A method for operating a speed control system of a vehicle having a plurality of wheels is provided. The method comprises receiving one or more electrical signals representative of vehicle-related information. The method further comprises determining, based on the one or more electrical signals representative of vehicle-related information, that one or more of the wheels of the vehicle have overcome an obstacle or are about to overcome an obstacle and that therefore a reduction in an applied drive torque to one or more of the wheels of the vehicle by a powertrain subsystem (applied drive torque) will be required to maintain the speed of the vehicle at a target set-speed of the speed control system. The method still further comprises automatically commanding the application of a retarding torque to one or more of the wheels of the vehicle to counteract the effect of an overrun condition in the powertrain subsystem from increasing the speed of the vehicle. A system for controlling the speed of a vehicle comprising an electronic control unit configured to perform the above-described methodology is also provided.

Aspects of the disclosure provide for generation of trajectories for a vehicle driving in an autonomous driving mode. For instance, information identifying a plurality of objects in the vehicle's environment and a confidence value for each of the objects is received. A set of constraints may be generated. That one or more processors are unable to solve for a trajectory given the set of constraints and an acceptable braking limit may be determined. A first constraint is identified as a constraint for which could not be solved and a first confidence value. That the vehicle should apply a maximum braking level is determined based on the identified first confidence value, a threshold, and the determination that the one or more processors are unable to solve for a trajectory. Based on the determination that the vehicle should apply the maximum braking level, the maximum braking level is applied.

A method of controlling the braking of a vehicle descending a slope. The method includes receiving one or more electrical signals each indicative of a value of a respective vehicle-related parameter. The method further includes detecting that the vehicle is descending a slope based on the value(s) of one or more of the vehicle-related parameters. The method still further includes automatically modifying an amount of brake torque being applied to at least certain of the wheels of the vehicle in response to the detection of the vehicle descending a slope by increasing the amount of brake torque being applied to one or more trailing wheels of the vehicle, and decreasing the amount of brake torque being applied to one or more leading wheels of the vehicle.

A method for avoiding false excitations of a slip control system comprises monitoring of a wheel speed signal for a predefined first monitoring time period for the start of a negative half-wave of an oscillation applied to a vehicle wheel, when a brake pressure gradient initiated by a brake start rises above a predetermined threshold. A ruck signal is derived from the wheel speed signal. An acceration signal is derived from the wheel speed signal during a predetermined second monitoring period. The wheel speed signal is monitored for a turning point of the ruck signal and a start of the acceleration signal. The oscillation imposed on the vehicle wheel is identified as a braking-induced vibration, and slip control is not carried out when the turning point of the ruck signal and the re-acceleration of the wheel are detected.

The invention relates to a method for improving the control behavior of an electronic motor vehicle braking system which comprises at least a slip control function. Wheel dynamic information which is evaluated as a criterion for initiating a control intervention is used individually for each wheel and is compared with control thresholds for a pressure reduction phase, a pressure maintenance phase, and a pressure buildup phase for generating corresponding braking torques by means of a vehicle braking system. According to the invention, the expected acceleration change of a vehicle wheel is calculated from a pressure change at said wheel, said pressure change being caused by a control intervention; the actual acceleration change at the vehicle wheel, said acceleration change being caused by the pressure change, is determined from measured wheel speeds as wheel dynamic information; and the control behavior of the slip control is adapted when the actual acceleration change deviates from the expected acceleration change by a defined degree such that the deviation is minimized.

An apparatus for braking a vehicle includes wheel brakes configured to generate a braking force on each of wheels, a first actuator for supplying a braking force to the wheel brakes by using a first motor and a first master cylinder, a second actuator for supplying a braking force to the wheel brakes by using a second motor and a second master cylinder, a first electronic control unit (ECU) for controlling the first actuator and determining normal or faulty operation of the first and second actuators, and a second electronic control unit (ECU) for controlling the second actuator and determining the normal or faulty operation of the first and second actuators. When the first ECU and the second ECU are determined to be normal, the first ECU controls to brake some of the wheel brakes, and the second ECU controls to brake a remainder of the wheel brakes.

Provided are methods, systems, devices, and tangible non-transitory computer readable media for mapping geographical surfaces. The disclosed technology can access image data and sensor data. The image data can include a plurality of images of one or more locations and semantic information associated with the one or more locations. The sensor data can include sensor information associated with detection of one or more surfaces at the one or more locations by one or more sensors. One or more irregular surfaces can be detected based at least in part on the image data and the sensor data. The one or more irregular surfaces can include the one or more surfaces associated with the image data and the sensor data that satisfies one or more irregular surface criteria at each of the one or more locations respectively. Map data including information associated with the one or more irregular surfaces can be generated.

The invention relates to a control system for controlling a torque generator of a vehicle. The control system is configured to receive one or more electrical signals indicative of a surface indicator; receive one or more electrical signals indicative of a deceleration demand; select a surface type from a plurality of predetermined surface types based on said one or more electrical signals indicative of a surface indicator; determine a target vehicle deceleration in dependence on the selected surface type; determine, based on said one or more electrical signals indicative of a deceleration demand, a requirement to decelerate the vehicle; and in dependence on determining said requirement, output a control signal to the torque generator. The control signal is configured to cause the torque generator to provide the target vehicle deceleration.

Aspects of the disclosure provide for generation of trajectories for a vehicle driving in an autonomous driving mode. For instance, information identifying a plurality of objects in the vehicle's environment and a confidence value for each of the objects is received. A set of constraints may be generated. That one or more processors are unable to solve for a trajectory given the set of constraints and an acceptable braking limit may be determined. A first constraint is identified as a constraint for which could not be solved and a first confidence value. That the vehicle should apply a maximum braking level is determined based on the identified first confidence value, a threshold, and the determination that the one or more processors are unable to solve for a trajectory. Based on the determination that the vehicle should apply the maximum braking level, the maximum braking level is applied.

A vehicle control system for a vehicle having a braking system and active suspension system is provided. The vehicle control system may be configured to adjust a normal component of a wheel force at one or more wheels of the vehicle to increase an average traction force at the one or more wheels during a braking event. The vehicle control system may adjust a normal component of a wheel force at one or more wheels based on reference road information, forward-looking road information, and/or vehicle sensor data.