The technology relates to approaches for determining appropriate stopping locations at intersections for vehicles operating in a self-driving mode. While many intersections have stop lines painted on the roadway, many others have no such lines. Even if a stop line is present, the physical location may not match what is in store map data, which may be out of date due to construction or line repainting. Aspects of the technology employ a neural network that utilizes input training data and detected sensor data to perform classification, localization and uncertain estimation processes. Based on these processes, the system is able to evaluate distribution information for possible stop locations. The vehicle uses such information to determine an optimal stop point, which may or may not correspond to a stop line in the map data. This information is also used to update the existing map data, which can be shared with other vehicles.

A vehicle control device has a processor configured to determine whether or not a problem exists with the level of active operation by the driver and when there is a problem with the driver, to set a stopping location for the vehicle on a traveling lane and to determine whether or not another traffic lane is adjacent on the side of the stopping location opposite from a passing lane and, when another traffic lane is adjacent, to determine whether or not the stopping location is within a stop avoidance area set in the traveling lane, based on an adjacent start location or an adjacent end location and, when the stopping location is within the stop avoidance area, to generate a stopping plan for stopping of the vehicle at a location between the adjacent start location and the adjacent end location other than in the stop avoidance area.

A method for operating an assistance system for automated driving operation of a vehicle involves continuously determining an emergency trajectory along which the vehicle is brought to a standstill in a longitudinally and transversely controlled manner after activation of an emergency operation of the vehicle. In the event of an imminent or already initiated lane change of the vehicle from a starting lane to a target lane according to a determined standard trajectory, a decision is made as to whether the vehicle should be brought to a standstill in the starting lane or in the target lane when emergency operation is activated. This decision depends on the position of the vehicle on the standard trajectory. The vehicle is then brought to a standstill in the starting lane if an emergency trajectory is planned by means of which the vehicle is brought to a standstill in the starting lane within a predefined path length and/or within a predefined time period, and if in the process a predefined comfort value of a transverse acceleration acting on the vehicle is not exceeded and a predefined penetration depth of the vehicle into the target lane is not exceeded.

An ADS performs processing including setting an immobilization command to “Applied” when an autonomous state has been set to an autonomous mode, when an acceleration command has a value indicating deceleration, when an actual moving direction indicates a standstill state, and when a wheel lock request is issued, setting the acceleration command to V1, and setting the acceleration command to zero when an immobilization status has been set to “11”.

Processing to set a control mode of driving control is performed. In this setting processing, it is determined whether or not a predetermined condition in which a tracking performance of a vehicle state with respect to a target vehicle state decreases is satisfied. Then, when it is determined that the predetermined condition is satisfied, the control mode is switched from a normal mode to a temporary mode. In the temporary mode, generation of a driving plan is stopped. Alternatively, updating or referring to the driving plan generated while it is determined that the predetermined condition is satisfied is prohibited. Alternatively, an instruction value for control calculated using a target control value and a current vehicle state in the driving plan generated while it is determined that the predetermined condition is satisfied is modified.

An apparatus for estimating a position in an automated valet parking system includes a front camera processor processing a front image of a vehicle, a surround view monitor (SVM) processor recognizing a short-distance lane and stop line by processing a surround view image of the vehicle, a map data unit storing a high definition map, and a controller downloading a map including an area set as a parking zone from the map data unit when the entry of the vehicle to a parking lot is identified and correcting a position measurement value of the vehicle by performing map matching based on results of the recognition and processing of the front camera processor and SVM processor and the parking lot map of the map data unit when an automated valet parking start position is recognized based on the recognized short-distance lane and stop line.

A method ensures that a vehicle can safely pass a traffic light. The vehicle includes a processor and a light sensor. The method includes receiving traffic data, establishing a speed profile, establishing a control distance, the processor establishing, in accordance with the speed profile, a control distance at which braking ensures that the vehicle stops safely before the position of the traffic light, adjustment according to the speed profile, detecting the state of the traffic light when the vehicle is at the control distance from the traffic light, and the processor activating braking if the traffic light is red.

Aspects of the disclosure relate to conducting pullover maneuvers for autonomous vehicles. For instance, a pullover location may be identified. A pullover start location may be determined for the pullover location. A first distance for the vehicle to come to a complete stop within a pullover deceleration limit may be determined based on a current speed of the vehicle. A second distance between a current location of the vehicle and the pullover start location may be determined. The first distance may be compared to the second distance to assess feasibility of the pullover location. The vehicle may be controlled in order to conduct a pullover maneuver in an autonomous driving mode.

A method of operating a vehicle is provided. The vehicle includes: an engine; a throttle operator moveable by a driver; a throttle valve regulating airflow to the engine; a continuously variable transmission (CVT) operatively connected to the engine; at least one ground engaging member including at least one of: a wheel and a track; a piston operatively connected to a driving pulley of the CVT for applying a piston force to the driving pulley when actuated and thereby changing an effective diameter of the driving pulley; and a control unit for controlling actuation of the piston and the piston force. The method includes: determining a driven pulley speed of a driven pulley of the CVT; detecting an uphill stand condition indicative of the vehicle being stopped on an uphill; responsive to the detection of the uphill stand condition, controlling the piston force based on the driven pulley speed.

A system includes autonomous vehicle and an oversight server. The oversight server obtains road condition data associated with a road ahead of the autonomous vehicle. The oversight server obtains status data from the autonomous vehicle. The oversight server determines that a routing plan of the autonomous vehicle should be updated based on the road condition data and the status data in response to determining an unexpected anomaly in one or both of the road condition data and the status data. The unexpected anomaly includes one or more of a severe weather event, a traffic event, a road block, and a service that needed to be provided to the autonomous vehicle. The oversight server communicates the updated routing plan to the autonomous vehicle while the autonomous vehicle is autonomously driving along the road.