This driving assistance device includes a braking control unit and a target speed determination unit. The braking control unit executes driving assistance control for adjusting the braking force to be applied to a vehicle by actuating a brake actuator such that the vehicle body speed does not exceed a target speed. In cases where the accelerator pedal is being operated in a state where the braking control unit is executing the driving assistance control, the target speed determination unit determines the target speed depending on the larger value of either: the vehicle body speed that is correlated with at least one of the wheel speeds of the plurality of wheels provided to the vehicle; or the lower speed limit value that has been set.

A method for operating a motor vehicle, which is equipped with a plurality of wheels and with a plurality of electric machines. Each electric machine can be coupled to at least one wheel and be operated in a plurality of operating modes. The respective electric machines perform rotations in a first engine operating mode in a first direction of rotations. Electric energy is converted to mechanical energy. The at least one wheel is rotated in a forward direction, whereby the vehicle is driven with the at least one wheel. The respective electric machines perform rotations in a second generator operating mode in a second direction of rotations, which is opposite to the first direction of rotations, whereby electric energy is converted to mechanical energy.

A method for controlling a force representative of a parking braking of a vehicle, having the steps of: determining, by a data processing unit, a target value of a force representative of a parking braking of the vehicle to be applied, by a first brake caliper, on a first brake disc on the basis of a value of the gradient of the road on which the vehicle is located; determining, by the data processing unit, a value of a first force contribution representative of a service braking of the vehicle applied by a first hydraulic actuator on the first brake disc; determining, by the data processing unit, a value of a second force contribution representative of the parking braking of the vehicle to be applied, by a second electromechanical actuator, on the first brake disc on the basis of a target value of a force representative of a parking braking of the vehicle which can be applied by the first brake caliper on the first brake disc, and of the determined value of the first force contribution representative of a service braking of the vehicle; operating, by the data processing unit, the second electromechanical actuator to apply the determined value of the second force contribution representative of the parking braking of the vehicle on the first brake disc.

A system for determining a regenerative braking mode (regen mode) of a LDC to determine an entrance into the regen mode or a release from the regen mode among driving modes of the LDC includes a vehicle speed calculating device that detects a driving speed of a vehicle and outputs information on the detected driving speed, an inclination sensing device that detects an inclination of a road on which the vehicle is driving and outputs information on the detected inclination, and a processor that determines the entrance into the regen mode and the release from the regen mode, based on the driving speed of the vehicle and the inclination of the road at a time point that a high-voltage battery is fully charged.

A vehicle speed control system for a vehicle having a plurality of wheels, the vehicle speed control system comprising one or more electronic control units configured to carry out a method that includes applying torque to at least one of the plurality of wheels, detecting a slip event between any one or more of the wheels and the ground over which the vehicle is travelling when the vehicle is in motion and providing a slip detection output signal in the event thereof. The method carried out by the one or more electronic control units further includes receiving a user input of a target speed at which the vehicle is intended to travel and maintaining the vehicle at the target speed independently of the slip detection output signal by adjusting the amount of torque applied to the at least one of the plurality of wheels.

A method for braking a vehicle to a stop on a sloping section of a roadway wherein a slope inclination of the roadway section, a vehicle speed, an acceleration, and a vehicle brake operation status of the vehicle are continuously ascertained. The slope inclination of the roadway section and the vehicle brake operation status are compared with predetermined threshold values. The method includes activating a braking torque, continuously determined based on the slope inclination, the driving speed, and the acceleration when the instantaneous slope inclination of the roadway section reaches or exceeds the predetermined threshold value for a sloping section and the vehicle brake operation status lies within a predetermined range or value. The braking torque being independent of the vehicle brake operation status.

A vehicle comprising a power train, a drive train, a solar array, a sensor interface, a storage device and a processing device. The sensor interface may be configured to receive sensor data samples during operation of the vehicle. The storage device may be configured to store the sensor data samples over a number of points in time. The processing device may be configured to (i) analyze the sensor data samples stored in the storage device to detect a pattern, (ii) monitor an amount of solar power converted using the solar array, (iii) determine an energy usage for traveling a route based on the pattern and (iv) adjust an amount of power applied to the power train in response to the energy usage for traveling the route. The amount of power applied to the power train may be adjusted in response to the amount of solar power.

A vehicle comprising a power train, a drive train, a sensor interface, a storage device and a processing device. The sensor interface may be configured to receive sensor data samples during operation of a vehicle. The storage device may be configured to store the sensor data samples over a number of points in time. The processing device may be configured to (i) analyze the sensor data samples stored in the storage device to detect a pattern, (ii) monitor operational parameters of the vehicle based on the pattern and (iii) determine an efficient speed to travel a route in response to the operational parameters. An amount of power corresponding to the efficient speed is applied to the power train.

A vehicle comprising a drive train, an internal combustion engine, a sensor interface, a storage device and a processing device. The sensor interface may be configured to receive sensor data samples during operation of a vehicle. The storage device may be configured to store the sensor data samples over a number of points in time. The processing device may be configured to (i) analyze the sensor data samples stored in the storage device to detect a pattern and (ii) manage fuel supplied to the internal combustion engine in response to (a) current conditions and (b) operational parameters of the vehicle. The pattern is used to determine the current conditions. The fuel supplied to the internal combustion engine is managed to enable efficient fuel usage.

Described herein are devices, systems, and methods for managing the power consumption of an automotive vehicle, and thereby for optimizing the power consumption of the vehicle. The devices and systems for managing the power consumption of the vehicle typically include power management logic that can calculate an applied power for the vehicle engine based on information provided from the external environment of the vehicle, the operational status of the vehicle, one or more command inputs from a driver, and one or more operational parameters of the vehicle.