A brake system for controlling the brake performance of a vehicle includes a brake, a control unit connected to one or more external condition sensors, and one or more brake performance sensors. The external condition sensors obtain parameters regarding conditions surrounding the vehicle, which are monitored by a driver assistance unit to estimate a probability value that the brakes should be applied to avoid a collision. The brake performance sensors obtain parameters regarding conditions of the brake. The control unit receives the obtained parameters from the external condition sensors and the estimated probability value and determines a surrounding threat level of the vehicle. The control unit receives the obtained parameters from the brake performance sensors and determines a brake performance level, and heats the at least one brake if the brake performance level is below a first level and the surrounding threat level is above a second level.

A pedal device includes a first link, a second link, and a return spring that biases the first link toward a standard position at which a pivot angle of the first link is zero. A ratio of a pivot angle of the second link to the pivot angle of the first link is maximum when the pivot angle of the first link is a reference angle. A target acceleration/deceleration of a vehicle is calculated so that in the range in which the pivot angle of the first link is smaller than the reference angle, a target deceleration of the vehicle increases as the pivot angle of the first link is smaller, and in the range in which the pivot angle of the first link is larger than the reference angle, a target acceleration of the vehicle increases as the pivot angle of the first link increases.

A control apparatus for an electric vehicle includes a first motor (traveling motor) for traveling, a battery (high-voltage battery), a second motor (generator motor) for electricity generation, an engine (rotary engine), a first controller (engine ECU), a second controller (motor ECU), and a sensor (voltage-current sensor). The second controller is configured to start the engine by causing the second motor to perform power running, cause the second motor to perform electricity generation driving such that the battery is charged, and adjust a stop position of the engine by causing the second motor to perform power running subsequently to a stop of the engine by the first controller in a case where a state of charge of the battery becomes high and the second motor finishes the electricity generation driving.

A braking system of an industrial vehicle includes an accumulator accumulating hydraulic oil, a hydraulic oil cooler cooling the hydraulic oil, an electromagnetic switch valve switching between an oil channel for the accumulator that allows supplying the hydraulic oil from a hydraulic pump to the accumulator and an oil channel for the hydraulic cooler that allows supplying the hydraulic oil from the hydraulic pump to the hydraulic oil cooler, and a controller controlling the electromagnetic switch valve to switch from the oil channel for the hydraulic cooler to the oil channel for the accumulator with timing of an increase after a drop in an engine speed when a cargo-handling operation is detected while an oil is at a setting pressure value or less and while the engine speed is at a setting engine speed or less.

A method of controlling energy regeneration for a mild hybrid vehicle, the mild hybrid vehicle including a mild hybrid starter generator (MHSG) that includes a rotor having a permanent magnet and an electromagnet, and engine that is connected to the MHSG for power transmission, may include determining whether a difference between an excitation current required to drive the MHSG and a desired amount of generated current is less than a predetermined reference value; and prohibiting regenerative braking when a difference between the excitation current required to drive the MHSG and the desired amount of generated current is less than the predetermined reference value.

A method and system for applying vehicle settings to a vehicle. The method and system include receiving a device identification (ID) from at least one of: a first portable device and a second portable device. The method and system additionally include identifying a user settings profile that is associated to the device ID. The method and system also include determining if the user settings profile has been updated since a last ignition cycle of the vehicle. The method and system further include applying the user settings profile to control a vehicle system, wherein the user settings profile is retrieved from at least one of: a central user settings data repository, a telematics unit of the vehicle, and a head unit of the vehicle.

A system and method to avoid collisions on highways, and to minimize the fatalities, injury, and damage when a collision is unavoidable. The system includes sensor means to detect other vehicles, and computing means to evaluate when a collision is imminent and to determine whether the collision is avoidable. If the collision is avoidable by a sequence of controlled accelerations and decelerations and steering, the system implements that sequence of actions automatically. If the collision is unavoidable, a different sequence is implemented to minimize the overall harm of the unavoidable collision. The system further includes indirect mitigation steps such as flashing the brake lights automatically. An optional post-collision strategy is implemented to prevent secondary collisions, particularly if the driver is incapacitated. Adjustment means enable the driver to set the type and timing of automatic interventions.

A system and method to avoid collisions on highways, and to minimize the fatalities, injury, and damage when a collision is unavoidable. The system includes sensor means to detect other vehicles, and computing means to evaluate when a collision is imminent and to determine whether the collision is avoidable. If the collision is avoidable by a sequence of controlled accelerations and decelerations and steering, the system implements that sequence of actions automatically. If the collision is unavoidable, a different sequence is implemented to minimize the overall harm of the unavoidable collision. The system further includes indirect mitigation steps such as flashing the brake lights automatically. An optional post-collision strategy is implemented to prevent secondary collisions, particularly if the driver is incapacitated. Adjustment means enable the driver to set the type and timing of automatic interventions.

Disclosed are systems and methods for autonomous vehicles and vehicles with automatic driver-assistance systems (ADAS) to automatically detect an imminent collision, determine whether the collision is avoidable or unavoidable, and plot a course minimizing the hazard using an artificial intelligence (AI) model. For example, a collision is avoidable if the vehicle can avoid it by steering, braking, and/or accelerating in a particular sequence. The AI model finds the best sequence for collision avoidance, and if that is not possible, it finds the best sequence for minimizing the harm. The harm is based on an estimated number of fatalities, injuries, and property damage predicted to be caused in the collision. The AI-based situation analysis and sequence selection are directly applicable to human-driven vehicles with an emergency-intervention ADAS system, as well as fully autonomous vehicles. With fast electronic reflexes and multi-sensor situation awareness, the AI model can save lives on the highway.

Most automatic driver-assistance systems, including allegedly autonomous driving systems, fail to react to certain hazard cues that human drivers instinctively notice. Chief among those cues is the sudden illumination of the brake lights in the vehicle ahead. Admittedly, it is difficult for software to discriminate between brake lights, turn signal lights, and running lightsbut that is what safety requires. Disclosed herein are methods and systems for processors on vehicles to interpret sensor images, detect brake lights ahead, and take proper avoidance action such as braking and swerving. The proper strategy may be decided according to the relative speed of the two vehicles and their distance apart when the brake lights come on, among other factors. With such foresighted collision mitigation capability, autonomous and semi-autonomous vehicles may be able to save many lives due to unnecessary collisions in traffic.