A lane change support device includes a control unit configured to execute lane change control for enabling a vehicle to automatically change lanes from a lane in which the vehicle is traveling to an adjacent lane. The control unit counts a holding time for which an operation part that is operated to a predetermined operation position to start the lane change control is continuously held at the operation position, starts the lane change control when the counted holding time reaches a predetermined threshold time, and calculates a proficiency level of a driver of the vehicle for an operation of the lane change support device during execution of the lane change control and sets the threshold time to be used for a successive lane change control based on the proficiency level.

Techniques for automatic control of a vehicle are disclosed. The vehicle may include a removable input device having various modes of operation. For example, a coupled mode of operation may control the vehicle when an operator is in an operator area of the vehicle, while a remote mode of operation may enable vehicle control when the operator is outside of the operator area. The vehicle may include object sensors to detect a target such as the removable input device or an operator device. Accordingly, the vehicle may automatically follow the target. The vehicle may also identify obstacles, in response to which manual control of the vehicle may at least temporarily be provided to the operator, after which automatic control may resume.

A hybrid drive device has an internal combustion engine, a clutch transmission which has at least one free partial transmission and a partial transmission connected to an electric machine with in each case a clutch, and at least one electric machine. In order to start the internal combustion engine, pulse energy is provided from an inertia of the clutch associated with the free partial transmission and/or a rotation in the free partial transmission.

A driving assist device includes a driving assist controller. The driving assist controller includes an oncoming vehicle detection unit, a prediction determination unit, a predicted travel region setting unit and a stop controller. The oncoming vehicle detection unit is configured to, when a vehicle enters an intersection, determine whether an oncoming vehicle going to enter the intersection is present. The prediction determination unit is configured to, when the oncoming vehicle detection unit determines that the oncoming vehicle is going to enter the intersection, determine whether a course of the oncoming vehicle is predictable based on vehicle behavior of the oncoming vehicle. The predicted travel region setting unit is configured to set a predicted travel region of the oncoming vehicle based on the vehicle behavior. The stopping controller is configured to cause the vehicle to stop outside of the predicted travel region set by the predicted travel region setting unit.

Provided is an acceleration suppression apparatus having improved practicality. The acceleration suppression apparatus includes: an in-vehicle sensor (20) configured to acquire information relating to a position of an own vehicle and information relating to an operation of an operating element of the own vehicle to output the acquired information; and a parking assist ECU (10) configured to execute, based on the information acquired from the in-vehicle sensor (20), acceleration suppression control for suppressing acceleration of the own vehicle by controlling at least one of a drive device (30) or a braking device (40) mounted on the own vehicle. The parking assist ECU (10) is configured to execute the acceleration suppression control when, in a situation in which the own vehicle is positioned in a predetermined region including a parking space, a traveling mode of the own vehicle matches a predetermined mode defined in advance as a traveling mode when the own vehicle is being parked in the parking space.

Described herein are methods and systems for the weight estimation of commercial vehicles and using these estimates to control different vehicle systems such as powertrain, brakes, and suspension. A vehicle comprises a weight estimator, which receives input from different vehicle systems and/or sensors (e.g., suspension, powertrain, speedometer, tire pressure monitoring system) and uses these inputs to determine weight values associated with the vehicle (e.g., total weight, weight distribution per axle, weight distribution per wheel, load distribution). These weight values are then used by the power train, brakes, and/or suspension as additional input for operating these systems besides drivers' input, e.g., provided as pedal positions. For example, different weight values can cause different powertrain outputs for the same accelerator pedal position, e.g., greater output for a heavier vehicle. As such, a driver experiences more uniform vehicle responses for different vehicle loads.

A drive mode switch control device acquires operation information. The drive mode switch control device switches a drive state among at least an autonomous drive state, a manual drive state, and a coordination drive state. The operation detection unit detects a first operation and a second operation based on the operation information when the drive state is not in the manual drive state. The second operation is the drive operation different from the first operation and input after the input of the first operation. The drive mode switch control device switches the drive state from the autonomous drive state to the coordination drive state based on a detection determination of the first operation. The drive mode switch control device switches the drive state from the coordination drive state to the manual drive state based on a detection determination of the first operation.

A system for assisting in aligning a vehicle for hitching with a trailer includes an imaging system, a vehicle control system including at least one vehicle sensor, and a controller. The controller controls the vehicle using the vehicle control system to move the vehicle into an aligned position, where a hitch ball on the vehicle is aligned with the coupler, including monitoring a signal from the vehicle sensor and tracking a position of the coupler relative to the hitch ball in image data. When the signal indicates an unintended stopped vehicle state, the controller determines a distance from the hitch ball to the coupler. If the distance is above a predetermined threshold, the controller controls the vehicle control system to cause the vehicle to move. If the distance is below the predetermined threshold, the controller indicates the unintended stopped vehicle state to a driver of the vehicle.

Since a maximum rotation speed of a second rotary machine is set to a lower value when a supercharging pressure is high than when the supercharging pressure is low, an engine torque decreases with an rotation speed of the second rotary machine which is relatively low and the rotation speed is less likely to fall into a high-rotation state. When the supercharging pressure is relatively low and the rotation speed is less likely to reach an upper-limit rotation speed of the second rotary machine, the maximum rotation speed is set to a relatively high value. Accordingly, the engine torque does not decrease to the rotation speed which is relatively high and power performance can be easily secured. As a result, it is possible to prevent a decrease in power performance due to the decrease in the engine torque and to prevent the rotation speed from falling into a high-rotation state.

Embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to switching a driving mode of a vehicle. A mode change request from one of a plurality of sources to switch the vehicle from a first driving mode to a second driving mode is received. In response to receiving the mode change request, a status of the vehicle is accessed, and a confirmation request is transmitted to the one of the plurality of sources. Verification of the confirmation request is made, and a driving transition mode is initialized from the first driving mode to the second driving mode based on the status of the vehicle. In response to adhering to safety conditions or safety boundaries within a duration of time, a switching signal is sent to the control system of the vehicle to switch the vehicle from the first driving mode to the second driving mode.