A lane change support device includes a control unit configured to execute lane change control for enabling a vehicle to automatically change lanes from a lane in which the vehicle is traveling to an adjacent lane. The control unit counts a holding time for which an operation part that is operated to a predetermined operation position to start the lane change control is continuously held at the operation position, starts the lane change control when the counted holding time reaches a predetermined threshold time, and calculates a proficiency level of a driver of the vehicle for an operation of the lane change support device during execution of the lane change control and sets the threshold time to be used for a successive lane change control based on the proficiency level.

An apparatus includes at least one camera configured to capture an image of a traffic lane in front of a vehicle. The apparatus also includes a path tracking controller configured to detect lane boundaries and a path curvature for the traffic lane from the image, determine a lateral offset of the vehicle from a reference path for the traffic lane and a heading offset for the vehicle from the path curvature, determine a yaw rate maintaining the vehicle within the traffic lane using a kinematics control, determine a steering angle maintaining the vehicle within the traffic lane using a dynamics control and the yaw rate determined by the kinematics control, and activate a steering control based on the determined steering angle.

A driving force control system for a hybrid vehicle for reducing a required time to launch the hybrid vehicle after selecting a reverse range while maintaining a driving force. The control system is configured to change an engine start threshold to restrict a startup of the engine upon satisfaction of a restricting condition, in which a low mode is established by a transmission mechanism, and a reverse drive range is selected.

A system and method of controlling components of a vehicle are disclosed. The method includes the steps of sensing a current position of a rear closure panel with a closure panel position sensor, sensing a speed of the vehicle with a speed sensor, and sensing a current environmental condition with an environmental precipitation sensor. The method also includes adjusting a degree of openness of at least one window as a result of the closure panel position sensor indicating that the rear closure panel is in an open position, the speed sensor indicating that a speed of the vehicle is greater than zero kilometers per hour (kph), and the current environmental condition that is indicated by the environmental precipitation sensor.

There is provided a method for preventing car collision, the method comprising: obtaining information about a vehicle stopped in front of a preceding vehicle acquired by the preceding vehicle; calculating a deceleration amount for preventing a collision with the stopped vehicle based on the information about the stopped vehicle; predicting a preset event related to the preceding vehicle based on a change in the position of the preceding vehicle; and controlling an autonomous driving vehicle based on the deceleration amount according to a prediction result.

A lane departure avoidance device includes a control unit that executes a lane departure prevention control by at least one of automatically turning a turning wheel and issuing an alarm, when it is determined that there is a possibility that a vehicle crosses a lane border and a driver has no intention of performing a lane departure, and that suspends executing the lane departure prevention control, when it is determined that there is a possibility that the vehicle crosses the lane border and the driver intentions to perform the lane departure. The control unit continues to suspend executing the lane departure prevention control, when it is determined that there is another lane border on a side that the vehicle approaches and that a distance from the vehicle to the other lane border is a reference distance or more, in a situation where executing the lane departure prevention control is suspended.

Various aspects of a system and method for driving assistance along a path are disclosed herein. In accordance with an embodiment, a unique identifier is received from a communication device at an electronic control unit (ECU) of a first vehicle. The unique identifier is received when the first vehicle has reached a first location along a first portion of the path. A communication channel is established between the first vehicle and the communication device based on the received unique identifier. Data associated with a second portion of the path is received by the ECU from the communication device based on the established communication channel. Alert information associated with the second portion of the path is generated by the ECU based on the received data.

An information processing apparatus includes: a point group data acquisition unit configured to acquire, based on information from a sensor configured to detect an object existing in surroundings of a vehicle, point group data related to a plurality of points representing the object; a movement amount estimation unit configured to estimate a movement amount of the vehicle; a storage unit configured to store, as a point group map recorded in association with position information including a latitude and a longitude, relative positions of the plurality of points relative to a first reference position that is a place on a travel path of the vehicle; and a position estimation unit configured to estimate a position of the vehicle based on the point group map, the point group data, and the movement amount.

The invention concerns a method for operating a brake back-up system (8) of a motor vehicle (2), with the steps: (S100) Reading in operating data (BD) of the motor vehicle (2), (S200) Evaluating the read-in operating data (BD) to identify malfunctions of a braking system of the motor vehicle (2), and (S300) Providing at least one actuation signal (AS, AS′) to influence components of a drive train of the motor vehicle (2).

A method for operating a drive-train of a vehicle, such as a municipal or agricultural utility vehicle, having at least one drive machine, a vehicle transmission with at least two gears, at least one drive axle and at least one auxiliary power take-off. The method includes controlling or regulating a supply of normal power from the drive machine as a function of a normal torque characteristic. Depending on the operating situation, supplying additional power to the at least one drive axle and/or to the at least one auxiliary power take-off. The supplied additional power is controlled or regulated as a function of operating situation dependent torque characteristics which are called up as a function of the selected gear at the time.