Methods and systems for assessing, detecting, and responding to malfunctions involving components of autonomous vehicles and/or smart homes are described herein. Malfunctions may be detected by receiving sensor data from a plurality of sensors. One of these sensors may be selected for assessment. An electronic device may obtain from the selected sensor a set of signals. When the set of signals includes signals that are outside of a determined range of signals associated with proper functioning for the selected sensor, it may be determined that the selected sensor is malfunctioning. In response, an action may be performed to resolve the malfunction and/or mitigate consequences of the malfunction.

Methods and systems for autonomous vehicle recharging or refueling are disclosed. Autonomous vehicles may be automatically refueled by routing the vehicles to available fueling stations when not in operation, according to methods described herein. A fuel level within a tank of an autonomous vehicle may be monitored until it reaches a refueling threshold, at which point an on-board computer may generate a predicted use profile for the vehicle. Based upon the predicted use profile, a time and location for the vehicle to refuel the vehicle may be determined. In some embodiments, the vehicle may be controlled to automatically travel to a fueling station, refill a fuel tank, and return to its starting location in order to refuel when not in use.

Methods for vehicle data collection by image analysis are provided. An example method involves positioning a camera in a vehicle to be pointed toward a field of interest in the vehicle, capturing an image of the field of interest with the camera, identifying a region of interest in the image that is expected to convey vehicle information, and running an image processing model over the region of interest to extract vehicle information from the image.

Disclosed embodiments include an anti-theft system for a driverless vehicle. In some embodiments, the anti-theft system for a driverless vehicle includes an on-board device installed on the driverless vehicle, a server in communication with the on-board device, and a terminal in communication with the server: the terminal configured to send state information about states of the driverless vehicle to the server; the server configured to receive the state information sent by the terminal and to store the state information; and the on-board device configured to acquire the state information stored in the server, and execute a preset operation when the state of the driverless vehicle is determined to be the abnormal state according to the state information.

The present disclosure relates to a device and a method for controlling a door of a vehicle. The device includes two or more doors for opening an interior of the vehicle, a position sensing device for sensing an object outside the vehicle, and a controller that activates the position sensing device based on user authentication, determines a position of a user when the object sensed by the position sensing device is the user, and performs control to open a door corresponding to the position of the user.

When an ignition switch has been turned off, an accessory switch has been turned off, and a door has been opened (100, 102), a message is displayed in a monitor on an opposite side to a side that the door has been opened (112). In addition, when it has been detected that a key has been shut in or that it has been forgotten to close a window (104), there is performed a warning display that displays a warning in a monitor on an opposite side to a door where a door locking operation has been performed (110). Moreover, when there has been detected a smart key carried by an occupant on a vehicle outside after getting out of a vehicle (118), a message is displayed in a monitor on an opposite side to a key detection direction (120).

Methods and systems are provided for transmitting video data associated with a vehicle. In one exemplary embodiment, a vehicle processor determines a vehicle safety event based on one or more safety sensors, activates one or more vehicle cameras that capture video data in response to the determined vehicle safety event, records the video data in a vehicle data storage device, and, if the vehicle processor determines that a suitable connection to a telecommunications network is available when the video data is being captured, then transmits the video data over the telecommunications network in substantially real time.

A vehicle surrounding monitoring apparatus executes an underfloor object informing process for informing occupants of a vehicle of a probability that there is an object under the vehicle. When an object around the vehicle is detected, the vehicle surrounding monitoring apparatus memorizes information on the object as real-time object information. When the object which had been detected, is not detected, the vehicle surrounding monitoring apparatus acquires information on a moving of the object which had been detected for a predetermined time period as past object information, based on the memorized real-time object information. When determining that there is the object which had been detected under the vehicle, based on the past object information, the vehicle surrounding monitoring apparatus executes the underfloor object informing process.

A system includes a vehicle cover, a mechanical tensioning device, a memory device, storing instructions, and one or more processors configured to execute instructions to perform the steps of a method to secure a vehicle. The mechanical tensioning device may include attachment means to attach the device to a wheel of the vehicle and means to attach a security cable of the vehicle cover integrated into a bottom edge of the vehicle cover to the mechanical tensioning device. The mechanical tensioning device may include a rotational reel connected to either a tensioning motor or a tensioning crank and optionally including either a mechanical bi-stable device or one or more sensors configured to monitor the tension of the security cable when engaged to the mechanical tensioning device. The processor may monitor for a change in tension and execute one or more security measures in response.

A vehicle includes a powered door having an actuator to move the door between open and closed positions, a transceiver configured to communicate with one or more mobile devices, and an imaging device oriented to capture images in a region proximate to the powered door. A controller processes the captured images and controls the actuator to move the door to the open position when a mobile device is detected proximate the vehicle and a user is detected in the captured images located in a door detection zone. The controller moves the door to the open position when a face of a user is recognized as an authorized user located in the door detection zone. The controller moves the door to the open position when a gait of the user is detected and identifies the gait are indicative of an authorized user located in the door detection zone.