A vehicle apparatus used in a vehicle measures a first elapsed time after completion of a parking operation by which the vehicle is parked in a parking region, and prohibits movement of the vehicle to adjust the parking position when the first elapsed time reaches a first predetermined time before receipt of a instruction signal by the receiver Accordingly, it is possible to improve safety by preventing the vehicle from moving out of a parking position even if the moving part is erroneously operated when the predetermined time elapses after the completion of parking operation.

Examples of the present invention are directed to a method and system of recognizing a driving pattern of a vehicle. Driver input controlling the vehicle can be received and stored in association with various sensor information (e.g., GPS location, camera data, radar data, etc.) and a timestamp. Then, driving patterns can be recognized from the stored information. For example, preferred routes, destinations, driving speeds, driving styles, etc. can be recognized. The driving patterns can be used by automated driving or driving assistance systems to automatically drive on preferred routes or to preferred destinations.

A vehicle control system includes: an automated driving controller configured to execute automated driving in which at least one of acceleration/deceleration and steering of a vehicle is automatically controlled; and a mode setter configured to set a mode of the automated driving which is executed by the automated driving controller and to set the mode of automated driving to an exchangeable mode in which an occupant who sits in a driver seat is able to be exchanged when the automated driving is executed in a mode in which an occupant needs to sit in the driver seat of the vehicle and predetermined conditions have been satisfied. Accordingly, it is possible to enable smooth exchange of an occupant during automated driving.

An automated driving control part including a package determining part determining a driver assistance package packaging permissions for a plurality of driver assistance operations based on at least one of surrounding environment information, host vehicle information, and driver information, a package proposing part proposing to the driver to switch to a driver assistance package so as to obtain permissions for driver assistance operations permitted in the driver assistance package, a judging part judging if a driver has authorized switching to the driver assistance package proposed by the package proposing part, and a package content providing part providing information relating to the content of the driver assistance package authorized by the driver through the information providing device to the driver.

An apparatus includes a memory, and circuitry which, in operation, performs operations including, storing, in the memory, an object occurrence map defining an occurrence area where there is a possibility that an object appears, detecting the object included in a captured image of a scene seen in a running direction of a vehicle, switching a vehicle drive mode, based on a result of the detection of the object and the object occurrence map, from an automatic drive mode in which the vehicle is automatically driven to a manual drive mode in which the vehicle is driven manually by a driver, and controlling driving of the vehicle in the switched manual drive mode.

A method for navigating a vehicle automatically from a current location to a destination location without a human operator is disclosed. The method includes identifying a vehicle location using global positioning system (GPS) data regarding the vehicle. Also included is identifying that the vehicle location is near or at a parking location. Then, using mapping data defined for the parking location. The mapping data at least in part is used to find a path at the parking location to avoid a collision of the vehicle with at least one physical structure when the vehicle is automatically moved at the parking location. The method includes instructing the electronics of the vehicle to proceed with controlling the vehicle to automatically move from the current location to the destination location at the parking location. The electronics use as input at least part of the mapping data and sensor data collected from around the vehicle by at least two vehicle sensors. The path is configured to be updatable dynamically based on changes in the destination location or changes along the path. The destination location is a parking spot for the vehicle at the parking location.

Systems and methods for navigational map version management are disclosed. In one aspect, a map management server includes a processor and a computer-readable memory having stored thereon a navigational map including a plurality of units, each of the units covering an area and including a plurality of objects within or adjacent to roadways within the area. The processor is configured to receive update data for the navigational map, the update data including object data to update the navigational map. The processor is also configured to create a released version of the navigational map that includes one or more updated units. The processor is further configured to provide the released version of the navigational map to an autonomous vehicle.

A method of assisting an autonomous vehicle includes obtaining first surrounding area information of the vehicle when the vehicle is located at a first distance from a monitored area disposed ahead of the vehicle, providing a first control command for controlling the vehicle to operate in a first operating mode, by using the first surrounding area information, obtaining second surrounding area information of the vehicle when the vehicle has driven toward the monitored area and is located at a second distance less than the first distance from the monitored area, and providing a second control command for controlling the vehicle to operate in a second operating mode, by using the second surrounding area information.

Techniques are disclosed for performing hybrid simulation operations with an autonomous vehicle. A method of testing autonomous vehicle operations includes receiving, by a computer, a pre-configured scenario that includes one or more simulation parameters and one or more initial condition parameters, sending, to the autonomous vehicle and based on the one or more initial condition parameters, control signals that instruct the autonomous vehicle to operate at an operative condition, and in response to determining that the autonomous vehicle is operating at the operative condition, performing a simulation with the one or more simulated objects and the autonomous vehicle to test a response of the autonomous vehicle.

A vehicle configured to operate in an autonomous mode is provided. The vehicle is configured to obtain an indication of a final destination, and, if the final destination is not on a pre-approved road for travel by the vehicle, the vehicle is configured to determine a route from the vehicle's current location to an intermediary destination. The vehicle is further configured to determine a means for the vehicle user to reach the final destination from the intermediate destination.