A method, a structure, and a computer system for assessing a cognitive state of a driver of a vehicle. The exemplary embodiments may include collecting data from one or more sensors positioned around the vehicle and calculating a distraction value, an engagement value, and a workload value corresponding to the driver of the vehicle based on the data. The exemplary embodiments may further include determining whether the driver exhibits a low cognitive state based on the distraction value and the engagement value, and, based on determining that the driver exhibits the low cognitive state, assuming control of the vehicle.

Systems, apparatus and methods may be configured to implement actively-controlled light emission from a robotic vehicle. A light emitter(s) of the robotic vehicle may be configurable to indicate a direction of travel of the robotic vehicle and/or display information (e.g., a greeting, a notice, a message, a graphic, passenger/customer/client content, vehicle livery, customized livery) using one or more colors of emitted light (e.g., orange for a first direction and purple for a second direction), one or more sequences of emitted light (e.g., a moving image/graphic), or positions of light emitter(s) on the robotic vehicle (e.g., symmetrically positioned light emitters). The robotic vehicle may not have a front or a back (e.g., a trunk/a hood) and may be configured to travel bi-directionally, in a first direction or a second direction (e.g., opposite the first direction), with the direction of travel being indicated by one or more of the light emitters.

A method for determining a road condition is carried out aboard a vehicle driving on the road and comprises the following steps: capturing the noise created by the friction between at least one tire and the road; analyzing the noise signal in the high frequency range to determine whether the road condition is dry or not; and, in case the road condition is not dry, analyzing the noise signal in the low frequency range to determine whether to road condition is wet or damp.

A processing platform may obtain sensor data associated with a vehicle and manual input data associated with the vehicle. The processing platform may determine, based on the sensor data, automated control information. The processing platform may determine, based on the sensor data and the manual input data, a parameter associated with the vehicle. The processing platform may determine, based on the automated control information, a control rating associated with the parameter. The processing platform may determine whether the control rating satisfies a threshold for a period of time. The processing platform may cause, based on determining that the control rating satisfies the threshold for the period of time, at least one action to be performed.

A method for enhancing driving safety is provided. A sound receiving unit receives sound with respect to a space of a vehicle. A processing unit determines whether an in-vehicle atmosphere is related to a negative emotion based on the sound thus received, and defines at least one of an unsafe driving condition or a safety enhancement program based on the determination. When a current operation of the vehicle meets the unsafe driving condition, the safety enhancement program is executed to enhance driving safety.

An object sensing device is configured to sense an object therearound using an ultrasonic sensor. The object sensing device comprises: a distance judgment portion that performs a judgement of a distance to the object therearound in accordance with received ultrasonic waves that are based on transmitted ultrasonic waves by the ultrasonic sensor; and a notification control portion that performs a predetermined notification operation in accordance with the received ultrasonic waves that are based on the transmitted ultrasonic waves. The notification control portion performs the predetermined notification operation when the distance judgement portion has continuously judged that the object is within a predetermined close range. The notification control portion fails to perform the predetermined notification operation when a judgement history of the distance to the object by the distance judgement portion indicates an abnormal appearance of the object within the predetermined close range.

A driver assistance system includes a detector configured to detect pedestrians or obstacles in a front detection area and a rear detection area of a vehicle; an accelerator pedal sensor configured to detect a position of an accelerator pedal of the vehicle; and a controller configured to selectively activate the front detection area and the rear detection area according to a gear state of the vehicle, when there is the pedestrians or the obstacles in the activated detection area, to recognize an acceleration pedal change amount from an acceleration pedal position detected through the accelerator pedal sensor, to determine whether emergency braking of the vehicle is necessary based on the recognized acceleration pedal change amount, and when the emergency braking is necessary, to perform the emergency braking for the vehicle.

The invention relates to a method for operating an ultrasonic sensor (4) of a vehicle (1), in which a sound transducer element (11) of the ultrasonic sensor (4) is excited with a predetermined excitation signal, wherein the excitation signal has a predetermined current amplitude, an electrical test voltage (U) at the sound transducer element (11) resulting from the excitation signal is measured, and a diagnosis of the ultrasonic sensor (4) is carried out on the basis of the test voltage (U), wherein the ultrasonic sensor (4) is excited with the excitation signal in a measuring mode for the transmission of an ultrasonic signal, the electrical test voltage (U) is measured during the transmission, on the basis of the electrical test voltage (U) a reduced diagnosis is carried out, wherein the ultrasonic sensor (4) either continues to be operated in the measuring mode or is operated in a diagnostic mode for a complete diagnosis, depending on a result of the reduced diagnosis.

A computer implemented method for lateral control of a vehicle comprises the following steps carried out by computer hardware components: determining a location error of the vehicle; determining an orientation error of the vehicle; determining a cost function based on the location error and the orientation error using a circular transformation; and processing the cost function in a model predictive controller to control the vehicle laterally.

It is advantageous for a vehicle to detect road wetness or related environmental conditions. This is particularly true for self-driving vehicles, which can then adjust the manner of automated operation of the vehicle to increase safety by reducing speed, braking earlier, adjusting internal estimates of road traction parameters, or adjusting autonomous operation in some other manner. It is difficult to directly measure road wetness (e.g., using spectroscopy or other methods directed at the road surface), however, it is possible to indirectly estimate road wetness based on road noise audio signals detected via one or more microphones disposed on the vehicle. The location of the microphones, the type of post-processing applied to the audio signals, or other factors can be adapted to increase the useful road wetness-related content of such audio signals while reducing the presence of engine noise, road noise, or other confounding signals.