A getting-off support device of a vehicle continues to issue an alarm for a predetermined time when a physical body condition indicating that a physical body that obstructs getting-off of an occupant in the vehicle exists around the vehicle and a getting-off condition indicating that the occupant in the vehicle intends to get off the vehicle are satisfied, and prolongs the time of issuing the alarm when both of the physical body condition and the getting-off condition are further satisfied while the issuing of the alarm is continued.

A method for operating an occupant protection device of a vehicle involves triggering an occupant protection mechanism, in the event of an imminent detected collision for the vehicle or of a detected collision of the vehicle. The triggering also depends upon detected image data of at least one interior camera of the vehicle and the triggering can be suppressed based on the detected image data of the interior camera.

A sleeping occupant crash protection system includes an occupant sleeping compartment positioned within an autonomous vehicle. A substantially flat platform of the occupant sleeping compartment supports an occupant reclining in a horizontal sleep position. An elastic bedsheet is positioned in direct contact with an upper surface of the platform positioned between the occupant and the platform. A sensing system is in communication with the occupant sleeping compartment and triggers deployment of a bedsheet displacement system during a vehicle rapid deceleration event.

System and method for obtaining and recording information about cargo includes a frame defining a cargo-receivable compartment, a position determining system at least partly on the frame and that allows for determination of position of the frame, an identification system on the frame that obtains information about cargo when present in the compartment, a memory component that receives and records information about position and movement of the frame, and the obtained information about cargo when present in the compartment in association with a unique identification of the frame, and a communications system on the frame to enable communication of information to and from the memory component.

An occupant protection apparatus includes: an airbag configured to be stored in a head rest or a seat back of a vehicle seat, and the airbag being formed as a single bag that is configured to cover a head of an occupant and including a front inflating part and a right and left pair of lateral inflating parts; a three-point seat belt device including webbing equipped with a lap belt and a shoulder belt, and a belt take-up mechanism, and the belt take-up mechanism applying tension to the webbing; and a control unit that, in the event that an impact to the vehicle has been predicted or detected, activates the belt take-up mechanism before inflating and deploying the airbag.

An apparatus for operating an airbag of an autonomous vehicle may include: an interior image sensor configured to capture an interior image of a vehicle; an input unit configured to receive collision prediction information from an autonomous driving system and the interior image from the interior image sensor; an airbag module installed at the front and side of the interior of the vehicle, and configured to deploy an airbag; and an airbag control unit configured to estimate the sitting position and dynamic behavior of the passenger from the interior image inputted from the input unit, estimate a collision status from the collision prediction information, determine an airbag to be deployed and a time to deploy the airbag according to the sitting position, and then output a deployment signal to the airbag module.

A computer-implemented method for moving an occupant of a vehicle seat to open airway position after a vehicle crash event. The vehicle seat having a seat cushion, a backrest and a headrest. The method includes detecting occurrence of a vehicle crash event, and moving at least a portion of the backrest and/or headrest backwards and pulling an occupant of the vehicle seat backwards towards the backrest by powered retraction of a seat belt of the occupant by means of a seat belt retractor.

A vehicle diagnostic and communication system includes a controller with computer executable instructions configured to diagnose operational capability of vehicle operating systems in response to a recognized collision event. The controller is further configured to determine a severity of damage to the vehicle operating systems based on the diagnoses and generate a communication signal based on the determined severity of damage to the vehicle for transmission. The system determines which of a plurality of service providers to send the communication signal based on the severity of damage to the vehicle.

A system for detecting a vehicular collision (i) receives internal data from at least one internal sensor of a vehicle; (ii) receives external data from at least one external sensor; (iii) determines that a vehicle collision is imminent based upon the received external data; (iv) determines positional information for at least one occupant of a vehicle; and (v) automatically engages an autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle system to mitigate at least one of vehicle damage and occupant injury caused by the vehicle collision. As a result, the potential injury to at least one occupant is reduced. The system may also utilize vehicle occupant positional data, and internal and external sensor data to detect potential imminent vehicle collisions, take corrective actions, automatically engage autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle features, and/or generate virtual reconstructions of the vehicle collision.

A vehicle occupant restraint device for the protection of a vehicle occupant in a vehicle seat comprises plural restraining elements and a controller. The controller differentiates between a first situation in which the vehicle seat is in a position within the range of a standard position, and a second situation in which the vehicle seat with the vehicle occupant is in a position beyond the standard position. When the first situation is given, the controller activates a tensioning unit for tensioning a seat belt of the second restraining element and an airbag of the first restraining element. When the second situation is given, a third restraining element integrated in the vehicle seat and/or operatively connected with the vehicle seat can be activated and/or connected by the controller so that the vehicle seat is moved initially via the third restraining element to a position within the range of the standard position.