A sleepiness estimating device including an auxiliary information acquirer that acquires auxiliary information including at least one of five-sense information perceived by a person or emotion information indicating an emotion of the person; and a sleepiness estimator that estimates a sleepiness of the person based on the auxiliary information.

An HMI control device, which controls an HMI device mounted on a vehicle. The HMI device presents information to a driver of the vehicle in a recognizable manner. The vehicle is capable of automated driving and travels following a preceding vehicle at a speed equal to or lower than a predetermined speed. The HMI control device is configured to: present attention information for calling attention of the driver when a congestion is determined to be cleared; acquire a behavior of the driver; and end a second task presented on the HMI device at an end timing corresponding to the behavior of the driver acquired after presentation of the attention information.

Systems and methods are disclosed for estimating slipperiness of a road surface. This estimate may be obtained using an image sensor mounted on a vehicle. The estimated road slipperiness may be utilized when calculating a risk index for the road, or for an area including the road. If a predetermined threshold for slipperiness is exceeded, corrective actions may be taken. For instance, warnings may be generated to human drivers that are in control of driving vehicle, and autonomous vehicles may automatically adjust vehicle speed based upon road slipperiness detected.

A system, a method and a device for planning a driving path for a vehicle are described. In one example aspect, the device is configured to: analyze sense data to obtain positioning data of vehicles; assign vehicle transportation tasks to an unmanned vehicle and a manned vehicle in the predetermined area in accordance with a predetermined transportation task, each vehicle transportation task including a transportation start point and a transportation end point; plan driving paths for the unmanned vehicle and the manned vehicle based on the assigned vehicle transportation tasks, the vehicle positioning data and map data; transmit the assigned transportation task and the planned driving path for the unmanned vehicle to the unmanned vehicle; and transmit the assigned transportation task and the planned driving path for the manned vehicle to a mobile device corresponding to the manned vehicle.

A vehicle configured to operate in an autonomous mode can obtain sensor data from one or more sensors observing one or more aspects of an environment of the vehicle. At least one aspect of the environment of the vehicle that is not observed by the one or more sensors could be inferred based on the sensor data. The vehicle could be controlled in the autonomous mode based on the at least one inferred aspect of the environment of the vehicle.

A vehicle driving assistance apparatus predicts (i) a first consumed energy amount corresponding to a consumed energy amount consumed by a driving apparatus of an own vehicle when executing a first following control and (ii) a second consumed energy amount corresponding to the consumed energy amount consumed by the driving apparatus of the own vehicle when executing the second following control. The apparatus executes the second following control when the second consumed energy amount is smaller than the first consumed energy amount. On the other hand, the apparatus executes the first following control when the second consumed energy amount is equal to or greater than the first consumed energy amount.

Path generation apparatus configured to generate target path of own vehicle traveling in own lane, includes: sensor configured to detect objects in surrounding area of own vehicle; and electronic control unit including processor and memory. Electronic control unit is configured to perform: recognizing adjacent vehicle traveling in adjacent lane adjacent to own lane from among detected objects; determining whether own lane is congested based on travel speed of own vehicle and determining whether adjacent lane is congested based on recognition result of adjacent lane; and generating target path of own vehicle. Generating target path includes generating target path on side away from adjacent lane with respect to that of case where own lane is determined to be congested and adjacent lane is determined to be congested, in case where own lane is determined to be congested and adjacent lane is determined not to be congested.

An automated method of controlling a speed of a vehicle includes identifying parameters of a driving instance of the vehicle; identifying a predetermined profile that is applicable to the driving instance based on the identified parameters; identifying a predetermined speed policy applicable to the driving instance based on the identified profile; and implementing the identified speed policy during the driving instance. The method may be repeated during the driving instance, whereby the speed policy that is implemented is automatically updated when one or more changes in the identified parameters cause a different predetermined speed policy to be identified. Parameter may include driver parameters (e.g., driver age and driver experience); vehicle parameters (e.g., vehicle age, mileage, and tire wear) tire maintenance information); behavior parameters (e.g., speed, acceleration, hard braking of the vehicle, following distance, swerving, and cornering); and circumstance parameters (e.g., time of day, road information, inclement weather, and traffic congestion).

A traffic congestion determination unit is configured to determine whether a traffic congestion occurs in an automatic travel period in which the vehicle travels by an automatic driving function. A cut-in prediction unit is configured to detect a sign of cut-in of an adjacent vehicle, which is adjacent to a subject vehicle as the vehicle, on determination by the traffic congestion determination unit that a traffic congestion occurs. A provision restricting unit is configured to restrict display of content provided in the automatic travel period on detection of a sign of cut-in of the adjacent vehicle by the cut-in prediction unit.

Technologies and techniques for delivering an order to an at least semiautonomous motor vehicle, and a motor vehicle. If an ordering function is activated, provider information is obtained from potential providers that offer delivery of an order by means of a mobile delivery system within a predefined area on a determined route from a current position of the motor vehicle to a destination. Coordinates and a time for a meeting of the motor vehicle with the mobile delivery system are determined for each of the potential providers that have been determined using traffic condition and planning criteria, and a corresponding ordering option that can be activated is provided. As soon as the ordering option is activated, the motor vehicle is at least semiautonomously driven to the determined meeting.