An apparatus for controlling alcohol interlock includes a sensor that senses an environment of a driver's seat and a camera that obtains a face image of a passenger and an image of exhalation of the passenger. A controller activates a start lock mode of a vehicle and determines whether a condition for detecting components of the exhalation of the passenger is satisfied based on the environment of the driver's seat. The controller determines whether the exhalation of the passenger is exhalation of a driver based on the face image of the passenger and the image of the exhalation of the passenger, and determines whether to detect alcohol concentration in the exhalation of the passenger based on the determination result.

The invention relates to a restarting method for automatically starting an internal combustion engine (2) of a motor vehicle (3) by means of a brake pedal actuation, comprising the following steps: detecting a brake pressure (p) by means of a brake pressure sensor (14); emitting a corresponding brake pressure signal sequence to a control device (13); determining a brake pressure profile (p.sub.pr) from the brake pressure signal sequence; determining a reference pressure value (p.sub.R) from the brake pressure profile; detecting a brake release status, wherein, with the release of a brake pedal, a brake pressure decrease (Δp) is detected based on the determined reference pressure value (p.sub.R), with said decrease exceeding a pressure decrease limit value (Δp.sub.G); emitting a starting signal (S.sub.WS) to a starter (15) for starting the internal combustion engine (2), if the brake release status has been detected. The invention also relates to a restarting assembly for a motor vehicle (1) for carrying out a method of this type.

The invention relates to a restarting method for automatically starting an internal combustion engine (2) of a motor vehicle (3) by means of a brake pedal actuation, comprising the following steps: detecting a brake pressure (p) by means of a brake pressure sensor (14); emitting a corresponding brake pressure signal sequence to a control device (13); determining a brake pressure profile (p.sub.pr) from the brake pressure signal sequence; determining a reference pressure value (p.sub.R) from the brake pressure profile; detecting a brake release status, wherein, with the release of a brake pedal, a brake pressure decrease (Δp) is detected based on the determined reference pressure value (p.sub.R), with said decrease exceeding a pressure decrease limit value (Δp.sub.G); emitting a starting signal (S.sub.WS) to a starter (15) for starting the internal combustion engine (2), if the brake release status has been detected. The invention also relates to a restarting assembly for a motor vehicle (1) for carrying out a method of this type.

An autonomous vehicle having a user interface and a computing system that is in communication with the user interface. The computing system may have at least one processor and at least one memory that stores computer-executable instructions. When executed by the at least one processor, the instructions may cause the at least one processor to output information through the user interface to inform the passenger of an action that the passenger needs to enact prior to the autonomous vehicle beginning to move and determine, based upon an occurrence of the action that the passenger needs to enact, whether the autonomous vehicle is permitted to begin moving.

An apparatus for controlling alcohol interlock includes a sensor that senses an environment of a driver's seat and a camera that obtains a face image of a passenger and an image of exhalation of the passenger. A controller activates a start lock mode of a vehicle and determines whether a condition for detecting components of the exhalation of the passenger is satisfied based on the environment of the driver's seat. The controller determines whether the exhalation of the passenger is exhalation of a driver based on the face image of the passenger and the image of the exhalation of the passenger, and determines whether to detect alcohol concentration in the exhalation of the passenger based on the determination result.

An apparatus for controlling alcohol interlock includes a sensor that senses an environment of a driver's seat and a camera that obtains a face image of a passenger and an image of exhalation of the passenger. A controller activates a start lock mode of a vehicle and determines whether a condition for detecting components of the exhalation of the passenger is satisfied based on the environment of the driver's seat. The controller determines whether the exhalation of the passenger is exhalation of a driver based on the face image of the passenger and the image of the exhalation of the passenger, and determines whether to detect alcohol concentration in the exhalation of the passenger based on the determination result.

A method for providing vehicle alerts includes receiving an ignition signal indicating a current status of an ignition of a vehicle and receiving a gear position signal indicating a current gear position of a transmission of the vehicle. The method also includes receiving a vehicle speed signal indicating a current vehicle speed of the vehicle and identifying a vehicle alert data file based on at least the ignition signal, the gear position signal, the vehicle speed signal. The method also includes retrieving the vehicle alert data file from a vehicle alert database and loading data associated with the vehicle alert data file into a buffer. The method also includes outputting contents of the buffer to at least one output device of the vehicle.

An autonomous vehicle having a user interface and a computing system that is in communication with the user interface. The computing system may have at least one processor and at least one memory that stores computer-executable instructions. When executed by the at least one processor, the instructions may cause the at least one processor to output information through the user interface to inform the passenger of an action that the passenger needs to enact prior to the autonomous vehicle beginning to move and determine, based upon an occurrence of the action that the passenger needs to enact, whether the autonomous vehicle is permitted to begin moving.

A control device includes a communication unit configured to acquire control information on a vehicle from an information processing device in a wired or wireless communication, and a processing unit configured to execute a process of starting vehicle control based on the control information. The processing unit continues or suspends the process of starting vehicle control depending on a result of an authentication process on usage authority of the control information, and the authentication process is executed while the process of starting vehicle control is executed.

A control device includes a communication unit configured to acquire control information on a vehicle from an information processing device in a wired or wireless communication, and a processing unit configured to execute a process of starting vehicle control based on the control information. The processing unit continues or suspends the process of starting vehicle control depending on a result of an authentication process on usage authority of the control information, and the authentication process is executed while the process of starting vehicle control is executed.