A vehicle start/stop method includes inhibiting auto-stopping an engine responsive to an engine auto-stop command, activating a transmission gear shifter, and a rotational speed of a steering wheel being less than a threshold; auto-stopping the engine responsive to the engine auto-stop command, activating the gear shifter, and the rotational speed being greater than the threshold; auto-starting the engine responsive to activating the gear shifter and the rotational speed being less than the threshold while the engine is auto-stopped; and inhibiting auto-starting the engine responsive to activating the gear shifter and the rotational speed being greater than the threshold while the engine is auto-stopped.

A vehicle driving assist system includes a steering wheel contact position detector, a steering torque detector, a driving mode setting calculator, and a steering override determiner. The driving mode setting calculator is configured to set a driving mode including a first driving assist mode, a second driving assist mode, and a manual driving mode. The driving mode setting calculator is configured, while traveling in a current driving mode that is the first driving assist mode or the second driving assist mode, to allow the current driving mode to continue in a case where the steering override determiner has determined that a steering torque detected by the steering torque detector is a false detection or to cause the driving mode to make a transition to the manual driving mode in a case where the steering override determiner has determined that the steering torque is a steering override intended by a driver.

Various implementations relate to an operator monitoring system (OMS). Certain implementations include an OMS coupled to a rotatable portion of a steering wheel assembly of a vehicle. For example, the OMS may include an imaging unit, such as a camera, that is coupled to a central hub portion of the steering wheel assembly. The imaging unit has a field of view directed toward one or more occupants in the vehicle and is configured to capture an image signal corresponding to an imaging area in the field of view. The imaging area can be configured to encapsulate an expected position of one or more vehicle occupants. The OMS also includes one or more processing units in electrical communication with the imaging unit that receives and processes the image signal from the imaging unit to determine an occupant state and, in some implementations, provide feedback based on the determined occupant state.

A controller for a driving force transmitting apparatus mounted in a four-wheel-drive vehicle, includes: a driving force controller configured to calculate a command torque indicating a driving force to be transmitted to the sub-drive wheels via the driving force transmitting apparatus based on a traveling state of the four-wheel-drive vehicle and a road surface condition, and to control the driving force transmitting apparatus based on the command torque; and a road surface condition determiner configured to determine that the road surface condition is a high- condition when a duration of a non-slipping state where a vehicle speed is equal to or higher than a prescribed value and a slip ratio of each of both the main drive wheels is lower than a prescribed value has become equal to or longer than a prescribed time.

A vehicle behavior control device for controlling a vehicle equipped with a steering apparatus comprises: a PCM operable to acquire a steering speed in the steering apparatus, and, when the steering speed becomes equal to or greater than a given threshold (T.sub.S1) which is greater than 0, to reduce a driving force for the vehicle according to the steering speed, wherein the steering apparatus comprises a steering shaft coupled to the steering wheel and rotatable together with the steering wheel, wherein the steering shaft has a torsion bar whose torsional rigidity about a rotational axis of the steering shaft is less than a remaining portion of the steering shaft. The steering speed acquisition section is configured to acquire the steering speed of the steering apparatus at a position on the side of the front road wheels with respect to the low rigidity portion.

A driver monitoring apparatus includes: a biosensor signal acquiring portion configured to acquire a biosensor signal detected by a biosensor provided in a steering wheel, a biosensor signal storage portion configured to store first biological information acquired by the biosensor signal acquiring portion during the manual driving mode; a first determination processing portion configured to determine whether or not a driver who is to drive during the manual driving mode is gripping the steering wheel, based on second biological information acquired by the biosensor signal acquiring portion and the first biological information read out from the biosensor signal storage portion, if the autonomous driving mode is switched to the manual driving mode, and a first signal output portion configured to output a predetermined signal that is based on the result of the determination performed by the first determination processing portion.

A vehicle safety detecting ring includes a ring body, at lease one detector, a touching area and an alarm device. The ring body is configured to mounted on a steering wheel. The at least one detector is located inside the ring body and configured to detect information of driver. The touching area is connected with the at least one detector in the ring body to transmit the information of driver to the at least one detector. The alarm connects with the at least one detector and is configured to issue an alarm when the at least one detector detects an abnormal signal.

Various implementations relate to an operator monitoring system (OMS). Certain implementations include an OMS coupled to a rotatable portion of a steering wheel assembly of a vehicle. For example, the OMS may include an imaging unit, such as a camera, that is coupled to a central hub portion of the steering wheel assembly. The imaging unit has a field of view directed toward one or more occupants in the vehicle and is configured to capture an image signal corresponding to an imaging area in the field of view. The imaging area can be configured to encapsulate an expected position of one or more vehicle occupants. The OMS also includes one or more processing units in electrical communication with the imaging unit that receives and processes the image signal from the imaging unit to determine an occupant state and, in some implementations, provide feedback based on the determined occupant state.

A vehicle safety detecting ring includes a ring body, at lease one detector, a touching area and an alarm device. The ring body is configured to mounted on a steering wheel. The at least one detector is located inside the ring body and configured to detect information of driver. The touching area is connected with the at least one detector in the ring body to transmit the information of driver to the at least one detector. The alarm connects with the at least one detector and is configured to issue an alarm when the at least one detector detects an abnormal signal.

A steering wheel within a vehicle includes a plurality of sensors that measure forces applied to the steering wheel. An application executing on a computing device records sensor data from the sensors, and then interprets that data as specific force inputs. The application then translates those force inputs into specific commands that can be executed by subsystems within the vehicle. At least one advantage of the techniques set forth herein is that the driver of a vehicle that implements the force control system need not remove either hand from the steering wheel in order to adjust the operation of subsystems within the vehicle, thereby improving driver safety.