A system and method for controlling a transmission gear shift during a braking event in a vehicle having an electric motor and friction brakes both operable to brake the vehicle includes the step of reducing friction braking to increase wheel torque during the braking event. The braking event includes both friction braking and regenerative braking The reduction in friction braking to increase the wheel torque is based at least in part on a reduction in the wheel torque resulting from a change in gear ratio of a step-ratio transmission during the transmission gear shift.

In a control device for a limited slip differential that limits a differential operation of front and rear wheels of a four-wheel-drive vehicle having mounted thereon a vehicle behavior control device that controls a braking force, an ECU that controls a torque coupling as the limited slip differential includes: a differential limiting force calculating device that calculates target torque of the torque coupling based on a vehicle traveling state; a differential limiting force correcting device that makes a correction to reduce the target torque based on a command from the vehicle behavior control device; and a thermal load calculating device that calculates a thermal load of the torque coupling. The differential limiting force correcting device limits the correction of the target torque based on the command from the vehicle behavior control device, when the thermal load of the torque coupling is equal to or larger than a predetermined value.

Techniques are disclosed to increase the safety of vehicles travelling in a vehicle platoon. These techniques include the utilization of a comprehensive safety framework such as a safety driving model (SDM) for the platoon control systems. In contrast to the conventional approaches, the use of the SDM model allows for platoon vehicle control systems to consider the acceleration/deceleration capabilities of the vehicles to calculate minimum safe longitudinal distances between the platoon vehicles. The disclosed techniques may utilize the periodicity of platoon messages as well as other parameters to improve upon platoon vehicle control and safety.

When a start switch is operated, and a vehicle is running, and a system of a vehicle is in an activated state, ECU executes a program including the steps of determining whether or not a brake is in an on-state, and shifting the system of the vehicle to a stopped state when the brake is in the on-state while an operation duration is equal to or greater than a threshold value Tc (0), or when the brake is in the off-state while the operation duration Tc is equal to or greater than a threshold value Tc (1) greater than threshold value Tc (0).

Systems and methods for a drive axle. The drive axle system, in one example, includes a displacement sensor coupled to a pinion input flange and configured to generate axial displacement data corresponding to the pinion input flange, where the pinion input flange is directly coupled to an angled pinion gear. The drive axle system further includes a controller configured to determine a torque at the pinion input flange based on the axial displacement data.

The present disclosure relates to a method for operating a vehicle based on wheel torque. According to a first aspect, this disclosure proposes a method for operating a vehicle comprising a drivetrain. The method comprises determining, based on angular positions of one or more shafts of the drivetrain at different points along the drivetrain, a windup of the one or more shafts. The method further comprises estimating a wheel torque of one or more wheels arranged on a driven wheel axle of the vehicle based on the determined windup and a stiffness constant representing characteristics of the one or more shafts in-between the different points and using the estimated wheel torque while operating the vehicle. The disclosure also relates to corresponding sensor arrangement and computer program, and to a vehicle comprising the sensor arrangement.

A drive apparatus for a vehicle, including: an engine; first through third electric motors; a differential mechanism; a first drive shaft for driving front wheels; a second drive shaft for driving rear wheels; and a processor. The differential mechanism includes first through third rotary elements. The engine and the first electric motor are connected to the first rotary element. The second electric motor is connected to the second rotary element. The first drive shaft is connected to the third rotary element. The third electric motor is connected to the second drive shaft. When the vehicle is in a predetermined driving state, the processor is configured to cause the first electric motor to generate a positive torque, cause the second electric motor to generate a reaction torque and cause the third electric motor to generate the positive torque.

A method of operating a vehicle includes receiving brake sensor data indicative of measured actuator outputs of a decentralized brake system's brake actuators. For each brake actuator, a vehicle controller calculates: a normalized corner output using the measured actuator output and a commanded target output for that brake actuator, and a weighted average using the normalized corner output of that brake actuator and a vehicle-calibrated weight value determined from the vehicle's current speed and steering angle. The controller calculates an actuator error percentage as an absolute value of a mathematical difference between the weighted averages of the brake actuators, and detects an actuator fault when the actuator error percentage exceeds a vehicle-calibrated fault deviation threshold determined from the vehicle's current speed and steering angle. Responsive to the error percentage exceeding the fault deviation threshold, the controller commands the brake system to execute a brake action to remediate the actuator fault.