An adaptive, automatically-reconfigurable, vehicle instrument display method and system are described that continuously looks for a specified physical action of a driver operating the vehicle and, upon determining that the specified physical action of the driver has occurred, automatically effects a change to at least one widget in the instrument panel display of the vehicle.

An autonomous driving system for a vehicle includes: a computer unit which evaluates surroundings-related and vehicle-related data with the aid of sensors and carries out an automatic driving operation based on the data; a lead time calculator assigned to the computer unit and determining a lead time by evaluating the surroundings-related and vehicle-related data, the lead time requiring an intervention by the driver; and a comfort time calculator assigned to the computer unit and calculating a reaction time of the driver by evaluating driver-related data, the comfort time calculator continuously comparing the lead time with the reaction time and determining therefrom a comfort time which is determined by taking the difference between the lead time and the reaction time. When the comfort time reaches zero, a countermeasure including a prewarning of the driver and/or a mode change of the driving system is initiated.

An in-vehicle device includes: a drive assist unit configured to perform drive assist processing; a display unit configured to display an image in a display area with the image overlapped on a scene in a real space ahead of a vehicle; and a display control unit configured to control the display unit to display, in a normal state while the drive assist processing is performed, an image of a first marker at a vehicle-corresponding position as a position in the display area corresponding to a position where the vehicle is estimated to be positioned in the real space in a predetermined time. The first marker has a first color, the first marker has a first shape that has a smooth outline and fluctuates, and a display position of the first marker varies periodically from the vehicle-corresponding position.

A menu including at least one menu entry and/or a menu entry from the menu, is selected by using a menu navigation device. The device can control the vehicle by at least one head movement of a driver and includes a camera which is designed to be worn on the head of the driver to capture camera data corresponding to a field of vision of the driver, a processor unit which is configured to generate a compilation of menu entries as a function of at least one predetermined viewing direction which corresponds to the direction of a field of vision of the driver and/or a position of the driver's head, and a display for outputting the menu entries.

In a vehicle-mounted display system, a spare attentiveness level deriving part derives a spare attentiveness level that is a parameter determined according to a state of a driver of a vehicle at a present moment and a risk level deriving part derives a risk level that is a parameter determined according to a risk level of an accident at the present moment. Then a display continuously displays a driving state mark that is a reference graphic, determined according to the spare attentiveness level and the risk level, while the driver is driving the vehicle. Therefore, the driver can continuously understand the own state and the risk level of an accident at the present moment.

Method and system for driver assistance in a vehicle; the current value of a driving variable correlated with the driving of the vehicle is determined; an optimal value of the driving variable in the future and after a given amount of time has elapsed since the current instant starting from the current state of the vehicle is determined and supposing an excellent action upon the driving controls of the vehicle; an expected value of the driving variable in the future and after the given amount of time has elapsed since the current instant starting from the current state of the vehicle is determined and supposing a constant action upon the driving controls of the vehicle; and the current value, the expected value and the optimal value of the driving variable are displayed together in an instrument of the instrument panel of the vehicle.

A vehicle includes a steering wheel having a capacitive touch sensor positioned and sized to be touched by a driver's thumb while the remaining fingers on the driver's hand are wrapped around an outer edge of the steering wheel. An electronic processor is communicatively coupled to the display screen and the capacitive touch sensor. The electronic processor zooms in on an image presented on the display screen in response to the driver's thumb being dragged in a first direction across the capacitive touch sensor. The electronic processor zooms out on an image presented on the display screen in response to the driver's thumb being dragged in a second direction across the capacitive touch sensor. The second direction is substantially opposite to the first direction.

A vehicular display control device includes: a display control unit for controlling a display device to superimpose an image on a surrounding view of the vehicle; and a sensor operation detecting unit for detecting whether an obstacle sensor detecting an obstacle around the vehicle is in operation. When the obstacle sensor is in operation, the display control unit: transforms a detection target area, which falls in a detection range of the obstacle sensor and expands from the vehicle to a periphery along a road surface, into a detection target image represented from a viewpoint of a driver of the vehicle; and displays a transformed image to be superimposed on the surrounding view of the vehicle.

An operation apparatus includes a detector that detects contact of a plurality of operating fingers on an operating surface, an area calculator that calculates an area of a detection region in the operating surface where the operating fingers have been detected, and a determiner that, after a state in which two operating fingers are detected has changed to a state in which one operating finger is detected, obtains a sum of areas of two detection regions where the two operating fingers are detected and an area of one detection region where the one operating finger is detected from the surface area calculator, and determines that an operation made by the two operating fingers is continuing when a continuation condition, in which the area of the one detection region is greater than or equal to the sum of the areas of the two detection regions, is established.

A vehicle information gathering and control method includes determining a connection between a vehicle information device and a vehicle and turning on a power source when the vehicle information device is connected to the connector of the vehicle. Vehicle information is provided by a number of vehicle information providing devices of the vehicle and gathered when the vehicle information device is connected to the connector of the vehicle; and a projector is controlled to project the acquired vehicle information on a light adjusting film covering on a windshield of the vehicle to be viewed by a driver.