A display device controlled via a smart phone (preferably using an TNC App) to display content selected by a requesting rider (e.g., code, symbol, the rider name, or a photo) in a clear and visible way to the waiting rider is a convenient method to identify the rider's designated vehicle instead of trying to search through model, color, and license plates of approaching vehicles as they enter a pickup area (e.g., airport designated area). The selected content is displayed on a display unit on the designated vehicle, and is transmitted to the display unit via a server associated with the designated vehicle using a secure protocol.

The present invention provides an information sharing system for a vehicle. The information sharing system includes at least one first Internet of Things (IoT) device, for gathering information about the vehicle or a driver of the vehicle; and a second IoT device, for sharing the information; wherein the information comprises at least one of traffic-related information of the vehicle and emotion-related information of the driver.

A connected vehicle configured to detect presence of people near the connected vehicle via one or more proximity sensors is disclosed. The connected vehicle may be configured to reproduce one or more audio advertisements via external displays and/or external speakers of the connected vehicle. The one or more advertisements may be reproduced in such a way that the one or more advertisements reproduced may provide the people with an alert message informing them of the presence of the connected vehicle, in place of imaginary engine sounds, for safety of people outside the connected vehicle.

Light-based devices may be provided that emit light. The light-based devices may be incorporated into systems such as vehicles. The light-based devices may include light sources such as light-emitting diodes and lasers. Mirrors may be used to collimate light from the light sources. Light modulators may be used to pattern light from the light sources. The light sources may include light sources of different colors. Arrays of pixels may be used to provide dynamically varying patterns of emitted light. A light source may produce light that is diffracted by an array of diffractive elements on a window. Mechanical and electrical shutters may obscure light sources, mirrors, and light-emitting components mounted on windows.

A crawler vehicle for ski runs has a frame; a cab; two tracks; a user interface located in the cab; a plurality of sensors configured to acquire signals correlated to the operation of the crawler vehicle, to the weather and/or snow conditions, and to the position of the crawler vehicle in relation to reference points and/or possible obstacles; a control unit for processing said signals and providing additional signals; and at least one projector for projecting on surfaces outside the cab, in particular on the ski run, at least one contoured beam as a function of at least one of the additional signals to provide one piece of information to the driver and/or human beings in the vicinity of the crawler vehicle.

By way of example, novel systems and methods for reproducing advertisements on connected vehicles are disclosed. In one example embodiment, a system of connected vehicles parked near in a parking lot and each delivers advertisement and participates in an advertisement event. Each of the connected vehicles is configured to reproduce one or more advertisements when one of the connected vehicles is determined to receive a signal from a remote controller associated with the one of the connected vehicles.

A car and a method for detecting a road condition and warning a following vehicle are provided. The car includes a vehicle body, a road condition detection unit, a processing unit, and a display unit. The road condition detection unit is disposed on the vehicle body. The road condition detection unit is configured to detect the road condition in front of the vehicle body and generate a road condition signal. The processing unit is disposed on the vehicle body and configured to generate a display signal after receiving the road condition signal. The display unit is disposed on a rear windshield of the vehicle body and configured to generate a warning image after receiving the display signal, so as to warn a driver of the following vehicle of the road condition in front of the vehicle body.

A notification device is to mounted on a vehicle and notifies a preceding person who precedes the vehicle of a presence of the vehicle during automatic traveling. The notification device includes an imaging unit configured to image the preceding person, an estimating unit configured to estimate at least characteristics of the preceding person imaged by the imaging unit, a determining unit configured to determine a notification mode for the preceding person based on an estimation result by the estimating unit, and a notification controller configured to operate a notifying unit configured to notify the preceding person of the presence of the vehicle, based on the notification mode determined by the determining unit.

At least one embodiment of this disclosure includes a method for an autonomous vehicle (e.g., a fully autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle) to communicate with external observers. The method includes: receiving a task at the autonomous vehicle; collecting data that characterizes a surrounding environment of the autonomous vehicle from a sensor coupled to the autonomous vehicle; determining an intended course of action for the autonomous vehicle to undertake based on the task and the collected data; and conveying a human understandable output via an output device, the human understandable output expressly or implicitly indicating the intended course of action to an external observer.

A vehicle includes a combined display-lighting unit. The combined display-lighting unit has, combined in a single component, an electronic paper display device forming an information zone and a lighting unit forming an illumination zone.