Abstract: Provided is a control apparatus for an electric vehicle, which is capable of suppressing simultaneous slip of front and rear wheels. The control apparatus for an electric vehicle includes a control portion configured to control a front electric motor and a rear electric motor so that an achievement rate of a torque command with respect to a target torque in one motor of the front and rear electric motors is lower than the achievement rate in the other motor of the front and rear electric motors.

Abstract: The present disclosure is directed toward a storage compartment vehicle (“SCV”) for use in the transport of items for delivery to one or more customers and/or retrieval of items from one or more customers. The SCV may include a plurality of storage compartments that are individually accessible, each of which can contain one or more items. The SCV may navigate to a delivery location and customers may retrieve ordered items from the storage compartments of the SCV. Likewise, customers may return items into storage compartments of the SCV.

Abstract: Various embodiments include methods and vehicles that may include determining whether to initiate a configuration change protocol to implement a configuration change for modifying the exterior shape of a body of the vehicle in response to a planned or predicted future operating mode, event or environment. Also, determining whether an occupancy status of the vehicle conflicts with an occupancy status allowed for in a configuration called for by a configuration change input or indication. Further, modifying the exterior shape of the body of the vehicle in accordance with the configuration change input or indication in response to determining that the occupancy status of the vehicle does not conflict with the configuration change input or indication, wherein modifying the exterior shape of the body of the vehicle includes modifying a configuration of at least one exterior vehicle part.

Abstract: A steering system includes a reaction drive apparatus to apply a reaction force to a steering member, a steering operation drive apparatus to turn steered wheels, a movement drive apparatus to move the steering member between an operation position and a retraction position, a mode switching circuit to switch a manual driving mode and an automatic driving mode, a movement control circuit to move the steering member to the operation position when switched to the manual driving mode, and to move the steering member to the retraction position when switched to the automatic driving mode, a reaction control circuit to control the reaction drive apparatus in the manual driving mode based on steering information of the steering member and steering operation information of the steering operation drive apparatus, and an actuation restriction circuit to restrict actuation of the steering member in the automatic driving mode.

Abstract: A method of controlling an electric motor to optimize system efficiency of an electric motor operable in a pulsed mode and a continuous mode is disclosed herein. The method includes receiving a requested torque for the electric motor, calculating a pulsed system efficiency, calculating a continuous system efficiency, and operating the electric motor in the pulsed mode when the pulsed system efficiency is greater than the continuous system efficiency. The pulsed system efficiency is calculated for delivering the requested torque from the electric motor in a plurality of torque pulses greater than the requested torque. The continuous system efficiency is calculated for delivering the requested torque from the electric motor as a continuous torque. The system efficiency may be at least partially based on a battery efficiency and a motor efficiency.

Abstract: A method of providing guidance for a charging amount of an eco-friendly vehicle includes: predicting a driving energy for each section of a predicted travel route that is divided by a plurality of sections; calculating a battery input and output energy for each section based on the driving energy for each section; and determining a start SoC for minimizing a total change amount of a SoC that is sequentially changed in a section order when driving along the predicted travel route by applying a charge and discharge efficiency depending on a current SoC of a battery at each section to the battery input and output energy for each section.

Abstract: Embodiments include apparatuses, methods, and systems for computer assisted or autonomous driving (CA/AD). An apparatus may include a towing data collection unit to collect data about a trailer, a watercraft, or another vehicle to be towed or being towed by a CA/AD vehicle, a navigation data collection unit to collect data about an operation area, and a vehicle control unit to assess suitability of operating the CA/AD vehicle with the trailer, watercraft, or the other vehicle in tow, and to navigate the CA/AD vehicle in the operation area. Other embodiments may also be described and claimed.

Abstract: A hoist lifting system having planning and monitoring of components. The system monitors one or more components and may have a processing structure and memory storing instructions to configure the processing structure to: receive hoist machine data; determine a rotation speed of a bearing, a travel speed of a rope, a load on the bearing, a friction in the at least one bearing based on the hoist machine data; and store the rotation speed, the travel speed, the load, and the friction in a maintenance database in memory. The hoist lifting system may have the processing structure determine a wear of one or more components.

Abstract: A method for optimizing the traveling of an electric vehicle may include setting an ultra power saving mode for controlling the traveling of an electric vehicle by minimizing consumed energy when a State Of Charge (SOC) of a high voltage battery is equal to or smaller than a predetermined SOC, calculating traveling energy required for traveling from a current location to a destination by a control unit of the electric vehicle, determining whether or not to reach the destination with the energy of the high voltage battery, and calculating a destination reachable vehicle speed zone that calculates a maximum speed and a minimum speed that can reach the destination.

Abstract: Disclosed are devices, systems and methods for a monitoring system for autonomous vehicle operation. In some embodiments, a vehicle may perform self-tests, generate a report based on the results, and transmit it to a remote monitor center over one or both of a high-speed channel for regular data transfers or a reliable channel for emergency situations. In other embodiments, the remote monitor center may determine that immediate intervention is required, and may transmit a control command with high priority, which when received by the vehicle, is implemented and overrides any local commands being processed. In yet other embodiments, the control command with high priority is selected from a small group of predetermined control commands the remote monitor center may issue.

Abstract: An acceleration rate is controlled so that a vehicle speed during autonomous driving is caused to approach a target vehicle speed. When a host vehicle has caught up with another vehicle traveling ahead of the host vehicle, the vehicle speed of the host vehicle is limited in accordance with a headway distance to the other vehicle. An acceleration rate is changed in accordance with a frequency with which the host vehicle catches up to a preceding vehicle, which is another vehicle immediately ahead of the host vehicle, and to another vehicle ahead of the preceding vehicle.

Abstract: An example method for data parameter reasonability analysis includes receiving a source data file including a plurality of data frames having formats that are unknown, and a data frame includes a data word layout having data words concatenated together and the data words are representative of outputs from a plurality of sensors, comparing the sensor data to compatible parameter values for a type of sensor mapped to the location of the sensor data in the data word layout as for available data frame formats, generating a difference map illustrating one or more data words having sensor data incompatible with the type of sensor mapped to the location of the sensor data in the data word layout, assigning a data frame format to the plurality of data frames, determining reasonableness of the sensor data in the source data file, and providing a report as to reasonability of the sensor data.

Abstract: A vehicle provided with a generator generating electric power by using motive power outputted from an internal combustion engine includes an electric power storage device, an electric motor driving a vehicle, a controller executing charging control of the electric power storage device, and a weight estimator estimating a vehicle weight while the vehicle is moving. While the vehicle is driven by the electric motor, the controller starts operation of the internal combustion engine to start charging the electric power storage device when a SOC of the electric power storage device is reduced to a charging start SOC or less, and to stop the operation of the internal combustion engine to stop charging the electric power when the SOC of the electric power storage device is at or greater than a charging stop SOC. The charging stop SOC is set based on the vehicle weight estimated by the weight estimator.

Abstract: A control system of a vehicle determines whether to require a shift from a first travel state in which an operation by a driver is not required to a second travel state in which the operation by the driver is required; makes an operation request to the driver when the shift is required; determines whether the driver has performed an operation in response to the request; and stops the vehicle in a predetermined position when the driver has not performed the operation, wherein in a case in which a lane change operation is required to stop the vehicle in the predetermined position, a speed of travel of the self-vehicle is reduced in accordance with each of a vehicle speed set for a first lane before the lane change operation and a vehicle speed set for a second lane after the lane change operation.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: A driving assistance method includes: extracting a high difficulty point where autonomous driving is difficult on a planned travel route of a host vehicle; determining, at a point located at a predetermined distance or more before the high difficulty point, whether or not a following vehicle traveling on the same lane as a lane of the host vehicle is present within a predetermined range from the host vehicle; and guiding switching of a traveling state of the host vehicle from autonomous driving to manual driving when the following vehicle is present within the predetermined range from the host vehicle.

Abstract: A supervisory propulsion controller module, a speed and position sensing system, and a communication system that are incorporated on marine vessels to reduce the wave-making resistance of the multiple vessels by operating them in controlled and coordinated spatial patterns to destructively cancel their Kelvin wake transverse or divergent wave system through active control of the vessels separation distance with speed. This will enable improvement in the vessel's mobility (speed, payload and range), improve survivability and reliability and reduce acquisition and total ownership cost.

Abstract: Various methods for monitoring a target user by a robotic vehicle include tracking the target user by the robotic vehicle, detecting an object in the presence of the target user based on one or more detection criteria, determining whether the object is a potential threat to the target user based on one or more threat criteria, determining whether to notify the third party of the potential threat to the target user based on one or more notification criteria in response to determining that the object is a potential threat, and notifying the third party of the potential threat to the target user in response to determining that the third party should be notified.

Abstract: The disclosure provides for an accessory for a vehicle. The accessory comprises a housing forming a front surface configured to display a rearward directed field of view from the vehicle and a rear surface directed in a forward operating direction of the vehicle. An at least partially light transmissive panel is directed toward a front windscreen of the vehicle and is in connection with the rear surface. A light source is disposed in the housing proximate the light transmissive panel and is configured to emit light through the at least partially light transmissive panel. A controller is in communication with the light source. The controller is configured to receive an indication of an operating condition of the vehicle and selectively activate the light source in response to the operating condition of the vehicle.

Abstract: A vehicle control device includes an external situation recognition unit configured to recognize an external situation around a vehicle to recognize a traffic participant, an action schedule acquisition unit configured to acquire a first action schedule of the vehicle, an action schedule notification unit configured to notify a terminal possessed by the traffic participant of the first action schedule of the vehicle to request an approval of the first action schedule, a receiver configured to receive the approval of the first action schedule from the terminal; and an execution controller configured to execute an operation of the vehicle in accordance with the first action schedule when the receiver receives the approval of the first action schedule from the terminal and to suppress the operation of the vehicle in accordance with the first action schedule when the receiver does not receive the approval of the first action schedule from the terminal.