A system for maintaining a vehicle including a shift-by-wire transmission in a neutral-hold mode is provided. The system includes a transmission control unit in signal communication with the shift-by-wire transmission and an internal control unit of the vehicle. The transmission control unit is configured to control a gear configuration of the shift-by-wire transmission. An external control unit is in signal communication with the transmission control unit. The external control unit is configured to transmit a neutral-hold mold activation signal.

A control method for a vehicle which is executable by at least one information processing device including a communication unit, includes: collecting vehicle information from the vehicle in a range of a communication data amount or a communication frequency that is allowed in communication with the vehicle, based on information about the communication data amount or the communication frequency; and calculating an accuracy of control of the vehicle based on an information amount of the collected vehicle information; and producing a control command based on the calculated accuracy.

A method for heating fuel upon start-up of a hybrid vehicle combustion engine, in which method temperature of fuel and temperature outside the vehicle are compared against a first threshold below which starting of the vehicle is forbidden, and against a second threshold higher than the first threshold and above which the engine will start without the fuel being heated. The fuel is heated by exchange of heat with a cooling circuit for the vehicle battery when the external temperature is between the two thresholds.

Techniques pertaining to vehicle occupancy indication and utilization thereof are described. A method may involve determining occupancy information regarding a number of occupants in a vehicle. The method may also involve indicating the occupancy information in either or both of a human-perceivable way and a machine-perceivable way.

A vehicle includes a transmission, a motor, and at least one controller. The motor is configured to be selectively coupled to the transmission. The at least one controller is programmed to output a fault for a coil temperature sensor of the motor based on an oil temperature of the transmission, a phase current of the motor, and a temperature change in a coil of the motor.

A control apparatus for a hybrid vehicle including an engine and a motor, includes a controller to update an allowable input current value in accordance with the battery state and to control an input to the battery, the allowable input current value being the maximum current value to which the battery input is permitted. The controller performs control such that limitation of the battery input in accordance with the allowable input current value is not performed if a deterioration degree of a catalyst for purifying an exhaust gas from the engine is larger than a predetermined value when an engine braking force and a regenerative motor braking force are applied during deceleration.

A system includes a processor and a memory. The memory stores instructions executable by the processor to determine an action for a vehicle based on an identified risk condition, to determine a minimum time for performing the action, and based on data including a vehicle battery state of charge, an outdoor temperature, and a vehicle mode of operation, to determine an available electrical power for performing the action. The instructions further include instructions to determine maximum permissible electrical energy discharge rate based on the minimum time for performing the action and the determined available electrical power, to determine a load control plan for a plurality of electrical devices in the vehicle based on the maximum permissible electrical energy discharge rate, an electrical load status of the vehicle, and load priority data; and to execute the determined load control plan.

An information processing device includes a control unit. The control unit determines a service content fit for an occupant by acquiring first information from a first sensor installed in a vehicle cabin of a vehicle for detecting the occupant and second information from a second sensor for detecting opening and closing of a door of the vehicle, estimating composition information of the occupant based on the first information that is acquired, estimating mood information of the occupant based on the second information that is acquired, and comparing the composition information and the mood information that are estimated with past data for another occupant in which the composition information and the mood information are associated with a service content received at a service facility.

An automated method of controlling a speed of a vehicle includes identifying parameters of a driving instance of the vehicle; identifying a predetermined profile that is applicable to the driving instance based on the identified parameters; identifying a predetermined speed policy applicable to the driving instance based on the identified profile; and implementing the identified speed policy during the driving instance. The method may be repeated during the driving instance, whereby the speed policy that is implemented is automatically updated when one or more changes in the identified parameters cause a different predetermined speed policy to be identified. Parameter may include driver parameters (e.g., driver age and driver experience); vehicle parameters (e.g., vehicle age, mileage, and tire wear) tire maintenance information); behavior parameters (e.g., speed, acceleration, hard braking of the vehicle, following distance, swerving, and cornering); and circumstance parameters (e.g., time of day, road information, inclement weather, and traffic congestion).

A vehicle position estimation apparatus according to the present invention includes a painted line recognition result processing unit configured to calculate whether the vehicle has made a lane change and a direction of the lane change when the vehicle has made the lane change, a vehicle lateral position calculating unit configured to calculate a lane where the vehicle is in travel and a vehicle lateral position that is a lateral position of the vehicle in the lane based on whether the vehicle has made the lane change, the direction of the lane change, and a lane connection relation, and an on-map vehicle position calculating unit configured to calculate an on-map position of the vehicle on the road based on a map information, the lane where the vehicle is in travel, the vehicle lateral position, and a forward travel distance.