A motor control device drives a motor based on a vehicle signal including drive assist information and performs vehicle control. The motor control device includes: a first controller and a second controller that perform a calculation operation concerning drive control over the motor. A first microcomputer corresponds to a calculation portion of the first controller. A second microcomputer corresponds to a calculation portion of the second controller. The first microcomputer and the second microcomputer mutually transmit and receive operation results by inter-microcomputer communication, or the first microcomputer unilaterally transmits an operation result from the first microcomputer by the inter-microcomputer communication. The first microcomputer and the second microcomputer synchronize timings to start and end control by performing at least one of three types of arbitration processes including: an AND-start arbitration process; an OR-start arbitration process; and a forced arbitration process.

A guidance and vehicle control system for automatically steering a vehicle, such as an agricultural vehicle or a tractor, through a field. The system includes a GNSS receiver and antenna for determining the vehicle's instantaneous position, a guidance CPU, and an automatic steering subsystem integrated with the vehicle's electrical power system. The automatic steering subsystem can be interfaced with the steering column of the vehicle, and mechanically activates the steering column, thereby steering the vehicle according to instructions received from the CPU based upon the vehicle's position and a predetermined path. An interrupt element, such as a wheel movement sensor or a slip gear, may be interfaced with the automatic steering subsystem to allow for manual steering override of the automatic steering control.

The autonomous LC control is started in response to receiving a start instruction of autonomous lane change. When the driver performs a steering intervention in a same direction as a direction of steering requested by the autonomous LC control, and establishment of a stop condition of lane change is not recognized, during execution of the autonomous LC control, the autonomous driving control is continued. When the steering intervention in the same direction is performed, and establishment of the stop condition is recognized, during execution of the autonomous LC control, termination of the autonomous driving control is announced.

A steering control system for an autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle includes a steering input device accessible to a driver for providing steering control of the vehicle in a manual steering mode. Also included is at least one autonomous steering assembly for providing steering control of the vehicle in an autonomous steering mode. Further included is a plurality of road wheels controlled by a blended output of the steering input device and the at least one autonomous steering assembly during a transition steering mode.

An assisting force control device 1 includes a torque detection unit that detects the steering torque of a vehicle, a calculation unit that, after the torque detection unit has detected a steering torque of at least a prescribed size, integrates the steering torque to calculate an integrated torque amount, and an assisting force control unit that reduces the steering assisting force to a value that is smaller than a prescribed value in a direction in which the vehicle is prevented from deviating from a lane, such reduction carried out if the integrated torque amount calculated by the calculation unit becomes at least an integration threshold value corresponding to a traveling condition of the vehicle.

Method for detecting the presence of a drivers hands on the steering wheel is described. By means of a mathematical model, at least one part of a steering system of the motor vehicle is modeled. In addition, a rotational angle of a lower end and/or an upper end of a torsion bar of the steering system is determined. A torque acting on the torsion bar is determined by means of a measuring device. A sum of a torque with which the driver acts on the steering wheel and a counter-torque generated by friction in the upper part of the steering system is estimated by means of a Kalman Filter. In addition, the counter-torque is estimated, and the estimated sum of the torque and the counter-torque are used to determine whether the drivers hands are on the steering wheel.

A computer-implemented method, system, and/or computer program product controls a driving mode of a self-driving vehicle (SDV). One or more processors compare a control processor competence level of an on-board SDV control processor in controlling the SDV to a human driver competence level of a human driver in controlling the SDV while the SDV encounters a current roadway condition which is a result of current weather conditions of the roadway on which the SDV is currently traveling. One or more processors then selectively assign control of the SDV to the SDV control processor or to the human driver while the SDV encounters the current roadway condition based on which of the control processor competence level and the human driver competence level is relatively higher to one another.

A method and a device are provided for deactivating a driver assistance system for autonomous transverse guidance of a vehicle, which driver assistance system has a sensor unit for detecting a contact with the rim of a steering wheel by a driver, and a control unit which detects, via the detected contact, a request by the driver to transfer from the autonomous transverse guidance into a manual transverse guidance by the driver. The pressure sensor constitutes at least one pressure sensor, which extends over at least that part of the surface of the steering wheel rim which is usually touched by the driver's hands. It does not extend over the area of the surface of the steering wheel rim which, viewed in a cross section of the steering wheel rim, describes an approximately circular-segment-shaped arc which extends over a sector angle of the order of magnitude of 90, which arc is spaced apart as far as possible from the center point of the steering wheel.

The present disclosure provides for a steering control method and a steering control system for self-driving of a vehicle. The method comprises the steps of: obtaining information about an expected steering angle of a vehicle based on an automatic planning control operation; detecting whether an effective torque is applied to a steering wheel by a driver; and when it is detected that the driver has applied the effective torque to the steering wheel, computing a difference between a turning angle of the steering wheel controlled by the driver and the expected steering angle of a vehicle, and determining a self-driving intent prompt torque according to the difference between the two, wherein the self-driving intent prompt torque is to be applied to a steering system.

This automatic driving assistance device automatically performs least a part of vehicle control including steering, braking, and acceleration and deceleration within a predetermined travel section. The automatic driving assistance device includes: a switching section determination unit that determines, in the travel section, a section in which a first load that is based on a road shape or a road structure becomes equal to or less than a predetermined threshold as a switching section in which the at least a part of the vehicle control is switched from automatic driving to manual driving; a driving action planning unit that, when the vehicle enters the determined switching section, generates an automatic driving action plan so that a second load that is based on a travel situation of nearby vehicles around the vehicle is reduced; and a driving switching unit that ends automatic driving that is based on the automatic driving action plan and switches the automatic driving to the manual driving.