A roadmanship system comprises a computational device and a vehicle comprising a plurality of sensors and a vehicle control system in communication with the computational device and the plurality of sensors. The computational device can be configured to: (i) receive driving data from a group of vehicles; (ii) calculate a regression curve based on the driving data; (iii) calculate a threshold value of an engineering parameter based on the regression curve and a predetermined roadmanship level; and (iv) output the threshold value to the vehicle control system. The vehicle control system can be configured to: (a) receive the threshold value from the computational device; (b) receive operational information associated with at least one of the vehicle and a driving environment surrounding the vehicle from the plurality of sensors; and (c) cause the vehicle to perform a vehicle maneuver based on the threshold value and the operational information.

An autonomous driving system acquires information concerning a vehicle density in an adjacent lane that is adjacent to a lane on which an own vehicle is traveling, when the own vehicle travels on a road having a plurality of lanes. The autonomous driving system selects the adjacent lane as an own vehicle travel lane, when the vehicle density in the adjacent lane that is calculated from the acquired information is lower than a threshold density that is determined in accordance with relations between the own vehicle and surrounding vehicles. The autonomous driving system performs lane change to the adjacent lane autonomously, or propose lane change to the adjacent lane to a driver, when the adjacent lane is selected as the own vehicle travel lane.

A method provides driver assistance in a motor vehicle in particularly dense and confusing traffic conditions in the low-speed range. It is possible to adjust the distance in dense traffic so that it is not too great whilst at the same time ensuring that the driver does not always have to vary the position of the accelerator pedal. The accelerator is controlled in accordance with the distance and thus the speed or accelerator is automatically throttled as the distance decreases.

An apparatus for controlling a distance from a front vehicle includes a receiver to receive information on a host vehicle and information on the front vehicle, an acceleration generator to generate one of first acceleration for the host vehicle or second acceleration for the host vehicle, based on the received information on the host vehicle and the received information on the front vehicle and an output device to output the generated first acceleration or the generated second acceleration.

A system includes a processor and a memory storing instructions executable by the processor to select a distance based on a determination of whether a lane adjacent a primary vehicle and a secondary vehicle in front of the primary vehicle is clear. The instructions include instructions to actuate a braking system of the primary vehicle when the primary vehicle is at the distance from the secondary vehicle.

A method for controlling an approach of a driving vehicle to at least one preceding reference vehicle using an automated distance setting as a function of a setpoint distance between the vehicle and the reference vehicle. The setpoint distance is calculated as a function of an operating position of an operating element of the vehicle, which is actuatable by the driver of the vehicle and controls a drive of the vehicle. The setpoint distance being reduced directly or indirectly by actuating an actuating element of the vehicle, which has an actuating position, is actuatable by the driver of the vehicle, and controls a braking deceleration of the vehicle. A distance control system, a computer program, and a memory unit, as also described.

A vehicle travel control apparatus includes an information acquiring section; a determining section that determines whether a special road terrain exists; and a speed control section that controls a speed of the subject vehicle. The speed control section is further configured to: when the special road terrain exists but a preceding vehicle does not exist, increase or decrease the speed of the subject vehicle with respect to a pre-set vehicle speed in the energy efficiency zone such that the energy efficiency is improved; and when the special road terrain and a preceding vehicle exists and the speed of the subject vehicle is planned to increase in the energy efficiency zone, control the speed of the subject vehicle in an inter-vehicle distance maintenance zone such that the subject vehicle has an inter-vehicle distance to the preceding vehicle longer than a pre-set inter-vehicle distance.

A method for adjusting a safety distance between a first vehicle and a second vehicle preceding the first vehicle at a bunched traffic site by at least one control device is disclosed which includes receiving measurement data of at least one sensor unit with the at least one control device. The method includes evaluating the measurement data of the at least one sensor unit with the at least one control device to identify a bunched traffic site in front of the second vehicle and identifying a safety distance of the first vehicle from the second vehicle, wherein the identified safety distance accounts for a possible reverse motion of the second vehicle. The method further includes establishing the identified safety distance with the at least one control device based upon the identified bunched traffic site. A control device, a computer program and a machine-readable storage medium are further disclosed.

A method for operating an accelerator pedal-controlled distance controller of a vehicle. The distance controller regulates a distance to a target vehicle as a function of an actuator pedal value of the vehicle and activates automatic braking operations as necessary. A braking operation is aborted when the accelerator pedal value is increased during the braking operation.

A vehicle control device comprises a processor configured to determine a target merge location where the vehicle is to make a lane change from a merging lane to a main lane, in a merge zone on a scheduled route where the merging lane merges with the main lane, as a location that is before the location at the minimum distance to the end point of the merging lane allowing the driver to whom control of the vehicle has been handed over to operate the vehicle for the lane change, and when the vehicle has not completed the lane change upon reaching the target merge location, give the driver a first notification notifying that control of the vehicle will be switched from automatic control to manual control, by using a notifying unit that notifies the driver of information, or by using a vehicle controlling device that controls operation of the vehicle to perform a predetermined operation of the vehicle.