Abstract: Methods and systems for a complete vehicle ecosystem are provided. Specifically, systems that when taken alone, or together, provide an individual or group of individuals with an intuitive and comfortable vehicular environment. The present disclosure builds on integrating existing technology with new devices, methods, and systems to provide a complete vehicle ecosystem.

Abstract: A true north heading is determined by using gyroscopes of differing accuracy and orienting a gyroscope of a higher accuracy to a direction that is more sensitive to azimuth change (e.g., an east/west direction). A gyroscope with a lower accuracy is placed perpendicular to the gyroscope with a higher accuracy and can be oriented towards a north or south direction. The gyroscopes may be placed on a rotatable platform to properly orient the gyroscopes. The higher-accuracy gyroscope may be implemented by using multiple gyroscopes oriented in the same direction.

Abstract: A brake maintenance indication system having a first portion determines the brake cylinder pressure and a second portion that is configured to determine the intended brake cylinder pressure based on the difference between the brake pipe pressure and the emergency reservoir pressure. The intended brake cylinder pressure is preferably determined to be 2.5 times of the difference between the brake pipe pressure and the emergency reservoir pressure. In the event of brake cylinder over-pressurization or under-pressurization, an indicator is flagged, thus identifying the presence of a problem with the braking system.

Abstract: A system according to the principles of the present disclosure includes a starter control module, an engine speed module, and a sensor diagnostic module. The starter control module generates a starter engage signal to engage a starter of an engine. The engine speed module determines a speed of the engine based on input from at least one of a camshaft position sensor and a crankshaft position sensor. The sensor diagnostic module selectively diagnoses a fault in the at least one of the camshaft position sensor and the crankshaft position sensor based on a rate of change in the engine speed before the starter engage signal is generated.

Abstract: A method in which open- or closed-loop control of a motor vehicle brake system is carried out having friction brakes on the wheels of at least one axle, wherein the brake pressure generating means for the wheels of at least one axle are in a direct operative connection to the brake pedal, and at least one electrical machine is in an operative connection to at least one axle which can be used by applying an electrically regenerative braking torque for converting kinetic energy into electrical energy. In order to raise the efficiency level of the recuperation, the regenerative deceleration is increased even in the case of an unchanged brake pedal position and/or brake pedal force, and a motor vehicle brake system which is open-loop or closed-loop controlled.

Abstract: A method for generating accurate lane level maps based on coarse map information and image sensor data captured during the pass of a sensor carrying vehicle along a road. The method generates accurate lane estimates including any of the center of each lane, the number of lanes, and the presence of any bicycle paths, and entrance and exit ramps, merging of two lanes into one lane, or the expansion of one lane into two lanes, using a computer-implemented method where the coarse map data and the image sensor data are subjected to dual reversible jump-Markov chain Monte Carlo filtering.

Abstract: A method, system and computer readable medium are capable of identifying information to display. The method includes identifying a location of a display device. The method includes identifying, in response to a user input, places within a predetermined distance of the location of the display device. The method includes identifying current information about items or services available at the identified places. The method includes displaying, on the display device, the current information about the items or services available at the identified places within the predetermined distance of the display device.

Abstract: Systems and methods of vehicle climate control are provided. Specifically, a vehicle with climate control includes a number of sensors for sensing climate control information, such as human bodily conditions, e.g., temperature or heart rate, of the human occupants of the vehicle, a processing unit, and a climate control. The processing unit uses the sensed human bodily conditions data from the sensors to activate the climate control the adjust the climate conditions for the human occupants. In another aspect of the disclosure, stress level of the human operator of a vehicle can be detected by sensing the bodily conditions of the human operator, determining the stress level of the human operator based on the sensed bodily conditions, and displaying a warning if the stress level is over a certain limit.

Abstract: A braking force control device can control braking forces of the respective wheels of a vehicle, suppresses an increase of the braking force of a first wheel that is a wheel having a relatively large slip amount in a pair of right/left wheels and increases the braking force of a second wheel that is a wheel having a relatively small slip amount. The braking force control device may suppress the increase of the braking force of the first wheel before the friction coefficient of a road surface to the first wheel reaches a peak and when the friction coefficient is in the vicinity of the peak. It is preferable to suppress the increase of the braking force of the first wheel by holding the braking force of the first wheel.

Abstract: In a rear wheel steering vehicle equipped with a vehicle motion stability control system that can be selectively switched on and off, the motion stability of the vehicle is prevented from being impaired when an abnormal condition should develop to a rear wheel steering device of the vehicle. In addition to the rear wheel steering device, the vehicle is provided with an abnormal condition processing unit that turns on the vehicle motion stability control system upon detection of the abnormal condition of the rear wheel rear wheel steering device while the vehicle motion stability control system is turned off.

Abstract: A method and system for controlling the overall brake bias in a vehicle braking system having both frictional and regenerative braking devices. The method comprises receiving a brake bias command and determining a desired brake bias based on the brake bias command. The method further comprises changing the brake bias in the vehicle braking system to achieve the desired brake bias through the operation of one or more regenerative braking devices. The system comprises one or more regenerative braking devices, each configured to apply negative torque to one of a first axle or a second axle of the vehicle, and an electronic module, for example, an electronic brake control module (EBCM) that is configured to perform the above-described methodology.

Abstract: Provided is an acceleration detection apparatus installed in a vehicle and including a plurality of acceleration sensors having different characteristics, a function to input diagnosis signals in order to diagnose the outputs of the acceleration sensors and diagnose the fault detection functions while the vehicle stops, and a function to compare the outputs of the sensors in order to detect a fault while the vehicle runs.

Abstract: The purpose of the present invention is to provide an auxiliary braking device of a vehicle which obtains braking force corresponding to the amount of pressing of an accelerator pedal even during an operation of the auxiliary braking device and prevents frequent repetition of the acceleration and deceleration, to attain a fuel saving operation. Therefore, in the present invention, a vehicle electronic control unit (10) and other electronic control units (20, 30) are provided, the vehicle electronic control unit (10) and the other electronic control units are connected with each other by an in-vehicle communication system (L123), and an auxiliary brake switch position detection device (5S) that detects a switch position of an auxiliary brake switch (5) and an accelerator pedal pressing amount measurement device (4S) that measures the amount of pressing of the accelerator pedal (4) are provided.

Abstract: An apparatus for diagnosing a temperature detection unit, mounted in a vehicle having a power conversion circuit including a switching element, a control unit configured to operate the switching element to control a torque of a main rotating machine electrically connected to the power conversion circuit to a demanded torque. The temperature detection unit is configured to detect a temperature of the switching element. In the apparatus, a current supply increasing unit is configured to operate the switching element to increase a current supply to the switching element. A permission unit permits the current supply increasing unit to increase the current supply only when a braking torque is being applied to the vehicle. A diagnostic unit determines that an abnormality is present in the temperature detection unit when it is determined that the detection temperature of the temperature detection unit is out of an acceptable range.

Abstract: An electronic control unit includes a controller configured to interrupt a failsafe relay for a predetermined time period while an external load, such as an electric servo motor, is in a non-operating state and to perform a diagnosis of a short-circuit fault, which may occur at a load power supply line, based on a difference between a first voltage applied to a positive power supply line and a second voltage applied to the load power supply line.

Abstract: A vehicle personal assistant to engage a user in a conversational dialog about vehicle-related topics, such as those commonly found in a vehicle owner's manual, includes modules to interpret spoken natural language input, search a vehicle knowledge base and/or other data sources for pertinent information, and respond to the user's input in a conversational fashion. The dialog may be initiated by the user or more proactively by the vehicle personal assistant based on events that may be currently happening in relation to the vehicle. The vehicle personal assistant may use real-time inputs obtained from the vehicle and/or non-verbal inputs from the user to enhance its understanding of the dialog and assist the user in a variety of ways.

Abstract: Methods are provided for determining the length of a path traveled by a vehicle using an onboard unit that generates a sequence of position readings and a related position quality index for each position reading. A set of consecutive position readings is extracted from the sequence. Position readings are discarded having position quality indices falling below a threshold. A set quality index is determined based on the number of position readings of the set or on the position quality indices. If the set quality index exceeds a threshold, the path length is determined based on mutual distances of consecutive position readings of the set. Otherwise, the path length is determined using a digital road map composed of road segments by associating the position readings of the set with at least one road segment, and determining the path length based on the segment length of the at least one road segment.

Abstract: A vehicle steering control apparatus in a vehicle including an apparatus changing a tire steer angle independently of steering wheel operation; a detecting device detecting a tire steer angle equivalent value corresponding to the tire steer angle; and a controller is provided. The controller is configured to learn a steering wheel angle neutral point; determine if the detecting device is in an abnormal state; disregard the learned steering wheel angle neutral point if the detecting device is in the abnormal state; control the apparatus such that the tire steer angle is returned to a tire steer angle neutral point if the detecting device is in the abnormal state; initialize the detecting device after the tire steer angle is returned to the tire steer angle neutral point; and restart the learning of the steering wheel angle after the detecting device is initialized.

Abstract: There is provided an actuator control apparatus configured such that even when an electronic device that generates an electric signal to be used to control an actuator is provided in the form of a duplexed system, an increase in the number of communication paths between the electronic device and a controller is suppressed. A torque sensor and a rotation angle sensor are each provided in the form of a duplexed system. Two sets of a torque sensor and a rotation angle sensor are connected to a microcomputer via a SPI communication line. The torque sensors and the rotation angle sensors are connected to the microcomputer via CS communication lines, respectively. By selecting a communication target via a corresponding one of the CS communication lines, the microcomputer is able to receive multiple kinds of electric signals via each one of the SPI communication lines.

Abstract: A driving assist apparatus for a vehicle is provided. The apparatus includes a determination unit that determines a state of a traffic flow in a lane in which a ego-vehicle is driving, on the basis of acceleration of the ego-vehicle and inter-vehicle distances to other vehicles around the ego-vehicle. The apparatus also includes a drive control unit that controls a motion of the ego-vehicle and is capable of switching drive control according to a determination result by the determination unit. The drive control unit switches the drive control when the determination result indicates that the state of the traffic flow is a state of a critical region which is present in a transition period from a free-flow state to a mixed-flow state. Here, the free-flow state is a state in which the probability of occurrence of traffic congestion is low, and the mixed-flow state is a state in which a braking state and an acceleration state of a vehicle are mixed.