The present disclosure is directed to apparatuses, systems and methods for automatically classifying images of occupants inside a vehicle. More particularly, the present disclosure is directed to apparatuses, systems and methods for automatically classifying images of occupants inside a vehicle by comparing current image feature data to previously classified image features.

A system and method that detects, using processing circuitry, a predetermined energy condition. The processing circuitry determines a geographic location of a vehicle, identifies at least one energy station as a function of a plurality of factors, determines a vehicle range based on an energy level of the vehicle and a first mode of vehicle operation, determines whether an energy saving condition is satisfied based on the vehicle range, a location of the at least one energy station, and the geographical location of the vehicle, and enters an economy mode when the energy saving condition is satisfied.

A vehicle system includes a processor and a memory accessible to the processor and storing instructions executable by the processor. The instructions include detecting a handoff request indicating a transition of a host vehicle from an autonomous mode of operation to a non-autonomous mode of operation and assessing driver competency. The handoff request is approved if the driver competency exceeds a predetermined threshold. Likewise, the handoff request is denied if the driver competency fails to exceed the predetermined threshold.

An alert control apparatus that notifies a driver in advance of a transfer of control relating to a driving operation from an automatic driving function to the driver by controlling an alert device mounted on a vehicle, which is equipped with the automatic driving function, includes: an estimator that estimates an occurrence of a change execution situation that requires a lane change under a condition in which the driving operation of the vehicle is controlled by the automatic driving function; a determiner that determines a level of difficulty of lane change control based on a plurality of travel environment factors in the change execution situation; and a notification device that notifies the driver of a possibility of the transfer of the control together with a reason of the transfer of the control with a notification mode corresponding to the level using the alert device.

According to an embodiment, an information processing apparatus includes a memory having computer executable components stored therein; and processing circuitry communicatively coupled to the memory, the processing circuitry configured to: acquire vehicle related information serving as information relating to a vehicle switchable between manual driving and automatic driving, the vehicle related information indicating information used for determining whether switching to the automatic driving is possible; determine whether each of one or more conditions to switch from the manual driving to the automatic driving is satisfied, based on the vehicle related information; and output information corresponding to an unsatisfied condition indicating a condition determined to be unsatisfied at the determining.

A method for influencing driving dynamics of a vehicle, in which the driving dynamics are influenced as a function of parameters allocated to a selected driving dynamics mode when the driving dynamics mode is activated, and the driving dynamics are influenced as a function of road state information representing a road state in the region of the vehicle when an automatic mode is activated.

This invention provides a secure self-driving system or drive-assisting system. A drive control system of the present invention has an image recognition unit for detecting the peripheral environment of a vehicle and a drive control apparatus that controls driving of the vehicle, characterized by having a peripheral environment storage unit for storing the peripheral environment of the vehicle and by changing a mode of drive control performed by the drive control apparatus on the basis of a detection performance status of the image recognition unit obtained on the basis of information about the peripheral environment stored in the peripheral environment storage unit and information detected by the image recognition unit.

Provided is a control apparatus of a vehicle, which includes a transmission mode switching control program for controlling the automatic transmission to switch between an automatic transmission mode and a manual transmission mode, a coast idle stop control program for performing a coast idle stop control in which the engine is stopped automatically and the automatic transmission is changed into a neutral position while the vehicle is traveling, and a coast idle control program for performing a coast idle control in which the engine is made running idle and the automatic transmission is changed into the neutral position while the vehicle is traveling.

A method includes a reading-in step in which at least one sensor signal is read in via an interface to a sensor disposed in the vehicle, the sensor signal representing at least one current parameter of the electronic device and/or of the driver in the vehicle. The method furthermore includes a comparing step in which the sensor signal is compared with at least one stored utilization signal that represents a utilization of the electronic device by the driver while driving the vehicle. The method further includes an outputting step in which a detection signal is outputted if a predetermined correlation exists between the sensor signal and the utilization signal, in order to indicate the detected utilization of the electronic device.

A lane keeping control apparatus includes a selection unit configured to select an operational mode of lane keeping control from operational modes based on an approaching speed; and a control unit configured to execute the lane keeping control in the selected operational mode. The operational modes include a first operational mode in which a steering unit is operated, and in which a brake unit is not operated, and a second operational mode in which the steering unit is operated, and in which the brake unit is operated. If the approaching speed is less than a threshold value, the selection unit selects the first operational mode, and if the approaching speed is the threshold value or greater, the selection unit selects the second operational mode.