An apparatus for controlling a vehicle convenience equipment includes a communicator configured to communicate with an obstacle detector and an external device, and a processor communicatively connected to the communicator and configured to obtain distance information with the external device during communication with the external device, determine whether a side obstacle exists based on obstacle information detected by the obstacle detector, obtain distance information with the side obstacle upon concluding that the side obstacle exists, control a side mirror in a folded state to an unfolded state thereof or to maintain the folded state thereof based on the distance information with the external device and the distance information with the side obstacle.

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).

A vehicle having park assist includes a plurality of powered closure doors, each door having an actuator for moving the door between closed and open positions, a plurality of sensors located on the vehicle for sensing objects relative to the vehicle and generating sensed signals indicative of the sensed objects, and a transceiver for communicating with a parked vehicle. The vehicle also includes a controller processing the sensed signals, determining a distance and location of the sensed objects relative to the doors, and determining a parking location for the vehicle in a garage where the closure doors are free from contact with an object in the garage when in an open position and are free of contact with powered closure doors on the parked vehicle. An output is provided to assist a driver of the vehicle to park the vehicle in the garage in the determined parking location.

A system for preventing a door of a vehicle from opening into an object includes a detection module configured to identify an object within a danger zone of the vehicle and detect the opening of the door. The system further includes a locking mechanism coupled to the detection module and configured to lock the door in a partially open position if the object is identified within the danger zone and the opening of the door is detected.

Systems and methods for control systems for facilitating situational awareness of a vehicle are provided. Sensors located around a stationary vehicle may detect moving objects that pose potentially dangerous situations for the vehicle occupants and for the object. This can cause the doors to lock automatically in order to make the situation safer. Additionally, electromagnetic radiation sensors located around the vehicle may detect the lights and sounds of emergency vehicles. If the electromagnetic data from the electromagnetic radiation sensors match a known pattern of electromagnetic data emitted by emergency vehicles stored in a library an alarm may be sounded through the speakers of the vehicle in order to alert the vehicle occupants of an emergency vehicle in the vicinity.

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 method for supporting a process of coupling a transportation vehicle to a trailer wherein a position of a coupling element on the trailer is detected by a trailer coupling assistant and the transportation vehicle is at least partly autonomously maneuvered into a target position in which a trailer coupling of the transportation vehicle is disposed in a specified position for coupling to the coupling element on the trailer, wherein a rearward monitoring region of the transportation vehicle is monitored by a parking aid during the maneuvering process. The parking aid is operated in a standard mode in response to the trailer coupling assistant being deactivated and the parking aid is operated in a coupling mode in which obstacle warnings relating to the rearward region are output by the parking aid differently from in the standard mode in response to the trailer coupling assistant being activated.

Vehicle parking assist is described. In an example, computing system(s) associated with a first vehicle can receive, from sensor(s) associated with the first vehicle, sensor data associated with a second vehicle. Additionally, the computing system(s) can receive an indication that a second vehicle is proximate the first vehicle and can determine, based at least partly on the sensor data, that the second vehicle is moving toward a location proximate the first vehicle (e.g., to park). Based at least partly on the sensor data, the computing system(s) associated with the first vehicle can determine a position, an orientation, and/or a velocity of the second vehicle and based at least partly on determining the position, the orientation, and/or the velocity, can determine instruction(s) for guiding the second vehicle, for example to park. The instruction(s) can be output via light emitter(s), sound emitter(s), and/or a remote user interface associated with the second vehicle.

A parking assistance apparatus includes a first sensor configured to sense a first environment corresponding to a first distance around a vehicle; a second sensor configured to sense a second environment corresponding to a second distance around the vehicle that is greater than the first distance; and a display configured to display a graphic image. The parking assistance apparatus also includes at least one processor configured to: acquire first information regarding the first environment around the vehicle and second information regarding the second environment around the vehicle; detect an available parking space based on the first information and based on the second information; and based on an available parking space being detected outside of the first environment, control the display to display information regarding the available parking space.