A vehicle control system configured to control a braking operation of a hitch ball to a coupler on a trailer. The system may comprise a vehicle brake control system, a maneuvering system, an image sensor configured to capture an image data, and a velocity sensor. The system may also comprise a vehicle mass sensor configured to detect a vehicle mass and a controller. The controller may be configured to control the maneuvering system of the vehicle along a vehicle path. The controller may also identify a coupler distance based on the image data depicting a coupler of the trailer. The controller may also calculate a stopping distance for the braking operation based on a plurality of braking parameters, wherein the braking parameters comprise the velocity, the brake pressure, and the vehicle mass.

Methods and apparatus are provided for assisted deceleration based trailer braking. The apparatus includes a trailer brake controller for applying a trailer brake in response to a brake control signal, a wheel speed sensor, an accelerometer for determining an acceleration, and a trailer controller for generating the brake control signal in response to a change in the acceleration indicating a negative value, the trailer controller further operative to couple the brake control signal to the trailer brake controller.

Methods, systems, devices and apparatuses for a pedal gain adjustment system. The pedal gain adjustment system includes a user input device configured to receive user input data indicating a desired pedal setting of the vehicle, and an electronic control unit (ECU) coupled to the user input device. The ECU is configured to determine the vehicle is operating in a tow mode, receive the user input data via the user input device, and adjust the pedal gain based on the user input data.

An autonomous vehicle (AV) includes features that allows the AV to comply with applicable regulations and statutes for performing safe driving operation. An example method includes detecting that a group of motorcycles is operating on a roadway on which the AV is located. The group of motorcycles are each located within a pre-determined distance away from one another. The method further includes determining an aggregate footprint area that surrounds respective locations of the group of motorcycles. The method further includes causing navigation of the autonomous vehicle that avoids penetration of the aggregate footprint area based on transmitting navigation instructions to one or more subsystems of the autonomous vehicle.

An example method includes detecting, via sensor data collected from sensors located on the AV, an upcoming object located on a roadway. The method further includes determining, from the sensor data, a relative distance and a relative direction of the upcoming object with respect to the autonomous vehicle. The method further includes mapping the upcoming object to an absolute location with respect to the roadway based on map data that describes upcoming topology of the roadway and a location of the autonomous vehicle. The method further includes associating the upcoming object with a lane of the roadway based on the absolute location mapped to the upcoming object and based on lane geometry data for the roadway. The method further includes operating the autonomous vehicle based on a relationship between the lane associated with the upcoming object and a current lane in which the autonomous vehicle is located.

An autonomous vehicle (AV) includes features that allows the AV to perform safe driving operations. An example method includes detecting that a motorcycle is operating on a roadway on which the autonomous vehicle is located. The method further includes classifying a behavior state of the motorcycle based on a location of the motorcycle relative to a split zone that extends between and into two adjacent lanes of the roadway. The behavior state indicates whether the motorcycle is lane splitting. The method further includes determining, based on the behavior state of the motorcycle, a lane permission parameter that controls whether a given trajectory for the autonomous vehicle can extend into one of the two adjacent lanes. The method further includes causing the autonomous vehicle to operate in accordance with a trajectory that satisfies the lane permission parameter based on transmitting instructions related to the trajectory to subsystems of the autonomous vehicle.

A through the road (TTR) hybridization strategy is proposed to facilitate introduction of hybrid electric vehicle technology in a significant portion of current and expected trucking fleets. In some cases, the technologies can be retrofitted onto an existing vehicle (e.g., a truck, a tractor unit, a trailer, a tractor-trailer configuration, at a tandem, etc.). In some cases, the technologies can be built into new vehicles. In some cases, one vehicle may be built or retrofitted to operate in tandem with another and provide the hybridization benefits contemplated herein. By supplementing motive forces delivered through a primary drivetrain and fuel-fed engine with supplemental torque delivered at one or more electrically-powered drive axles, improvements in overall fuel efficiency and performance may be delivered, typically without significant redesign of existing components and systems that have been proven in the trucking industry.

A through the road (TTR) hybridization strategy is proposed to facilitate introduction of hybrid electric vehicle technology in a significant portion of current and expected trucking fleets. In some cases, the technologies can be retrofitted onto an existing vehicle (e.g., a trailer, a tractor-trailer configuration, etc.). In some cases, the technologies can be built into new vehicles. In some cases, one vehicle may be built or retrofitted to operate in tandem with another and provide the hybridization benefits contemplated herein. By supplementing motive forces delivered through a primary drivetrain and fuel-fed engine with supplemental torque delivered at one or more electrically-powered drive axles, improvements in overall fuel efficiency and performance may be delivered, typically without significant redesign of existing components and systems that have been proven in the trucking industry.

According to a method for assisting reverse driving of a combination (1), an actual value for a hitch angle of the combination (1) is determined by a computing unit (6) depending on sensor data generated by a hitch angle sensor. A hitch length of a trailer (3), given by a distance between a trailer body (11) and a hitch (7) of a vehicle (2), is determined depending on environmental sensor data of the combination (1). A collision value for the hitch angle is determined by the computing unit (6) depending on the hitch length, and the safety measure is triggered by the computing unit (6) depending on the actual value and the collision value for the hitch angle.

A method for ascertaining a spatial orientation of a trailer of an autonomously driving towing vehicle with trailer. The method includes the steps of reading in image data of at least one rear-facing camera, assigning image points of the image data to the trailer or to the vehicle surrounding environment, ascertaining a rear trailer edge or at least one point of the rear trailer contour from the image points assigned to the trailer, and determining the trailer angle as a function of image coordinates of the trailer edge or of the point, the dimensions of the trailer, and the position of the camera relative to the support point of the trailer.