Toyota Research Institute, Inc.

Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha

Alexander Russell Green

Michael Thompson

Yan Ming Jonathan Goh

Avinash Balachandran

John Subosits

Hiroshi Yasuda

Manuel Ludwig Kuehner

Kazunori Nimura

Hanh Nguyen

Systems and methods of controlling a clutch in a hybrid vehicle with a manual transmission, are provided. With the goal of enabling autonomous/assisted clutch control in a hybrid vehicle, while preserving the familiar mechanical feeling at the clutch pedal that driving enthusiasts prefer, embodiments of the disclosed technology use a shuttle valve to blend control of clutch engagement between a driver and an ECU. In these embodiments, a clutch pedal in the vehicle may be mechanically connected to a piston in a first hydraulic cylinder (just like in a traditional mechanical/hydraulic clutch actuation system), and an ECU may actuate a second hydraulic cylinder. Accordingly, a shuttle valve may be used to route the fluid coming from the cylinder with the greater pressure (i.e. the driver actuated cylinder or the ECU actuated cylinder), to a third hydraulic cylinder which adjusts engagement of a clutch by a mechanical linkage.

Shared clutch control for manual transmission with a hybrid drive

Systems and Methods for controlling an autonomous vehicle, may include: receiving sensor data, the sensor data comprising vehicle parameter information for the autonomous vehicle; using the sensor data to determine a vehicle state for the autonomous vehicle, wherein the vehicle state comprises information regarding a magnitude of an actual or predicted effective understeer gradient for the vehicle; computing a yaw moment required to correct the effective understeer gradient based on the magnitude of the effective understeer gradient; and determining a combination of one or more vehicle control inputs, including applying a brake torque, to correct the effective understeer gradient; applying the brake torque to a single wheel of the vehicle, wherein an amount of brake torque applied is sufficient to lock up the single wheel to create a yaw moment on the vehicle to achieve the computed yaw moment required to correct the effective understeer gradient.

Purposeful brake-induced wheel lockup for vehicle stability control in autonomous vehicles

System, methods, and other embodiments described herein relate to skid recovery for a vehicle. In one embodiment, a method for controlling a vehicle during skid includes obtaining data indicating a skid condition of the vehicle, determining whether the skid condition can be corrected by counter-steering, and executing an intervention when the skid condition cannot be corrected by counter-steering, the intervention including inducing slippage in front wheels of the vehicle to change a direction and/or magnitude of lateral forces at the front wheels.

Systems and methods for skid recovery using front wheel slip

A driver training system includes an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) including a processor and a memory communicably coupled to the processor and storing a UAV control module including computer-readable instructions that when executed by the processor cause the processor to control operation of a driver training interface operably connected to the UAV to communicate driving instruction information in a manner configured to be perceptible by a human driver in a driver training vehicle following behind the UAV.

Driver training system employing an unmanned aerial vehicle

A method for range detection is described. The method includes segmenting an image into one or more segmentation blobs captured by a monocular camera of an ego vehicle. The method includes focusing on pixels forming a selected segmentation blob of the one or more segment blobs. The method also includes determining a distance to the selected segmentation blob according to a focus function value of the monocular camera of the ego vehicle.

Range detection using machine learning combined with camera focus

Systems and methods are provided for controlling one or more brakes of the vehicle. The system may include a processor and a memory in communication with the processor with a brake control module. The brake control module includes instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to control the one or more brakes of the vehicle when the vehicle is in a first mode using a brake-by-wire system. When the vehicle is in a second mode, control the brake-by-wire system such that the one or more brakes of the vehicle are controlled using a mechanical braking system and the brake-by-wire system.

System and method for controlling one or more brakes of a vehicle

Systems and methods of controlling a vehicle in a stable drift are provided. With the goal of enhancing the driver experience, the disclosed drift control systems provide an interactive drift driving experience for the driver of a vehicle. In some embodiments, a driver is allowed to take manual control of a vehicle after a stable drift is initiated. For safety reasons, an assisted driving system may provide corrective assistance to prevent the vehicle from entering an unstable/unsafe drift. In other embodiments, an autonomous driving system retains control of the vehicle throughout the drift. However, the driver may perform 'simulated drift maneuvers' such as counter-steering, and clutch kicking in order to communicate their desire to drift more or less aggressively. Accordingly, the autonomous driving system will effectuate the driver's communicated desire in a manner that keeps the vehicle in a safe/stable drift.

Operator drift maintenance

A system for training an operator of a vehicle includes a processor and a memory in communication with the processor, which includes a safety module and a training module. The safety module has instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to determine when the vehicle is operating within a safe area based on at least one of: a location of the vehicle and a location of one or more objects with respect to the vehicle. The training module has instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to apply at least one brake of the vehicle when the vehicle is operating within the safe area to cause the vehicle to engage in an oversteer event, and collect operator response information when the vehicle engages in the oversteer event.

System and method for training an operator of a vehicle

Systems and methods for controlling a vehicle may include receiving sensor data from a plurality of sensors, the sensor data including vehicle parameter information for the vehicle; using the sensor data to determine a vehicle state for a vehicle negotiating a corner, wherein the vehicle state comprises information regarding a magnitude of an effective understeer gradient for the vehicle; computing a yaw moment required to correct the effective understeer gradient based on the magnitude of the effective understeer gradient; and applying a brake torque to a single wheel of the vehicle, wherein an amount of brake torque applied is sufficient to lock up the single wheel to create a yaw moment on the vehicle to achieve the computed yaw moment required to correct the effective understeer gradient.

Purposeful brake-induced wheel lockup for vehicle stability control

Systems, methods, and other embodiments described herein relate to emergency lateral maneuvers using brake-induced tire sliding. In one embodiment, a method includes determining a vehicle state for a vehicle according to sensor data about a surrounding environment. The method includes computing, using the sensor data and the vehicle state, lateral accelerations that are yaw-free for the vehicle. The method includes, in response to detecting that the vehicle state is associated with an emergency event, selecting a maneuver from the lateral accelerations. The method includes controlling the vehicle according to the maneuver.

Emergency maneuvering using lateral sliding

Systems and methods of controlling a clutch in a vehicle are provided. With the goal of enabling autonomous/assisted control of the clutch by an electronic control unit while preserving the familiar mechanical feeling at the clutch pedal that driving enthusiasts prefer, embodiments of the disclosed technology use a shuttle valve to blend control of clutch engagement between a driver and an ECU. In these embodiments, a clutch pedal in the vehicle may be mechanically connected to a piston in a first hydraulic cylinder (just like in a traditional mechanical/hydraulic clutch actuation system), and an ECU may actuate a second hydraulic cylinder. Accordingly, a shuttle valve may be used to route the fluid coming from the cylinder with the greater pressure (i.e. the driver actuated cylinder or the ECU actuated cylinder), to a third hydraulic cylinder which adjusts engagement of a clutch by a mechanical linkage.

Clutch-by-wire integration including human override

System, methods, and other embodiments described herein relate to stabilizing a vehicle. In one embodiment, a method for stabilizing a vehicle with a drivetrain having a clutch includes obtaining data indicating one or more aspects of a turning condition of the vehicle, detecting that a hazard state exists based on a comparison of one or more parameters of the turning condition against one or more predetermined thresholds, and executing a clutch kick in response to detecting the hazard state. The clutch kick includes disengaging the clutch and rapidly reengaging the clutch.

Vehicle stabilization system and method using clutch-kick maneuver

Vehicles and systems and methods for determining a viewing direction of a user are disclosed. In one embodiment, a system for detecting a viewing direction of a user includes a marker arranged at a fixed location, and an optical assembly. The optical assembly includes a first optical sensor arranged to view the marker, and a second optical sensor arranged to view the user. The first optical sensor detects the marker for determining a spatial location of the optical assembly with respect to the marker, and the second optical sensor detects an eye of the user for determining an eye angle of the user.

Systems and methods for determining a viewing direction of a user

Provided is a system and method for controlling a clutch plate assembly of a vehicle. The system may include a first clutch control system, a second clutch control system, and a valve system. The valve system may have a first input fluidly connected to the first clutch control system for receiving a first pressure from the first clutch control system, a second input configured to be fluidly connected to the second clutch control system for receiving a second pressure from the second clutch control system, and an output configured to be fluidly connected to the clutch plate assembly. The valve system may be configured to provide at least a portion of at least one of the first pressure and the second pressure to the clutch plate assembly.

Growing community of inventors

Redwood City, CA, United States of America

Alexander Russell Green