Systems and methods of using a common control scheme to autonomously control a vehicle during semi-autonomous and fully autonomous driving modes are provided. In particular, embodiments of the presently disclosed technology incorporate reference tracking for driving input and vehicle state into this common control scheme. In some embodiments, this common control scheme may be implemented using Model Predictive Control (“MPC”).

An alertness level that is the consciousness level of the driver of a vehicle is determined, and the timing of a manual driving return request notification is controlled in accordance with the alertness level. A data processing unit determines the alertness level of the driver of the vehicle, and records evaluation data. The data processing unit acquires observation information about the driver, determines the alertness level of the driver, and evaluates and records the return rate at each time. The vehicle is a vehicle capable of switching between automatic driving and manual driving, and the data processing unit controls the timing of a manual driving return request notification for the driver's return from automatic driving to manual driving, in accordance with the alertness level of the driver. The observation information to be acquired by the data processing unit includes observation information about the driver both before and after the driver gets in the vehicle. For example, passive monitoring, information about the driver's response to a notification, and the like are observed.

A vehicle guidance system provides a driving function for automated longitudinal guidance of a vehicle. The vehicle guidance system is designed to determine data relating to a first signaling unit located ahead in the travel direction of the vehicle. Furthermore, the vehicle guidance system is designed to operate the driving function in an automatic mode or in a manual mode at the first signaling unit depending upon the data relating to the first signaling unit, and in the automated longitudinal guidance of the vehicle the first signaling unit is taken into account automatically in the automatic mode, and in the manual mode only after confirmation by a user.

An alertness level that is the consciousness level of the driver of a vehicle is determined, and the timing of a manual driving return request notification is controlled in accordance with the alertness level. A data processing unit determines the alertness level of the driver of the vehicle, and records evaluation data. The data processing unit acquires observation information about the driver, determines the alertness level of the driver, and evaluates and records the return rate at each time. The vehicle is a vehicle capable of switching between automatic driving and manual driving, and the data processing unit controls the timing of a manual driving return request notification for the driver's return from automatic driving to manual driving, in accordance with the alertness level of the driver. The observation information to be acquired by the data processing unit includes observation information about the driver both before and after the driver gets in the vehicle. For example, passive monitoring, information about the driver's response to a notification, and the like are observed.

A vehicle control apparatus includes a communication unit, a display, and a processor. The communication unit can establish communication with an external apparatus. The processor can control the display to activate a graphic object of a content on the basis of communication reliability between the external apparatus and the communication unit.

A travel control method for a vehicle is provided, which includes autonomous steering control for autonomously controlling the steering of the vehicle. The travel control method includes: setting a plurality of cancellation thresholds corresponding to respective travel scenes, the cancellation thresholds being used for canceling the autonomous steering control and transitioning to the driver's manual operation; detecting a travel scene of the vehicle during execution of the autonomous steering control; extracting a cancellation threshold corresponding to the detected travel scene from among the plurality of set cancellation thresholds; and determining, based on the extracted cancellation threshold, whether or not to cancel the autonomous steering control and transition to the driver's manual operation.

A content player calculates control duration during which control at a current control level continues, the current control level being one of a plurality of control levels of a travel control unit that controls travel of a vehicle; selects a piece of content such that time required for playback is shorter than the control duration, from among a plurality of pieces of content; and plays back the selected piece of content by an output device mounted on the vehicle when travel of the vehicle is controlled at the current control level.

A system and method for detecting a hands-off state of a steering wheel may include acquiring, by a controller, a steering torque, a steering angle and a steering angular speed while driving of a vehicle, determining, by the controller, a variance value of the steering angular speed through cumulation for a designated time, determining, by the controller, a difference value between a steering angular speed estimated through a steering system model determined on an assumption that the steering wheel is in the hands-off state and a measured steering angular speed through cumulation for a designated time, when the variance value of the steering angular speed is less than a first threshold value, and divisionally determining, by the controller, whether or not the steering wheel is in the hands-off state or in the hands-on state according to the difference value between the measured and estimated steering angular speeds.

In a case where a first control device performs traveling control, an abnormality occurs in a first control target, and an abnormality further occurs in a first control target or a second control target, a vehicle control system executes the following processes: (A) in a case where no abnormality occurs in a first control target required for the traveling control, the first control device continues the traveling control; (B) in a case where an abnormality occurs in the first control target required for the traveling control and no abnormality occurs in the second control target required for the traveling control, the second control device executes the traveling control; and (C) in a case where an abnormality occurs in the first control target required for the traveling control and an abnormality occurs in the second control target required for the traveling control, the traveling control is limited.

An autonomous driving assistance device includes a manual driving control section, an autonomous driving control section, and a travelling condition determining section. If it is detected that there is a malfunction in a first sensor during control of the autonomous driving of the vehicle, the autonomous driving control section executes emergency autonomous driving until a predetermined condition is satisfied while changing, based on the determined travelling condition, a driving manner of an emergency autonomous driving as compared with a driving manner of the autonomous driving executed before no malfunctions are detected in the first sensor; and after the emergency autonomous driving is terminated, the autonomous driving assistance device being configured to selectively execute one of: causing the autonomous driving control section to stop the vehicle; and causing the manual driving control section to control the manual driving.