Abstract: A system in a vehicle including a primary caregiver vehicle device of a primary caregiver providing care to a companion. The primary caregiver vehicle device includes a wireless transceiver in communication with a secondary caregiver device of a secondary caregiver. The primary caregiver device includes a controller in communication with the wireless transceiver. The controller is configured to receive a request to transmit a companion profile of the companion to the secondary caregiver device. The companion profile includes data changing over time in response to data received from the primary caregiver vehicle device and the secondary caregiver device. The controller is further configured to transmit the companion profile from the primary caregiver vehicle device to the secondary caregiver device in response to the request to transmit the companion profile.

Abstract: A vehicle system in a vehicle, comprising a first sensor configured to survey an environment proximate to the vehicle, including an object outside of the vehicle, a second sensor located within a vehicle cabin and configured to obtain data indicative of facial information of an occupant of the vehicle, and a processor in communication with the first and second sensors and programmed to output information regarding the object on a display of the vehicle system in response to the data indicative of the facial information indicating that the occupant is viewing the object outside of the vehicle.

Abstract: A system comprising one or more transceivers configured to communicate data with a communication device of a remote vehicle. The system may also include a processor in communication with the transceiver and programmed to receive data from the communication device indicating a location of the vehicle and data indicating that the vehicle departed prior to a threshold departure time, wherein the threshold departure time is determined in part by data received indicating a category of a point of interest (POI) associated with a location of the vehicle, and send a notification to a mobile device associated with the vehicle when the data indicating that vehicle departed is prior to the threshold departure time.

Abstract: A collision avoidance system for a subject vehicle. The system includes a secondary vehicle detection module that, based on at least one of inputs from sensors of the subject vehicle or a message transmitted by a secondary vehicle, detects the following: location, speed, and heading of the secondary vehicle, and whether the secondary vehicle intends to turn or change lanes. A warning module warns an operator of the subject vehicle of the secondary vehicle and the identified intention of the secondary vehicle, and modifies warning intensity based on the detected intention of the secondary vehicle to turn or change lanes. An adaptive cruise control module modifies at least one of speed and heading of the subject vehicle based on the detected intention of the secondary vehicle to turn or change lanes.

Abstract: A system in a vehicle comprises one or more transceivers configured to communicate data with a remote server, and a processor in communication with the transceiver and programmed to determine a location of the vehicle in response to data received from one or more sensors indicating a location of the vehicle/ The processor is further programmed to determine a trigger event associated with a point-of-interest (POI) in response to the data received from the remote server, receive data from the remote server indicating one or more contacts associated with the POI and locations of the one or more contacts, and output on a display a contact list in response to at least the data indicating the trigger event, wherein the contact list is generated utilizing at least the location of the one or more contacts.

Abstract: A navigation system having a navigation module configured to plot a first route. A display is controlled by the navigation module to display the first route. A touch surface is configured to receive a touch input by a user corresponding to a second route, which is a modification of the first route, for entry to the navigation module. The navigation module is configured to plot the second route and control the display to display the second route.

Abstract: A system for monitoring vehicle drive states and transitioning between human drive control and autonomous drive control based on the vehicle drive states. The system includes a human/autonomous drive status and transition module. The module is configured to: receive data from an autonomous drive module and determine a drive state of the autonomous drive module based on the data received from the autonomous drive module; receive data from a driver status monitor (DSM) to determine a drive state of a human driver; and transition between human drive control and autonomous drive control by the autonomous drive module, and vice-versa, based on the determined drive states of the human driver and the autonomous drive module.

Abstract: A system includes a pattern recognizing module that identifies a pattern based on at least one of: (i) a movement of a driver of a vehicle, (ii) an object in front of the vehicle, (iii) a status of the vehicle, and (iv) an action of the vehicle. The pattern corresponds to a pattern response. A safety module compares the pattern response to a safe maneuver database. The pattern response is classified as safe in response to the pattern response matching at least one safe pattern response of the safe maneuver database. A pattern integration module integrates the pattern and the pattern response into a pattern database in response to the pattern response matching the at least one safe pattern response of the safe maneuver database. A vehicle control module performs the pattern response in response to the pattern recognizing module identifying the pattern.

Abstract: Systems and methods for multi-step vehicle entry authorization utilizing biometric data are disclosed. A proximity/contact sensor attached to a vehicle receives a device ID from a wearable device of a user. A biometric sensor receives biometric data of the user. A control module accesses a user database storing authorized user information and determines whether the user is authorized for the vehicle based on the device ID, the biometric data, and the user database. The control module unlocks the vehicle in response to a determination that the user is authorized for the vehicle.

Abstract: A driver alertness detection system. The system is configured to activate an autonomous drive module of the vehicle to autonomously drive the vehicle when the measured alertness level of the driver is less than a predetermined threshold, and deactivate the autonomous drive module of the vehicle to permit manual driving when the measured alertness level of the driver is equal to or greater than the predetermined threshold.

Abstract: A system and method are provided that include a driver status monitor having at least one of an infrared sensor and a camera configured to sense facial feature data associated with an operator of a subject vehicle and an electronic control module that receives the facial feature data and determines that the operator has looked at one of a side mirror and a rear-view mirror and that the operator has looked at a blind spot of the subject vehicle within a predetermined time period. A controller in communication with the driver status monitor activates a turn signal system having at least one turn signal in response to the driver status monitor determining that the operator has looked at one of the side mirror, rear-view mirror, and the blind spot of the subject vehicle.

Abstract: A method for securing wireless communication between an in-vehicle system and multiple portable devices brought into a vehicle. The method can include receiving a communication request from a portable device, and determining whether a primary device has authorized wireless communication between the in-vehicle system and the portable device requesting communication, where such authorization can be provided via near field communication (NFC). The method can further include establishing wireless communication between the in-vehicle system and the portable device requesting communication when the portable device requesting communication is the primary device, and when the portable device requesting communication is a secondary device and the primary device has authorized wireless communication via NFC.

Abstract: A method and system for controlling a mobile device from a head unit using voice control is disclosed. The head unit receives a graphical representation of a current user interface screen of the mobile device. The head unit than scans the graphical representation of the current user interface screen to determine the locations of potential input mechanisms. The potential input mechanisms are scanned using optical character recognition and voice commands are determined for the input mechanisms. The determined voice commands and their respective locations on the user interface screens are stored in a voice recognition database, which is queried with uttered voice commands during voice recognition.

Abstract: A method for securing wireless communication between an in-vehicle system and multiple portable devices brought into a vehicle. The method can include receiving a communication request from a portable device, and determining whether a primary device has authorized wireless communication between the in-vehicle system and the portable device requesting communication, where such authorization can be provided via near field communication (NFC). The method can further include establishing wireless communication between the in-vehicle system and the portable device requesting communication when the portable device requesting communication is the primary device, and when the portable device requesting communication is a secondary device and the primary device has authorized wireless communication via NFC.

Abstract: A method or a system for displaying a traffic camera view of a road on a display within a vehicle. The method or the system may include monitoring a movement of the vehicle, determining an existence of a traffic event based on the movement of the vehicle, receiving a traffic camera view on the road, and displaying the traffic camera view if the traffic event is detected.

Abstract: A system includes a first module receives N points (N?3) from a remote device, the N points indicating (i) a current location, (ii) a desired location, and (iii) one or more points between the current location and the desired location. A second module determines whether first information in a first datastore of the system is missing a link between each neighboring pair of points within the N points. A third module receives M points (M?1) from the remote device for each missing one of the N?1 links, the M points indicating points between two of the N points associated with a missing link. A fourth module generates a route from the current location to the desired location based on the N points and the first information in a first datastore, and any M points received for missing ones of the N?1 links.

Abstract: A system includes a first module receives N points (N?3) from a remote device, the N points indicating (i) a current location, (ii) a desired location, and (iii) one or more points between the current location and the desired location. A second module determines whether first information in a first datastore of the system is missing a link between each neighboring pair of points within the N points. A third module receives M points (M?1) from the remote device for each missing one of the N?1 links, the M points indicating points between two of the N points associated with a missing link. A fourth module generates a route from the current location to the desired location based on the N points and the first information in a first datastore, and any M points received for missing ones of the N?1 links.

Abstract: A method and system for controlling a mobile device from a head unit using voice control is disclosed. The head unit receives a graphical representation of a current user interface screen of the mobile device. The head unit than scans the graphical representation of the current user interface screen to determine the locations of potential input mechanisms. The potential input mechanisms are scanned using optical character recognition and voice commands are determined for the input mechanisms. The determined voice commands and their respective locations on the user interface screens are stored in a voice recognition database, which is queried with uttered voice commands during voice recognition.

Abstract: A method of displaying traffic on a display within a vehicle may include monitoring a current vehicle speed, monitoring external traffic data by various methods, determining if a brake is applied for at least a predetermined time period, determining if the vehicle is a predetermined distance from a traffic signal that the vehicle is approaching, determining that a traffic event exists on a road upon which the vehicle is traveling, inquiring if traffic cameras exist on the road upon which the vehicle is traveling, and displaying traffic data on a display within the vehicle that corresponds to the road ahead upon which the vehicle is traveling. The method may include determining if the vehicle speed is maintained at a speed less than the posted speed for a predetermined time period. The display may display traffic data captured by the traffic cameras, downloaded from remote servers, or communicated directly from another vehicle.

Abstract: A method or a system for displaying a traffic camera view of a road on a display within a vehicle. The method or the system may include monitoring a movement of the vehicle, determining an existence of a traffic event based on the movement of the vehicle, receiving a traffic camera view on the road, and displaying the traffic camera view if the traffic event is detected.