The disclosed invention makes use of slip related values to calculate friction related values and tire stiffness related values and feeds back an estimated tire stiffness relates value or a calculated friction related as a basis for further calculations. In particular, the disclosure relates to methods, apparatuses and computer program products to achieve the mentioned objective.

A vehicle start control method includes: a condition determination step of determining, by a controller, whether or not it is necessary to control an engine torque in addition to a slip control of a clutch when a vehicle has started moving; and an engine control step of controlling, by the controller, the engine torque according to an engine error revolutions per minute (RPM) which is a difference between a target engine RPM and an actually measured engine RPM, when it is necessary to control the engine torque in addition to the slip control of the clutch.

An electrified axle system includes a pair of wheels, a super positioning torque vectoring differential coupled between the wheels, and a controller. The super positioning torque vectoring differential includes a traction motor and a vectoring motor. The controller operates the vectoring motor in speed control mode to reduce a speed difference between the wheels responsive to the difference exceeding a threshold, and operates the vectoring motor in torque control mode responsive to the difference falling within a target range and an accelerator pedal position achieving a value that depends on lateral acceleration associated with the system.

A travel control apparatus (140) includes a acquisition unit (141), which acquires information on a target track through which a vehicle (M) will pass in the future, a parameter determiner (142), which determines a parameter by which a track model defined by one or more parameters coincides with a track acquired by the acquisition unit, and a steering controller (143), which feedforward-controls steering of the vehicle on the basis of at least the track model defined by the parameter determined by the parameter determiner, wherein the parameter determiner determines the parameter on the basis of a direction of a change in the degree of separation between the track model and the target track with respect to a change in the parameter.

A method for guiding a motor vehicle on the basis of image data when autonomously driving the motor vehicle in platooning formation following a leading vehicle, by a steering controller coupled to a steering system and a headway controller receiving and controlling a vehicle's interdistance relative to a leading vehicle, said method comprising controlling, by the steering controller, the vehicle's lateral distance relative to a first lane side, said steering controller receiving inputs from a first lane side detector mounted on a first front side location of the vehicle, and from a second lane side detector mounted on a second front side location opposing said first front side location, wherein said first and second lane side detectors are spaced apart over or wider than the vehicle's width.

A vehicle start control method includes: a condition determination step of determining, by a controller, whether or not it is necessary to control an engine torque in addition to a slip control of a clutch when a vehicle has started moving; and an engine control step of controlling, by the controller, the engine torque according to an engine error revolutions per minute (RPM) which is a difference between a target engine RPM and an actually measured engine RPM, when it is necessary to control the engine torque in addition to the slip control of the clutch.

Provided are a driving force control method and device for a hybrid vehicle, each capable of effectively absorbing torque fluctuation of an engine while suppressing deterioration in energy efficiency. The driving force control device for a hybrid vehicle comprises a PCM configured to: estimate an average torque output by an engine; estimate a torque fluctuation component of the torque output by the engine; set a countertorque for suppressing the estimated torque fluctuation component; and control an electric motor to output the set countertorque, wherein the PCM is operable, under the condition that the average torque output by the internal combustion engine is constant, to set a negative control gain such that, as an engine speed becomes higher, the absolute value of the control gain becomes smaller, and then to set the countertorque based on a product of the estimated torque fluctuation component and the control gain.

Provided are a driving force control method and device for a hybrid vehicle, each capable of effectively absorbing torque fluctuation of an engine while suppressing deterioration in energy efficiency. The driving force control device for a hybrid vehicle comprises a PCM configured to: identify a speed reduction ratio in a driving force transmission mechanism; estimate an average torque output by an engine; estimate a torque fluctuation component of the torque output by the engine; set a countertorque for suppressing the estimated torque fluctuation component; and control an electric motor to output the set countertorque, wherein the PCM is operable, under a condition that the average torque output by the engine and an engine speed are constant, to set the countertorque such that, as the speed reduction ratio becomes smaller, the absolute value of the countertorque becomes larger.

Systems and methods for operating a driveline of a hybrid vehicle are described. In one example, vehicle launch is controlled according to a linear quadratic regulator that provides feedback control according to torque converter slip error and vehicle speed error. The vehicle launch is also controlled according to feed forward control that is based on requested torque converter slip and requested vehicle speed.

A method for operating a drive train of a motor vehicle includes, for a starting process according to a first operating strategy, completely engaging a torque converter lockup clutch (WK) and, according to a second operating strategy, not completely engaging the torque converter lockup clutch (WK). A hydraulic pressure gradient for filling a piston chamber of the torque converter lockup clutch (WK) is selected to be higher upon selection of the first operating strategy than upon selection of the second operating strategy. A drive train module of a motor vehicle includes a control unit (5) for controlling, by way of an open-loop control system, the method.