A method of managing wheel slip in a vehicle. The vehicle has a frame, an internal combustion engine, front and rear wheels operatively connected to the engine, a throttle valve for controlling a supply of air to the engine, a steering assembly operatively connected to at least the front wheels for steering the vehicle, and an unassisted continuously variable transmission (CVT) operatively connecting the front wheels and the rear wheels to the engine. The method includes: determining a sensed deceleration of the vehicle; comparing the sensed deceleration of the vehicle to a threshold deceleration; and increasing a torque output of the engine from a current engine torque output value to an increased engine torque output value when the sensed deceleration of the vehicle is greater than the threshold deceleration. A method for managing wheel slip in accordance with a drive mode of the vehicle is also disclosed.

A vehicle includes front suspension assemblies; rear suspension assemblies; a left driven wheel and a right driven wheel with first left and right brake assemblies; a left wheel and a right wheel with second left and right brake assemblies; an anti-lock braking system (ABS) module; a drive mode coupler connected between the transmission and the left and right wheels for changing between a 24 and a 44 drive configuration; and a drive mode switch for controlling the drive mode coupler, the ABS module selectively performing brake traction control of at least one wheel based on the position of the drive mode switch. A method for controlling traction of the vehicle includes sensing the drive mode switch position and when the drive mode changes from a 24 position to a 44 position, causing the ABS module to perform brake traction control on at least one wheel.

A control system for a hybrid vehicle configured to reduce fuel consumption. A controller is configured to execute a first determination to determine that a required power is less than a reference power, and a second determination to determine that a condition to start an engine is satisfied. If the answers of the first determination and the second determination are YES, a target power of the engine is set to a predetermined power which is greater than the required power, and which can be generated by consuming smaller amount of fuel. Then, the generator is driven by the engine being operated to achieve the predetermined power, and an electric power generated by the generator to be accumulated in a battery is set to a value calculated based on a difference between the target power and the required power.

A control system for hybrid vehicles to properly select an operating mode during autonomous operation is provided. An operating mode of the hybrid vehicle is selected from a hybrid mode and an electric vehicle mode. A controller that is configured to: determine an existence of a passenger in a vehicle compartment; select the electric vehicle mode in a case that the hybrid vehicle is operated autonomously while carrying the passenger; and select the hybrid mode in a case that the hybrid vehicle is operated autonomously without carrying the passenger.

Methods and apparatuses for safety enhanced computer-assisted driving. In embodiments, an apparatus for computer-assisted driving may include a neural network to determine a classification for behavior of a driver of a vehicle having the apparatus, based at least in part on data about the vehicle collected in real time, and a current level of stress or drowsiness of the driver determined in real time; and a safety action engine coupled to the neural network to determine a safety related action, based at least in part on the determined driver behavior classification and data related to current traffic or road condition of a route the vehicles is currently traveling on. The safety related action may be performed by an infotainment system or a navigation system of the vehicle to assist the driver in driving the vehicle in a safer manner.

The present disclosure extends to methods, systems, and computer program products for predicting the movement intent of objects. In one aspect, a mobile robot predicts the movement intent of pedestrians from past pedestrian trajectory data and landmark proximity. In another aspect, a host mobile robot predicts the movement intent of other robots/vehicles using motion analysis models for different driving behaviors, including curve negotiation, zigzagging, rapid acceleration/deceleration, and tailgating. In a further aspect, a mobile robot can self-predict movement intent and share movement intent information with surrounding robots/vehicles (e.g., through vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication). The mobile robot can self-predict future movement by comparing the operating values calculated from the monitored components to the operating limits of the mobile robot (e.g., an adhesion limit between the tires and ground). Exceeding operating limits can be an indication of skidding, oversteering, understeering, or fishtailing.

A control device for a vehicle includes an electronic control unit. The electronic control unit, when switching a traveling mode of the vehicle, is configured to control an amount of torque change produced in a drive power source for traveling subjected to switching in operation upon switching of the traveling mode, such that the amount of torque change during manual driving is larger than that during autonomous driving.

A vehicle power output control method, apparatus and system are provided. The method includes: collecting an image of a road surface on which a vehicle drives currently, and recognizing, according to the image of the road surface, the type of the road surface on which the vehicle drives currently; starting, according to the current type of the road surface, a terrain mode corresponding to an all-terrain adaptive mode; determining, in the terrain mode, a power output strategy corresponding to the current terrain mode; and adjusting an output torque of an engine according to a power output curve corresponding to the current power output strategy, the power output curve being a function curve using a stepping depth of an accelerator pedal as a variable and the output torque of the engine as an output. The method facilitates outputting an adaptive power by an engine when a vehicle drives on different road surfaces.

A vehicle control apparatus includes an engine, a refrigerant compressor, a lock up clutch, a throttle valve, and first, second, and third deceleration controllers. The second deceleration controller controls the lock up clutch to a slip state and controls the throttle valve openwise on the condition that the refrigerant compressor is in the stopped state on decelerated travel of a vehicle in a second speed region in which a vehicle speed is lower than a first vehicle speed and higher than a second vehicle speed lower than the first vehicle speed. The second deceleration controller controls the lock up clutch to a disengaged state and controls the throttle valve closewise on the condition that the refrigerant compressor is in the operative state on the decelerated travel of the vehicle in the second speed region.

A control apparatus for a vehicle that includes an engine includes an electric generator, a lock up clutch, a throttle valve, an electric generator control unit, a clutch control unit, and a throttle control unit. The clutch control unit is configured to control the lock up clutch to an engaged state on the condition that the electric generator performs the regenerative power-generation. The throttle control unit is configured to control the throttle valve openwise on the condition that the electric generator performs the regenerative power-generation. The throttle control unit is configured to control the throttle valve from openwise to closewise on the condition that the lock up clutch is controlled from the engaged state to a disengaged state, with the throttle valve having been controlled openwise in accompaniment with the regenerative power-generation of the electric generator.