A system for detecting if a hitch connecting a trailer and a vehicle is not secure. The system comprises a sensor, an output device, and electronic control unit. The electronic control unit receives information about the hitch connecting the trailer and the vehicle from the sensor. The electronic control unit detects if the hitch connecting the trailer and the vehicle is not secure. If the hitch connecting the trailer and the vehicle is not secure the electronic control unit generates a driver notification and controls the vehicle's motion.

An autonomous in-vehicle virtual traffic light system that mimics conventional traffic signal systems and neither depends on vehicle to vehicle communication nor vehicle to intersection or road sensors communication nor vehicle to wireless network communication. The system does not depend on external servers nor broadcast stations to forward traffic information to conventional vehicles or driverless vehicles. A virtual traffic controller placed on-board vehicles to provide traffic information including traffic light signals and images of road signs autonomously.

A system and method for identifying content relevant to a vehicle occupant using a rotatably-mounted sensor in a field of view of the vehicle occupant. The rotatably-mounted sensor collects information and data from its surroundings. The information and data is processes to identify relevant content to be presented to the vehicle occupant. The rotatably-mounted sensor is configured to rotate in a manner that directs the occupants gaze in a direction of the relevant content being presented. The relevant content may be selected based on information that is known about the vehicle occupant, the vehicle location, the vehicle destination, the vehicle surroundings associated with the location and/or destination, and vendor relationships.

An information output device according to an embodiment includes a detection unit, a display control unit, and a sound control unit. The detection unit detects an operation of a user that is executed on an input unit that is connected to a display unit. The display control unit displays, on the display unit, a notification screen that presents predetermined notification information to the user. The sound control unit outputs a notification sound that is associated with display of the notification screen that is executed by the display control unit. Furthermore, the sound control unit limits output of the notification sound for a period of time when an operation of the user is detected by the detection unit.

A parallel autonomy interface system can include processing circuitry communicably coupling one or more sensors of an autonomous vehicle and one or more displays of the autonomous vehicle. The processing circuitry can be configured to receive output from the one or more sensors, determine if potential danger with respect to vehicle operation is detected based on the output of the one or more sensors, activate an alert in response to detecting the potential danger, the alert corresponding to avatar motion, and enable the avatar to indicate a direction of the potential danger in response to activation of the alert.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a notification control apparatus and a notification control method capable of previously notifying a passenger of a change of a motion of a vehicle travelling automatically. A notification control apparatus according to the present invention includes: a processor to execute a program; and a memory to store the program which, when executed by the processor, performs processes of, acquiring travel condition information which is information indicating a future travel condition of the vehicle, generating a sound image pattern based on the travel condition information, and generating a notification sound in accordance with the sound image pattern and, controlling the output of the notification sound, wherein the travel condition information includes information of a future course of the vehicle, and when the course is changed, the sound image pattern in accordance with the course being changed is generated.

The present invention relates to a vehicle control device provided in a vehicle and a method of controlling the vehicle. A vehicle control device according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a communication unit configured to perform communication with a shoe, a sensing unit configured to sense information related to the vehicle and a position of the shoe, and a processor configured to control the communication unit such that the shoe outputs an alarm based on a situation in which the vehicle is to be accelerated or decelerated and the position of the shoe when the situation is detected through the sensing unit.

Methods and apparatus are disclosed for vehicles changing lanes based on trailing vehicles. An example vehicle includes a vehicle speed sensor to measure a vehicle speed, a rearview camera to capture images when the vehicle speed is greater than a threshold, and a lane controller. The lane controller is to detect whether there is a trailing vehicle based on the images and determine, responsive to detecting the trailing vehicle, whether the trailing vehicle is providing a message to change lanes. The lane controller also is to send a lane-changing signal responsive to identifying the message.

A vehicle and a method of guiding an inertial driving timing of a vehicle includes storing pass-through speeds for respective deceleration situation types, sensing occurrence of a deceleration situation on a route, calculating a target speed corresponding to a type of the sensed deceleration situation based on the stored pass-through speeds for the respective deceleration situation types, and determining an inertial driving guidance timing using the calculated target speed.

A coasting control method of an eco-friendly vehicle includes steps of acquiring deceleration event information and road gradient information in front of a vehicle during driving, by a controller in the vehicle, determining target vehicle speed in a deceleration event in consideration of road gradient based on the deceleration event information and the road gradient information, by the controller, determining expected vehicle speed while the vehicle is decelerated in a coasting state, based on current vehicle speed, by the controller, determining a start location for starting coasting based on target vehicle speed in consideration of current vehicle speed of the vehicle and the road gradient and expected vehicle speed at a target location as a deceleration event location, by the controller, and operating an information provider for coasting guidance and coasting induction to a driver at a start location, by the controller.