In a network of autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicles, an alert may be triggered when one of the vehicles switches from autonomous to manual mode. The alert may be communicated to nearby autonomous vehicles so that drivers of those vehicles may become aware of a potentially unpredictable manual driver nearby. Drivers of autonomous vehicles who may have become disengaged (e.g., sleeping, reading, talking, etc.) during autonomous driving may become re-engaged upon noticing the alert. A re-engaged driver may choose to switch his/her own vehicle from autonomous to manual mode in order to appropriately react to an unpredictable nearby manual driver. In additional or alternative embodiments, the alert may be triggered or intensified when indications of impairment of a nearby driver or malfunction of a nearby vehicle are detected.

Systems and methods use cameras to provide autonomous navigation features. In one implementation, a method for navigating a user vehicle may include acquiring, using at least one image capture device, a plurality of images of an area in a vicinity of the user vehicle; determining from the plurality of images a first lane constraint on a first side of the user vehicle and a second lane constraint on a second side of the user vehicle opposite to the first side of the user vehicle; enabling the user vehicle to pass a target vehicle if the target vehicle is determined to be in a lane different from the lane in which the user vehicle is traveling; and causing the user vehicle to abort the pass before completion of the pass, if the target vehicle is determined to be entering the lane in which the user vehicle is traveling.

Methods of operating internal combustion engines are provided. A controller detects a coasting event while an associated vehicle is in motion. In response to the coasting event, the controller directs at least a portion of an exhaust gas output by an exhaust system of an internal combustion engine of the vehicle into an intake system of the internal combustion engine.

A method for operating an internal combustion engine comprises providing a vehicle having an internal combustion gasoline engine including multiple cylinders and wherein the engine is operating in a deactivated cylinder mode, receiving a torque request if a cylinder reactivation torque smoothing mode is active, setting a variable torque ratio to 1.0 if the torque request is greater than a fast exit threshold torque, setting the variable torque ratio to 0.0 if the torque request is less than a slow exit threshold torque, setting the variable torque ratio to a value between 0.0 and 1.0 if the torque request is between the fast exit threshold torque and slow exit threshold torque, and calculating a component of final engine output torque.

An electronic control unit performs a control process including a step of setting a second learning time shorter than a first learning time when a Charge Sustaining mode is not selected, a step of setting enlarged values as upper and lower limit values of a feedback value, a step of switching an engine stop prohibition flag to an ON state when a learning start condition is satisfied, a step of performing learning control, a step of performing an update process when the set learning time elapses, and a step of turning off the engine stop prohibition flag.

A vehicle can include throttle, braking, and steering systems. The vehicle can further include a computing system that obtains, from one or more sensors, data representing one or more of a velocity or an acceleration of the vehicle. The computing system can further determine an estimated weight of the vehicle based on the one or more of the velocity or the acceleration of the vehicle, and autonomously operate the throttle, braking, and steering systems of the vehicle based on the estimated weight of the vehicle.

A vehicle traveling control apparatus that performs an automatic driving control based on traveling environment information and traveling information includes a steering holding state detector, a target parameter setting unit, a target parameter correcting unit, and an acceleration and deceleration controller. The steering holding state detector detects a steering wheel holding state of a driver. The target parameter setting unit recognizes a curve ahead of the own vehicle based on the traveling environment information. The target parameter setting unit sets a target parameter that is based on one or both of a target vehicle speed and an allowable lateral acceleration rate of the own vehicle in passing through the curve. The target parameter correcting unit corrects the target parameter depending on the steering wheel holding state. The acceleration and deceleration controller sets a target acceleration rate of the own vehicle based on the target parameter, and controls acceleration and deceleration.

Methods and systems are provided for operating a high voltage generator coupled to a plug-in hybrid vehicle driven by a reciprocating piston engine. In one example, a method may include, predicting variations in output torque from the reciprocating piston engine and adjusting the driving torque required for the high voltage electric generator based upon the predicted torque variations.

Aspects of the present invention relate to a method of using a transmission with multiple clutches in order to provide improved methods of traction control on a hill ascent. Embodiments provide for the use of power-shift, automatic or dual clutch gearboxes.

A method for operating a motor vehicle that has at least one driving engine which is operatively connected to at least one drive wheel and is controlled as a function of an accelerator-pedal position in order to generate a drive torque, an engine drag-torque control being carried out to avoid skidding of the drive wheel when the accelerator pedal is moved in the direction of a neutral position. It is provided that a maximum permissible engine drag torque is specified to the engine drag-torque control as a function of a currently effective coefficient of friction of the road surface which is determined as a function of a present position of the motor vehicle.