Methods, systems, and apparatus for controlling operation of a vehicle. The system includes a microphone located in a passenger cabin of the vehicle and configured to detect sound data indicating noise in the passenger cabin. The system also includes a powertrain of the vehicle including an engine/motor for propelling the vehicle and a transmission of the vehicle having a plurality of gears. The system also includes an electronic control unit (ECU) of the vehicle coupled to the microphone and the transmission. The ECU is configured to determine a powertrain torque limit based on the sound data, determine whether a torque output of the powertrain exceeds the powertrain torque limit, and instruct the transmission to downshift when the torque output of the powertrain exceeds the powertrain torque limit.

Information regarding an impact occurring in a vehicle is analyzed from an observed signal by a sensor installed in the vehicle. An acquisition unit (11) acquires an observed signal by a sensor (S) installed at a predetermined position of the vehicle. The analysis unit (12) analyzes the type of impact at each time from the observed signal with respect to the impact occurring on the vehicle at a position different from the position at which the sensor (S) is installed in the vehicle. The type of impact includes at least one type of impact among impact from collision of an obstacle with the vehicle, impact from the vehicle driving over a curb, impact from collision of a flying object with the vehicle, impact from the vehicle rubbing against an object other than the vehicle, and impact from an object other than the vehicle rubbing against the vehicle. An output unit (13) outputs a result obtained by analyzing a time at which the impact occurs and the type of impact.

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.

This application describes a method, system, and apparatus for measuring the depth of a body of water ahead of the user's location or position. The user can be a driver of a vehicle. The apparatus includes a fording depth sensor, a second fording depth sensor, a proximity sensor to determine road angle or position ahead of the vehicle, wherein the proximity sensor is designed to operate underneath the water surface and a control unit configured to use signals of the wading depth and sensors to compute a wading depth at a location ahead of the direction of vehicle movement and/or to compute a distance ahead of the direction of vehicle movement to maximum wading depth. A method of building the apparatus, system, and vehicle is also provided.

In one or more embodiments, a method comprises receiving, at a processor, sensor data from a sensor at a vehicle that is moving while in an autonomous mode. A position and an orientation of the vehicle based on the sensor data is determined at the processor. A lateral deviation of the vehicle from a planned path based on the position and the orientation of the vehicle while the vehicle is moving in the autonomous mode is calculated at the processor. In response to the lateral deviation exceeding a predefined lateral deviation threshold, the autonomous mode is disengaged.

A rollover alarming system, a rollover risk prediction method, and a rollover alarming method. An axle housing strain measurement unit measures strain values on both sides of an axle housing of a vehicle body. A roll angle measurement unit measures a roll angle of the vehicle body. A collection control unit is configured to collect the strain values on both sides of the axle housing of the vehicle body and the roll angle of the vehicle body, calculate a strain difference between the strain values according to the strain values on both sides of the axle housing of the vehicle body, and output a corresponding alarm control signal according to the strain difference between both sides of the axle housing of the vehicle body and the roll angle of the vehicle body. An alarm unit is configured to output a corresponding alarm signal according to the received alarm control signal.

An approach to arrange sensors needed for automated driving, especially where semitrailer trucks are operating in an autonomous convoy with one automated or semi-automated truck following another. The sensors are fitted to a location adjacent to or within the exterior rearview mirrors, on each of the left- and right-hand side of the tractor. The sensors provide overlapping fields of view looking forward of the vehicle and to both the left and right hand sides at the same time.

A method for determining surface characteristics is disclosed. The method may include transmitting a surface penetrating radar (SPR) signal towards a surface from a SPR system. The method may also include receiving a response signal at the SPR system. The response signal may include, at least in part, a reflection of the SPR signal from a surface region associated with the surface. The method may further include measuring at least one of an intensity and a phase of the response signal. The method my additionally include determining, based at least in part on the at least one of the intensity and the phase of the response signal, a surface characteristic of the surface.

In one embodiment, a method of operating an autonomous driving truck includes receiving location data from a first inertial measurement unit, a first global positioning system, a second inertial measurement unit, and a second global positioning system at a planning module of the autonomous driving truck. The first inertial measurement unit and the first global positioning system are attached to a cabin of the autonomous driving truck and the second inertial measurement unit and the second global positioning system are attached to a body structure of the autonomous driving truck in which the body structure extends away from the cabin. The method further includes receiving location data from the second inertial measurement unit and the second global positioning system at a control module of the autonomous driving truck and controlling the autonomous driving truck based on the received location data at the planning and control modules.

Provided is an in-vehicle sensor system capable of maintaining an equivalent level of precision (accuracy) of data to be output before and after replacement of a surrounding sensor. An in-vehicle sensor system (1) includes: a surrounding sensor including: a casing (11) removably mounted to a bracket (BC) fixed to a vehicle body (B) of a vehicle; a detector which is supported by the casing (11), and is configured to output detection data representing a situation within a predetermined detection range; and a first storage having stored therein first data corresponding to a deviation amount of an actual position and an actual posture of the detector with respect to the casing (11) from a predetermined normal design position and a predetermined normal design posture of the detector with respect to the casing (11); a second storage which is provided separately from the surrounding sensor and is fixed to the vehicle body (B), and is configured to store second data corresponding to a deviation amount of an actual position and an actual posture of the casing (11) with respect to the vehicle body (B) from a predetermined normal design position and a predetermined normal design posture of the casing (11) with respect to the vehicle body (B); and a corrector which is provided on an inner side or an outer side of the casing (11), and is configured to correct, when the second data is stored in the second storage, the detection data output from the detector based on the first data and the second data, to thereby generate and output data expected to be output by the detector when it is assumed that the detector is fixed at the normal design position and in the normal design posture.