A motor vehicle includes a plurality of seats. Each seat receives a respective human occupant of the motor vehicle. A movable driver control interface enables a human occupant to drive the motor vehicle. A positioning mechanism is coupled to the driver control interface and enables a human occupant to move the driver control interface to a position in front of any one of the seats such that any one of the human occupants may use the driver control interface to drive the motor vehicle.

A vehicle including a communication system for a disabled person may include: a motion capture unit that recognizes sign language of a passenger of the vehicle; an input unit that receives a voice or characters from the passenger; a database that stores sign language information; a control unit that is communicatively coupled to the motion capture unit and the input unit, the control unit being configured to translate the sign language recognized by the motion capture unit using the sign language information stored in the database, and to convert a voice received through the input unit into characters; and an output unit that is communicatively coupled to the control unit, the output unit being configured to output the sign language translated by the control unit as a voice or characters, and to output the voice converted by the control unit as characters.

Described herein are various embodiments for using a touch screen with polar coordinates thereon to control the movements of seats in a vehicle. An exemplary method of adjusting seats in a vehicle includes the operations of detecting a touching on a circumference of a circular graphic on a touch screen in a vehicle, wherein the circular graphic is in a polar coordinate system on the touch screen; and determining a polar angle formed by a point of the touching on the circumference of the circular graphic in the polar coordinate system. The method further includes the operations of calculating a first value and a second value associated with the polar angle, each of the first value and the second value representing a movement range in a direction; and adjusting a vehicle seat based on the first value and the second value, including simultaneously moving the vehicle seat in in a first direction indicated by the firs value and a second direction indicated by the second value.

A projector is disposed inside a seatback of a front seat as a vehicle seat; therefore, when a driver as an occupant seated in the front seat checks the rear side with a rearview mirror or the like, the projector can be restrained from entering the field of view of the driver. Accordingly, different from the case in which the projector is disposed on a ceiling of the vehicle cabin or the like and exposed into the vehicle cabin, it is possible to restrain the projector from blocking the field of view of the driver.

The technology involves an in-vehicle communication system with a console that is positioned within the cabin of the vehicle, for instance between the front seats so that passengers in the second row can view and access it. The console is configured to provide contextual information to passengers. The console includes a monitor assembly that has a display screen and a notification region. The notification region includes one or more displayable icons and at least one receptacle for a communication device of a passenger. The notification region has a first section comprising an outer cover layer with a first series of masking, diffuser and illuminating layers to selectively illuminate the one or more displayable icons. The notification region has a second section comprising the outer cover layer with a second series of masking, diffuser and illuminating layers to selectively illuminate the at least one receptacle for the communication device.

A communication system for a vehicle for a vehicle includes a display device having a screen disposed in a passenger compartment. The display device is in communication with a user interface. The system further includes an authentication system having at least one scanning apparatus configured to capture a biometric data. A communication circuit is configured to communicate with a remote server. A controller is configured to capture the biometric data of a first potential passenger with the at least one scanning apparatus and access a first passenger information comprising a first identification profile from the remote server via the communication circuit. The controller is further configured to authenticate the first potential passenger as at least one of a confirmed passenger and an operator of the vehicle based on the identification profile.

An approach is provided for presenting contextual content for an end-to-end seamless experience during an autonomous vehicle trip. The approach, for example, involves retrieving content related to at least one context associated with a destination of a vehicle. The approach also involves adapting the content to one or more presentation devices in the vehicle. The approach further involves initiating a presentation of the adapted content on the one or more presentation devices to provide a simulation of the at least one context associated with the destination as the vehicle travels towards the destination.

A vehicle includes a first seat, a second seat, an HVAC system, and a touch screen configured to detect a user's touch and to display a setting interface of the HVAC system according to a plurality of seats. A controller is configured to convert the touch screen to a synchronization mode based on a first touch, to change the setting interface of the first seat and the setting interface of the second seat equally based on a second touch changing the setting interface of the first seat, and to control the HVAC system based on the changed setting interface.

A display system in a vehicle, and associated control method, which displays application information on a driver display screen portion and a passenger display screen portion of a vehicle display based on the seating position of the vehicle occupants in the vehicle and the identity of the vehicle occupants requesting the application information be displayed. The display system and method detects a change in the seating position of the vehicle occupants, and in response switches the display of the application information between the driver display screen portion and the passenger display screen portion of the vehicle display.

An infotainment computer device for use in controlling an infotainment system in a vehicle is provided. The infotainment computer device includes at least one processor communicatively coupled to at least one memory device and a display device communicatively coupled to the at least one processor. The infotainment computer device is programmed to display an active page and a toolbar. The active page includes a plurality of buttons and the toolbar includes a shortcut area including at least one shortcut button. The infotainment computer device is also programmed to receive a first input requesting access to a customization mode, retrieve a current speed of the vehicle, activate the customization mode if the current speed of the vehicle is zero, receive a second input indicating a desired change to at least one of the active page and the toolbar, and change the display based on the desired change.