A drive device for a PTO shaft includes a parking switch to detect a parking state of a vehicle body, a permission switch constituted of a self-returning switch and connected to the parking switch, the permission switch being configured to be switched to permit driving a PTO shaft, the PTO shaft being configured to be driven by a power of a prime mover disposed on the vehicle body, and a first switch device to be switched to enable the PTO shaft to be driven when the permission switch is switched to permit driving the PTO shaft under a state where the parking switch detects the parking state of the vehicle body.

A vehicle engine start/stop control method includes shifting an automatic transmission to a park or neutral position and auto-stopping the engine in response the automatic transmission being in the park or neutral position for a predetermined period of time that begins with a shift of the automatic transmission to the park or neutral position.

An autonomous driving control apparatus for a vehicle includes: a processor that determines whether a current driving condition of the vehicle is a limit situation during an autonomous driving control, performs a demand for control authority transition to a user during the autonomous driving control when the current driving condition is the limit situation, and starts a minimum risk maneuver to transmit a signal for disabling reactivation of the autonomous driving control when control authority is not transferred to the user; and a storage to store a set of instructions and driving condition data to be used by the processor. In particular, the processor demands for engagement of an electronic parking brake device when the vehicle is stopped after the minimum risk maneuver ends.

Methods are provided for checking the actuating accuracy of a clutch arranged in a force flow between a fixable shaft and an electric machine of an electric or hybrid motor vehicle when at a standstill. One method includes: fixing the shaft, setting a defined setpoint torque on the clutch to be checked, continuously ramping up the electric machine up until the first slipping of the clutch, comparing the achieved torque of the electric machine with the setpoint torque preset on the clutch. Another method includes: fixing the shaft, ramping up the electric machine to a defined rotational speed, setting a defined setpoint torque on the clutch to be checked, comparing the torque of the electric machine needed to maintain a constant rotational speed with the setpoint torque set on the clutch.

The invention provides a system (10) for a motor vehicle (100) that receives drive demand information (161S) indicative of an amount of drive demanded of a powertrain (129) of the vehicle (100), and controls an amount of drive torque applied by the powertrain (129) to one or more road wheels (111, 112, 114, 115) in dependence on the drive demand information (116S). The system also receives gradient information (11GS) relating to the driving surface and vehicle speed information (Sv). The control system, in dependence on the gradient and speed information, automatically causes a braking system (12d) to apply brake force to one or more of the wheels (111, 112, 114, 115) to prevent vehicle rollback, and adjusts the amount of brake force applied in dependence on the drive demand information (161S) to cause the amount of brake force applied to increase progressively as the amount of drive demand decreases.

In response to driver selection of PARK, a vehicle transmission is commanded to momentarily select and hold NEUTRAL before PARK, while a vehicle wheel brake is applied. Such an arrangement avoids trapping torque in the driveline, and thus can obviate pawl ‘thump’ when PARK is next disengaged.

A park brake system for adjusting a tension in a brake cable that is coupled to a park brake. The park brake system can include a driver that is communicatively coupled to a microcontroller, and an actuator that is rotatably displaceable by operation of the driver. An equalizer assembly can be linearly displaced along the rotating actuator to adjust a tension in the brake cable. The microcontroller can monitor a current being drawn by the driver as the driver is operated, and generate instructions to cease operation of the driver upon the current reaching a predetermined current threshold that corresponds a maximum force that is to be applied by the park brake. The microcontroller can also, when the park brake is being released from a set position, count pulses outputted by an encoder in connection with determining whether the park brake has reached a running clearance position.

A vehicle engine activation control system includes a starter connected to a battery; an idle stop control unit configured to automatically stop an engine and automatically reactivate the engine by the starter; an input unit configured to generate an operation request in response to input from a driver; an electric parking brake device including an electric motor connected to the battery, wherein the electric motor starts driving in response to the operation request; and a mediating unit configured to prohibit the reactivation of the engine by the idle stop control unit, when the electric motor is in a driving state in response to a predetermined operation request.

The intent to exit a vehicle when a driver attempts to exit a vehicle is detected by an exit intent detection unit, and regardless of whether or not the shift range other than the parking range is detected by a shift range detection unit, a securing control unit controls a vehicle securing unit and secures the vehicle when an intent to secure is detected by a securing intent detection unit. Thus, unintended vehicle movement after exiting is suppressed by securing the vehicle in a stopped state during exiting.

A transmission system for a hybrid electric vehicle includes a planetary gear mechanism, a gear, a parking lock mechanism, and a resistance imposing device. A parking meshing member of the parking lock mechanism acts so as to switch between a first state where a claw is in mesh with a parking gear and a second state where the claw is out of mesh with the parking gear. The resistance imposing device includes a resistance imposing member configured to impose a rotational resistance on the parking gear or a third rotating element of the planetary gear by coming in contact with the parking gear or the third rotating element. The resistance imposing device is configured to operate the resistance imposing member such that a larger rotational resistance is imposed on the third rotating element in the first state than in the second state.