Methods and systems for a complete vehicle ecosystem are provided. Specifically, systems that when taken alone, or together, provide an individual or group of individuals with an intuitive and comfortable vehicular environment. The present disclosure includes a system to create, modify, and maintain profiles associated with users. The user profiles are generated based on selectively collecting data associated with the users. Although each user profile may include settings, preferences, habits, and content associated with an individual user and/or vehicle, some user profiles may represent multiple users. These user profiles can change a configuration of a vehicle to match settings for a user, such as a driver and/or passenger. The configurations may also include the recognition of a unique set of gestures for a user. Further, the user profiles can be transferred from vehicle-to-vehicle and/or user-to-user.

A vehicle trailer connect system and automated parking system for use with a motor vehicle. Apparatus of the system has an input for obtaining information from a vehicle communication bus; an output for sending information to a vehicle communications bus; a control circuit for controlling the position and movement of a motor vehicle; an image gathering system to obtain visual or spatial data between a motor vehicle hitch and a hitch receiver attached to the trailer. A system controller guides vehicle steering as the vehicle is backed through a field of view of the image gathering system.

A method for actuating a closing element of a vehicle including optically detecting when an object approaches a point in an area; searching for a smart key which is authorized for the vehicle only if an approach of an object has already been detected; activating additional sensors only when the smart key is found; collecting information by the additional sensor; and actuating the closure element if the collected information meets at least one predetermined requirement.

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.

An authentication device to be mounted on a vehicle includes a processor. The processor is configured to execute first authentication based on biometric information acquired from a user and biometric information preregistered in the vehicle. The processor is configured to execute second authentication different from the first authentication. The processor is configured to transit setting of the first authentication to a state in which the user is able to change the setting, when the second authentication is successful.

Vehicle systems configured to interact with remotely located smart systems are disclosed. An example vehicle includes memory, machine-readable instructions, and one or more processors. The one or more processors are configured to execute the machine-readable instructions to send, from the vehicle to a smart system located remotely relative to the vehicle, a first message configured to cause the smart system to adjust one or more functions of a device controllable via the smart system. The one or more processors are further configured to execute the machine-readable instructions to receive, at the vehicle from the smart system, a second message including information associated with the smart system or the device.

An electronic key system includes a device that is subject to operation, an electronic key that is authenticatable by the device, and a wearable device that is wearable by a user. The wearable device is capable of recognizing an intention communication action of the user. The device authenticates the electronic key and permits a device operation associated with the intention communication action of the user recognized by the wearable device.

A method for checking an authorization of a mobile communication device for operating a vehicle engine of a vehicle which includes determining a position of a mobile communication device. The position of the mobile communication device is inside or outside the vehicle. The method also includes receiving a digital key value from the mobile communication device and checking the authorization of the mobile communication device for operating the vehicle engine, based on the position of the mobile communication device and based on the digital key value.

Methods, systems, and a computer readable medium are provided for a vehicle containing multiple blade processors for performing vehicle and/or infotainment tasks, functions, and operations. The blade processors can be included in a crate having a first communication zone defining a trusted network within the vehicle to connect with trusted computational devices and/or modules provided or certified by the vehicle manufacturer but not untrusted computational devices and/or modules provided by vehicle occupants, a second communication zone defining an untrusted network to connect with the untrusted computational devices and/or modules, and a third communication zone providing power and data transmission to the blade processors. A master blade processor can assign a component and/or module requiring a blade processor for execution to a selected blade processor.

A system and method for identifying an occupant of a vehicle as an authorized user and managing settings and configurations of vehicle components based on personal preferences of the authorized user includes detecting occupant characteristics from multiple sensors, determining whether the occupant is an authorized user of the vehicle based on a comparison of the occupant characteristics with a user database including registered user profiles, and automatically adjusting vehicle cabin and/or control components based on personal preferences of the occupant identified as a registered user.