Abstract: A method for controlling a comfort component of a vehicle includes setting a comfort component, while a passenger is occupying the vehicle, to an active state to adjust a temperature within the vehicle to a passenger desired temperature based on receiving an input from the passenger. The method further includes maintaining, after the passenger exited the vehicle, the comfort component in an active state based on a likelihood of the passenger returning to the vehicle satisfying an active state condition. The method still further includes capturing, after the passenger exited the vehicle, an image of a person approaching the vehicle via one or more sensors of the vehicle. The method also includes adjusting the comfort component from the active state to a default state based on an identity of the person being different from an identity of the passenger, the identity of the person being determined based on the image.

Abstract: According to an aspect of the present invention, a vehicle control device, a vehicle control method, and a vehicle control system acquire a setting condition including at least one of information related to a driving environment of a driving road on which a vehicle travels and information related to a state of the vehicle; set, based on the setting condition, an interval between trajectory points representing a target trajectory along which the vehicle is caused to travel; and output a control command that causes the vehicle to travel along the target trajectory. This makes it possible to prevent the driving performance of a vehicle from decreasing even when the conditions surrounding the vehicle change.

Abstract: A vehicle control apparatus, a vehicle control method, and a vehicle control system according to the present invention each acquire information related to a positional difference in a transverse direction between a target trajectory of a vehicle and an actual trajectory of the vehicle, estimate an amount of disturbance corresponding to the positional difference in the transverse direction by using the information related to the positional difference in the transverse direction, and obtain a control command by using the amount of disturbance as an aspect thereof. The control command is for causing the vehicle to track the target trajectory. This makes it possible to accurately estimate the amount of disturbance and increase the performance of tracking the target trajectory.

Abstract: In one mode, with a vehicle control apparatus, a vehicle control method, and a vehicle control system according to the present invention, a control command is output for operating an actuator unit mounted in a vehicle, so as to obtain a control moment including at least one of a roll moment, a pitch moment, and a yaw moment that are generated for the vehicle before a curve on a traveling road on which the vehicle runs, based on a physical quantity about a curvature ahead on the traveling road and a physical quantity about a speed of the vehicle. In this way, the passenger's sense of security when the vehicle runs on the curve may be improved.

Abstract: In a vehicle control device, a vehicle control method, and a vehicle control system according to the present invention, in control of a motion of a vehicle which is based on a signal relating to a target trajectory and a signal relating to a traveling state, a target traveling state of the vehicle after a predetermined time period corresponding to a delay element in the control of the motion of the vehicle is predicted, and a command for achieving the predicted target traveling state is output to an actuator configured to control the motion of the vehicle, thereby suppressing occurrence of a deviation of a traveling trajectory from the target trajectory and occurrence of an unstable behavior, for example, meandering, due to the delay element in a vehicle motion control system which is based on the target trajectory.

Abstract: A vehicle control device, a vehicle control method, and a vehicle control system according to the present invention acquire a first driving area in front of a vehicle, the first driving area being included in a first target command specified by a recognition and determination unit that performs recognition and determination, output a first control command for driving the vehicle at a velocity and on a driving path that are based on a specification relating to driving of the vehicle in the first driving area, acquire a second driving area that partly overlaps the first driving area in front of the vehicle while the vehicle is running in the first driving area, the second driving area being included in a second target command specified by the recognition and determination unit, and output a second control command for driving the vehicle at a velocity and on a driving path that are based on a specification relating to driving of the vehicle in the second driving area.

Abstract: A vehicle control device, a vehicle control method, and a vehicle control system according to the present invention perform feedback control to reduce difference in lateral direction or difference in turning direction between an own vehicle and a travel target, so as to acquire a first steering angle control conunand for increasing a steering angle control amount as the velocity of the own vehicle decreases, acquire a second steering angle control command for decreasing the steering angle control amount with respect to the velocity, compared with a magnitude of the steering angle control amount with respect to the velocity obtained by the first steering angle control command, output the first steering angle control command when the velocity is greater than a predetermined threshold, and output the second steering angle control command when the velocity is equal to, or less than, the predetermined threshold.

Abstract: A vehicle control device, a vehicle control method, and a vehicle control system according to the present invention estimate, in response to a deceleration command to a vehicle, the first deceleration generated by a frictional braking force based on characteristics of deceleration with respect to a force acting on a friction pad of a frictional braking device, determine the second deceleration by subtracting the first deceleration from the deceleration command, output the first command for generating the frictional braking force based on the deceleration command, and output the second command for generating the regenerative braking force based on the second deceleration. This allows compensating for uncertainty in achieving deceleration by frictional braking, and improving the accuracy of the actual deceleration with respect to the deceleration command.

Abstract: A lead vehicle (1) in an adaptive cruise control system that non-mechanically connects a following vehicle (2) to the lead vehicle (1) sequentially and that causes the following vehicle (2) to follow its immediately preceding vehicle calculates vehicle velocity limit (V1max) for limiting a velocity of the lead vehicle (1) based on maximum allowable vehicle velocity (V2max) of the following vehicle (2), maximum allowable vehicle velocity (V2max) satisfying a turning performance of the following vehicle (2), and controls a brake apparatus and a drive apparatus such that the velocity of the lead vehicle (1) will not exceed vehicle velocity limit (V1max).

Abstract: The vehicle control device of the present invention acquires characteristics of a road condition in front of a traveling vehicle based on external information; acquires vehicle behavior control variables for controlling the behavior of the vehicle based on estimated state variables of the vehicle that are obtained based on the characteristics, and control variables concerning speed of the vehicle based on the external information; acquires trajectory tracking control variables for causing the vehicle to track the target trajectory based on the target trajectory on which the vehicle travels that are obtained based on the characteristics and the estimated state variables; and outputs the control commands for controlling the suspension device, steering device, and braking and driving device based on the vehicle behavior control variables and the trajectory tracking control variables. This improves travel stability of the vehicle on a road surface on which an irregularity such as ruts exists.

Abstract: According to one aspect of the present invention, a vehicle control apparatus mounted on a lead vehicle sets a smaller value of a first acceleration limit value determined based on specifications regarding running of a first following vehicle and a basic acceleration limit value determined based on specifications regarding running of the lead vehicle as a set acceleration limit value of the lead vehicle, and outputs an acceleration instruction for controlling a braking apparatus or a driving apparatus after limiting it according to the set acceleration limit value.

Abstract: An EPS controller reduces a turning angle of front wheels when it is determined that a normative yaw rate is larger than an actual yaw rate.

Abstract: In a vehicle control device, a vehicle control method, and a vehicle control system according to the present invention, in control of a motion of a vehicle which is based on a signal relating to a target trajectory and a signal relating to a traveling state, a target traveling state of the vehicle after a predetermined time period corresponding to a delay element in the control of the motion of the vehicle is predicted, and a command for achieving the predicted target traveling state is output to an actuator configured to control the motion of the vehicle, thereby suppressing occurrence of a deviation of a traveling trajectory from the target trajectory and occurrence of an unstable behavior, for example, meandering, due to the delay element in a vehicle motion control system which is based on the target trajectory.

Abstract: A vehicle control apparatus, a vehicle control method, and a vehicle following running system according to the present invention are configured in the following manner. In a vehicle following running system, a first vehicle, a second vehicle subsequent to the first vehicle, and the third vehicle subsequent to the second vehicle carry out following running by being non-mechanically connected. The third vehicle selectively acquires first vehicle information including a first physical amount regarding a motion of the first vehicle and second vehicle information including a second physical amount regarding a motion of the second vehicle.

Abstract: A motor torque control section switches a change rate of a motor torque for approximating the motor torque to an assist torque according to relationship between the motor torque of an electric motor and the assist torque and according to a change in a turning angle, after automatic steering is cancelled according to a steering torque.

Abstract: A vehicle control apparatus is configured to be mounted on a following vehicle in a vehicle following running system that achieves following running by non-mechanically towing a preceding vehicle and the following vehicle. The vehicle control apparatus is configured to acquire a first physical amount regarding a motion amount of the preceding vehicle generated when the preceding vehicle starts running that is transmitted from the preceding vehicle, determine a second physical amount regarding a motion amount of the following vehicle required when the following vehicle starts running based on the acquired first physical amount, and output an instruction for achieving the determined second physical amount to an actuator regarding driving of the following vehicle.

Abstract: An EPS controller reduces a turning angle of front wheels when it is determined that a normative yaw rate is larger than an actual yaw rate.

Abstract: The present invention provides a vehicle control apparatus, a vehicle control method, and an preceding vehicle following system that allow a following vehicle to run while following behind a preceding vehicle even when a constraint is imposed on the following vehicle. A vehicle control apparatus is configured to be mounted on a preceding vehicle in a preceding vehicle following system that performs follow control by non-mechanically connecting the preceding vehicle and a following vehicle. The vehicle control apparatus is configured to output an instruction for restricting a motion state of the preceding vehicle based on input information regarding a vehicle performance of the following vehicle.

Abstract: A communication control apparatus is configured to be mounted on a first vehicle in a preceding vehicle following system that performs follow control by non-mechanically connecting the first vehicle and a second vehicle. The communication control apparatus is configured to cause radio wave radiation of an antenna of the first vehicle to have directionality toward an antenna of the second vehicle based on input relative position information between the second vehicle and the first vehicle.

Abstract: Provided is a vehicle motion control apparatus of a following vehicle that is non-mechanically linked to a preceding vehicle and thus capable of performing follow-up cruising, comprising a target trajectory acquisition portion configured to acquire a target trajectory for enabling the following vehicle to follow a running trajectory of the preceding vehicle, the target trajectory being generated according to acquired information regarding the preceding vehicle, and an actuator control output portion configured to output to a control portion of an actuator which is associated with the steering, braking, and driving of the following vehicle, a command to follow the preceding vehicle with a closest approach distance from the preceding vehicle maintained at a preset distance according to the target trajectory acquired by the target trajectory acquisition portion.