A control device of a vehicle is provided. The device controls traveling of the vehicle such that the vehicle follows another vehicle based on information received from the other vehicle; and determines whether to allow the vehicle to start to follow another vehicle based on at least one of whether a user of the vehicle is inside the vehicle or an instruction from the user. The processor starts to follow another vehicle in a case where the travel control circuit is allowed to follow the other vehicle.

Aspects of the disclosure relate to parking behaviors and maneuvering a vehicle in an autonomous driving mode accordingly. For instance, a pullover location for the vehicle to stop and wait for a passenger may be identified. The vehicle may be maneuvered in the autonomous driving mode in order to pull over by pulling forward into the pullover location. Whether to maneuver the vehicle in reverse in the pullover location before or after the passenger enters the vehicle may be determined based on context for the pull over with respect to the passenger. The vehicle may be maneuvered in the autonomous driving mode in reverse based on the determination of whether to maneuver the vehicle in reverse in the pullover location before or after the passenger enters the vehicle.

A method is provided for optimizing the use of autonomous features of advanced driver assistance systems and the tracking thereof. For example, a vehicle may be equipped with several driver assistance systems in which a driver of the vehicle may be assisted. The vehicle may automatically change the number of active assistance systems or suggest to the driver one or more assistance systems to activate based on several factors, including poor driving on behalf of the driver or poor driving conditions due to weather or road quality. Statistics regarding the use of such advanced driver assistance systems may be monitored and tracked and stored on an onboard database or transmitted continuously or periodically to various entities. For example, the system may operate to allow an insurance company to track the driving performance and the use of the advanced driver assistance systems to update actuarial models to more accurately adjust rates.

An automated valet parking system, an automated valet parking method, an automated valet parking infrastructure, and a vehicle having an automated valet parking feature each enable an unmanned vehicle to autonomously move to and park in a designated parking spot by communicating with the infrastructure. An unmanned vehicle can autonomously move to a pickup area from a parking spot by communicating with the infrastructure.

An embodiment acceleration limit control method includes determining an acceleration limit based on information on a passenger, determining a disturbance torque due to a disturbance, other than a drive source of a vehicle, based on at least a slope, determining a torque limit satisfying the acceleration limit based on the disturbance torque, and determining an output torque to be generated by the drive source based on the torque limit and a driver's requested torque.

An image processing apparatus (10) includes a storage (13), a controller (14), and an output interface (15). The controller (14) detects an image of an object from a captured image. The controller (14) stores a newly detected state of the object by including the newly detected state in a state history of the object stored in the storage (13). The controller (14) determines an action of a moveable body (1) based on the state history stored in the storage. The output interface (15) outputs, to the moveable body, information with an instruction to perform the determined action of the moveable body (1).

Systems, methods, and apparatus related to dynamically adjusting sensing and/or processing resources of a vehicle. In one approach, sensor data is collected by sensing devices of the vehicle. A controller of the vehicle uses the sensor data to control one or more functions of the vehicle. The controller evaluates the sensor data to determine a context of operation (e.g., weather, lighting, and/or traffic) for the vehicle. Based on the context of operation, the controller adjusts the operation of one or more of the sensing or processing devices in real-time during operation of the vehicle. In one example, the adjustment reduces power consumption by the vehicle.

Provided is an automated valet parking system that automatically moves an autonomous driving vehicle to a pick-up space of a parking place by issuing an instruction to the autonomous driving vehicle parked in the parking place according to a pick-up request from a user. The system includes a user position determination unit configured to determine whether or not a user frontend of the user is located in a preset pick-up area or a preset near-pick-up area including the pick-up space, a pick-up request reception unit configured to receive the pick-up request when the user position determination unit determines that the user frontend is located in the pick-up area or the near-pick-up area, and a vehicle instruction unit configured to instruct the autonomous driving vehicle that is a target of the pick-up request to move to the pick-up space when the pick-up request reception unit receives the pick-up request.

A method for enabling a user to temporarily customize an operating characteristic of a first vehicle feature. The method includes temporarily customizing an operating characteristic of a first vehicle feature by means of the vehicle electronic control unit based on acquired personal information. The temporary customized operating characteristic of the first vehicle feature does not remain customized more than a single driving cycle.

A method for operating an autonomously operable motor vehicle comprising: receiving location data relating to a planned location of a motor vehicle; determining whether the motor vehicle is authorized to approach the planned location according to the location data by using at least one of the following: a) personal data about at least one person using the motor vehicle; b) a number of persons using the motor vehicle; c) load data about a load that is being or is to be transported by the motor vehicle.