A method evaluates a degree of fatigue of a vehicle occupant in a vehicle. A number of first fatigue indicators is provided which are determined according to computation rules from a plurality of first sensor values and each represent a degree of fatigue of the vehicle occupant. The first sensor values represent measured values of the vehicle and/or measured values relating to a current journey. A first metadata record is associated with each of the number of first fatigue indicators, wherein the first metadata records represent information about the characteristics of the sensors. The first sensor values are processed in the respective first fatigue indicators. A number of second fatigue indicators is provided which are determined according to computation rules from one or more second sensor values and each represent a degree of fatigue of the vehicle occupant. The second sensor values represent physiological and/or physical parameters of the vehicle occupants. A second metadata record is associated with each of the number of second fatigue indicators. The second metadata records represent information about the characteristics of the sensors. The second sensor values are processed in the respective second fatigue indicators. An overall fatigue indicator is determined which represents the degree of fatigue of the vehicle occupant by weighting the number of first fatigue indicators and the number of second fatigue indicators. The fatigue indicators are weighted according to the information about the characteristics of the sensors contained in the first metadata record and the second metadata record.

Example vehicle security systems and methods are described. In one implementation, a method receives a destination and a driving route to the destination for an autonomous vehicle to follow. A vehicle security system identifies a passkey associated with the driving route and communicates the passkey to a user designated to meet the autonomous vehicle at the destination. The vehicle security system confirms that the user designated to meet the autonomous vehicle possesses the passkey.

An automated driving assistance apparatus includes an occupant's emotion learning section and a control parameter setting section. The occupant's emotion learning section creates an occupant's emotion model based on vehicle driving state information and occupant's emotion information. The occupant's emotion model is used to estimate an emotion of the occupant from a vehicle driving state. The control parameter setting section calculates an ideal driving state based on the occupant's emotion model, and set a control parameter for automated driving of the vehicle based on the ideal driving state. The control parameter setting section output input values relevant to the vehicle driving state to the occupant's emotion model, and select, from the input values received by the occupant's emotion model, an input value that causes a current occupant's emotion to become closer to a target emotion as the ideal driving state of the vehicle.

A technique for providing a user-adapted service to a user of a client device is disclosed. A method implementation of the technique is performed by the client device and comprises obtaining (902), via a manual input by the user, a digital representation of personality data of the user, and processing (S904) the digital representation of the personality data to provide a user-adapted service to the user. The client device may be a vehicle and providing the user-adapted service to the user may comprise adapting a driving configuration of the vehicle to a personality of the user.

An apparatus for controlling to enable an autonomous system in a vehicle is provided. The apparatus includes a sensor, an input device configured to receive an input from a driver of the vehicle, an output device configured to output a notification in the vehicle, and a control circuit configured to be electrically connected with the sensor, the input device, and the output device. The control circuit is configured to activate an autonomous control in response to an input of the driver to the input device, detect a critical situation of the vehicle using the sensor, output a notification to transfer a control authority using the output device in response to the detected critical situation, and automatically reactivate the autonomous control when the critical situation is solved after temporarily releasing the autonomous control, when the critical situation corresponds to a critical situation of a specified type.

In one embodiment, a method by a computing system of a vehicle includes determining an environment of the vehicle. The method includes generating, based on the environment, multiple proposed vehicle actions with associated operational data. The method includes determining a comfort level for each proposed vehicle action by processing the environment and operational data using a model for predicting comfort levels of vehicle actions. The model is trained using records of performed vehicle actions. The record for each performed vehicle action includes environment data, operational data, and a perceived passenger comfort level for the performed vehicle action. The method includes selecting a vehicle action from the proposed vehicle actions based on the determined comfort level. The method includes causing the vehicle to perform the selected vehicle action.

A control system of a vehicle includes: a target speed module configured to, using a parametric driver model and based on first driver parameters, second driver parameters, and vehicle parameters, determine a target vehicle speed trajectory for a future predetermined period; a driver parameters module configured to determine the first driver parameters based on conditions within a predetermined distance in front of the vehicle; and a control module configured to adjust at least one actuator of the vehicle based on the target vehicle speed trajectory and a present vehicle speed.

A system is provided generating a context-dependent experience for a vehicle driver, e.g., to relax or enhance the driver's mental state. A system controller is configured to receive driving context data regarding a driving situation from various driving context data sources. The driving context data may include vehicle operation data, e.g., generated by vehicle-based sensors, and environmental data regarding an environment external to the vehicle, e.g., received wirelessly from a remote server. The system controller may identify content triggering events based on (a) the received driver context data and (b) a set of content triggering rules. For each content triggering event, the system controller may select one or more human-perceivable contents elements (e.g., audio clips, seat massage settings, or air conditioner settings), and control one or more content output devices (e.g., speakers, seat massage system, or vehicle HVAC system) to output the selected content element(s) to the driver.

A method for operating a support system for preventing a motor vehicle from being left stranded due to a lack of drive energy is disclosed. The, wherein the motor vehicle has at least one driver assistance system and an internal combustion engine, which is operated with fuel as a first energy source of drive energy, and/or an electric motor, which is operated with electric energy of a battery as a second source of drive energy. The motor vehicle is autonomously driven to a charging and/or filling location using a vehicle system, which is designed to guide the motor vehicle in a fully automatic manner, when an emergency criterion is met which is constantly evaluated during an operational phase of the motor vehicle, and indicates to the driver that the motor vehicle will be left stranded if a charging and/or filling process is not carried out.

A system for controlling one or more functions of a vehicle responsive to a cognitive state of a vehicle user comprises one or more controllers configured to receive cognitive state data indicative of a cognitive state of the user of the vehicle and context data indicative of a context of one or both of the user and the vehicle. The one or more controllers are configured to control the one or more functions of the vehicle in dependence on the received indication of the cognitive state of the user and the context data. The controllers are configured to output control data for controlling the one of more functions of the vehicle.