Harley-davidson Motor Company Group, LLC

Harley-davidson Motor Company

Cindy Ann Miller

Brian Ginther

Matthew David Rasmussen

A vehicle operable by an unrestrained or uncontained rider and including a controller programmed to identify a trigger for an autonomous vehicle response. A sensor of the vehicle is in communication with the controller and operable to detect a predefined condition as the trigger. A rider sensor system in communication with the controller includes one or both of: a rider cognition sensor, and a rider physical sensor to detect physical engagement between rider and vehicle. On the condition of the controller determining from the rider sensor system that there is positive rider engagement, the controller is programmed to instruct a first level of autonomous vehicle response to the one or more actuators to effect a change in the operation of the vehicle in response to identification of the trigger. In the absence of positive rider engagement determined by the controller, the first level of autonomous vehicle response is prohibited.

Saddle-ride vehicle with autonomous braking and method of operating same

A saddle-ride vehicle includes a forward travel sensor a brake that decelerates the vehicle by actuation of a rider-operable brake control. A controller identifies a trigger for an autonomous braking event for the brake. A rider sensor system is in electrical communication with the controller and includes one or both of: a rider cognition sensor operable to detect parameters of rider cognition and report rider cognition status to the controller, and a rider physical sensor operable to detect parameters of a physical engagement between a rider and the vehicle and report rider physical engagement status to the controller. The controller is programmed to perform one or both of the following in response to the identification of the autonomous braking event trigger: checking for a positive cognitive engagement of the rider with the rider cognition sensor, and checking for a positive physical engagement of the rider with the rider physical sensor.

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Delafield, WI, United States of America

Cindy Ann Miller