Methods, computer-readable media, software, and apparatuses may determine whether a human driver, or an autonomous driving system, should be in control of a vehicle in response to a detection of an unexpected event. A decision may be made to pass control from the autonomous driving system to the human driver, if it is determined that the human driver can handle the unexpected event more safely than the autonomous vehicle.

A device is provided for controlling longitudinal guidance of a vehicle designed to be driven in an at least partly automated manner. The vehicle includes an actuation element for having a driver control longitudinal guidance, the actuation element being blockable within predefined limit positions in accordance with a variable representing the degree of automation of the vehicle and a first condition. The actuation element can be unblocked in accordance with the variable representing the degree of automation of the traveling vehicle and at least one second condition.

A system includes a flight controller. The flight controller is configured to, in response to a first user interface receiving a first user input, generate a first control signal. The first control signal is configured to control an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) to effect an autonomous flight with a first flight parameter and a second flight parameter. In response to a second user interface, different from the first user interface, receiving a second user input, the flight controller is further configured to modify the first flight parameter to obtain a modified first flight parameter, generate a second control signal based on the modified first flight parameter and the second flight parameter, and control the UAV to operate based on the second control signal.

The technology relates to controlling a vehicle in an autonomous driving mode. In one instance, sensor data identifying an object in an environment of the vehicle may be received. A first path of a first trajectory where the vehicle will pass the object may be determined. A function is used to determining a first maximum speed of the vehicle based on a predetermined minimum lateral clearance between the object and the vehicle. The first maximum speed may be used to determine whether an actual lateral clearance between the object and the vehicle will meet the predetermined minimum lateral clearance. The determination of whether the actual lateral clearance will meet the predetermined minimum lateral clearance may be used to generate a first speed plan for the first trajectory. The vehicle may be controlled in the autonomous driving mode according to the first trajectory including the first speed plan and the first path.

The technology relates to controlling a vehicle in an autonomous driving mode. In one instance, sensor data identifying an object in an environment of the vehicle may be received. A first path of a first trajectory where the vehicle will pass the object may be determined. A function is used to determining a first maximum speed of the vehicle based on a predetermined minimum lateral clearance between the object and the vehicle. The first maximum speed may be used to determine whether an actual lateral clearance between the object and the vehicle will meet the predetermined minimum lateral clearance. The determination of whether the actual lateral clearance will meet the predetermined minimum lateral clearance may be used to generate a first speed plan for the first trajectory. The vehicle may be controlled in the autonomous driving mode according to the first trajectory including the first speed plan and the first path.

In a network of autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicles, an alert may be triggered when one of the vehicles switches from autonomous to manual mode. The alert may be communicated to nearby autonomous vehicles so that drivers of those vehicles may become aware of a potentially unpredictable manual driver nearby. Drivers of autonomous vehicles who may have become disengaged (e.g., sleeping, reading, talking, etc.) during autonomous driving may become re-engaged upon noticing the alert. A re-engaged driver may choose to switch his/her own vehicle from autonomous to manual mode in order to appropriately react to an unpredictable nearby manual driver. In additional or alternative embodiments, the alert may be triggered or intensified when indications of impairment of a nearby driver or malfunction of a nearby vehicle are detected.

A method for assisting a maneuvering procedure of a motor vehicle in a parking garage is disclosed, wherein the motor vehicle moves within the parking garage during the maneuvering procedure from a drop-off site in the parking garage to a predetermined position in the parking garage, wherein the maneuvering procedure of the motor vehicle is monitored by at least one sensor of the motor vehicle, comprising the steps: establishing a communication link between a controller of the motor vehicle and a vehicle-external unit of the parking garage; transmitting climate-specific measured data that are acquired by at least one measuring point in the parking garage from the at least one measuring point to the vehicle-external unit, and calibrating the at least one sensor of the motor vehicle depending on the climate-specific measured data.

A navigation system includes: a communication unit configured to receive vehicle environment information of a user vehicle, the vehicle environment information including proximate vehicle information representing proximately located vehicles relative to the user vehicle; and a control unit, coupled to the communication unit, configured to: determine lane reference vehicles from the proximately located vehicles based on a vehicle type of the proximately located vehicles; monitor the relative location of the lane reference vehicles; generate a road lane model including a lane delineation estimation based on the relative location of the lane reference vehicles; and calculate a lane position of the user vehicle according to the lane delineation estimation based on a lateral position shift of the user vehicle.

A system includes an autonomous vehicle (AV) comprising a sensor, a control subsystem, and an operation server. The control subsystem receives sensor data comprising location coordinates of the AV from the sensor. The operation server detects an unexpected event from the sensor data, comprising at least one of an accident, an inspection, and a report request. The operation server receives a message from a user comprising a request to access particular information regarding the AV and location data. The operation server associates the AV with the user if the location coordinates of the AV match location data of the user. The operation server establishes a communication path between the user and a remote operator for further communications.

A vehicle driving system is equipped with an automatic driving control unit that outputs a signal for automatically actuating a plurality of pieces of in-vehicle operational equipment that can be operated by a driver, a manual driving control unit that outputs a signal to the pieces of the in-vehicle operational equipment based on an operational input by the driver, and an interface control unit that is connected to the automatic driving control unit, the manual driving control unit and the pieces of the in-vehicle operational equipment, that receives at least one of the signal output from the automatic driving control unit or the signal output from the manual driving control unit, and that outputs the received signal to the pieces of the in-vehicle operational equipment.