A vehicle group control device includes: a first vehicle-to-vehicle distance estimation unit configured to estimate a first vehicle-to-vehicle distance which is a vehicle-to-vehicle distance between the first vehicle and the second vehicle; a second vehicle-to-vehicle distance recognition unit configured to recognize a second vehicle-to-vehicle distance which is a vehicle-to-vehicle distance between a reference interruption vehicle and the first vehicle; and the number of interruption vehicles estimation unit configured to estimate the number of interruption vehicles between the first vehicle and the second vehicle based on the first vehicle-to-vehicle distance and the second vehicle-to-vehicle distance.

A detection ECU detects, from an image captured by an in-vehicle camera, left and right lane markings defining an own lane which is a traffic lane in which an own vehicle is traveling, and performs following travel control to cause the own vehicle to travel following a preceding vehicle which travels ahead in the own lane defined by the detected lane markings. Furthermore, when determining that the measured inter-vehicular distance is shorter than a predetermined distance and at least one of the detected lane markings has become undetectable during execution of the following travel control, the detection ECU determines based on the estimated and calculated lane markings that the preceding vehicle has deviated to a traffic lane different from the own lane.

An inter-vehicle distance control device that achieves inter-vehicle distance control satisfying the driver includes a preceding vehicle velocity computation part that computes a preceding vehicle velocity on the basis of a host vehicle velocity and a relative velocity of the preceding vehicle, a target inter-vehicle setting art that sets a target inter-vehicle distance from the preceding vehicle on the basis of the preceding vehicle velocity, a target track generator that generates a target track and a target track differential, the target track defining a time history lasting until the initial value of the inter-vehicle distance reaches the target inter-vehicle distance, and a feedback controller that computes a feedback acceleration command by multiplying a deviation of the inter-vehicle distance from the target track and a deviation of the relative velocity from the target track differential value by a gain. The feedback acceleration command is output as an acceleration command.

A vehicle travel support system includes: an information acquisition device that uses a sensor to acquire surrounding situation information; and a vehicle travel control device that controls travel of a vehicle. When a lane change to an adjacent lane is necessary, the vehicle travel control device uses the surrounding situation information to determine whether or not there is a lane restriction item indicating that entry into the adjacent lane is restricted. When there is the lane restriction item, the vehicle travel control device sets a zone of the adjacent lane including a position of the lane restriction item and having a predetermined distance as a no-entry zone. The vehicle travel control device prohibits the lane change until the vehicle passes through a side of the no-entry zone and permits the lane change after the vehicle passes through the side of the no-entry zone.

An apparatus for controlling a transmission of a vehicle includes: a determination device that decides whether to perform a forward vehicle-based deceleration tracking control, based on information of the vehicle and a forward vehicle, when the vehicle starts to coast; a calculation device that calculates a target velocity and a target distance based on a position and a velocity of the forward vehicle, when the forward vehicle-based deceleration tracking control is decided to be performed; a gear position decision device that constructs deceleration profiles for respective gears and decides a final gear based on the target velocity and the target distance calculated; and a controller that controls the transmission based on the final gear.

An image processing system includes: an image acquiring unit that acquires an image picked up by a camera, the camera being provided in a vehicle; and a quality changing unit that performs a quality changing process of decreasing a quality of the image to equal to or lower than a predetermined standard, based on at least one of a vehicle position at a time when the image is picked up, a vehicle position at a time when the image is output to an external device or a display device, and requestor information that indicates a requestor of an output request of the image.

A vehicle speed control device includes: a parallel running vehicle detection sensor; and an electronic control unit configured to perform (i) cruise control, (ii) parallel running vehicle detection processing, (iii) blind zone avoidance control for controlling the speed of the vehicle such that the vehicle is moved to a position behind a blind zone of the parallel running vehicle when the parallel running vehicle is detected, (iv) blind zone getting-out determination processing for determining whether the vehicle can move to a position ahead of the blind zone by traveling according to the cruise condition, and (v) avoidance cancellation processing for prioritizing the control of the speed by the cruise control over the control of the speed by the blind zone avoidance control when it is determined by the blind zone getting-out determination processing that the vehicle can move to the position ahead of the blind zone.

Disclosed is a beam steering device capable of adjusting a reflection angle of incident light and reflecting the incident light to a desired location. Also disclosed is an optical apparatus configured to detect light reflected from an external object and to extract information with respect to the external object. The beam steering device includes: a substrate; an antenna layer disposed on the substrate; a dielectric layer covering the antenna layer; a refractive index changing layer disposed on the dielectric layer; and an electrode layer disposed on the refractive index changing layer.

Disclosed is a vehicle that may include a frame to support a power system, such as an engine, and one or more surface supports, such as one or more wheels, to support the frame. The engine may include an internal combustion engine and a fuel supply system therefore. The engine may provide power to drive the wheels.

Systems and methods use cameras to provide autonomous navigation features. In one implementation, a method for navigating a user vehicle may include acquiring, using at least one image capture device, a plurality of images of an area in a vicinity of the user vehicle; determining from the plurality of images a first lane constraint on a first side of the user vehicle and a second lane constraint on a second side of the user vehicle opposite to the first side of the user vehicle; enabling the user vehicle to pass a target vehicle if the target vehicle is determined to be in a lane different from the lane in which the user vehicle is traveling; and causing the user vehicle to abort the pass before completion of the pass, if the target vehicle is determined to be entering the lane in which the user vehicle is traveling.