A method for controlling a semi-autonomous vehicle modifies a current path for the vehicle desired by a driver of the vehicle. The current path starts at a current position of the vehicle and ends in a target position of the vehicle and the method modifies the current path while preserving the current position and the target position of the vehicle in the modified path. The method overrides the actions of the driver to control a movement of the vehicle according to the modified path.

A control device to control operations of a plurality of pieces of equipment used in a vehicle includes a search processing unit and an operation target guessing unit. The search processing unit searches, using a search term inputted by a user, for control contents associated with the search term among a plurality of control contents executable by the plurality of pieces of equipment used in the vehicle. The operation target guessing unit guesses, based on the state of the screen currently displayed on a display device, operation target equipment that the user intends to operate. The control device then sorts search results obtained by the searching processing unit in descending order of the degree of relevance to the operation target equipment and has the sorted search results displayed.

A vehicle assistance control apparatus includes: an obstacle detection unit that detects a prescribed obstacle in the periphery of a vehicle; a vehicle speed detection unit that detects a speed of the vehicle; an accelerator operation detection unit that detects presence of an accelerator operation; a drive power restriction unit that detects, when the prescribed obstacle is detected, a drive power that is to be generated in the vehicle by an accelerator operation performed by a driver, compared to when the prescribed obstacle is not detected; and a cancellation unit that enables cancellation of the restriction of the drive power by the drive power restriction unit, when the speed is equal to or lower than a prescribed value and when a state where the accelerator operation detection unit detects that the accelerator operation is not being performed has continued for a prescribed period of time or longer.

A vehicle comprises a hybrid powertrain includes an electric machine coupled between an automatic gearbox and an engine. The vehicle includes paddle shifters configured to output a driver requested gear change. The hybrid powertrain is configured to selectively operate in an economy mode that optimizes fuel economy. While operating in the economy mode, a controller may selectively inhibit the driver requested gear change when the change may negatively impact fuel economy. In the economy mode, the driver requested gear change may be inhibited during a demand for braking. If the driver requested gear change is a downshift request, the downshift is inhibited and simulated using electric machine torque.

System, methods, and other embodiments described herein relate to emulating vehicle dynamics. In one embodiment, a method for emulating vehicle dynamics in a vehicle having a plurality of wheels and equipped with all-wheel steering, includes receiving emulation settings that indicate one or more environment parameters and/or vehicle parameters, detecting driver inputs including at least steering input and throttle input, executing a simulation model that receives the driver inputs and emulation settings, simulates the vehicle operating based on the driver inputs and the emulation settings, and outputs one or more simulated states of the vehicle based on the simulated operation of the vehicle, determining one or more actuation commands for each wheel of the vehicle to cause the vehicle to emulate the one or more simulated states, and executing the one or more actuation commands, wherein the actuation commands include at least wheel angle commands and torque commands.

A vehicle control device includes the following components. An action plan generating unit generates an action plan of a vehicle. An automated driving control unit carries out a first driving mode in which at least one of acceleration/deceleration and steering of the vehicle is automatically controlled based on the action plan. An operation device accepts an operation performed by an occupant of the vehicle. A handover control unit instructs shifting to a second driving mode, in which the degree of automated driving is lower than in the first driving mode, when the occupant operates the operation device to instruct one or both of acceleration/deceleration and steering in the first driving mode. A restraint control unit generates an estimated path of the vehicle to be taken based on the operation and restrains shifting to the second driving mode if the estimated path contradicts the action plan.

A vehicle control system includes the following components. An automated driving control unit carries out a first driving mode in which at least one of acceleration/deceleration and steering of a vehicle is automatically controlled. An operation device receives an operation performed by an occupant of the vehicle. A handover control unit instructs shifting to a second driving mode, in which the degree of automated driving is lower than in the first driving mode, when the occupant of the vehicle operates the operation device to instruct one of or both of acceleration/deceleration and steering of the vehicle in the first driving mode. A drive control unit performs acceleration based on an acceleration operation if speed of the vehicle to be achieved as a result of acceleration based on the acceleration operation does not exceed a threshold dependent on a steering angle of the vehicle.

An acceleration/deceleration erroneous operation determination device improves determination accuracy on whether or not a driver is erroneously performing an accelerator operation instead of a brake operation. A pedal opening degree by a driver and a continuation time for which the pedal opening degree is greater than an opening degree threshold value are detected. When the continuation time exceeds a time threshold value, it is determined that the driver is erroneously performing an accelerator operation instead of a brake operation. A vehicle speed of a vehicle, a rising gradient of a road surface, and an accelerator operation time operated by the driver are detected. The opening degree threshold value is made variable in accordance with the vehicle speed, the rising gradient, and the operation time. The time threshold value is made variable in accordance with the vehicle speed, the rising gradient, and the operation time.

The present invention relates to a method for collision avoidance for a host vehicle, the method comprising: detecting a target in the vicinity of the vehicle; determining that the host vehicle is travelling on a collision course with the target; detecting a user initiated steering action for steering the vehicle towards one side of the target; determining a degree of understeering of the host vehicle; when the degree of understeering exceeds a first understeering threshold, controlling a steering control system of the vehicle to counteract the user initiated steering action to thereby reduce the degree of understeering. The invention further relates to an evasive steering system.

Systems and methods are provided for vehicle navigation. In one implementation, a system may comprise an interface to obtain sensing data of an environment of the host vehicle. The processing device may be configured to determine a planned navigational action; identify, a target vehicle in the environment of the host vehicle; predict a distance between the host vehicle and the target vehicle if the planned navigational action was taken; determine a current host vehicle stopping distance based on a braking capability, acceleration capability, and speed of the host vehicle; determine a current target vehicle braking distance based on a speed and braking capability of the target vehicle; and implement the planned navigational action when the predicted distance of the planned navigational action is greater than a minimum safe longitudinal distance calculated based on the current host vehicle stopping distance and the current target vehicle braking distance.