A device and a method for controlling vehicle speed in a vehicle equipped with brake cruise control when the vehicle is travelling downhill are provided. The method involves driving a vehicle downhill with the brake set speed set to a first brake set speed; detecting a current vehicle speed; automatically applying a brake torque using at least an auxiliary brake to maintain the first brake set speed; and detecting a manual application of a vehicle service brake, in order to decrease vehicle speed. If a control unit detects that the driver is applying the service brake, then the control unit is automatically arranged to set the brake set speed to a second brake set speed that is lower than the first brake set speed; and to apply a brake torque using at least the auxiliary brake if a detected current vehicle speed exceeds the second brake set speed.

A bicycle braking system includes a server, a portable device such as a smartphone, a display unit, a control unit, a power supply unit, a rotating electrical machine, and a bicycle. The portable device includes an image display unit, a braking condition transmitting unit, and a braking condition setting unit. The control unit regeneratively brakes the bicycle using the rotating electrical machine in accordance with the braking condition set by the braking condition setting unit. The braking system enables a non-user to set braking conditions for the bicycle and to perform braking based on the conditions set by the non-user.

A riving assistance apparatus includes a sound wave control unit acquiring information of a reflected wave from a distance measuring unit, the distance measuring unit transmitting a sound wave towards a travelling direction of a vehicle and receiving the reflected wave of the sound wave reflected from an object, an information acquisition unit acquiring temperature information in surroundings of the vehicle, and a determination unit determining that a road surface in the travelling direction of the vehicle is a frozen road surface by determining that the distance measuring unit receives the reflected wave including a signal strength equal to or greater than a predetermined value from a predetermined distance or more, based on the information of the reflected wave in a state where a temperature based on the temperature information is smaller than a predetermined temperature.

A passive infra-red pedestrian and animal detection and avoidance system and method for augmenting the operation of a vehicle on a roadway, especially for identifying potential pedestrian/vehicular and/or animal/vehicular collision danger for the vehicle in operation and adjusting the position and operation of the vehicle accordingly, includes at least one passive infra-red sensor array mounted on the vehicle in operative communication with an image processor tied into the operational system of the vehicle. The system detects, using thermal imaging and processing, the presence of people or animals that may be in or laterally crossing into the travel lane of the vehicle. The image processor analyzes the detection of a human thermal signature and/or an animal thermal signature, and determines if the detected thermal signature is moving, in what direction and at what speed, to assess any potential threat to the pedestrian, biker or occupant of the vehicle, and further whether any responsive action needs to be triggered in the vehicle's operation to avoid a collision.

A brake control device for vehicles with bar handle includes: a wheel speed obtaining unit obtaining a speed of a wheel; an estimated vehicle body speed setting unit setting an estimated vehicle body speed; a control unit performing fluid pressure control to raise, reduce or hold a brake fluid pressure; and a bank angle obtaining unit obtaining a bank angle. The estimated vehicle body setting unit sets a limit value of a change amount when the estimated vehicle body speed decreases at a time of braking of the vehicle, and sets the estimated vehicle body speed based on the limit value when a deceleration amount of the speed of the wheel on a braked side is larger than the limit value, and the estimated vehicle body speed setting unit corrects the limit value so that the change amount decreases as the obtained bank angle increases.

A method for monitoring an implementation of an assistance braking specification, requested in an automated fashion by a brake system in a vehicle includes: detecting whether an assistance braking specification which is requested in an automated fashion is present; detecting an actual dynamics variable, the actual dynamics variable including wheel dynamics of at least one wheel of the vehicle and/or of a trailer, the actual dynamics variable being assigned to a wheel which is to be braked as a result of the assistance braking specification which is requested in an automated fashion; determining a reference dynamics variable, the reference dynamics variable including driving dynamics of the vehicle and/or of the trailer; and comparing the actual dynamics variable with the reference dynamics variable. When an assistance braking specification is present: a faultfree implementation of the assistance braking specification which is requested is detected if the actual dynamics variable deviates.

A brake controller system includes a trailer mounted brake controller and a towing vehicle mounted brake controller, where the controllers exchange signals and data via a communication network so that braking actions of each of the trailer and the towing vehicle can be coordinated based on current driving statuses of the other, and where the trailer mounted brake controller includes a first interface receiving trailer status signals from sensors of the trailer; a second interface for receiving towing vehicle status signals, relating to a status of the towing vehicle and/or its mounted controller, from sensors and/or controllers in the towing vehicle; a third interface for transmitting brake control signals to brakes of the trailer; and a signal processor for generating the brake control signals based on the trailer and towing vehicle status signals.

A braking controller and method in a towing vehicle towing one or more towed vehicles as a combination vehicle provides brake control of the one or more towed vehicles based on a level of braking force applied to the towing vehicle. A non-enhanced braking mode applies a first level of braking force to the towed vehicles in a predetermined reduced proportion relative to the level of braking force applied to the towing vehicle, and an enhanced braking mode applies a second level of braking force to the towed vehicles greater than the first level of braking force. A controller deceleration command input receives a deceleration command signal which is compared against predetermined threshold deceleration rate value or against a current deceleration value being executed by the combination vehicle and, based on a result of the comparisons, either the enhanced or the non-enhanced braking modes are implemented by the controller.

A controller and a control method of a motorcycle brake system capable of meeting requests of downsizing, cost cut, simplification, and the like, and a motorcycle brake system including such a controller are obtained.

In the controller and the control method of the motorcycle brake system and the motorcycle brake system according to the invention, a positive gradient G that corresponds to a lean angle A obtained during turning of a motorcycle is set, and, when an initiation reference is satisfied, a braking force suppression operation to increase braking forces, which are generated by wheel braking mechanisms, in the positive gradient G is initiated.

Provided is a vehicle braking control device applicable to a vehicle equipped with an electric-powered parking braking device, a hydraulic braking device and a regenerative braking device. The braking control device comprises a first braking control unit and a second braking control unit. When a parking braking operation is performed while the vehicle is travelling, the first braking control unit implements a first braking process which increases the braking force to the vehicle by operating the hydraulic braking device. When the braking force to the vehicle needs to be increased in a situation where the first braking process is being implemented, the second braking control unit implements a second braking process which increases the braking force to the vehicle by operating the regenerative braking device.