A method of operation of a navigation system includes: determining an occupancy status with a capturing sensor based on detecting a passenger presence in real time; determining a lane availability of a lane type based on a current location; generating an access notification based on the occupancy status, the lane availability for traversing on the lane type; and updating the access notification with a control unit dynamically and in real time based on a change in the occupancy status, the lane availability, or a combination thereof for presenting on a device.

A vehicle seat control apparatus for controlling seat vibration based on a sleep state of a driver and a method thereof are provided. The apparatus includes a detector that detects biometric information of a user and a driving device that controls a vibrator embedded in a vehicle seat. The apparatus further includes a controller connected with the detector and the driving device. The controller determines a sleep state of the user based on the biometric information detected by the detector, determines a frequency and a waveform of seat vibration based on the sleep state, and generates the seat vibration by controlling the driving device based on the frequency and the waveform of the seat vibration.

Aspects of the disclosure relate to determining and responding to an internal state of a self-driving vehicle. For instance, an image of an interior of the vehicle captured by a camera mounted in the vehicle is received. The image is processed in order to identify one or more visible markers at predetermined locations within the vehicle. The internal state of the vehicle is determined based on the identified one or more visible markers. A responsive action is identified action using the determined internal state, and the vehicle is controlled in order to perform the responsive action.

A seat provided in a moving body includes: at least one piezoelectric sensor including a first surface located on a side of a body of a sitter and a second surface located opposite the first surface, the piezoelectric sensor configured to sense heartbeat-induced body vibrations of the sitter through the first surface; and at least one supporting member disposed inside a recess which is formed in at least one of a seating surface of the seat and a back surface of the seat, the supporting member supporting the piezoelectric sensor under the second surface of the piezoelectric sensor. A gap is provided in at least part of an area between a surface of the supporting member and an inner wall of the recess so that the surface of the supporting member and the inner wall of the recess do not come into contact with each other.

Electronic devices and methods are provided in which a pressure applied, by a driver, to a seat of a moving object driven by the driver is sensed. A state of the driver is determined based on frequency characteristics with respect to a change in the pressure sensed by the sensor.

A vehicle seating system includes a vehicle seat, piezoelectric sensors individually positioned at respective locations within the seat corresponding to anatomical locations of a person sitting in the seat, and a controller. The sensors to generate electrical signals in response to mechanical stress applied on the sensors from biologically motivated force inputs of the person. The controller to detect from the electrical signals generated by the sensors biometric information of the person corresponding to the biologically motivated force inputs of the person.

A vehicle control device includes: a carry-in state determination device that determines whether a portable terminal device to be carried into a vehicle is already carried into the vehicle; a pending process determination device that, when the carry-in state determination device determines that the portable terminal device is already carried into the vehicle, determines whether the portable terminal device has a pending process that is held in an unexecuted state; and a pending process control device that, when the pending process determination device determines that the portable terminal device has the pending process, enables the pending process to be executed by the portable terminal device in the vehicle.

A computing system for a vehicle is provided. The computing system includes one or more processors for controlling operation of the computing system, and a memory for storing data and program instructions usable by the one or more processors. The one or more processors are configured to execute instructions stored in the memory to determine if the vehicle is operating with at least one occupant inside the vehicle. If the vehicle is operating without at least one occupant inside the vehicle, the system may control the vehicle so as to disable and/or deactivate selected ones of driver-usage systems/components and passenger-usage systems/components.

An occupant support adapted for use in a vehicle includes a seat bottom, a seat back, and a sensory system. The seat bottom is coupled to a floor of the vehicle. The seat back extends upwardly away from the seat bottom. The sensor system is configured to monitor for fatigue of an occupant of the occupant support.

A seat configured so that the accuracy of detection of each sensor provided in the seat to detect the body potential of a seated occupant can be improved without degrading the sense and comfort of the seat. A seat includes a trim cover having a contact surface for a seated occupant, and sensors arranged opposite to the contact surface and configured to detect the body potential of the seated occupant. Each sensor is a capacitive coupling sensor configured to detect the body potential through the trim cover. Moreover, a portion of the seat facing each sensor includes a dielectric configured to increase the dielectric constant of such a portion.