The present invention relates to a covering device 3 for arrangement on at least one outer or one inner region of a motor vehicle 1, comprising at least one form element 5 which is produced and/or can be produced by means of injection moulding and has an inner side 5i oriented towards the motor vehicle and an outer side 5a oriented away from the motor vehicle 1, one or more lighting devices 21, 24, 27 for emitting light and at least one covering element 7 which, for covering the form element 5 at least in regions, is arranged at least in regions on the outer side 5a of the form element 5, at least part of the light emitted by the lighting device 21, 24, 27 being able to pass through the form element 5 and/or the covering element 7 in at least one first region 13 of the covering device 3, the form element 5 and the covering element 7 being at least translucent at least in the first region 13.

A device for use with a vehicle that includes a cabinet having a plurality of sidewalls that can define at least a portion of an interior region of the cabinet. A display screen is coupled to a portion of the cabinet, at least one side of the display screen being positioned to face outwardly away from the interior region and have indicia that is visible from a location remote from both the cabinet and the vehicle. A light source can be positioned within the interior region adjacent to the display screen that is configured to selectively illuminate at least a portion of at least one of the display screen and the indicia. The device can further include a controller that is electrically coupled to the light source and a trigger assembly. The controller can be configured to initiate operation of the light source in response to receipt of a communication from the trigger assembly that is indicative a change in status of the vehicle.

The invention relates to a method for operating a sound output device of a motor vehicle. A voice-analysis and control device receives a voice signal from a voice detection device of the motor vehicle, wherein the received voice signal describes a voice message from a person who is in exterior surroundings of the motor vehicle. The voice signal is used to ascertain a voice message content of the voice message and a thematic context of the voice message. On the basis of that, a voice output signal is provided that describes a context-related response text for the captured voice message, and the provided voice output signal is transmitted to the sound output device to output the provided voice output signal to the exterior surroundings of the motor vehicle.

An emblem for a vehicle comprises: (a) a light source configured to emit visible light; (b) a cover assembly disposed over the light source, the cover assembly having an inner surface, an outer surface, and a transparent portion that is transparent to the visible light, the visible light being incident to the inner surface, and the visible light that the light source emits transmitting through the transparent portion out of the outer surface to an external environment beyond the emblem; and (c) one or more surface relief patterns disposed on the cover assembly, the one or more surface relief patterns configured to manipulate (i) the visible light that the light source emits, (ii) visible light from the external environment, or (iii) both (i) and (ii).

Vehicular communication systems and methods are disclosed, including one or more media devices. A host device inside a vehicle is coupled to a media device that is adaptable to being mounted to the vehicle. The media device includes a display configured to display a default image. The host device is configured to receive data associated with a predefined direction of the vehicle from vehicle operation sensors on the vehicle and receive traffic data from one or more application servers. In response to the data, the host device determines a vehicle status and transmits media content to be presented on the display, including at least one road sign. The host device is further configured to establish a link with a second media device including a display and transmit instructions to project the media content.

A moving body includes a first external world information acquisition device. The moving body is autonomously movable based on first external world information acquired by the first external world information acquisition device. An outer shell member of the moving body includes a side surface facing a left-right direction of the moving body. The first external world information acquisition device is provided on the side surface, and is arranged on an inner side of the moving body than an outermost portion in the left-right direction of the side surface in the left-right direction.

An autonomous driving vehicle information presentation device includes a traffic congestion information acquisition unit that acquires information on traffic congestion ahead in a traveling direction of an own vehicle, a traveling lane identification unit that identifies a lane where the own vehicle is currently located, a stop position prediction unit that acquires a traveling state of a preceding vehicle based on an external environment information and the traffic congestion information, and to predict a stop position related to the preceding vehicle based on the acquired traveling state, an action plan generation unit that generates an action plan of the own vehicle based on the stop position and the currently located lane, and an information presentation unit that presents information including the generated action plan through using an external display device provided at a rear portion of a vehicle interior of the own vehicle.

An autonomous driving vehicle information presentation device includes an identification unit that searches for a person existing around the own vehicle, identifies whether the person extracted by the search coincides with a user of the own vehicle, and determines whether the person extracted by the search is an owner of the own vehicle, and an information presentation unit that performs information presentation to the person through using an external display device. In a case where it is identified that the person extracted by the search coincides with the user of the own vehicle and it is determined that the person extracted by the search is the owner of the own vehicle, the information presentation unit presents information unique to the owner in a preset presentation mode with the owner serving as a presentation target.

A rear window that is provided with a vehicle display device for displaying information toward the outside of the vehicle, includes a rear display portion on which the information is projected, in which in which at least a part of an outer surface of the rear display portion has hydrophilicity.

A sign for on-board use in ride sharing vehicles comprising a case having front and rear portions and the case is configured to be removably coupled to an inside of a windshield. The sign also includes at least one visual display carried by the front portion of the case, and a power supply coupled to the at least one visual display. In addition, the sign includes a plurality of electronic components coupled to a remote application, the power supply, and the at least one visual display. The electronic components are configured to receive a name of a rider from the remote application and to display the name on the at least one visual display.