A system calibrates a function of a tire friction of a vehicle traveling on a road from motion data including a sequence of control inputs to the vehicle that moves the vehicle on the road and a corresponding sequence of measurements of the motion of the vehicle moved by the sequence of control inputs. The system updates iteratively the probability distribution of the tire friction function until a termination condition is met, wherein, for an iteration, the system samples the probability distribution of the tire friction function, determines a state trajectory of the vehicle to fit the sequence measurements according to the measurement model and the sequence of control inputs according to the motion model including the sample of the tire friction function, and updates the probability distribution of the tire friction function based on the state trajectory of the vehicle.

A controller for controlling a system with continuous and discrete elements of operation accepts measurements of a current state of the system, solves a mixed-integer model predictive control (MI-MPC) problem subject to state constraints on the state of the system to produce control inputs to the system, and submits the control inputs to the system thereby changing the state of the system. To solve the MI-MPC, the controller transforms the state constraints into state-invariant control constraints on the control inputs to the system, such that any combination of values for the control inputs, resulting in a sequence of values for the state variables that satisfy the state constraints, also satisfy the state-invariant control constraints, and solve the MI-MPC problem subject to the state constraints and the state-invariant control constraints.

A vehicle control system includes: a turning device that turns a wheel of a vehicle; a steering sensor that detects a driver's steering operation; and a control device configured to execute automated turning control that controls the turning device to automatically turn the wheel, independently of the driver's steering operation. A modification desire degree represents a degree to which the driver's steering operation modifies vehicle travel caused by the automated turning control. During execution of the automated turning control, the control device calculates the modification desire degree based on a result of detection by the steering sensor. When the modification desire degree exceeds a threshold, the control device executes system suppression processing without terminating the automated turning control. In the system suppression processing, the control device weakens the automated turning control as compared to a case where the modification desire degree is equal to or lower than the threshold.

A system and method for adaptive cruise control for low speed following are disclosed. A particular embodiment includes: receiving input object data from a subsystem of an autonomous vehicle, the input object data including distance data and velocity data relative to a lead vehicle; generating a weighted distance differential corresponding to a weighted difference between an actual distance between the autonomous vehicle and the lead vehicle and a desired distance between the autonomous vehicle and the lead vehicle; generating a weighted velocity differential corresponding to a weighted difference between a velocity of the autonomous vehicle and a velocity of the lead vehicle; combining the weighted distance differential and the weighted velocity differential with the velocity of the lead vehicle to produce a velocity command for the autonomous vehicle; adjusting the velocity command using a dynamic gain; and controlling the autonomous vehicle to conform to the adjusted velocity command.

Among other things, we describe techniques for electric power steering torque compensation. Techniques are provided for a method implemented by a computer, e.g., a computer onboard an autonomous vehicle. A planning circuit onboard the vehicle and connected to an EPS of the vehicle determines a compensatory torque signal to modify an actual steering angle of a steering wheel of the vehicle to match an expected steering angle of the steering wheel. The planning circuit transmits the compensatory torque signal to a control circuit that controls the steering angle of the steering wheel. The EPS modifies the actual steering angle based on the compensatory torque signal resulting in a modified steering angle. The control circuit operates the vehicle based on the modified steering angle.

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.

A travel control method controls travel of an own vehicle to locate a lateral position of the own vehicle at a predetermined position with respect to a lane marker of a lane in which the own vehicle is traveling or with respect to a preceding vehicle, and reduces a control amount on travel from when control on the travel of the own vehicle is started until a predetermined time passes to be smaller than a control amount on the travel after the predetermined time has passed.

A powertrain system includes an internal combustion engine, an electric motor, a battery and a control device. The control device is configured to: execute a control input determination processing to solve an optimization problem that minimizes a fuel consumption amount m.sub.f during the control time period while taking dynamics of a charging rate SOC as a constraint, and thereby calculate one or more control input values; and execute a system control processing. The control input determination processing includes: a co-state variable determination processing to update a co-state variable p for each time step while using, as an initial value thereof, a final value or an average value thereof during the last control time period; and a control input calculation processing to use the determined co-state variable p and search for and calculate, for each time step, the one or more control input values that minimize an Hamiltonian H.

An apparatus includes an energy storage circuit, an input circuit, and a hybrid management circuit. The energy storage circuit is structured to receive a state of charge (SOC) and a state of health (SOH) of an energy storage device. The input circuit is structured to receive an indication of a torque demand. The hybrid management circuit is structured to determine a first torque output for a genset including an engine and a first motor-generator based on the torque demand and the SOC of the energy storage device; determine an adjustment factor based on the SOH of the energy storage device; determine an adjusted torque output for the genset based on the adjustment factor and the first torque output; operate the genset to provide the adjusted torque output and to generate an amount of energy; and operate a second motor-generator at a second torque output to meet the torque demand.