A vehicle lighting system includes: a lighting device that emits a first light and a second light to a periphery of an own vehicle, the second light having a higher directivity than the first light; a camera to acquire image information; a detector to emit an electromagnetic wave and acquire a reflection wave; and an electronic control unit configured to detect a physical body using the image information, detect the physical body using information of the reflection wave, control the lighting device such that the first light is emitted to the physical body detected by the reflection wave, determine whether the physical body detected using the image information in a state where the first light is being emitted is an target object, and control the lighting device such that the lighting device emits the second light toward a predetermined range around the target object.

A vehicle body front construction includes: a front bumper including an opening; an air guide member disposed behind the front bumper and configured to guide rearward outside air taken from the opening; and a sensor attached to the front bumper; and a sensor protection member disposed between the sensor and the air guide member. The sensor protection member includes: a protection wall extending in a width direction of a vehicle with a clearance between the sensor protection member and the air guide member; and a side wall extending forward from an end of the protection wall close to the opening. The side wall includes a front end positioned close to the front bumper.

An automatic control apparatus and a method of in-vehicle infotainment volume are proposed. The automatic control apparatus is configured to detect obstacle (people or object) around a vehicle using a parking assistance system sensor, and to adjust the playback volume of an in-vehicle infotainment (IVI) to be automatically reduced when an obstacle is detected around the vehicle, and to automatically adjust the playback volume of the IVI during not only reversing but also forward moving of the vehicle.

A vehicle lighting apparatus includes a first housing, a second housing, two lamp bodies, and two external cameras. The first housing and the second housing are formed separately from each other, joined to be adjacent in the front-rear direction, and arranged to cover a portion of the upper portion of a vehicle interior. The first housing includes a box portion. The second housing includes a wall portion closing a second opening portion of the box portion. An upper first end portion and a lower second end portion at the peripheral edge of the second opening portion of the box portion are joined to an upper third end portion and a lower fourth end portion of the wall portion. The first end portion and the third end portion are arranged relatively closer to the first housing side than the second end portion and the fourth end portion in the front-rear direction.

Methods and systems are provided for adapting a driving condition of a vehicle. The system includes a non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon a pre-programmed driving maneuver of the vehicle. The system also includes a processor configured to obtain audio data of acoustic sources in the environment of the vehicle. The processor is further configured to determine a receiving direction of the acoustic source based on the audio data. The processor is further configured to determine whether the acoustic source are located within the maneuver of the vehicle based on the pre-programmed or updated driving maneuvers and the determined receiving direction of the acoustic source. Furthermore, the processor is configured to determine a range between the vehicle and the acoustic source in order to determine that the acoustic source is located within the driving path of the vehicle.

A sensing method and system includes equipping a vehicle with a first sensor at a forward portion of a side of the vehicle such that a principal axis of the first sensor's zone of sensing is rearward and sideward and at an acute angle relative to the body, and a second sensor at a rearward portion of the side of the vehicle such that a principal axis of the second sensor's zone of sensing is forward and sideward and at an acute angle relative to the body. Data sensed by the sensors when each sensor senses with zone of sensing and an adjusted zone of sensing are communicated to a control, which determines the presence of one or more objects exterior the vehicle and within the zone of sensing and the adjusted zone of sensing of the at least one of the sensors.

A vehicle lighting apparatus includes a first housing, a second housing, two lamp bodies, and two external cameras. The first housing and the second housing are formed separately from each other, joined to be adjacent in the front-rear direction, and arranged to cover a portion of the upper portion of a vehicle interior. The first housing includes a box portion. The second housing includes a wall portion closing a second opening portion of the box portion. An upper first end portion and a lower second end portion at the peripheral edge of the second opening portion of the box portion are joined to an upper third end portion and a lower fourth end portion of the wall portion. The first end portion and the third end portion are arranged relatively closer to the first housing side than the second end portion and the fourth end portion in the front-rear direction.

Systems and methods for control systems for facilitating situational awareness of a vehicle are provided. Sensors located around a vehicle may detect moving objects located in one or more vehicle blind spots. These moving objects pose potentially dangerous situations for the vehicle occupants and for the object. The sensors may further determine that the moving object is a cyclist approaching a vehicle blind spot, and that the vehicle is parked. Processors associated with the vehicle may then direct a corrective action, such as automatically locking the vehicle doors, to prevent a vehicle-cyclist collision. The systems and methods provided herein may thereby make these and similar situations safer.

A method for detecting an obstacle utilizing reflected ultrasonic waves, comprises transmitting an ultrasonic burst transmission signal by an ultrasonic transmitter to a detection area to be observed and receiving an ultrasonic signal reflected by an obstacle in the detection area by an ultrasonic receiver as an ultrasonic reception signal. In the ultrasonic reception signal at least one echo is detected resulting from an obstacle. The echo section of the ultrasonic reception signal belonging to the echo is transformed from the time domain into the frequency domain. The frequency spectrum of the echo section is then examined for the presence of at least one of a plurality of predetermined spectral characteristics, wherein each spectral characteristic is representative of a predetermined obstacle type or a plurality of predetermined obstacle types. The echo section is allocated to a predetermined obstacle type based on the examination.

The invention relates to an ultrasonic sensor (112) for use in a distance detection system (110) for a vehicle (111), wherein the ultrasonic sensor (112) is designed to be installed jointly with at least one other ultrasonic sensor (112), the ultrasonic sensor (112) has a first input (114) for connection to a supply lead (116), the ultrasonic sensor (112) has a second input (118) for connection to a ground potential (120) of the vehicle (111), and the ultrasonic sensor (112) has an output (122) for connection to the supply lead (116), wherein the ultrasonic sensor (112) is designed to receive a data signal modulated on the supply lead (116) via the first input (114) and to modulate a data signal onto the supply lead (116) via the output (122). The invention also relates to a distance detection system (110) for a vehicle (111) having a plurality of the above ultrasonic sensors (112), wherein the ultrasonic sensors (112) are connected to each other in the form of a chain, the output (122) of a preceding ultrasonic sensor (112) being connected to the first input (114) of a subsequent ultrasonic sensor (112), a first ultrasonic sensor (112) in the chain is connected with its first input (114) to a supply voltage (124), and a final ultrasonic sensor (112) in the chain is connected with its output (122) to a signalling unit (128).