A vehicle control system can have an in-vehicle camera that monitors a state of the driver; a center display and a meter device that notify the occupant of information; and a controller that executes automatic stop control in the case where the driver abnormality is determined. The controller can perform: a first operation to decelerate the vehicle to a specified speed when the abnormality is determined; a second operation to further decelerate and stop the vehicle after the first operation; a third operation to change a lane of the vehicle between the first operation and the second operation; and a fourth operation to move the vehicle to a road shoulder between the first operation and the second operation. The controller can notify the operation performed, and notify of a stop of the operation in the case where the operation performed is stopped.

A method for monitoring a motor vehicle having an automated driving function. Specific operating modes are each assigned, in each instance, at least one load profile, which is a function of the load circuit needed for the operating mode and normally occurs during this operating mode. At least one characteristic quantity of the energy store is predicted as a function of the load profile. The corresponding operating mode and/or the automated driving function is enabled as a function of the predicted characteristic quantity of the energy store. The predicted characteristic quantity is ascertained as a function of a base load and/or a switching-off potential of the load circuit not needed for the operating mode.

In a vehicle control system (1, 101), a control unit is configured to execute a stop process by which the vehicle is parked in a prescribed stop area when it is detected that the control unit or the driver has become incapable of properly maintaining a traveling state of the vehicle, and, in the stop process, the control unit extracts a plurality of available stop areas according to information from at least one of an external environment recognition device and a map device, and selects a stop area from the available stop areas (A, B) by taking into account a possibility of the driver resuming driving the vehicle after the stop process has been initiated according to a result of monitoring the driver by an occupant monitoring device.

A driver condition estimation device includes an estimation unit configured to trigger an event that a webbing of a seat belt device is retracted, and to estimate a condition of a driver based on an amount of retraction of the webbing in the event.

A driver assistance system has an emergency stop function for a motor vehicle. The motor vehicle has an electric parking brake. A parking-brake operating element is used to activate the electric parking brake. The driver assistance system is designed to activate an emergency stop function in accordance with the actuation of the parking-brake operating element and, as part of the emergency stop function, to perform an autonomous emergency stop driving maneuver for the emergency stopping of the vehicle. The driver assistance system is characterized in that the driver assistance system is designed to activate the emergency stop function only in response to an end of the actuation of the parking-brake operating element.

The disclosure relates to an operating method for an autonomously operatable device. According to the method, sensor data relating to a current surroundings condition of the device are detected using at least one sensor device in an autonomous operating mode, and the sensor data is supplied to a control algorithm which is implemented as a machine learning algorithm and which learns in a self-contained manner. The control algorithm estimates the current surroundings condition of the device on the basis of the sensor data and makes a control decision. A degree of quality relating to the control decision is ascertained using a monitoring algorithm which is independent of the control algorithm, and the device is operated according to the control decision depending on the ascertained degree of quality of the control decision or the control decision is rejected and the device is set to a secure operating state.

An automated driving system includes a determiner, a driving switch controller, and a notification controller. The determiner determines each of a plurality of determination items that is a condition for switching from an automated driving to a manual driving. The driving switch controller switches from the automated driving to the manual driving when all of the plurality of determination items are determined as positive. The notification controller notifies a driver of notification information for urging a reaction of the driver when at least one of the plurality of determination items is determined as negative. The determiner determines the at least one or all of the plurality of determination items before a vehicle passes through a switch determination point. The determiner determines the at least one or all of the plurality of determination items when or after the vehicle passes through the switch determination point.

Aspects of the disclosure relate to stopping a vehicle. For instance, a vehicle is controlled in an autonomous driving mode by generating first commands for acceleration control and sending the first commands to an acceleration and/or steering actuator of an acceleration system of the vehicle in order to cause the vehicle to accelerate. Acceleration and/or orientation of the vehicle is monitored while the vehicle is being operated in an autonomous driving mode. The monitored acceleration and/or orientation is compared with the first commands. An error with the acceleration and/or steering system is determined based on the comparison. When the error is determined, the vehicle is controlled in the autonomous driving mode by generating second commands which do not require any acceleration and/or steering.

A vehicle having a control element for the speed, acceleration or direction of the vehicle, a computing device to generate a command in autonomous driving of the vehicle, and a command controller coupled between the control element and the computing device. In response to the command, the command controller initiates a test of a portion of the memory of the computing device. If the portion of the memory passes the test, the command controller forwards the command for execution via the control element of the vehicle; otherwise, the command controller blocks the command and/or issues a replacement command for the vehicle.

Systems, methods and apparatus of drowsiness detection for vehicle control. For example, a vehicle includes: a camera configured to face a driver of the vehicle and generate a sequence of images of the driver driving the vehicle; an artificial neural network configured to analyze the sequence of images and classify, based on the sequence of images, whether the driver is in a drowsy state; and an infotainment system configured to provide instructions to the driver in response to a classification by the artificial neural network that the driver is in the drowsy state.