Systems and methods to impede shift from park in a vehicle

1 . A vehicle comprising:

a sensor unit configured to detect a presence of a user and predetermined items in the vehicle that are not keys of the vehicle; and

a processor configured to:

determine that the user has entered the vehicle based on inputs obtained from the sensor unit;

determine that a predefined condition is met based on the inputs obtained from the sensor unit responsive to determining that the user has entered the vehicle, wherein the predefined condition is met when one or more first items present in the vehicle do not match a user's predefined authorized item list or one or more second items that are preferred by the user are absent from the vehicle; and

disable the vehicle from being shifted out of a park mode, responsive to determining that the predefined condition is met.

2 . The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to:

disable the vehicle from being shifted out of the park mode when the user attempts to shift the vehicle out of the park mode in a first attempt and when one of the one or more first items or the one or more second items is absent from or present in the vehicle; and

enable the vehicle to shift out of the park mode when the user attempts to shift the vehicle out of the park mode in a second attempt and when the one of the one or more first items or the one or more second items is absent from or present in the vehicle.

3 . The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to:

obtain a user override input from the user responsive to determining that the predefined condition is met; and

enable the vehicle to shift out of the park mode responsive to obtaining the user override input.

4 . The vehicle of claim 3 , wherein the processor obtains the user override input via at least one of a Human-Machine Interface (HMI), or a user audio command or a user gesture command.

5 . The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to:

determine an item that is absent from the vehicle when the user enters the vehicle based on the inputs obtained from the sensor unit;

determine that the item is same as the one or more second items; and

disable the vehicle from being shifted out of the park mode responsive to determining that the item is same as the one or more second items.

6 . The vehicle of claim 5 , wherein the processor is further configured to:

determine that the item that was determined to be absent is not same as the one or more second items; and

enable the vehicle to shift out of the park mode responsive to determining that the item that was determined to be absent is not same as the one or more second items.

7 . The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to:

determine an item that is present in the vehicle when the user enters the vehicle based on the inputs obtained from the sensor unit;

determine that the item is same as the one or more first items; and

disable the vehicle from being shifted out of the park mode responsive to determining that the item is same as the one or more first items.

8 . The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the one or more second items comprise at least one of a user's phone, a user's laptop, a user's tablet or a user's tagged device, and wherein the one or more first items comprise an item not belonging to the user.

9 . The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the predefined condition is further met when a condition associated with a vehicle parameter is met.

10 . The vehicle of claim 9 , wherein the condition associated with the vehicle parameter is met when at least one: a vehicle tire pressure is less than a predefined threshold value, one or more vehicle doors are open, one or more vehicle occupants are not buckled, one or more predefined vehicle lights are switched off, one or more objects are disposed unsecured on a vehicle top portion, one or more objects are disposed in proximity to a vehicle front portion or a vehicle rear portion, the user is not wearing a predefined uniform, or a predefined object is placed on a vehicle dash.

11 . The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to:

determine that the user has not completed a vehicle inspection based on the inputs obtained from the sensor unit, responsive to determining that the user has entered the vehicle; and

determine that the predefined condition is met when the user has not completed the vehicle inspection.

12 . The vehicle of claim 11 , wherein the vehicle inspection comprises at least one of: an inspection of a vehicle exterior portion, an inspection of a vehicle interior portion, an inspection of a vehicle-trailer connection, or an inspection of vehicle occupants.

13 . The vehicle of claim 11 , wherein the processor determines that the user has not completed the vehicle inspection when at least one of:

a current time is equivalent to a predefined time of day,

the vehicle is expected to travel for a distance greater than a predefined distance threshold, or

vehicle occupants or a vehicle driver has changed from a prior vehicle trip.

14 . The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to:

determine that the user is expected to travel to a predefined location based on a user's historical travel pattern; and

determine that the predefined condition is met responsive to determining that the user is expected to travel to the predefined location.

15 . A method comprising:

determining, by a processor, that a user has entered a vehicle based on inputs obtained from a sensor unit configured to detect a presence of the user and predetermined items in the vehicle that are not keys of the vehicle;

determining, by the processor, that a predefined condition is met based on the inputs obtained from the sensor unit responsive to determining that the user has entered the vehicle, wherein the predefined condition is met when one or more first items present in the vehicle do not match a user's predefined authorized item list or one or more second items that are preferred by the user are absent from the vehicle; and

disabling, by the processor, the vehicle from being shifted out of a park mode, responsive to determining that the predefined condition is met.

16 . The method of claim 15 further comprising:

disabling the vehicle from being shifted out of the park mode when the user attempts to shift the vehicle out of the park mode in a first attempt and when a predefined item is absent from or present in the vehicle; and

enabling the vehicle to shift out of the park mode when the user attempts to shift the vehicle out of the park mode in a second attempt and when the predefined item is absent from or present in the vehicle.

17 . The method of claim 15 further comprising:

obtaining a user override input from the user responsive to determining that the predefined condition is met; and

enabling the vehicle to shift out of the park mode responsive to obtaining the user override input.

18 . The method of claim 15 further comprising:

determining an item that is absent from the vehicle when the user enters the vehicle based on the inputs obtained from the sensor unit;

determining that the item is same as the one or more second items; and

disabling the vehicle from being shifted out of the park mode responsive to determining that the item is same as the one or more second items.

19 . The method of claim 18 further comprising:

determining that the item that was determined to be absent is not same as the one or more second items; and

enabling the vehicle to shift out of the park mode responsive to determining that the item that was determined to be absent is not same as the one or more second items.

20 . A vehicle comprising:

a sensor unit configured to detect a presence of a user and predetermined items in the vehicle; and

a processor configured to:

determine that the user has entered the vehicle based on inputs obtained from the sensor unit, wherein the vehicle is authenticated by a key that is not a phone;

determine that a predefined condition is met based on the inputs obtained from the sensor unit responsive to determining that the user has entered the vehicle, wherein the predefined condition is met when a user's phone that is also configured as a key of the vehicle is absent from the vehicle; and

disable the vehicle from being shifted out of a park mode, responsive to determining that the predefined condition is met.