The present disclosure relates to an apparatus and a method for controlling a vehicle, and more particularly to a vehicle control apparatus having a redundant architecture. A vehicle control apparatus according to one embodiment of the present disclosure includes: a receiver, configured to receive sensing information from a vehicle sensor; a first electronic controller, configured to generate a first vehicle control command based on the received sensing information; a monitor, configured to monitor whether the first electronic controller is out of order; and a second electronic controller, configured to generate a second vehicle control command based on the received sensing information if the first electronic controller is out of order.

A number of illustrative variations may include a method or product for sensing driver intervention in an autonomous steering system.

Systems and methods are provided for generating data indicative of a friction associated with a driving surface, and for using the friction data in association with one or more vehicles. In one example, a computing system can detect a stop associated with a vehicle and initiate a steering action of the vehicle during the stop. The steering action is associated with movement of at least one tire of the vehicle relative to a driving surface. The computing system can obtain operational data associated with the steering action during the stop of the vehicle. The computing system can determine a friction associated with the driving surface based at least in part on the operational data associated with the steering action. The computing system can generate data indicative of the friction associated with the driving surface.

Systems and methods are provided for influential control over a driver's operation of a vehicle's steering wheel. Upon issuing an autonomous control signal to control motive operation of the vehicle, an autonomous control system of the vehicle may reinforce or influence the application of the autonomous control signal by inducing or cuing to induce the driver's hand(s) to turn the vehicle's steering wheel in a particular direction or by a particular amount/with a particular level of torque.

A control device includes control circuits of a plurality of systems. When a transition condition is established, the control circuits of the systems make transition of a driving mode from a first driving mode to a second driving mode, and when a return condition is established in a state in which the driving mode has transitioned to the second driving mode, the control circuits of the systems make transition of the driving mode from the second driving mode to the first driving mode while gradually changing the current command values of the control circuits’ own systems toward the current command values before the adjustment.

An apparatus and method for controlling motor driven power steering system, the apparatus including: a column torque sensor detecting column torque applied to a steering column of a vehicle; an MDPS logic unit deciding a first command current based on the column torque and vehicle speed; a steering angle position control unit outputting a second command current for driving an MDPS motor in an autonomous driving mode, based on a command steering angle and a current steering angle inputted from an autonomous driving system and a steering angle sensor, respectivley; a driver steering intervention determination unit monitoring the column torque of the column torque sensor in an autonomous driving mode, and determining whether a driver has intervened in steering; and an output control unit deciding a final command current by applying the weight decided by the driver steering intervention determination unit to the first and second command currents.

A vehicle control system includes a controller circuit in communication with a steering sensor and one or more perception sensors. The steering sensor is configured to detect a steering torque of a steering wheel of a host vehicle. The one or more perception sensors are configured to detect an environment proximate the host vehicle. The controller circuit is configured to determine when an operator of the host vehicle requests a take-over from fully automated control of the host vehicle based on the steering sensor. The controller circuit classifies the take-over request based on the steering sensor.

A method for estimating a friction between a road surface and a tire of a steered wheel of a vehicle. The steered wheel being fit with dynamic steering. The vehicle includes a steering wheel and a set of sensors comprising wheel end sensors and steering wheel sensors configured to measure signals corresponding to a set of parameters., The steering wheel parameters comprising at least a steering wheel torque and a steering wheel angle. The method comprising the following steps implemented by the electronic control unit collect the signals, corresponding to the set of parameters, measured by the sensors during a period of time; process, by the signal processing module, the signals collected to provide processed signal data provide the processed signal data as input to the wheel end friction estimation model, the wheel end friction estimation model being configured to output a friction estimation of the friction between the road surface and the tire of the wheel.

A system and method for actively compensating excessive noise, vibration, and harshness (NVH) in a vehicle front suspension is provided. The method includes sensing a vibration in the vehicle front suspension; generating an input signal representing the vibration in the vehicle front suspension; filtering the input signal using a bandpass filter; and calculating a compensation signal using a proportional-integral-derivative (PID) controller. The method also includes generating a compensation torque, based on the compensation signal, by an electric power steering (EPS) system motor, with the motor coupled to the vehicle front suspension. Method steps for enabling and disabling the active compensation system are also provided. The active compensation is enabled in response to a turn-on criteria being satisfied. The turn-on criteria may include suspension vibration above a threshold, and the suspension vibration being not caused by driver input. The active compensation is disabled in response to a turn-off criteria being satisfied

A method for terminating an automated driving function of a vehicle involves deactivating the driving function by a steering intervention of a driver of the vehicle in a steering system, which includes a steering column and a steering wheel. In order to determine the steering intervention, a steering column torque at the steering column is measured and a steering wheel angle is measured. A manual torque acting on the steering wheel is estimated based on the measured steering column torque and the measured steering wheel angle. The estimation is based on a model equation of the steering system, which takes into consideration a moment of inertia of the steering wheel and a frictional torque in the steering system.