A Shock-Absorbing Energy Dissipation Padding (SAEDP) is coupled to the compartment of an autonomous on-road vehicle, and is located, during normal driving, at eye level in front of an occupant who sits in a front seat of the vehicle. The vehicle further includes a stiff element that supports the SAEDP and resists deformation during collision in order to reduce compartment intrusion. The stiff element is located, during normal driving, at eye level between the SAEDP and the outside environment. Optionally, a camera takes video of the outside environment in front of the occupant, and a computer generates for the occupant a representation of the outside environment.

A large mirroring element is located in front of an occupant who sits in a front seat of an autonomous on-road vehicle. The large mirroring element provides the effect of reflecting light arriving from the occupant's direction. Optionally, a camera takes video of the outside environment in front of the occupant, sends the video to a computer that generates a representation of the outside environment in front of the occupant at eye level, and a display located in front of the occupant presents the representation to the occupant.

The invention describes a vehicle occupant restraint device for the protection of a vehicle occupant (2) in a vehicle seat (6) comprising plural restraining elements and a controller, wherein at least one first restraining element comprises an airbag module (28) including an airbag (22) and at least one second restraining element comprises a seat belt (4) including a belt retractor, with the seat belt (4) being operatively connected with a tensioning unit. The controller includes at least one sensor element for determining the position of the vehicle seat (6) so that, in a situation of restraint, the controller differentiates between a first situation in which the vehicle seat (6) with the vehicle occupant (2) is in a position within the range of a standard position relative to the airbag (22) of the first restraining element, and a second situation in which the vehicle seat (6) with the vehicle occupant (2) is in a position beyond the standard position, and, when the first situation is given, the controller activates the first and second restraining elements only, especially the tensioning unit for tensioning the seat belt (4) of the second restraining element and the airbag (22) of the first restraining element, whereas, when the second situation is given, a third restraining element integrated in the vehicle seat (6) and/or operatively connected with the vehicle seat (6) can be activated and/or connected by the controller so that the vehicle seat (6) is moved initially via the third restraining element to a position within the range of the standard position.

An electrical assembly includes a support assembly and a track assembly. The support assembly may include a controller, a first safety device, and/or a second safety device. The track assembly may include a first tack and/or a second track. The support assembly may be configured for selective mechanical and/or electrical connection with the track assembly in a first direction and/or in a second direction. The controller may be configured to receive a first signal and/or a second signal from the track assembly. The controller may provide the first signal to the first safety device and/or provide the second signal to the second safety device when the support assembly is connected with the track assembly in the first direction and when the support assembly is connected with the track assembly in the second direction. The first safety device may include an airbag that may be activated by pyrotechnics.

A passenger protection system for a vehicle includes: a seat which slides e forwards and backwards and rotates laterally, where the seat has a seat belt equipped with a belt airbag, and a side airbag provided on a side of a seatback of the seat; a front airbag provided in a front structure located in front of the seat of the vehicle to be deployed towards the seat; a curtain airbag provided in a pillar trim on an upper end of a vehicle door to be deployed downwards; and a controller to selectively deploy the belt airbag, the side airbag, the front airbag and the curtain airbag, depending on a sliding position and a rotating direction of the seat and a detection or a predicted direction of a vehicle collision.

A restraint system for a ride vehicle includes a rigid restraint configured to extend across a passenger to secure the passenger within a seat of the ride vehicle and a soft restraint coupled to the rigid restraint. The soft restraint includes a pliable material configured to conform to a substantial portion of a torso of the passenger and a haptic feedback system integrated with the soft restraint. The haptic feedback system is configured to generate vibrational forces and impart the vibrational forces to the torso of the passenger.

An advanced four-point seat belt may include: a three-point seat belt to diagonally hold a passenger with a webbing; and a motorized seat belt to allow a tongue of the webbing to maintain a state of being fixed to a side surface of a seat cushion to an initial position. In particular, when a vehicle collision situation is recognized, the motorized seat belt forms an X shape webbing confinement state by withdrawing the webbing and another webbing to locate the tongue at a central position of a body of the passenger.

To provide a control apparatus of a protection apparatus, which, with a simple configuration and excluding side face collisions as well as head-on collisions, favorably detects an offset collision or diagonal collision, and then activates a suitable protection apparatus for protecting the side or head of a passenger at a timing in accordance with the degree of collision, in addition to providing a method for controlling a protection apparatus. The control apparatus (101) includes: an ECU (1); satellite sensors (2, 3) for detecting a first acceleration in the longitudinal direction of a vehicle; and a main sensor (13) for detecting a second acceleration in the longitudinal direction thereof, and a third acceleration in the width direction thereof. The ECU (1) includes: a level calculation part for calculating a level of a front face collision based on the first acceleration and the second acceleration; a V.sub.offset calculation part for making an offset adjustment of V obtained by integrating the third acceleration so as to attenuate V of the third acceleration based on a head-on collision, in order to obtain V.sub.offset; and a determination part for determining an offset collision or diagonal collision based on the level of the front face collision and the V.sub.offset; and activates a side and head protection apparatus (6 or 7) if it is determined using the determination part that an offset collision or diagonal collision has occurred.

A light shading module is integrated with a vehicle window and is configured to be in different states that involve different values of Visible Light Transmittance (VLT) of the vehicle window. A camera fixed to the vehicle takes video of the outside environment. A computer generates a video see-through (VST) of the outside environment, which is presented to the vehicle's occupant on an augmented reality device (ARD). In order to improve the image quality, the ARD operates according to different modes involving varying intensities, depending on the VLT of the window.

An occupant protection device including a three-point seat belt, a waist air bag, and an anterior air bag. The three-point seat belt restrains an occupant seated in a seat of an automobile. The waist air bag is provided on the seat belt and deployable in front of a waist of the occupant. The anterior air bag is deployable on a front side of the waist air bag in such a manner that a load of a collapsing upper body of the occupant seated in the seat acts on the anterior air bag. The waist air bag is deployable so as to be stiffer than the deployed anterior air bag, in such a manner that the waist air bag is pushed towards the waist by the anterior air bag deformed by the load of the collapsing upper body acting on the anterior air bag.