A vehicle control device includes: a first obtaining part obtaining gripping information indicating a driver of a vehicle is gripping a steering wheel; a second obtaining part obtaining operation information indicating the driver is performing a driving operation; a recognition part recognizing a road marking line of a lane traveled by the vehicle; and a support part providing a support so that the vehicle does not deviate from the road marking line when a deviation probability is greater than or equal to a predetermined degree. The support part delays an operation of the support when the gripping information is obtained and the operation information is not obtained, as compared with a case where the gripping information and the operation information are not obtained, and suppresses the operation of the support for a predetermined time when the operation information is obtained regardless of whether the gripping information is obtained.

A driving assistance method for assisting a power-intensive driving maneuver of a subject vehicle includes predicting the power-intensive driving maneuver of the subject vehicle, and determining whether driving maneuver criteria, which comprise at least one energy criterion and at least one traffic criterion, are satisfied for the predicted power-intensive driving maneuver. Determining if the at least one energy criterion is satisfied includes determining a peak power profile required for a full execution of the predicted power-intensive driving maneuver, determining an available drive power of the subject vehicle, and evaluating whether the available drive power is sufficient for the peak power profile, wherein the at least one energy criterion is satisfied if the available drive power is sufficient for the peak power profile. Determining if the at least one traffic criterion is satisfied includes detecting a traffic situation, which comprises at least one traffic condition and/or a route topology, in the surroundings of the subject vehicle, and evaluating whether the predicted power-intensive driving maneuver can be fully executed in the detected traffic situation, wherein the traffic criterion is satisfied if the predicted driving maneuver can be fully executed in detected traffic situation. The method further includes displaying a result of determining whether the driving maneuver criteria are satisfied for the predicted power-intensive driving maneuver.

A vehicle control apparatus executes a driving force limiting control when a mistaken operation condition is satisfied. The vehicle control apparatus determines that the mistaken operation condition is satisfied when a third condition is satisfied at a point in time when a second condition becomes satisfied, determines that the mistaken operation condition is not satisfied when the third condition is not satisfied at a point in time when the second condition becomes satisfied, the third condition becomes satisfied within a first time threshold since a first condition becomes satisfied, and a pressing condition is satisfied before the third condition becomes satisfied, and determines that the pressing condition is satisfied when an operation amount of an acceleration operator is greater than or equal to a positive second operation amount threshold, and an operation speed of the acceleration operator is greater than or equal to a positive second operation speed threshold.

The disclosure relates to a method for keeping a vehicle on a predetermined path. The method comprises receiving a driver pose information and classifying the driver pose information as normal or abnormal (S1). Alternatively or additionally, a driver attention information is received and classified as normal or abnormal (S1). Moreover, according to the method, a hand location information is received and evaluated (S2). Also a turn indicator status information is received and evaluated (S3). Subsequently, a path keeping measure is triggered (S5), if the driver pose information is classified as abnormal or if the driver attention information is classified as abnormal. Additional conditions are that the hand location information relates to less than two hands on the steering wheel, and that the turn indicator status information relates to a non-activated state of the turn indicators. Furthermore, a system for keeping a vehicle on a predetermined path is presented. Moreover, a corresponding computer program is explained.

A vehicular driving assistance system includes a plurality of sensors disposed at a vehicle and sensing respective regions exterior of the equipped vehicle. A plurality of microphones is disposed at the equipped vehicle and sense sounds emanating from exterior of the vehicle. An ECU, responsive to indication of an intended lane change of the equipped vehicle, and via processing of sensor data captured by at least one of the sensors, determines presence of another vehicle in an adjacent traffic lane. Responsive to determination of the presence of the other vehicle in the adjacent traffic lane, the ECU, via processing outputs of at least one microphone of the plurality of microphones, determines if the determined other vehicle is accelerating. Responsive to determination that the determined other vehicle is accelerating, the vehicular driving assistance system generates an alert to the driver of the equipped vehicle.

When a vehicle information acquisition unit continuously acquires an On signal of a blinker switch, when the absolute value of a steering angle of a handle is 90° or greater, and a vehicle speed is a threshold or greater, a dialogue confirmation unit of this vehicle communication device selects a dialogue that corresponds to the On signal, the steering angle, and the vehicle speed from dialogues of group A stored in a dialogue storage unit. Thereafter, when the steering angle or the vehicle speed changes, the dialogue confirmation unit selects the dialogue that corresponds to changes in the steering angle or the vehicle speed from among dialogues of group.

A method for avoiding a collision of a vehicle with a potential collision object includes defining a safety zone around the potential collision object. The safety zone is located outside a danger zone around the vehicle. The method further includes predicting a trajectory corridor which is covered by the vehicle along a future trajectory and during a certain time period and performing a safety measure on the vehicle in order to avoid a collision of the vehicle with the potential collision object. The safety measure is performed as a function of a geometric comparison of the predicted trajectory corridor with the defined safety zone.

A vehicle control method for executing a lane change of a subject vehicle includes acquiring surrounding information of the subject vehicle; specifying an entry position indicating a position of an entry destination of the subject vehicle, the entry position being located on a second lane adjacent to a first lane in which the subject vehicle is traveling; when operating a blinker, decelerating the subject vehicle, and executing a lane change; determining that there is a following vehicle which follows the subject vehicle in a predetermined area located behind the subject vehicle on a first lane; setting a preparation time longer than the preparation time when determining that there is not the following vehicle, the preparation time indicating a time from operating the blinker to decelerating the subject vehicle and starting the lane change; and controlling a travel position of the subject vehicle on the first lane within the preparation time.

In accordance with an exemplary embodiment, methods and systems are provided for controlling automatic overtake functionality for a host vehicle. In on such exemplary embodiment, a disclosed method includes: (i) obtaining, via a plurality of sensors, sensor data pertaining to the host vehicle and a roadway on which the host vehicle is traveling; (ii) determining, via a processor, when an automatic overtake is recommended, using the sensor data in conjunction with one or more threshold values; (iii) receiving driver inputs pertaining to the automatic overtake; and (iv) adjusting, via the processor, the one or more threshold values for the automatic overtake based on the driver inputs.

Systems and methods of utilizing badging for driver risk assessment are provided. Vehicle telematics data (e.g., speed data, acceleration data, braking data, cornering data, following distance data, turn signal data, seatbelt use data) associated with a vehicle operator may be analyzed. Based on the analysis, a trend of safe operation of the vehicle may be identified (e.g., based on a number of vehicle trips and/or a number of consecutive vehicle trips in which the vehicle telematics data indicates safe operation of the vehicle, a frequency of vehicle trips in which the vehicle telematics data indicates safe operation of the vehicle, a comparison to other drivers, etc.) A digital certificate indicating the trend of safe operation of the vehicle may be associated with the vehicle operator. In response to a third-party query regarding the vehicle operator, the digital certificate associated with the vehicle operator may be displayed to the third party.