A control device for a vehicle is provided. The control device includes an electronic control unit that is configured to: exert the torque of an input member on a fixed member and a rotating member such that the fixed member and the rotating member are separated from each other, when the thrust is exerted for making the engagement teeth mesh with each other; estimate an inclination angle of tooth surfaces based on a relative movement amount between the fixed member and the rotating member, and a relative rotational amount between the fixed member and the rotating member; estimate a frictional coefficient of the tooth surfaces based on the inclination angle; and control the thrust of the actuator according to the frictional coefficient.

A road surface friction coefficient estimation apparatus for a vehicle includes: a first estimator; a second estimator; and a third estimator. The first estimator estimates a first road surface friction coefficient on a basis of a vehicle information acquired from the vehicle. The second estimator estimates a second road surface friction coefficient on a basis of an external information acquired from an outside of the vehicle. The third estimator estimates a road surface friction coefficient from the first road surface friction coefficient and the second road surface friction coefficient on a basis of a first reliability degree and a second reliability degree, the first reliability degree indicating a reliability of the first road surface friction coefficient, the second reliability degree indicating a reliability of the second road surface friction coefficient.

A vehicle system includes a processor with access to a memory storing instructions executable by the processor. The instructions include determining whether an autonomous host vehicle can traverse an environmental obstacle, and if the autonomous host vehicle can traverse the environmental obstacle, controlling an active suspension system in accordance with the environmental obstacle and controlling the autonomous host vehicle to traverse the environmental obstacle.

A method for operating a motor vehicle having partial/full autonomous driving, having a plurality of wheels, a drive system for producing a drive torque at at least one of the wheels, and a brake system for producing at least one holding force for holding still at least one of the wheels, a rotational speed sensor being allocated to at least one of the wheels, which sensor produces a respective signal pulse for each of a plurality of positions of angular rotation of the associated wheel, a specifiable driving maneuver being performed as a function of the produced signal pulses. For a short path driving process starting from a standstill, the brake force is reduced until the rotational speed sensor produces a first signal pulse, and is then held at least temporarily constant until a specified number of signal pulses is produced, and subsequently is increased up to the holding force.

Systems and methods for controlling a vehicle's speed. The methods comprise: obtaining sensor data by an Aftermarket Electronic Controller (“AEC”) that was installed in the vehicle after the vehicle's sale to a consumer; processing by AEC the sensor data to determine if there is a Collision Risk (“CR”) of the vehicle colliding with a Possible Obstruction (“PO”); calculating by AEC an estimated time until PO and the vehicle will collide, when a determination is made that there is a CR; performing first operations by the AEC to transition the vehicle's operational state to a collision warning state in which a warning device is activated, when the estimate time is greater than a threshold value; and performing second operations by AEC to transition the vehicle's operational state to a collision avoidance state in which a speed retarder is engaged, when the estimated time is less than the threshold value.

A yaw rate estimation system for a vehicle includes a control receiving inputs indicative of (i) a first yaw rate determined by a yaw rate sensor of the vehicle, (ii) a second yaw rate derived from ABS wheel sensors of the vehicle, (iii) a third yaw rate derived from a lateral acceleration of the vehicle and (iv) a fourth yaw rate derived from a steering wheel angle, wheel angle and rate of change of steering wheel angle. The control is operable to process the inputs to estimate the yaw rate of the vehicle, with the estimated yaw rate derived from the inputs.

A drive and control system is disclosed for use on a zero turn vehicle having a pair of drive motors, an operator drive input capable of providing a drive signal corresponding to a desired drive status by an operator and an operator steering input capable of providing a steering signal corresponding to a desired steering of the vehicle. Sensors on the vehicle generate signals corresponding to roll, pitch and yaw. A stability control module includes a processor receiving the steering and drive inputs and provides output signals to the drive motors. Upon initialization of the vehicle, the processor determines initial orientation parameters from the sensors and determines if the input and steering are in neutral. When the drive input is not in neutral, and the steering is in neutral, the processor determines desired pitch, yaw and roll parameters. The processor receives additional sensor signals during operation to monitor pitch and roll of the vehicle and if a measured parameter exceeds the desired parameter, the processor will vary the output signals to the drive motors to provide a heading correction to the vehicle.

A system for controlling an electric vehicle is disclosed. The electric vehicle has a main power supply for propulsion of the vehicle and at least one brake power supply for at least one brake actuator. The system includes a propulsion control unit for controlling at least one propulsion actuator, and at least one brake control unit for controlling the at least one brake actuator. The propulsion control unit is further configured to control one or more propulsion actuators to perform a backup braking or a backup steering.

A driving force control system according to an embodiment of the present invention includes: an absolute bank angle detector configured to detect an absolute bank angle that is the absolute value of a vehicle's bank angle; a calculation circuit configured to calculate a relative bank angle that is the vehicle's relative angle with respect to a maximum absolute bank angle that is the maximum value of the absolute bank angle; and a controller configured to control driving force based on the relative bank angle.

A clutch control device is provided for a four-wheel drive vehicle for transmitting drive force to the rear wheels. The clutch control device includes a dog clutch and a friction clutch, and a controller that controls the engagement and disengagement of the dog clutch and the friction clutch. In this clutch control device, the four-wheel drive hybrid vehicle includes a disconnected, two-wheel drive mode and a connected, four-wheel drive mode. When a driver's foot is lifted off an accelerator in a low-speed region when the connected, four-wheel drive mode is selected, the 4WD control unit maintains the connected, four-wheel drive mode while the brakes are not depressed, and shifts the mode to the disconnected, two-wheel drive mode when the brakes are depressed.