Systems and methods are provided for autonomous vehicle navigation. The systems and methods may map a lane mark, may map a directional arrow, selectively harvest road information based on data quality, map road segment free spaces, map traffic lights and determine traffic light relevancy, and map traffic lights and associated traffic light cycle times.

Methods and systems are presented for improving performance of a vehicle operating in a cruise control mode where a controller adjusts torque output from a vehicle to maintain vehicle speed within a desired range. The methods and systems include adapting a vehicle dynamics model and a vehicle fuel consumption model that provide input to nonlinear model predictive controller.

A control apparatus for a vehicle includes an electronic control unit that is configured to set a value of a target generated voltage of the generator. The electronic control unit is configured to execute power generation control to control a generated voltage of a generator. The electronic control unit is configured to maintain a value of the generated voltage in the power generation control to be constant during an upshift gear change when the upshift gear change control of a transmission is executed while the lock-up clutch control is executed during deceleration of the vehicle. The electronic control unit is configured to increase the value in the power generation control during the downshift control to the value of the target generated voltage at a first specified rate when a downshift gear change of the transmission is executed while the lock-up clutch control is executed during the deceleration.

An object is to provide a vehicle control apparatus capable of enhancing fuel economy when coasting is performed by disconnecting a clutch disposed between an engine and drive wheels of the vehicle. A travel path and a travel pattern of a vehicle are predicted by a vehicle outside information collection device, such as a navigation system. Also, amounts of fuel consumption by normal traveling and coasting are predicted and compared, so that coasting control is performed in a case where an amount of fuel consumption can be reduced by performing the coasting control.

An system and method of operating an adaptive cruise control system for a vehicle. In one example, the system includes a rearward facing sensor, a speed control, and a controller. The controller receives at least one parameter indicative of a road condition or a traffic condition. The controller then activates a coasting mode based on the at least one parameter. The controller receives a signal from the rearward facing sensor indicative of a presence of a target vehicle positioned behind the host vehicle and restricts the coasting mode when the signal from the rearward facing sensor detects the target vehicle is positioned behind the host vehicle. The controller performs coasting via the speed control when the signal from the rearward facing sensor does not detect the target vehicle positioned behind the host vehicle and when the coasting mode is active.

A system and method for controlling a vehicle powertrain including an engine and a motor operable to propel the vehicle includes reducing a torque of the motor at a first torque reduction rate from a torque level above a minimum motor torque in response to a deceleration request. A torque of the engine is reduced at a second torque reduction rate less than the first torque reduction rate in response to the deceleration request.

The present invention provides a shift control method implemented in a vehicle equipped with an automatic transmission for controlling an input shaft rotation speed to a target input shaft rotation speed during a shift. The method includes setting of a basic target synchronization rotation speed that is a basic target value of the input shaft rotation speed during the shift, and setting of a corrected target input shaft rotation speed as the target input shaft rotation speed when the shift is a downshift without a requirement for a driving force of the vehicle, The corrected target input shaft rotation speed is obtained by decreasingly correcting the basic target synchronization rotation speed. Further, a decreasing correction amount of the basic target synchronization rotation speed is set so as to become larger as a deceleration of the vehicle becomes larger.

Methods and systems are provided for adjusting driver demand wheel torque of a vehicle. The driver demand wheel torque may be adjusted as a function of a minimum wheel torque. The minimum wheel torque may be determined according to a plurality of torques that may be evaluated in three different phases.

A method for improving operation of a vehicle that includes an engine, a transmission, and a torque converter clutch is disclosed. In one example, the method assesses whether or not driver braking is expected and adjusts driveline braking accordingly. The method freewheels the driveline to extend vehicle coasting when driver braking is not expected and the method increases or decreases driveline braking based on a closing distance between the vehicle and an object in the vehicle's path.

A control device for a vehicle configured to travel in a one-pedal mode in which driving and braking are controlled in response to operations on only an accelerator pedal is configured to control a braking force of the vehicle by using deceleration maps in which decelerations in a plurality of traveling directions are set for any points based on traveling history data, and calculate, during traveling in the one-pedal mode, a deceleration level based on deceleration information associated with a current traveling direction and a current position of the vehicle among pieces of deceleration information included in the deceleration maps.