An assistance System for a vehicle for providing an emergency stop assistance function that includes an execution device to execute the emergency stop assistance function using at least one of a plurality of activation stages; a detection device for automatic detection of driver inactivity, in order to activate the emergency stop assistance function using a first stage selection of the activation stages; a triggering device for monitoring an operating element of an electrical parking brake or a parking lock of a transmission of the vehicle, in order to activate the emergency assistance function using a second stage selection of the activation stages, which differs from the first stage selection, in the case of a manual activation of the operating element.

A vehicle that includes: an input device that is configured to receive a user command from a user; and a controller that is configured to: obtain vehicle driving information, based on the vehicle driving information, control the vehicle to travel autonomously, determine whether the user command is inconsistent with the vehicle driving information, based on a determination that the user command is inconsistent with the vehicle driving information, determine to ignore the user command, in response to a determination to ignore the user command, control the vehicle based on the vehicle driving information without the user command, based on a determination that the user command is consistent with the vehicle driving information, determine to apply the user command, and in response to a determination to apply the user command, control the vehicle based on the vehicle driving information and the user command is disclosed.

A vehicular accessory system includes an attachment element adhered at an interior surface of a windshield of a vehicle and an accessory assembly attached to the attachment element. The accessory assembly includes circuitry disposed in the housing, the circuitry including a video camera. The video camera, when the accessory assembly is attached to the attachment element, has a field of view into the interior of the vehicle that encompasses the head of a potential driver of the vehicle. The video camera captures an image of the face of the potential driver and, responsive to image processing by image recognition software of the vehicular accessory system, the vehicular accessory system determines that the potential driver is an authorized driver who is authorized to operate the vehicle and, responsive to this determination, enables the ignition system to allow the motor of the vehicle be started.

A driving information generating section 20 successively generates as driving information diverse types of information indicative of a driving state of a vehicle. A dangerous driving determining section 31 determines whether dangerous driving is underway on the basis of the driving information generated by the driving information generating section 20. A supplementary information acquiring section 32 acquires state supplementary information manually or automatically upon determination of dangerous driving by the dangerous driving determining section 31, and associates the acquired state supplementary information with the result of the determination of dangerous driving. An information communication section 34 transmits the result of the determination of dangerous driving and the state supplementary information to an information management apparatus 40. The information management apparatus 40 can recognize the state of the case in which dangerous driving is underway based on the state supplementary information, and correctly determine validity of the result of the determination of dangerous driving.

A driving information generating section 20 successively generates as driving information diverse types of information indicative of a driving state of a vehicle. A dangerous driving determining section 31 determines whether dangerous driving is underway on the basis of the driving information generated by the driving information generating section 20. A supplementary information acquiring section 32 acquires state supplementary information manually or automatically upon determination of dangerous driving by the dangerous driving determining section 31, and associates the acquired state supplementary information with the result of the determination of dangerous driving. An information communication section 34 transmits the result of the determination of dangerous driving and the state supplementary information to an information management apparatus 40. The information management apparatus 40 can recognize the state of the case in which dangerous driving is underway based on the state supplementary information, and correctly determine validity of the result of the determination of dangerous driving.

Methods and apparatus allow for passive determination of a driver's Breath Alcohol Concentration (BrAC). Alcohol concentrations can be determined from exhaled breath, however inconvenience to a driver is often a barrier for incorporation of BrAC sensors into vehicles. The methods and apparatus allow for passive determination of a driver's BrAC, while detecting and accounting for a wide range of environmental conditions that may reduce the accuracy of a passive BrAC reading.

Methods and apparatus allow for passive determination of a driver's Breath Alcohol Concentration (BrAC). Alcohol concentrations can be determined from exhaled breath, however inconvenience to a driver is often a barrier for incorporation of BrAC sensors into vehicles. The methods and apparatus allow for passive determination of a driver's BrAC, while detecting and accounting for a wide range of environmental conditions that may reduce the accuracy of a passive BrAC reading.

Apparatus for use with a vehicle is disclosed and comprises an interlock device. The device is adapted to, in use: at least while said vehicle is in motion, periodically generate a prompt; assess motion of said vehicle; at least when said vehicle is assessed by said device to be at rest, carry out an analysis operation wherein a breath sample is received and analyzed; and in the event that, within a predetermined period following a prompt, the device does not, while said vehicle is assessed to be at rest, carry out said analysis operation, enter an alarm state at least when the vehicle is in motion. The device can be adapted to carry out analysis operations only when the vehicle is assessed to be at rest.

A vehicle includes a detection system configured to acquire data regarding operation of the vehicle, and a robotic driving device configured to provide robotic control of the vehicle. The vehicle also includes a control system configured to determine whether the robotic driving device is activated, such that the vehicle is in robotic driving mode; receive a request by a prospective operator of the vehicle to deactivate the robotic driving device to initiate a manual driving mode; determine whether the prospective operator is impaired based on the data; and selectively grant or refuse the request based on the determination.

A method of alerting a vehicle's driver. The method comprises receiving an azimuth value indicating a gazing direction of a head of the driver from a primary device placed on the driver, receiving a vehicle bearing value indicating a vehicle moving direction of the vehicle driven by the driver, calculating an angular difference between the azimuth value and the vehicle bearing value, generating an alert when the angular difference deviates from an angular threshold, and automatically presenting the alert to the driver in response to the angular difference.