A roadway-infrastructure-maintenance system using automated-vehicles to maintain a roadway includes an image-device and a controller. The imaging-device is suitable to mount on a host-vehicle. The imaging-device is used to detect an infrastructure-feature proximate to a roadway traveled by the host-vehicle. The controller is in communication with the imaging-device. The controller is configured to determine a need-for-maintenance of the infrastructure-feature. The system may include a digital-map that indicates an expected-presence of the infrastructure-feature, and the need-for-maintenance may be indicated when the infrastructure-feature is not-detected as expected. The system may also include a transmitter in communication with the controller. The transmitter may be used to communicate the need-for-maintenance to a maintenance-organization.

A lane management system for operating an automated vehicle includes a navigation-device, a vehicle-detector, and a controller suitable for use on a host-vehicle. The navigation-device is used to determine a preferred-route to a destination of the host-vehicle. The vehicle-detector is used to determine a relative-location of an other-vehicle proximate to the host-vehicle. The controller is in communication with the navigation-device and the vehicle-detector. The controller is configured to determine an alternate-route when the relative-location is such that a preferred-lane of the preferred-route is obstructed whereby the host-vehicle is unable to follow the preferred-route. Alternatively, the controller is configured to determine an initiate-time to perform a lane-change necessary to maneuver the host-vehicle into a preferred-lane of the preferred-route so the host-vehicle can follow the preferred-route, wherein the initiate-time is determined based on the relative-location.

A method includes acquiring, by one or more processing circuits, an operating parameter of a component of a vehicle; acquiring, by the one or more processing circuits, at least one of static information or dynamic information regarding at least one route characteristic; determining, by the one or more processing circuits, an adjustment for the component of the vehicle based on the operating parameter and the at least one of the static information or the dynamic information indicating that an upcoming event is expected to cause the operating parameter of the component to be outside of a target operating range; and implementing, by the one or more processing circuits, the adjustment for the component of the vehicle to preemptively adjust the operating parameter of the component in advance of the upcoming event to maintain the operating parameter within the target operating range as the upcoming event is traversed.

A travel control device includes an acquisition section configured to acquire, as surroundings in formation while a vehicle itself is traveling, at least information regarding a first other vehicle ahead in a traveling direction and information regarding lane markings of a first lane in which the vehicle itself is traveling. The travel control unit further includes a travel control section ECU configured to compute from the information acquired by the acquisition section a separation between the first other vehicle and the lane markings, and to control travel of the vehicle itself based on the separation.

In one aspect, a vehicle includes an engine, a battery, a processor, and storage accessible to the processor. The storage bears instructions executable by the processor to identify a road feature and, at least in part based on the identification, apportion power between the engine and the battery to propel the vehicle.

In a vehicle or a lane change timing determination method, when a distance from a vehicle to a nearby vehicle is outside of a first distance threshold value, lane changing is determined to be permitted. When the distance is within the first distance threshold value, lane changing is determined not to be permitted. After determining lane changing to be not permitted, lane changing not being permitted is switched to lane change being permitted when the nearby vehicle decelerates or accelerates to move further away from the vehicle than a second distance threshold value, even if the distance is still within the first distance threshold value.

A system for navigating a host vehicle may include memory and at least one processor configured to receive a plurality of images acquired by a camera onboard the host vehicle; generate, based on analysis of the plurality of images, a road geometry model for a segment of road forward of the host vehicle; determine, based on analysis of at least one of the plurality of images, one or more indicators of an orientation of the host vehicle; and generate, based on the one or more indicators of orientation of the host vehicle and the road geometry model for the segment of road forward of the host vehicle, one or more output signals configured to cause a change in a pointing direction of a movable headlight onboard the host vehicle.

Section acquisition systems, methods, and programs acquire a scheduled travel route of a vehicle driven by at least one of an internal combustion engine or a motor. The systems, methods, and programs divide the scheduled travel route that is in a range of a predetermined distance from a current location into a plurality of sections such that a difference in traffic congestion degree is distinguished, and divide the scheduled travel route that is not in the range of the predetermined distance from the current location into a plurality of sections such that a difference in travel load is distinguished.

Systems and methods for an autonomous vehicle are provided. In one aspect, an autonomous vehicle includes a perception sensor and a processor configured to: receive detected roadway conditions data including roadway grade data from the perception sensor, retrieve mapped data having grade data, and determine that the roadway has a grade based on the detected roadway grade data and the retrieved roadway grade data. The processor can be further configured to, in response to determining that the roadway has a grade, determine that the grade of the roadway is greater than or equal to a predetermined high grade value and less than a predetermined grade limit, and in response to determining that the grade of the roadway is greater than or equal to the predetermined high grade value and less than the predetermined grade limit, operate the autonomous vehicle to change lane to a right-most lane.

According to an embodiment, an information processing apparatus includes a memory having computer executable components stored therein; and processing circuitry communicatively coupled to the memory, the processing circuitry configured to: acquire vehicle related information serving as information relating to a vehicle switchable between manual driving and automatic driving, the vehicle related information indicating information used for determining whether switching to the automatic driving is possible; determine whether each of one or more conditions to switch from the manual driving to the automatic driving is satisfied, based on the vehicle related information; and output information corresponding to an unsatisfied condition indicating a condition determined to be unsatisfied at the determining.