A driving change control device in a vehicle equipped with an autonomous driving function for performing a driving operation on behalf of a driver and controlling an exchange of the driving operation between the autonomous driving function and the driver includes: a section setting unit that sets a change execution section where a driving change from the autonomous driving function to the driver is performed; and a parameter adjustment unit that changes a travel control parameter referred to by the autonomous driving function in a switching section before the change execution section, to adjust a traveling state of the vehicle to be a state with a driving load lower than a driving load before arrival at the switching section.

A method for operating a vehicle that includes: generating, by at least one processor, a start trigger signal based on first driving situation information; in response to the start trigger signal, performing, by the at least one processor, a storage operation that stores in at least one memory (i) driving manipulation data that is generated based on user input from a user of the vehicle, and (ii) navigation data that is generated corresponding to the driving manipulation data; generating, by the at least one processor, an end trigger signal based on second driving situation information; and in response to the end trigger signal, stopping, by the at least one processor, the storage operation that stores the driving manipulation data and the navigation data is disclosed.

An autonomous driving control device is capable of starting an autonomous driving control without an operation of a driver and reducing a possibility that the driver can not start manual driving. An autonomous driving control is switched to manual driving when a determination section determines that the amount of operation by the driver is equal to or greater than a first threshold, before a predetermined time elapses since the autonomous driving control is automatically started. An autonomous driving control is switched to a manual driving when the determination section determines that the amount of operation by the driver is equal to or greater than a second threshold that is greater than the first threshold, after the predetermined time elapses.

A parking assistance device includes: an obstacle detection unit that detects an obstacle; a separated distance determination unit that determines a separated distance between the obstacles when a plurality of the obstacles are detected; a target position determination unit that determines a target position in a guidance route; a route calculation unit that calculates the guidance route; and a control unit that guides a vehicle in accordance with the guidance route, wherein, when a second obstacle is detected in a second direction orthogonal to a first direction in which one or plurality of first obstacles extends or are lined up while being separated from each other and at a position separated from the first direction, the separated distance determination unit determines the separated distance between the first and second obstacles.

A method for parking a motor vehicle curbside by means of an apparatus, wherein, in a predetermined parking area, a height of a curb is detected by a first detection device of the apparatus, a profile of wheel pulses of a respective wheel sensor of at least one wheel is detected during a driving maneuver for curb parking in the predetermined parking area, and a crossing of the curb edge by the at least one wheel is detected by a second detection device of the apparatus. During the crossing of the curb edge, a correction measure for an odometry module of the apparatus is carried out as a function of the height of the curb.

An autonomous vehicle includes processor circuitry to control a lateral position of the autonomous vehicle during autonomous driving at least based on a default lateral position and a user interface arranged to receive an input indicative of an off-set of the lateral position from a user of the autonomous driving vehicle, wherein the processor circuitry is arranged to receive, from the user interface, information regarding the off-set of the lateral position of the autonomous driving vehicle during driving in the lateral position, calculate a maximum right and a maximum left off-set of the lateral position, calculate a dynamic off-set value based on the received off-set and the maximum right and the maximum left off-set, adjust the lateral position based on the off-set information, and control the lateral position at least based on the dynamic off-set value and the default lateral position of the autonomous driving vehicle.

A method for controlling a vehicle includes: determining whether map data for a first geographic section is stored in memory; and based on the map data having been stored: generating, through an object detection device and when the vehicle drives through the first geographic section by user control, first object information regarding vehicle surroundings; and storing first map data based on the first object information. The method further includes: based on the first map data having been stored, generating, based on the stored first map data, a driving route and driving control information for the first geographic section; generating, through the object detection device and when the vehicle drives along the driving route through the first geographic section, second object information regarding vehicle surroundings; and updating and storing the first map data based on the second object information.

An autonomous driving control device is capable of starting an autonomous driving control without an operation of a driver and reducing a possibility that the driver can not start manual driving. An autonomous driving control is switched to manual driving when a determination section determines that the amount of operation by the driver is equal to or greater than a first threshold, before a predetermined time elapses since the autonomous driving control is automatically started. An autonomous driving control is switched to a manual driving when the determination section determines that the amount of operation by the driver is equal to or greater than a second threshold that is greater than the first threshold, after the predetermined time elapses.

A vehicle travel assist device includes a control device that controls travel of a vehicle, and a memory device in which travel state information of the vehicle is stored. The control device executes vehicle guidance control that guides the vehicle to a target stop position based on the travel state information. During the vehicle guidance control, the control devices executes driving force increase control that increases a driving force such that a wheel of the vehicle climbs over a difference-in-level. The control device variably sets an increase rate of the driving force in the driving force increase control according to a remaining distance to the target stop position. The increase rate in a case where the remaining distance is a first distance is higher than the increase rate in a case where the remaining distance is a second distance shorter than the first distance.

Systems and methods navigate a vehicle on a road at least partially covered with snow. In one implementation, a system may include at least one processor programmed to receive from an image capture device, a plurality of images captured of an environment forward of the vehicle, including an area where snow covers a road on which the vehicle travels, analyze at least one of the plurality of images to identify a first free space boundary on a first side of the vehicle and extending forward of the vehicle, a second free space boundary on a passenger side of the vehicle and extending forward of the vehicle, and a forward free space boundary forward of the vehicle and extending between the first free space boundary and the second free space boundary.