A system for comparing driver intent and a gear setting of a vehicle comprises a driver monitoring system including at least one driver monitoring sensor configured to capture attributes of the driver indicative of driver intent regarding an intended direction of travel. The system also comprises an evaluation processor configured to access driver data from the driver monitoring system. The evaluation processor is also configured to generate a mismatch signal in response to determining a mismatch between the driver intent and a gear setting of the vehicle. The evaluation processor may also be configured to control braking and/or acceleration of the vehicle in response to determining a mismatch between the driver intent and a gear setting of the vehicle. The system may also use data regarding an object within a threshold distance from a front or a rear of the vehicle, and/or a requested acceleration above a threshold amount.

A hybrid electric vehicle including: (a) an engagement device disposed between an engine and an electric motor; (b) a transmission disposed between the electric motor and drive wheels; (c) an electric storage device configured to supply an electric power to the electric motor; and (d) a control apparatus. When the engine is to be started, the engagement device is engaged to transmit a torque from the electric motor to the engine, for thereby starting the engine. The control apparatus is configured to inhibit stop of the engine, when an outputtable electric power outputtable from the electric storage device is not larger than a threshold value. The threshold value is not smaller than a start-case-required electric power that is required to start the engine, such that a difference value between the threshold value and the start-case-required electric power is not larger than a predetermined value.

A vehicle includes an inverter, a pump, a buck converter, and a controller. The inverter has an input connected to a battery and an output connected to an electric machine. The inverter is configured to convert power between DC electrical power at the input and AC electrical power at the output. The pump is configured to circulate lubricating fluid within a transmission. The buck converter is configured to deliver DC electrical power from the inverter to the pump. The controller is programmed to, in response to the electric machine delivering AC electrical power to the inverter during a towing condition of the vehicle while the vehicle is shutdown, operate the buck converter to power the pump.

A method for measuring a slope angle of a vehicle includes, by a controller: determining whether or not a speed of the vehicle is 0 based on a speed signal received from a vehicle speed sensor of the vehicle; measuring an extremal value measured first, an extremal value measured second, and an extremal value measured third among extremal values of an output signal of an acceleration sensor detecting a signal corresponding to the slope angle of the vehicle when the speed of the vehicle is 0; verifying whether or not the measured three extremal values satisfy conditions of the extremal values based on reference conditions of each of the extremal values; estimating a steady state value of the output signal of the acceleration sensor, based on the extremal values measured first and second among the verified three extremal values and a dynamic characteristic parameter of the vehicle or based on the verified three extremal values; and converting the steady state value into the slope angle of the vehicle. The output signal of the acceleration sensor has a damped free vibration waveform.

A driver assistance system for automated longitudinal guidance of a motor vehicle includes a sensor system configured to identify an upcoming traffic scene, including locating road users situated ahead of the motor vehicle; and a control unit. The control unit is configured to carry out an automated longitudinal guidance of the motor vehicle depending on the upcoming traffic scene such that, in response to detecting that the upcoming traffic scene is a following-travel standstill situation, the motor vehicle is braked to a standstill at a target stopping distance from a road user situated ahead and identified as a target object. The control unit is also configured to detect a manual request to reduce the predefined target stopping distance. The control unit is further configured to reduce the target stopping distance to a reduced target stopping distance on the basis of the request.

A parking assistance system executes a process to measure the parking space by a sensor prior to carrying out an automated parking maneuver and to detect the parking space type from a plurality of detectable parking space types using specific criteria on the basis of the measurement of the parking space. The plurality of parking space types includes a longitudinal parking space type, in which a vehicle can park longitudinally, a transverse parking space type, in which a vehicle can park transversely, and a universal parking space type in which the vehicle can park both longitudinally as well as transversely. In the event that the parking space has been detected as a universal parking space type, the parking assistance system provides the driver with the choice to select a parking direction, namely whether the parking assistance system is to park longitudinally or transversely into the parking space. The parking assistance system parks the vehicle into the parking space longitudinally or transversely according to the selection of the driver, wherein the parking trajectory depends on the selection of the driver.

Methods and systems for operating a torque converter clutch of an automatic transmission are presented. In one non-limiting example, the torque converter clutch is closed to provide a threshold torque capacity during a vehicle launch. If an engine torque request is less than the threshold torque capacity, the torque converter clutch remains closed.

A parking interlock system and method for a vehicle is provided. The system includes: a safety state information detecting unit, configured to detect safety state information of the vehicle; an operating state information detecting unit, configured to detect operating state information of the vehicle; a brake; a motor; a low voltage controller, connected to the safety state information detecting unit and the brake respectively, and configured to generate a safety state judgment result based on the safety state information of the vehicle; and a motor controller, connected to the safety state information detecting unit and the motor respectively, and configured to control the motor according to the safety state judgment result received from the low voltage controller, and to send the operating state information of the vehicle to the low voltage controller such that the low voltage controller controls the brake according to the operating state information.

A driver assistance system for a motor vehicle for automated driving with automated longitudinal guidance, wherein when automated longitudinal guidance is active in an automatic mode, automated longitudinal guidance is brought about taking into account a predefinable setpoint speed. The system includes a first detection unit, configured to detect a defined stationary state situation which is set on the basis of a preceding automated braking process of the motor vehicle to the stationary state, a second detection unit, configured to detect accelerator pedal activation, and an evaluation and control unit, configured to actuate a manual mode when actuator pedal activation is detected during a defined stationary state situation.

A vehicle controller applies a braking force to wheels using a hydraulic braking force generating mechanism and sets a vehicle driving torque, which is generated by an engine, to a second torque which is smaller than a first torque in a normal state, when a switch is switched to an ON state in a state in which a vehicle is traveling and an accelerator is turned on. Then vehicle stops, the vehicle controller implements an EPB mechanical operating state using a mechanical parking brake mechanism. When the switch is switched to an OFF sate, the vehicle controller maintains the EPB mechanical operating state until an accelerator pedal operating level reaches “0,” and maintains the vehicle driving torque at the second torque. Then the accelerator pedal operating level reaches “0”, the EPB mechanical operating state is released and the vehicle driving torque is returned to the first torque.