An object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus and a method for determining a bank angle that accurately determine a bank angle of the body of a vehicle. To achieve the above object, in the apparatus and the method for determining a bank angle according to the present invention, the larger bank angle is selected from a bank angle calculated based on accelerations of the body in the vertical and lateral directions and a bank angle calculated based on angular velocities of the body in the pitch and yaw directions to determine a bank angle of the body.

A vehicle that includes: an input device that is configured to receive a user command from a user; and a controller that is configured to: obtain vehicle driving information, based on the vehicle driving information, control the vehicle to travel autonomously, determine whether the user command is inconsistent with the vehicle driving information, based on a determination that the user command is inconsistent with the vehicle driving information, determine to ignore the user command, in response to a determination to ignore the user command, control the vehicle based on the vehicle driving information without the user command, based on a determination that the user command is consistent with the vehicle driving information, determine to apply the user command, and in response to a determination to apply the user command, control the vehicle based on the vehicle driving information and the user command is disclosed.

A vehicle having an electronic, automatic transmission incorporates a safety stop system. A position sensor or sensors are mounted onto the vehicle and are in communication with an electric controller. The electric controller in turn is operatively connected to the actuation solenoids in the hydraulic transmission. When a safety violation occurance is detected, then the electric controller either slows the speed of the vehicle or stops the vehicle through the transmission.

A system according to the present disclosure includes a trailer distance module, a trailer contact module, a trailer distance module, and at least one of a driver warning module, a brake control module, and a steering control module. The trailer distance module determines a distance from a cab of a truck to a fifth wheel trailer attached to the truck based on an input from a sensor. The trailer contact module identifies potential contact between the trailer and the truck cab based on the cab-to-trailer distance. The driver warning module warns a driver of the potential contact. The brake control module applies a brake of at least one of the truck and the trailer when potential contact is identified. The steering control module increases an amount of driver effort required to steer the truck in at least one direction when potential contact is identified.

A vehicle is disclosed that uses data from different types of on-board sensors to determine whether meteorological precipitation is failing near the vehicle. The vehicle may include an on-board camera capturing image data and an on-board accelerometer capturing accelerometer data. The image data may characterize an area in front of or behind the vehicle. The accelerometer data may characterize vibrations of a windshield of the vehicle. An artificial neural network may run on computer hardware carried on-board the vehicle. The artificial neural network may be trained to classify meteorological precipitation in an environment of the vehicle using the image data and the accelerometer data as inputs. The classifications of the artificial neural network may be used to control one or more functions of the vehicle such as windshield-wiper speed, traction-control settings, or the like.

A method of protecting a multi-function drive axle system from damage, comprising the steps of: determining the axle torque and speed from sensors positioned on the multi-function drive axle system; using the axle torque and speed to approximate damage values for the driveline of the multi-function drive axle system; comparing the approximated values of driveline damage with driveline damage durability targets; identifying if the approximated values of driveline damage exceed the driveline damage durability targets; and limiting the engine torque and/or speed to produce an axle torque and speed corresponding to driveline damage values that do not exceed the driveline damage durability targets.

A device and method for adjusting vehicle fuel efficiency to responsive to an altered vehicle surface area are disclosed. An operation of the method receives vehicle surface data, which indicates a transition from a first vehicle drag coefficient value relating to a vehicle surface area to a second vehicle drag coefficient value relating to the altered vehicle surface area. A second plurality of powertrain parameter values associated with the second vehicle drag coefficient value are determined, and the method operates to transmit the second plurality of powertrain parameter values for adjusting of the vehicle fuel efficiency.

A device and method for adjusting vehicle fuel efficiency to responsive to an altered vehicle surface area are disclosed. An operation of the method receives vehicle surface data, which indicates a transition from a first vehicle drag coefficient value relating to a vehicle surface area to a second vehicle drag coefficient value relating to the altered vehicle surface area. A second plurality of powertrain parameter values associated with the second vehicle drag coefficient value are determined, and the method operates to transmit the second plurality of powertrain parameter values for adjusting of the vehicle fuel efficiency.

A novel roof-top autonomous vehicle control system for converting a non-autonomous vehicle into an autonomous vehicle includes a weatherproof housing that removably attaches to the roof of a host vehicle. The housing supports modular attachment of various sensors, receivers, computers, and other electrical components that can be installed, removed, and/or interchanged without disrupting the initial calibration thereof. In a particular embodiment, various internal electrical components of the system are mounted on a tray which can be mounted in, and removed from, the housing without disrupting the initial calibration of the various sensors. In a more particular embodiment, the housing includes a plurality of removable panels and windows that provide access to the inside of the housing.

A driver monitoring device and a method for operating the driver monitoring device are disclosed. A method for controlling a driver monitoring system according to at least one of various embodiments of the present disclosure may include detecting a user; obtaining sensing data for the detected user; converting the sensing data when a difference between the sensing data and predetermined reference data is equal to or greater than a threshold value; and generating and transmitting a vehicle control signal based on the converted sensing data.