A driving assist system installed on a vehicle includes a controller. The controller executes a drawing process that controls a luminescent device to draw an assist figure with a lateral width corresponding to a vehicle width of the vehicle on a road surface along a direction of travel of the vehicle.

A microcontroller is in operative control of the left and right turn signal lamps, a park selector indicator input is communicatively coupled to the microcontroller to indicate when a vehicle is placed in park. An ignition switch position indicator is communicatively coupled to the microcontroller to indicate when the vehicle ignition switch is on or off. A hazard lamp switch activates the microcontroller to flash the left and right turn signal lamps together a standard flash rate, and a high conspicuity switch that activates the microcontroller to flash the left and right turn signal lamps together at a high conspicuity rate when the hazard lamp switch is activated, and the vehicle is in park or the ignition is off.

A method of using detection devices for hazard detection when activating a physical closure member of an automobile generates a combined output signal from a first-detection device having a first-operational range and a second-detection device having a second-operational range. The combined output signal is generated for activity detected within a full-operational range, wherein the full-operational range is a mathematical union of the first-operational range and the second-operational range. A cumulative safety threshold is determined for the physical closure member using processing circuitry. Hazard-related data within the combined output signal is analyzed using processing circuitry. If the hazard-related data exceeds the cumulative safety threshold, a current state of the physical closure member is changed. If the hazard-related data does not exceed the cumulative safety threshold, a current state of the physical closure member is maintained.

A device for providing external communication by a vehicle is provided. The vehicle includes a steering wheel having one or more light-emitting elements in a passenger compartment of the vehicle. The device is configured to ascertain external information that needs to be communicated to a user of the vehicle who is arranged outside of the passenger compartment of the vehicle. The device is furthermore configured to prompt the one or more light-emitting elements to generate a light signal in order to display the external information.

A vehicle capable of operating in a self-driving mode includes a self-driving indicator lamp and a controller. The self-driving indicator lamp can turn on so as to be visually recognized from an outside of the vehicle in the self-driving mode. The controller controls a lighting state of the self-driving indicator lamp. The self-driving indicator lamp includes a right indicator lamp and a left indicator lamp respectively disposed in right and left parts of the vehicle. Lighting states of the right indicator lamp and the left indicator lamp can be controlled independently. When the vehicle starts to move in the self-driving mode from a parked or stopped state, the lighting states of the right indicator lamp and the left indicator lamp which have turned off during when the vehicle has been parked or stopped, in a manner similar to each other so as to indicate a frontward or rearward starting direction.

According to one aspect, headlights of a vehicle are used to communicate information that may be understood by a user or other person in the vicinity of the vehicle. A method includes operating a vehicle and determining a status of the vehicle. The vehicle has a park gear arranged to be engaged to cause the vehicle to be in a parked state, and the vehicle includes a first optical assembly that has a first optical arrangement and a first optical controller. The method also includes causing the first optical arrangement to visually communicate a first indication, the first indication being arranged to indicate the status of the vehicle.

A parking lot sensor includes a sensor for scanning a parking space for a vehicle. A method for controlling the parking lot sensor includes steps of determining an activity of vehicles in the parking lot, of determining a scanning frequency on the basis of the activity and of controlling, as a function of the scanning frequency, the sensor respectively for carrying out a scan.

A guidance system for aligning a vehicle entering or leaving a structure, the structure having a front wall having an inner surface and an outer surface with an opening therein, the guidance system comprising a left photoelectric diffuse sensor operatively arranged to detect lateral movement of the vehicle, providing a left input signal, a right photoelectric diffuse sensor operatively arranged to detect movement of the vehicle, providing a right input signal, a left visual indicator operatively arranged to display an alert when the vehicle deviates from leftwardly alignment, a right visual indicator operatively arranged to display an alert when the vehicle deviates from rightwardly alignment and, a control center operatively arranged to receive the left and right input signals, calculate the leftwardly and rightwardly alignment, and cause the left and right visual indicators to display alerts when the vehicle deviates from leftwardly and/or rightwardly alignment by predetermined amounts.

The window-hanging vehicle-locating device is configured for use with a vehicle. The window-hanging vehicle-locating device is removably attached to a window of the vehicle. The window-hanging vehicle-locating device is an optical signaling device that is attached to the vehicle for the purpose of visually locating the position of the vehicle. The window-hanging vehicle-locating device is remotely controlled in a manner that allows for the identification of a specific vehicle within parking lot. The window-hanging vehicle-locating device comprises a clip, a telescopic pole, a flag, a lamp, a remote interface circuit, and a user control. The flag and the lamp attach to the telescopic pole. The telescopic pole and the remote interface circuit attach to the clip. The clip attaches the window-hanging vehicle-locating device to the superior edge of the window. The user control remotely controls the operation of the window-hanging vehicle-locating device.

The window-hanging vehicle-locating device is configured for use with a vehicle. The window-hanging vehicle-locating device is removably attached to a window of the vehicle. The window-hanging vehicle-locating device is an optical signaling device that is attached to the vehicle for the purpose of visually locating the position of the vehicle. The window-hanging vehicle-locating device is remotely controlled in a manner that allows for the identification of a specific vehicle within parking lot. The window-hanging vehicle-locating device comprises a clip, a telescopic pole, a flag, a lamp, a remote interface circuit, and a user control. The flag and the lamp attach to the telescopic pole. The telescopic pole and the remote interface circuit attach to the clip. The clip attaches the window-hanging vehicle-locating device to the superior edge of the window. The user control remotely controls the operation of the window-hanging vehicle-locating device.