A method for steering a vehicle along a path in a driveway and around obstacles between a starting position into a target position, comprises the steps of determining the vehicle dimensions, steering and driving capabilities, carrying out a path optimization step to evaluate, based on a predetermined cost function, the least costly path between the starting position and the target position avoiding any collisions with obstacles. The method further comprises the further step of applying a path improver step, smoothening the trajectory obtained by the path optimization method by means of numerical optimization while fulfilling dynamical constraints on acceleration and steering rate of the vehicle through planning lateral and longitudinal movement of the vehicle in a joint optimization problem or by means of separate optimization problems.

A control system (100) for an emergency braking system (200) using at least one transmitter/receiver sensor (210) comprising: means for causing automatic transition, from a first state (310) in which the emergency braking system (200) is inactive to a second state (320) in which the emergency braking system (200) is active, in dependence upon satisfaction of a first condition (412); and means for causing automatic transition from the second state (320) to the first state (310) in dependence upon satisfaction of a second condition (421) different to the first condition (412) wherein transition from the second state (320) to the first state (310) does not occur in dependence upon the first condition (412) no longer being satisfied, and/or transition from the first state (320) to the second state (310) does not occur in dependence upon the second condition (421) no longer being satisfied.

A vehicular trailer assist system includes a camera disposed at a rear portion of a vehicle and viewing a portion of a trailer hitched at a hitch of the vehicle. During a reversing maneuver of the vehicle and hitched trailer, the vehicular trailer assist system, responsive to processing at an electronic control unit (ECU) of image data captured by the camera, determines a trailer angle of the trailer relative to a longitudinal axis of the vehicle. Based at least in part on the determined trailer angle, the vehicular trailer assist system determines a trailer direction of movement of the trailer while the vehicle is reversing with the trailer hitched at the hitch of the vehicle. The vehicular trailer assist system determines a virtual destination location rearward of the trailer and in the determined trailer direction and controls steering of the vehicle to reverse the trailer towards the virtual destination location.

A parking location guidance apparatus includes a vehicle detector that detects a vehicle entering a parking lot having a plurality of gates, a departure information reflecting device that reflects leaving time information and destination information of the vehicle, an exit-specific time reflecting device calculates a time required for the vehicle to exit for each gate based on the leaving time information and the destination information, and a parking location guidance device that selects, as a parking location, a location adjacent to an optimal gate, from among the gates, according to the time required for the vehicle to exit for each gate and transmits the parking location to the vehicle.

A system and method is provided for determining where a vehicle has parked in a parking lot. The method includes determining a geometry for a parking lot; receiving vehicle event data including periodic vehicle event data for vehicle speed and steering angle; tracking a movement of a vehicle using the vehicle event data; and determining where a vehicle has parked using a steering angle to determine a number of turns in the parking lot geometry.

A vehicle having park assist includes a plurality of powered closure doors, each door having an actuator for moving the door between closed and open positions, a plurality of sensors located on the vehicle for sensing objects relative to the vehicle and generating sensed signals indicative of the sensed objects, and a transceiver for communicating with a parked vehicle. The vehicle also includes a controller processing the sensed signals, determining a distance and location of the sensed objects relative to the doors, and determining a parking location for the vehicle in a garage where the closure doors are free from contact with an object in the garage when in an open position and are free of contact with powered closure doors on the parked vehicle. An output is provided to assist a driver of the vehicle to park the vehicle in the garage in the determined parking location.

An apparatus and method for controlling driving of a vehicle are provided and the apparatus includes a lamp that projects a lamp light onto one of a left floor surface or a right floor surface of the vehicle, a camera that obtains an image of an area onto which the lamp light is projected, and a controller that determines whether to output a warning based on the image of the area onto which the lamp light is projected when the lamp light is projected onto a boundary stone located around at least one of the left floor surface or the right floor surface of the vehicle.

An ultrasound transducer of a vehicle system, comprising a membrane configured to vibrate to generate an ultrasound when voltage is applied and further configured to vibrate in an out-of-plane movement, wherein the membrane includes a first piezoelectric film at a center of the membrane, a supporting member including a second piezoelectric film, the supporting member supporting and surrounding the membrane, wherein in response to a translation of motion or actuation from the membrane, the supporting member mode does not move when there is the out-of-plane movement from the membrane.

The relates to a method for operating a driver assistance unit of a motor vehicle using a navigation target specification device. A control unit operates by: receiving a target specification signal describing a projection on a trafficable driving surface; establishing the portion of the trafficable driving surface to which the light of the projection is applied as a driving target region; and, based on the received target specification signal, establishing a relative position of the motor vehicle relative to the driving target region. There is also a step of receiving an orientation signal from an orientation detection unit of the navigation target specification device, which describes a spatial target specification orientation of the navigation target specification device in the driving target region, on which basis a navigation target is established. Depending on the established relative position and the established navigation target, there is a step of establishing a movement path to the navigation target, a step of generating a navigation signal describing a controlling of the motor vehicle along the established movement path, and a step of transmitting the generated navigation signal to the driver assistance unit of the motor vehicle.

An automatic parking system is provided. The automatic parking system includes a camera processor that acquires images around a subject vehicle, converts the acquired images into external images and synthesizes the external images. A sensor processor measured spaced distances between the subject vehicle and surrounding vehicles. A parking space recognizing unit periodically receives the spaced distances and the external images and comparing the consecutive external images with the spaced distances using an image recognition technology to recognize parking areas. A controller calculates a moving path between a current position of the subject vehicle and an optimal parking area and operates the subject vehicle based on the moving path.