A control unit 15 of an in-vehicle device 1 configured to acquire, from landmark data LD that is map data including position information of one or more features, plural pieces of position information of a feature which is drawn on a road surface and which exists at or around a vehicle. Then, the control unit 15 is configured to calculate a normal vector of an approximate plane calculated based on the acquired plural pieces of the position information. Then, the control unit 15 is configured to calculate at least one of a pitch angle or a roll angle of the vehicle based on the orientation of the vehicle and the normal vector.

The invention is related to a laser diode based multiple beam laser spot imaging system for characterization of vehicle dynamics. A laser diode based, preferably VCSEL based laser imaging system is utilized to characterize the vehicle dynamics. One or more laser beams are directed to the road surface. A compact imaging system including an imaging matrix sensor such as a CCD or CMOS camera measures locations or separations of individual laser spots. Loading status of vehicles and vehicles' pitch and roll angle can be characterized by analyzing the change of laser spot locations or separations.

The invention is related to a laser diode based multiple beam laser spot imaging system for characterization of vehicle dynamics. A laser diode based, preferably VCSEL based laser imaging system is utilized to characterize the vehicle dynamics. One or more laser beams are directed to the road surface. A compact imaging system including an imaging matrix sensor such as a CCD or CMOS camera measures locations or separations of individual laser spots. Loading status of vehicles and vehicles' pitch and roll angle can be characterized by analyzing the change of laser spot locations or separations.

A posture estimation method includes calculating a posture change amount of an object based on an output of an angular velocity sensor, predicting posture information of the object by using the posture change amount, limiting a bias error in a manner of limiting a bias error component of an angular velocity around a reference vector in error information, and correcting the predicted posture information of the object based on the error information, the reference vector, and an output of a reference observation sensor.

A method and apparatus for determining a slope of a road using a side view camera of a vehicle, the method includes identifying a road image collected from a side view camera, dividing the road image into a plurality of regions, calculating a slope of a road for each of the plurality of regions based on driving lanes comprised in each of the plurality of regions, and determining a slope between the side view camera and the road using the slope of the road calculated for each of the plurality of regions.

A braking control device includes a braking control unit that controls a braking device, a load reduction amount derivation unit that derives a reduction amount of a load input from a vehicle body to a suspension for a second wheel, and an anti-force derivation unit that derives an anti-lift force. The braking control unit performs posture braking processing of adjusting the second braking force so that the difference between the reduction amount of the load and the anti-lift force is less than or equal to a difference determination value, and adjusting the first braking force so that the vehicle braking force becomes the required value.

The braking control device includes a control amount derivation unit that derives a target vehicle braking force representing a target value of a vehicle braking force applied, and a braking control unit that controls a regenerative braking device and a frictional braking device based on the target vehicle braking force. When the target vehicle braking force is increased, the braking control unit executes a braking force application process of increasing the frictional braking force applied to the wheel so that such frictional braking force becomes larger than the regenerative braking force applied to the wheel. When the target vehicle braking force is increased, the braking control unit executes a switching process of switching at least a part of the frictional braking force applied to the wheel to the regenerative braking force to increase the regenerative braking force applied to the wheel after execution of the braking force application process.

The braking control device includes a control amount derivation unit that derives a target vehicle braking force representing a target value of a vehicle braking force applied, and a braking control unit that controls a regenerative braking device and a frictional braking device based on the target vehicle braking force. When the target vehicle braking force is increased, the braking control unit executes a braking force application process of increasing the frictional braking force applied to the wheel so that such frictional braking force becomes larger than the regenerative braking force applied to the wheel. When the target vehicle braking force is increased, the braking control unit executes a switching process of switching at least a part of the frictional braking force applied to the wheel to the regenerative braking force to increase the regenerative braking force applied to the wheel after execution of the braking force application process.

It is an object of the present invention to improve accuracy in estimation of a state of a vehicle in order to achieve excellent ride comfort. An ECU (600) includes a reference vehicle model computation section (1100), which is configured to calculate a reference output by carrying out computation with respect to at least one of a plurality of state amounts in a planar direction and at least one of a plurality of state amounts in an up-down direction in an inseparable manner.

A slope estimation device estimates a slope of a vehicle traveling road, and includes an input section that acquires a detected value of an acceleration sensor for detecting acceleration in a front-back direction of the vehicle, a centripetal force detecting section that detects centripetal force acting on the acceleration sensor due to a turning motion of the vehicle, and a slope computing section that computes the slope of the vehicle traveling road based on the detected value of the acceleration sensor. When the vehicle is in the turning motion, the slope computing section computes the slope of the traveling road by determining a component of the centripetal force superimposed on the detected value of the acceleration sensor based on a turning center position of the vehicle, a gravity center position of the vehicle, and an installation position of acceleration sensor, and subtracting the component of the centripetal force from the detected value of the acceleration sensor.