An apparatus for controlling a four-wheel drive vehicle includes a tire friction circle calculator that calculates the size of a tire friction circle of each wheel on the basis of vehicle information including a tire vertical load, a resultant force calculator that calculates the magnitude of a resultant force of tire lateral and longitudinal forces for each wheel, a tire-friction-force usage rate calculator that calculates a tire-friction-force usage rate of each wheel that is the ratio of the magnitude of the resultant force to the size of the tire friction circle, and a driving-braking force adjustment controller that adjusts driving force or braking force applied to each wheel. When the tire-friction-force usage rate of any wheel exceeds a predetermined threshold of less than one, the driving-braking force adjustment controller restrains an increase in the driving force or the braking force of the wheel while increasing the driving force or the braking force of at least one of the other wheels that is selected on the basis of driving operation information indicative of the state of a driving operation by a driver.

Systems and methods for coordinating and controlling vehicles, for example heavy trucks, to follow closely behind each other, or linking to form a platoon. In one aspect, on-board controllers in each vehicle interact with vehicular sensors to monitor and control, for example, relative distance, relative acceleration or deceleration, and speed. In some aspects, a lead vehicle can wirelessly transmit information from various electronic control units (ECUs) to ECUs in a rear vehicle. A rear vehicle can then apply transformations to the information to account for a desired following distance and a time offset. ECUs onboard the rear vehicle may then be controlled based on the ECUs of the lead vehicle, the desired following distance, and the time offset.

The present disclosure relates to a method of controlling operation of an articulated vehicle combination (AVC), the AVC comprising a tractor unit comprising a primary prime mover for propulsion of the AVC, a first trailer unit coupled to the tractor unit by a first articulated coupling, a dolly comprising a secondary prime mover, the dolly being coupled to the first trailer unit by a second articulated coupling, and a second trailer unit coupled to the dolly by a third articulated coupling, the method comprising determining at least one property indicative of a stability of the AVC; comparing the property with a predetermined property specific range; and controlling the secondary prime mover to generate a propulsion torque for the AVC when the property is within the predetermined property specific range.

A number of illustrative variations may include a system including brake-to-steer algorithms may achieve lateral control of a vehicle without longitudinal compensation but may also force a vehicle to slow down too rapidly before appropriate lateral movement can be achieved and may deliver an unnatural driving experience for vehicle occupants. A more natural feeling deceleration may be achieved by optimally selecting appropriate transmission shifts to allow for optimal engine speed or electric motor speed and torque based on current vehicle speed thereby reducing undesirably longitudinal disturbance.

Method for updating at least one vehicle model parameter and at least one tire parameter in at least one chassis control unit of a vehicle, based on tire sensor information collected by a tire sensor placed on a tire. The method includes the steps of: collecting tire sensor information; updating the at least one vehicle model parameter based on updating at least one tire parameter, updating one tire parameter being based on the tire sensor information.

A method generates a setpoint for controlling a steering system and a differential braking system of a motor vehicle. The method includes: acquiring a value relating to a total yawing moment to be applied to the motor vehicle such that it follows a required path, and the speed of the motor vehicle, calculating, as a function of the speed, at least one threshold relating to the maximum proportion of the total yawing moment that the steering system or that the differential braking system can provide, determining, as a function of the threshold, a distribution rate relating to the proportion of the total yawing moment that the steering system or that the differential braking system must provide, and generating a setpoint for controlling the steering system and the differential braking system as a function of the distribution rate and of the value relating to the total yawing moment.

An acceleration slip regulation method and device for a four-wheel drive electric vehicle are disclosed. The method comprises the following steps: detecting wheel speeds of four wheels of an electric vehicle and a depth of depression of an accelerator pedal; estimating a vehicle speed of the electric vehicle according to the wheel speeds of the four wheels, determining a road condition at the location of the electric vehicle according to the wheel speeds of the four wheels and the vehicle speed, and acquiring a required torque of the electric vehicle according to the depth of depression of the accelerator pedal, wherein the road condition comprising a low adhesion starting road, a joint road, and a bisectional road; and performing acceleration slip regulation on the four wheels respectively according to the road condition and the required torque. The control method can ensure that the wheels do not slip, the electric vehicle does not undergo lateral displacement and a yaw rate is kept within a certain range after the electric vehicle activates acceleration slip. The control method can maximize the use of ground adhesion to improve the escape capability of the electric vehicle.

A hybrid electric vehicle having one or more controllers, at least two independently driven electric machines (EMs) that are each coupled to separate drive wheels, and controllers configured to generate a torque split ratio responsive to lateral acceleration and/or unequal friction coefficients detected during braking, and to generate electric power with the motors by regeneratively braking each wheel with unequal torques adjusted by the ratio, such that combined wheel braking torques do not exceed a total braking torque limit for the vehicle. In some configurations, the controller(s) generate the torque split ratio by a predetermined lookup table that maps a plurality of torque split ratios to lateral accelerations, the coefficients, and other parameters. Further arrangements include the controller(s) coupled with sensors that detect wheel slip and yaw rate, and responsive to a braking signal, the controller(s) disengage regenerative braking when the wheel slip and/or vehicle yaw are detected.

A method for determining a driving resistance of a target vehicle may include determining a vehicle deceleration of a reference vehicle, measuring a vehicle deceleration of a target vehicle, and determining a ratio thereof and providing a correction factor to normalize the determined ratio to a predetermined other starting velocity.

This driving assist apparatus for a vehicle sets target wheel speed of an inside rear wheel in turning to substantially zero when a state of a center differential apparatus is a locked state in a case where the vehicle is turned in an extremely low speed traveling control. Further, the apparatus sets target wheel speed of each of wheels other than the inside rear wheel in turning such that a mean value of target wheel speeds of front wheels is equal to a mean value of target wheel speeds of rear wheels and the mean value of target wheel speeds of front wheels is equal to target vehicle body speed. Furthermore, the apparatus adjusts driving force and braking force such that wheel speed of each of the wheels becomes equal to the target wheel speed set for each of the wheels.