A driving assistance method for controlling an own vehicle by a controller in such a way that the own vehicle travels along a target travel trajectory includes: acquiring level-difference information of a level difference existing along a lane in which the own vehicle travels; and when, from the level-difference information, determining that the own vehicle is to climb over the level difference, generating the target travel trajectory in such a way that a level-difference climbing-over angle, which is an angle formed by the level difference and the target travel trajectory, is larger than a threshold value.

Four-wheel steering of a vehicle, e.g., in which leading wheels and trailing wheels are steered independently of each other, can provide improved maneuverability and stability. A first vehicle model may be used to determine trajectories for execution by a vehicle equipped with four-wheel steering. A second vehicle model may be used to control the vehicle relative to the determined trajectories. For instance, the second vehicle model can determine leading wheels steering angles for steering leading wheels of the vehicle and trailing wheels steering angles for steering trailing wheels of the vehicle, independently of the leading wheels.

In one embodiment, during a planning stage of autonomous driving of an autonomous driving vehicle (ADV), it is determined that the ADV needs to change lanes from a source lane to a target lane. A first trajectory is generated from a current location of the ADV in the source lane to the target lane such as a center line of the target lane. A lane shifting correction is then calculated based on the lane configuration of at least the source lane and/or target lane, as well as the current state of the ADV. Based on the lane shifting correction, at least the starting point of the first trajectory is modified, which in turn generates a second trajectory. In one embodiment, the starting point of the first trajectory is shifted laterally with respect to a heading direction of the source lane based on the lane shifting correction.

An integrated control system for a vehicle is provided. The system includes a friction coefficient calculation unit that calculates friction coefficients of left side and right side road surfaces, respectively, based on vehicle wheel state information and a predetermined setting information collected during ABS operation. A feedforward braking pressure calculation unit calculates a feedforward braking pressure of each vehicle wheel using the friction coefficients. An ABS braking pressure calculation unit calculates an ABS braking pressure of the each vehicle wheel based on the feedforward braking pressure and slip rate information. A rear wheel steering control amount calculation unit calculates a rear wheel steering control amount for yaw compensation using the ABS braking pressure of each vehicle wheel and a rear wheel steering controller executes a rear wheel steering control according to the rear wheel steering control amount.

A lane keeping system includes an absolute pressure sensor located in a door on each of opposing sides of a vehicle. Each sensor generates a signal indicative of a door cavity pressure on that side of the vehicle. A safety restraint system (SRS) controller is in communication with the pressure sensor. The SRS controller is configured to determine a collision event in response to the signal (e.g., increased pressure in the door as it is crushed) and activate a safety restraint component in response to the determined collision event. A lane keeping system (LKS) controller is in communication with the pressure sensors. The LKS controller determines a lateral wind force on the vehicle in response to the signal from each pressure sensor. The LKS controller determines a correction in response to the determined lateral wind force to maintain the vehicle along a desired path.

Example accident attenuation systems and methods are described. In one implementation, a method determines a speed of a second vehicle approaching from behind a first vehicle and determines a distance between the first and second vehicles. The method also determines whether the second vehicle can stop before colliding with the first vehicle. If the second vehicle cannot stop before colliding with the first vehicle, the method takes action to attenuate the potential collision by applying full brake force, tightening seat belts, and/or turning the front wheels of the first vehicle to direct the first vehicle away from oncoming traffic.

A damage reduction device according to an embodiment of the present technology includes an input unit, a prediction unit, a recognition unit, and a determination unit. The input unit inputs status data regarding a status in a moving direction of a moving body apparatus. The prediction unit predicts a collision with an object in the moving direction on the basis of the status data. The recognition unit recognizes whether the object includes a person. The determination unit determines, when the collision with the object is predicted and it is recognized that the object includes a person, a steering direction of the moving body apparatus in which a collision with the person is avoidable, on the basis of the status data.

A method and a control unit for monitoring the lane of a vehicle, including the steps of ascertaining at least one lane characteristic, ascertaining at least one driving situation variable representing the instantaneous driving situation of the vehicle in an instantaneous position, as well as ascertaining at least one approach variable in a subsequent position of the vehicle. The approach variable is ascertained from the at least one lane characteristic, as well as from the at least one driving situation variable.

Aspects of the disclosure relate to controlling a vehicle in an autonomous driving mode. For instance, a control command identifying a steering control position may be received by a steering system of the vehicle from an autonomous driving control system. Orientation of one or more wheels of the vehicle may be controlled according to the steering control position. After receiving the control command, that the steering system has not received a valid control command from the control system for a first predetermined duration may be determined. Based on the determination that the steering system has not received a valid control command from the control system for the first predetermined duration, the orientation of the one or more wheels may be continue to be controlled based on the steering control position.

A travel control apparatus includes: a transformation unit configured to project the lane and object on a lane coordinate system in which a center line of the lane is a first coordinate axis and an axis orthogonal to the first coordinate axis is a second coordinate axis by performing a coordinate transformation based on the shape of the lane and the position of the object in a plane coordinate system; an area calculation unit configured to calculate a travelable area in which the vehicle can travel in the lane coordinate system; a travel trajectory generation unit configured to perform an inverse transformation of the coordinate transformation by the transformation unit based on the travelable area, and to generate a travel trajectory of the vehicle in the plane coordinate system; and a control unit configured to perform a steering control on the vehicle.