A system includes an acquisition unit that acquires an operation amount or a duration count, and a switching unit that switches a driving state. The switching unit switches the driving state to the cooperative driving state when the operation amount is equal to or greater than an intervention threshold and less than a start threshold or the duration count is equal to or greater than a first threshold and less than a second threshold during the autonomous driving state, switches the driving state to the autonomous driving state when the operation amount is less than the intervention threshold or the duration count is less than the first threshold during the cooperative driving state, and switches the driving state to the manual driving state when the operation amount is equal to or greater than the start threshold or the duration count is equal to or greater than the second threshold.

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.

Signals are from a plurality of sources representing aspects of the vehicle and an environment surrounding the vehicle. An autonomous confidence factor is developed based on component confidence levels for at least one of the signals. Control of the vehicle is transitioned between levels of autonomous control based at least in part on the autonomous confidence factor.

An operating method for a vehicle includes driving in a manual mode, in which a longitudinal movement and a lateral movement are controlled by a human driver, and driving in an autonomous mode, in which the longitudinal movement and the lateral movement are controlled by an automated system. In the method, driving in semi-autonomous mode is activated from the autonomous mode by the human driver either resuming the longitudinal movement, such that the automated system continues to control the lateral movement, or resuming the lateral movement, such that the automated system continues to control the longitudinal movement. In the semi-autonomous mode, one or more automatic stop operations brake the vehicle when the human driver does not quickly resume control of the lateral movement and the longitudinal movement, which continues to be controlled by the automated system.

A vehicle control device includes the following components. An action plan generating unit generates an action plan of a vehicle. An automated driving control unit carries out a first driving mode in which at least one of acceleration/deceleration and steering of the vehicle is automatically controlled based on the action plan. An operation device accepts an operation performed by an occupant of the vehicle. A handover control unit instructs shifting to a second driving mode, in which the degree of automated driving is lower than in the first driving mode, when the occupant operates the operation device to instruct one or both of acceleration/deceleration and steering in the first driving mode. A restraint control unit generates an estimated path of the vehicle to be taken based on the operation and restrains shifting to the second driving mode if the estimated path contradicts the action plan.

A method for controlling vehicle system of a vehicle is disclosed. The method comprises determining an expected path of the vehicle, determining a vehicle trajectory for the determined expected path, and determining at least one required control parameter value of a driver assistance system based on the determined vehicle trajectory. Further, the method comprises comparing the at least one required control parameter value to a predefined threshold scheme associated with the driver assistance system, and sending a signal to a Human Machine Interface, HMI, of the vehicle based on the comparison. Then, the method comprises receiving a feedback signal originating from a user of the vehicle, and controlling the driver assistance system based on the comparison and the received feedback signal.

Upper and lower limits of one or more parameters are established for each of a plurality of states of operation of a vehicle. One of the plurality of states for operating the vehicle is identified based at least in part on the parameters, data describing a human operator, and data describing an environment around the vehicle. A vehicle subsystem is actuated according to an operation mode corresponding to the current operating state.

A driving assist method and a driving assist device is provided for controlling a transmission ratio of a continuously variable transmission, which steplessly shifts gears and outputs an engine rotation speed. The driving assist method and a driving assist device continuously performs downshifting until an upshift occurs, when the transmission ratio of the continuously variable transmission is controlled so that the engine rotational speed increases in conjunction with an increase in a vehicle speed and the upshift will be performed after the vehicle has accelerated.

A driver assistance system for a vehicle. The driver assistance system controls the vehicle at least partially automatically. In the method, the start of an auto pilot route section is determined in the course of a route planned for the vehicle. The driver assistance system is able to control the vehicle automatically along the autopilot route section. A distance between the current position of the vehicle and the start of the autopilot route section is determined and output in the vehicle.

There is provided a vehicle control system including a driving assistance controller configured to execute driving assistance of a vehicle at a plurality of different degrees, an information output configured to output information, and an output controller configured to control the information output so that information indicating a target to be monitored or operated by an occupant required for the occupant is output on the basis of a change in a degree of driving assistance of the driving assistance controller.