An information processing system includes a vehicle and an information processing device configured to transmit and receive information to and from the vehicle. The vehicle is configured to acquire information on an occupant in a cabin of the vehicle, and operate to affect a perception of the occupant. The information processing device is configured to store a cause of an accident caused by a passenger of the vehicle and control information for operating the operating unit to eliminate the cause of the accident, and transmit the control information to the operating unit of the vehicle when determination is made that the cause of the accident occurs based on the information on the occupant. The vehicle is configured to operate to eliminate the cause of the accident when the control information is received.

A vehicle control apparatus includes a determination processor and a regeneration controller. During traveling in a first travel mode, the determination processor determines a timing at which a regenerative braking force based on a motor regenerative force is to be increased under the condition that an accelerator-off operation period is equal to or less than a predetermined period. During traveling in a second travel mode, the determination processor refrains from determining the timing at which the regenerative braking force is to be increased under the sole condition that the accelerator-off operation period is equal to or less than the predetermined period. The regeneration controller performs control that increases the motor regenerative force as the determination processor determines the timing at which the regenerative braking force is to be increased.

Aspects of the present invention provide devices that receive data indicative of speed, position and direction of a first vehicle and nearby vehicles on a road, determine a passing power of the first vehicle according to characteristics of the road and operating characteristics of the first vehicle, determine safe passing by the first vehicle of one of the nearby vehicles on the road according to the received data and the determined passing power of the first vehicle, and govern the first vehicle according to the determined safe passing.

Systems and methods for determining routes to destinations for a vehicle may: generate output signals; obtain road information for a set of roads; determine presence information that indicates whether one or more passengers are present in the vehicle; determine the location information of the vehicle; obtain a target destination that represents a location the vehicle is intended to reach; determine a first route including a first subset of the set of roads; determine a second route including a second subset of the set of roads; and control the vehicle autonomously to traverse the vehicle along either the first route or the second route in accordance with whether one or more passengers are present in the vehicle.

A driving force distribution control device is configured to control driving forces for right and left wheels of a vehicle. The driving force distribution control device includes an electronic control unit configured to obtain crosswind information regarding a crosswind to which the vehicle is to be subjected in a predetermined region located ahead in a direction of travel of the vehicle, and to control, in synchronization with arrival of the vehicle at the predetermined region, the driving forces for the right and left wheels based on the crosswind information so as to reduce an influence of the crosswind on traveling of the vehicle.

A method and system for controlling clutch friction elements of an automatic transmission is provided. The method includes retrieving information about shift clutches from a data storage unit and acquiring information required to predict a temperature of a friction element for each shift clutch, deriving a predicted temperature value of a friction element for each shift clutch by using the information about the shift clutches and the information required to predict the temperature of the friction element, predicting whether or not overheating occurs for each shift clutch by comparing the derived predicted temperature value of the friction element for each shift clutch with an allowable temperature set for each shift clutch, and determining a target shift stage while avoiding the overheating clutch with a predicted temperature value exceeding the allowable temperature, through switching to an avoidance shift mode.

A vehicle behavior control device is provided in a vehicle that includes a suspension device supporting a wheel so as to allow a stroke with respect to a vehicle body, and having a geometry in which a center of the wheel is displaced in a direction in which a wheelbase stretches and contracts due to the stroke, and a front and rear wheel differential rotation constraining member that constrain differential rotation between a front wheel driving force transmission mechanism that transmit a driving force to front wheels and a rear wheel driving force transmission mechanism that transmit a driving force to rear wheels. The vehicle behavior control device includes a front and rear wheel differential rotation constraining control unit that increase a constraining force of the front and rear wheel differential rotation constraining member in response to occurrence of a pitching behavior of the vehicle body.

A fuel economy and comfort control apparatus is provided for a motor vehicle. That apparatus includes a plurality of sensors and a controller. The controller is configured to determine and advise an operator of the motor vehicle of the most fuel efficient mode of operating a climate control system of the motor vehicle to maintain occupant comfort while optimizing fuel efficient operation of the motor vehicle. A related method is also disclosed.

A vehicle and a method for the vehicle to detect a vehicle accident are provided. The method includes accessing at least one accident profile, wherein each accident profile contains information describing, for vehicles involved in a vehicle accident, data indicating vehicle operating parameters during the accident; collecting, in real time, data from the vehicle and at least one nearby vehicle, the data describing current vehicle operating parameters for the vehicles; comparing the data collected in real time with the at least one accident profile to determine a probability of a vehicle crash; and implementing preventive action responsive to the probability of a vehicle crash exceeds a probability threshold.

Methods and apparatus to extricate a vehicle from a stuck condition, apparatus, systems and articles of manufacture are disclosed. An example apparatus includes: a user interface to receive a command to place a vehicle in an autonomous control mode of the vehicle; and a stuck mode controller to autonomously shift a transmission of the vehicle alternately between a reverse gear and a forward gear of the vehicle when in the autonomous control mode to autonomously rock the vehicle back and forth. A timing of the shifting of the transmission is based on a ratio of a velocity of the vehicle to an acceleration of the vehicle.