Methods and systems for a detecting an intruder near or within a vehicle are disclosed. Specifically, a method to detect and identify a person near or within a vehicle as an authorized or an unauthorized user is provided. In the event an unauthorized user is detected within a vehicle, the system may take a number of actions. In one embodiment, the actions comprise providing notice to one or more authorized users of the vehicle, disabling the vehicle, notifying emergency personnel or police, and emitting a visual or audio alarm.

A method for controlling a vehicle seating arrangement can include: detecting a current seat occupancy in a vehicle using a plurality of sensors installed in the vehicle; identifying a seat of the vehicle for a future passenger to occupy based on the detected current seat occupancy; unlocking, by an electronic control unit (ECU) of the vehicle, a door of the vehicle adjacent to the identified seat; and activating, by the ECU, a light of the vehicle proximate to the identified seat.

An illumination system for a vehicle includes an illumination device securable to the vehicle and configured to provide illumination of the exterior of the vehicle and a surrounding environment in response to a signal; at least one lighting array in communication with the illumination device configured to illuminate the exterior of the vehicle and the surrounding environment based on the signal received by the illumination device; and a lift system coupled to the illumination device and configured to enable vertical, lateral, and rotational movement of the illumination device relative to the vehicle.

A vehicle-mounted system and a vehicle are disclosed. The vehicle-mounted system includes a vehicle lamp system, the vehicle lamp system includes a direction changing unit or/and a light intensity adjusting unit and a vehicle lamp; the vehicle lamp is arranged on a front side of a vehicle body and configured to emit light; the direction changing unit is arranged on a light emergent side of the vehicle lamp, and configured to change a transmission direction of light that is incident on the direction changing unit and emitted by the vehicle lamp; and the light intensity adjusting unit is configured to adjust intensity of the light emitted by the vehicle lamp.

A method for controlling a vehicle seating arrangement can include: detecting a current seat occupancy in a vehicle using a plurality of sensors installed in the vehicle; identifying a seat of the vehicle for a future passenger to occupy based on the detected current seat occupancy; unlocking, by an electronic control unit (ECU) of the vehicle, a door of the vehicle adjacent to the identified seat; and activating, by the ECU, a light of the vehicle proximate to the identified seat.

An automatic window tinting system for a vehicle includes a selectively transparent window, a controller including a processing unit and a non-transitory computer readable memory, a temperature sensor, an occupant sensor, a proximity sensor, and a computer readable and executable instruction set. The computer readable and executable instruction set causes the processing unit to receive an occupant sensor signal, a temperature signal and a proximity sensor signal, maintain the selectively transparent window in a first light transmissivity state when the occupant sensor signal is indicative of a presence of an unattended occupant, transition the selectively transparent window to a second light transmissivity state when the temperature signal is indicative of a temperature inside the vehicle that is greater than a threshold value, and transition the selectively transparent window to a third light transmissivity state when the proximity sensor signal is indicative of the presence of a passerby.

Examples of techniques for vehicle communication between a first vehicle and a second vehicle are disclosed. An example method includes displaying, on an external vehicle display of the first vehicle, vehicle data. The method further includes capturing, by a camera of the second vehicle, an image of the external vehicle display. The method further includes processing, by a processing device associated with the second vehicle, the image to extract the vehicle data about the first vehicle. The method further includes determining, by the processing device, a position of the first vehicle relative to a position of the second vehicle based at least in part on the vehicle data. The method further includes controlling, by the processing device associated with the second vehicle, the second vehicle based at least in part on the position of the first vehicle relative to the position of the second vehicle.

Disclosed herein are system, method, and computer program product embodiments for detecting, alerting, and acting to prevent unattended vehicle deaths. An embodiment operates by receiving one or more signals from one or more presence sensors in a vehicle and analyzing the signals to detect the presence of a person or animal inside the vehicle. The system further receives one or more signals from one or more environment sensors on the vehicle and analyzes the signals to detect a dangerous environmental condition. If the system determines that both the presence of a person or animal has been detected inside the vehicle and a dangerous environmental condition has been detected, it activates one or more vehicle systems that mitigate the dangerous environmental condition and sends an alert to one or more predetermined recipients.

A vehicle alarm system is disclosed herein. The vehicle alarm system includes a processor configured to be electrically coupled to a vehicle, and an alert application on a mobile device of an individual. The alert application is electrically coupled to the processor. The processor is configured to be coupled to an engine of the vehicle such that when the vehicle engine is turned off, the processor is configured to send an alert notification to the alert application to prompt the individual to deactivate the vehicle alarm system. If the individual does not deactivate the vehicle alarm system within predetermined time periods, certain events (e.g., notifying authorities, lowering windows of the vehicle, and/or activating a speaker, light-emitting device, and/or cooling fan) will occur. The present disclosure also provides methods of preventing overheating of a passenger in a vehicle using the vehicle alarm system.

Methods and systems are presented for accepting inputs into a vehicle or other conveyance to control functions of the conveyance. A vehicle control system can receive gestures and other inputs. The vehicle control system can also obtain information about the user of the vehicle control system and information about the environment in which the conveyance is operating. Based on the input and the other information, the vehicle control system can modify or improve the performance or execution of user interface and functions of the conveyance. The changes make the user interfaces and/or functions user-friendly and intuitive.