Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha

Katsuya Iwazaki

Kensei Hata

Takahito Endo

Yushi Seki

Yasuhiro Oshiumi

Yasuyuki Kato

Hideaki Komada

Hiroaki Kodera

Naoki Harayama

Akira Murakami

A vehicle control system is provided to maintain an SOC level of the battery during autonomous operation of the vehicle. The control system is applied to a vehicle that can be operated autonomously by controlling an engine, a motor, a steering system, a brake system etc. autonomously by a controller, and the vehicle is allowed to coast by manipulating a clutch. During autonomous operation of the vehicle, a first coasting mode in which the engine is stopped and the clutch is disengaged is selected if the SOC level is higher than a threshold level, and a second coasting mode in which the engine is activated and the clutch is disengaged is selected if the SOC level is lower than the threshold level.

Vehicle control system

A vehicle control system configured to maintain detection accuracy of an external sensor such as an on-board camera. The vehicle control system is applied to a vehicle that can be operated autonomously. A controller communicates with a database stored on the controller and a database stored on an external facility. The controller changes orientation of a headlamp toward an object detected by an on-board camera, in a case that the headlamp is turned on, and that information about the object detected by the on-board camera is not available in the database.

A vehicle control apparatus includes: an information acquisition unit acquiring feature information indicating a feature regarding vehicle driving of an occupant of a vehicle; and a control unit changing at least one property included in a driving property or a manipulation property in the vehicle. Further, the control unit changes at least one property included in the driving property or the manipulation property of the vehicle, from a basic property of the vehicle to a property reflecting the feature information, based on the feature information, and brings the changed property close to the basic property of the vehicle in accordance with at least one of an integrated value of boarding hours, an integrated value of running distances, and the number of boardings of the vehicle of the occupant.

Vehicle control apparatus

A vehicle platooning system to operate vehicles in a platoon in an appropriate order. The vehicle platooning system is applied to a vehicle that can be operated autonomously. A controller obtains information about each of the vehicles participating in the platoon including a straight line stability upon satisfaction of a condition to form a platoon with other vehicles, and assigns the vehicle having a relatively good straight line stability to a leader vehicle in the platoon.

Vehicle platooning system

A control system for hybrid vehicles to properly select an operating mode during autonomous operation is provided. An operating mode of the hybrid vehicle is selected from a hybrid mode and an electric vehicle mode. A controller that is configured to: determine an existence of a passenger in a vehicle compartment; select the electric vehicle mode in a case that the hybrid vehicle is operated autonomously while carrying the passenger; and select the hybrid mode in a case that the hybrid vehicle is operated autonomously without carrying the passenger.

Control system for hybrid vehicle

A vehicle control system is provided to allow an autonomous vehicle to promptly launch after picking up a passenger. A controller comprises a drive controller for controlling a drive motor, and electric power is supplied to the drive motor from a power source. A main switch is manipulated by the controller to selectively connect and disconnect the drive controller to/from the power source. The controller is configured to propel the vehicle autonomously to a pickup location to pick up a passenger, and to turn on the main switch if the passenger is detected within a predetermined area at the pickup location.

A vehicle control system to operate a vehicle autonomously with improved energy efficiency and ride quality is provided. A controller is configured to set a limit value of an operating point of an engine to reduce noises and vibrations. The operating point of the engine is restricted by the limit value within an acceptable region where an engine speed is higher than the limit value but an engine torque is lower than the limit value. The limit value is set to a first limit value when the vehicle is operated autonomously while carrying the passenger, and to a second limit value to expand the acceptable region when the vehicle is operated autonomously without carrying the passenger.

A vehicle control system to prevent a shortage of a braking force when temporarily stopping a vehicle during autonomous operation. The vehicle control system comprises: a prime mover; a drive wheel; a brake device that applies a brake torque to the drive wheel; an interrupting device that selectively allows a torque transmission the prime mover and the drive wheel; and a controller that operates a vehicle autonomously. The controller is configured to: detect a stop point; stop the vehicle temporarily at the stop point; disengage the interrupting device; and engages the interrupting device after confirming safety condition.

A vehicle control system vehicle control system to remove deposition from the purification system without generating noises and vibrations is provided. The vehicle control system comprises a controller that operates the vehicle having an engine autonomously, and that removes deposition from a purification system. The controller is configured to: obtain an amount of deposition on the purification system; determine a presence of a passenger in the vehicle; and execute the removal control when an amount of the deposition on the purification system exceeds a threshold value. The threshold value includes a first threshold value used when the vehicle is propelled while carrying a passenger, and a second threshold value used when the vehicle is propelled autonomously without carrying a passenger that is smaller than the first threshold value.

A vehicle control system to configured to operate a vehicle autonomously while keeping a safe distance from a preceding vehicle is provided. The vehicle control system is configured to operate the vehicle autonomously to follow a preceding vehicle while keeping a predetermined distance, and to determine a presence of a passenger in the vehicle. If the vehicle is operated autonomously to follow the preceding vehicle while carrying a passenger, the vehicle control system selects a longest distance from the preceding vehicle.

Growing community of inventors

Susono, Japan

Katsuya Iwazaki