Informed towing is provided. Towing information is identified, by a towing vehicle, with respect to a towed vehicle to be towed by the towing vehicle. A towed configuration of the towed vehicle is monitored. Responsive to the towed configuration of the towed vehicle being incorrect according to the towing information, a warning is displayed in the HMI indicating the incorrect towing configuration.

A system for determining a distance between a camera and a hitch ball of a vehicle. The system includes a camera configured to be mounted on a vehicle and an electronic processor connected to the camera. The electronic processor is configured to determine a first position and a second position associated with a point on a trailer, determine an angle of rotation between the first position and the second position, and using the first position, the second position, and the angle of rotation, determine a null space of a matrix. In one example, the matrix is

[00001]$A=\left[\begin{array}{ccccc}1& 0& 0& -{\mathrm{cu}}_{\mathrm{xo}}& {\mathrm{cl}}_x\\ 0& 1& 0& -{\mathrm{cu}}_{y0}& {\mathrm{cl}}_y\\ 0& 0& 0& {\mathrm{cu}}_{z0}& -{\mathrm{cl}}_z\\ 0& 0& 1& \frac{-{\mathrm{cu}}_{z0}}{{\mathrm{cu}}_{z1}}{\mathrm{cu}}_{x1}& {\mathrm{cl}}_x\\ -\cos \delta & \sin \delta & 1& 0& 0\end{array}\right]$

and the null space of the matrix includes a value of a distance (d.sub.l) between the camera and the hitch ball. The electronic processor is further configured to perform an autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle operation based on the distance (d.sub.l) between the camera and the hitch ball.

This driving assistance device includes a target acceleration correcting unit configured as follows: if there was input, from a coupling detection unit, of detection results indicating that a trailer has been coupled, the target acceleration correcting unit outputs a target acceleration, output from an ACC unit, as-is to a drive system; and if there was input of detection results indicating that a trailer (2) has not been coupled, the target acceleration correcting unit corrects to a smaller value the target acceleration, output from the ACC unit, and outputs said corrected target acceleration to the drive system.

Various disclosed embodiments include illustrative drive unit controllers, drive units, and vehicles. In an illustrative embodiment, a drive unit controller includes a processor having computer-readable media configured to store computer-executable instructions configured to cause the processor to receive free-wheel tow mode activation information, activate a hold mode based on the received free-wheel tow mode activation information, generate a zero-speed command in response to the hold mode being activated, and send the generated zero-speed command to a stabilizing system of the associated vehicle.

A vehicle control apparatus, configured to control a vehicle, includes an engine that is configured to drive wheels via a power transmission device. The vehicle control apparatus includes a towing state detector and an engine controller. The towing state detector is configured to detect whether the vehicle is in a towing state. The engine controller is configured to stop the engine in a case where a predetermined engine stopping condition is satisfied during traveling of the vehicle. The engine controller is configured to vary, in a case where the towing state detector detects that the vehicle is in the towing state, the predetermined engine stopping condition to reduce an operational range in which the engine is to be stopped compared with an operational range in a case where the towing state detector does not detect that the vehicle is in the towing state.

The disclosure is generally directed to an advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) enhancement system. In an example method of operation, a processor of the ADAS enhancement system obtains information about a laden weight of a vehicle, identifies a setting associated with an operation of an ADAS of the vehicle (a braking operation, a cruising speed control operation, a lane maintaining operation, etc.) and modifies the first setting based on the laden weight of the vehicle. For example, the ADAS enhancement system may increase a first braking distance set by the ADAS to a second braking distance system based on the laden weight of the vehicle. As another example, the ADAS enhancement system may change a first level of responsiveness to an action performed by the driver of the vehicle to a second level of responsiveness in proportion to the weight of a cargo item in the vehicle.

A travel mode switching device for a vehicle is provided, which is switchable between a plurality of travel modes including a sport travel mode and a towing travel mode. The device includes a travel mode selection interface that allows a driver to select one of the travel modes, a towing detection sensor that detects a towing state, and a processor configured to execute a travel mode switching module to switch the travel mode to the travel mode selected by the travel mode selection interface, and a travel mode regulating module to regulate the selection of the sport travel mode by the travel mode selection interface when the towing state is detected by the towing detection sensor, and regulate the selection of the towing travel mode by the travel mode selection interface when the towing state is not detected.

A method for minimizing disturbance due to wind forces of a trailer being towed by a vehicle. The method also includes receiving, at a data processing hardware data from a sensor system for the tow vehicle. The method also includes determining, at the data processing hardware, a passing object profile. The method also includes predicting, at the data processing hardware, a wind force profile based upon the sensor data the passing object profile. The method also includes determining, at the data processing hardware, at least one preventative action for the vehicle to minimize the effect of disturbance on the trailer.

An erroneous start suppression device equipped with an electronic control unit that controls a drive device that generates a driving force of a vehicle, and the electronic control unit determines whether or not an accelerator operation of a driver is an erroneous operation based on whether or not a predetermined determination condition is satisfied; limits a driving force generated by the drive device when the electronic control unit determines that the accelerator operation of the driver is an erroneous operation; determines whether or not the vehicle is towing a towed vehicle; and changes the predetermined determination condition so that it becomes difficult to determine that the predetermined determination condition is satisfied when it is determined that the vehicle is towing a towed vehicle.

Disclosed are a power assisted towing mode control method and system for ecofriendly vehicles. The power assisted towing mode control method is executed to control a power assisted towing mode between a first vehicle as a towing vehicle and a second vehicle as a towed vehicle, and includes determining, by the first vehicle, whether or not an accelerator pedal amount exceeds a threshold value, calculating, by the first vehicle, driver request torque based on the accelerator pedal amount, calculating, by the first vehicle, motor allowable torque based on the driver request torque, receiving, by the second vehicle, the motor allowable torque and calculating motor dischargeable torque based on the motor allowable torque, and performing, by the second vehicle, motor torque output based on the motor dischargeable torque.