within range of a user and emits a sound though a speaker of the AV to notify that the user that the vehicle has arrived. The audio notification system may include a sensor for sensing that the user has accessed the AV, and turns off the sound in response to the user accessing the AV. The audio notification may be generated according to one or more audio options, e.g., volume, pitch, or audio pattern.

An autonomous vehicle, a control system for remotely controlling the same, and a method thereof provides a control system including a processor configured to search for an external person around an autonomous vehicle when receiving a request for help of the external person from the autonomous vehicle, and to request the help of the external person through a user terminal of the searched external person or an external notification of the autonomous vehicle.

Ingenious and practical, the Fire Safety Seat Belt has sensors around the car to tell the vehicle's computer to unlock the seat belts. When picking out your vehicle and wanting it fully loaded, drivers would definitely want this one extra safety mechanism, the Fire Safety Seat Belt. Not only would this device sense fires but is designed to sense the presence of excess water. This apparatus once sensing the vehicle is either on fire or flooding would release the seat belts and unlock the doors. This process would be lifesaving, allowing the individuals to easily get out of the vehicle and harm's way and to safety either by their own means or with aid of a good Samaritan. With the knowledge that you would be safe wearing your seat belt, without the potential of being stuck in the vehicle during an emergency, would also ease people's fears. Thus, this would help more individual's to make the choice to buckle up and potentially save more lives.

A notification device includes a calculation unit calculating, based on a speed of a vehicle, a vehicle stoppage distance by which the vehicle travels until the vehicle enters a stopped state while performing autonomous driving, a notification unit performing notification about information with respect to an outside of the vehicle, and a notification controller causing the notification unit not to perform notification about information indicating that the vehicle is in the middle of deceleration until the vehicle passes by a first soon-to-cross pedestrian and to cause the notification unit to perform notification about the information after the vehicle passes by the first soon-to-cross pedestrian when a distance between the vehicle and the first soon-to-cross pedestrian is smaller than the vehicle stoppage distance and a distance between the vehicle and a second soon-to-cross pedestrian is equal to or greater than the vehicle stoppage distance.

An air conditioning system for motor vehicles designed to blow an air toward a glass window at the time of entry into a defrosting mode. The air conditioning system includes a rear seat controller configured to independently control a temperature and a volume of an air blown toward a rear seat region of a vehicle room, and a control unit configured to, at the time of entry into the defrosting mode, stop cooling or heating of the rear seat region and cause the rear seat controller to display a specific symbol indicating that the cooling or heating of the rear seat region is stopped due to the entry into the defrosting mode.

A vehicle analysis environment includes one or more display screens, such as a display screen wall or an array of display screens. While a vehicle is in the vehicle analysis environment, a vehicle analysis system renders and displays one or more vehicle sensor calibration targets and/or one or more simulated events on the one or more display screens. Vehicle sensors of the vehicle capture sensor data while in the vehicle analysis environment. The sensor data depict the vehicle sensor calibration targets and/or the simulated events that are displayed on the one or more display screens. The vehicle can output actions based on the simulated event and/or can calibrate its vehicle sensors based on the vehicle sensor calibration targets.