This disclosure relates to a system and method for transitioning vehicle control between autonomous operation and manual operation. The system includes sensors configured to generate output signals conveying information related to the vehicle and its operation. During autonomous vehicle operation, the system gauges the level of responsiveness of a vehicle operator through challenges and corresponding responses. The system determines when to present a challenge to the vehicle operator based on internal and external factors. If necessary, the system will transition from an autonomous operation mode to a manual operation mode.

The driving condition determination method according to the present disclosure includes: detecting a lane-free merging point on a traveling route of a vehicle by autonomous driving; executing a determination process for determining whether or not there is a high possibility of giving anxiety to a driver when a vehicle passes through a lane-free merging point by autonomous driving based on a passing speed when passing through a merging portion or a length of a merging section in response to detecting a lane-free merging point; and continuing autonomous driving when it is not determined that there is a high possibility of giving anxiety, and implementing switching to manual driving when it is determined that there is a high possibility of giving anxiety.

An autonomous control system according to an embodiment includes a memory; and processing circuitry. The processing circuitry configured to detect surrounding information of an object. The processing circuitry configured to identify identification information indicating the object from the surrounding information. The processing circuitry configured to determine an increase and decrease in stress information of a user. The processing circuitry configured to learn correction information for correcting an operation of the object, to an operation of reducing the stress of the user. The processing circuitry configured to determine a type of control relative to the object, and determine control information for specifying the operation of the object by the determined type of control, from the identification information and the correction information. The processing circuitry configured to control the object by the control information.

A method for operating a driving dynamics system facility of a motor vehicle includes using a control device that provides driving style data while driving, and establishes a driver type for the driver based on this. The control device establishes a road category of a roadway. With the aid of the driver type and the road category, the control device establishes a current driving context, and carries out a preliminary selection of at least one driving mode. With the aid of driver monitoring data, the control device establishes a current emotion of the driver, and selects with the aid of this one of the preselected driving modes. The control device generates a switching signal for switching to the driving mode being activated and configures accordingly the at least two motor vehicle systems. The driving mode can be adapted with the aid of further driver monitoring data, describing a reaction of the driver to the activated driving mode.

An embodiment of the invention provides a method to control a mechanical system based on the cognitive state of a user, where a first action is performed at an input device that is associated with the user. The cognitive state of the user is detected at the input device; and, a change to the first action is determined based on the cognitive state of the user. A controlled action is performed based on the recommended change. A system can include an input device associated with user, where a first action is performed at the input device. A processor connected to the input device detects the cognitive state of the user at the input device and determines a change to the first action based on the cognitive state of the user. A controller connected to the processor performs a controlled action based on the recommended change.

The described systems and methods determine a driver's fitness to safely operate a moving vehicle based at least in part upon observed stress patterns. A smart ring, wearable on a user's finger, continuously monitors user's physiological and behavioral parameters indicative of being under stress. This stress data, representing stress patterns, can be utilized, in combination with driving data, to train a machine learning model, which will predict the user's level of risk exposure based at least in part upon observed stress patterns. The user can be warned of this risk to prevent them from driving or to encourage them to use an appropriate stress coping strategy before or during driving. In some instances, the disclosed smart ring system may interact with the user's vehicle to prevent it from starting while exposed to high risk due to deteriorated psychological or physiological conditions stemming from being under stress.

A driver state detection unit detects a state of the driver of a host vehicle. For example, a drowsing state of the driver is detected. An outward warning device performs an outward warning operation pertaining to a warning directed at another vehicle traveling in the vicinity of the host vehicle. Then, an inward warning device performs an inward warning operation pertaining to a warning directed at the driver of the host vehicle.

Methods and systems are provided for selectively inhibiting a stop-start controller of a vehicle based on a predicted anxiety of a driver of the vehicle on a road segment that includes one or more road attributes associated with increased levels of anxiety. In one example, selectively inhibiting a stop-start controller of a vehicle based on a predicted anxiety of a driver of the vehicle includes determining a driver classification for a driver operating the vehicle; predicting an anxiety level of the driver at an upcoming traffic condition, based on the driver classification; and selectively inhibiting an upcoming engine idle-stop event based on the predicted anxiety level of the driver.

Electronic devices and methods are provided in which a pressure applied, by a driver, to a seat of a moving object driven by the driver is sensed. A state of the driver is determined based on frequency characteristics with respect to a change in the pressure sensed by the sensor.

A motor vehicle includes a plurality of sensors, a wireless communication unit, and a control device that is configured to receive data from the plurality of sensors and via the wireless communication unit relating to at least one of an environmental condition, a mechanical condition and a health-rated condition. The control unit formats the received data into a predetermined format corresponding to at least one detected condition, and compares the at least one detected condition to a plurality of known conditions. The control unit is further configured to identify a detected known condition when the at least one detected condition matches at least one of the plurality of known conditions, to select, in response to identifying the detected known condition, an automatic autonomous driving mode of the vehicle, and then to execute a predetermined driving maneuver corresponding to the detected known condition.