Abstract: A drift assistance system that assists a driver of a vehicle in sustaining a drift maneuver includes one or more controllers that each include one or more processors that execute instructions to compare a rotation angle of a hand wheel with a minimum hand wheel angle entry value for a minimum amount of entry time and compare each of a plurality of drift criteria parameters with a corresponding entry value. In response to determining the rotation angle of the hand wheel is greater than the minimum hand wheel angle entry value for the minimum amount of entry time and each of the plurality of drift criteria parameters satisfy their corresponding entry value, the one or more controllers shift an executed position of the hand wheel closer to an ideal drift region associated with the hand wheel so that the drift maneuver is executed successfully.

Abstract: A method and system of quantifying and managing steering command-response latency for an autonomous vehicle. The system enables the method to determine a lag time between issuing a control command and achieving a commanded angle for a plurality of predetermined vehicle velocities. A predetermined number of lag times are averaged for each of the plurality of predetermined vehicle velocities. The average lag times are weighted in which the more current determined lag times have a higher weight than a less current determined lag time. The averaged time lag is used to improve the response of the vehicle and to detect a health issue in the steering system of the vehicle.

Abstract: A method of operating a vehicle includes a vehicle controller receiving a key-on command to turn on the vehicle. A touchscreen display interface mounted to a central hub of a steering wheel assembly of the vehicle's steering system displays a wheel angle indicator at a first location and a soft touch controls set at a second location. A position sensor generates sensor data indicative of a steering angle of a front vehicle wheel and/or a position of a user's hand on a handwheel of the steering wheel assembly. The touchscreen display interface displays: the wheel angle indicator moved to a new orientation responsive to the sensor data indicating the front vehicle wheel's steering angle is a non-zero angle, and/or the soft touch controls set moved to a new location responsive to the sensor data indicating the user's hand position moved to a new position on the steering wheel assembly's handwheel.

Abstract: A defendant notification and tracking system automatically notifies defendants of legal events and confirms notices of these legal events and monitors the defendant's location. The defendant notification and tracking system enables better compliance with defendants appearing for legal events and includes a plurality of interactive components that enable effective notification of a legal event to a defendant and location monitoring of the defendant by a global positioning system (GPS). The notification and tracking system includes a computer system including a computer that operates a system software. The defendant has a system application software that operates on their mobile device and interfaces with the computing system through a wireless signal. The defendant receives legal event notices electronically sent by the computing system on their mobile device. In the event the defendant does not show up for a legal event, authorities may be notified of the defendant's location.