Engaging and disengaging for autonomous driving

• US 10,300,926 B2
• Filed: 05/17/2018
• Issued: 05/28/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Waymo LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Waymo LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Cullinane, Brian Douglas, Nemec, Philip, Clement, Manuel Christian, Mariet, Robertus Christianus Elisabeth, Jonsson, Lilli Ing-Marie
• Primary Examiner(s): Camby, Richard M
• Application Number:
  US15/982,044
• Publication Number:
  US 20180334173A1
• Time in Patent Office: 376 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/172 Driving mode indication
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/175 Autonomous driving
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/00 Instruments specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement of instruments in or on vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/10 Input arrangements, i.e. from user to vehicle, associated with vehicle functions or specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/28 characterised by the type of the output information, e.g. video entertainment or vehicle dynamics information; characterised by the purpose of the output information, e.g. for attracting the attention of the driver
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/023 for transmission of signals between vehicle parts or subsystems
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2022/4866 Displaying or indicating arrangements thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 22/48 Control systems, alarms, or interlock systems, for the correct application of the belt or harness
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/105 using multiple cameras
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/0002 Automatic control, details of type of controller or control system architecture
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/0075 Automatic parameter input, automatic initialising or calibrating means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/146 Display means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/045 Occupant permissions
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/16 Ratio selector position
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/215 Selection or confirmation of options
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/229 Attention level, e.g. attentive to driving, reading or sleeping
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/00 Input parameters relating to infrastructure
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/20 Road profile, i.e. the change in elevation or curvature of a plurality of continuous road segments
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/30 Road curve radius
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/53 Road markings, e.g. lane marker or crosswalk
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/801 : Lateral distance
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2555/20 : Ambient conditions, e.g. wind or rain
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/00 : Input parameters relating to data
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/45 : External transmission of data to or from the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/50 : of positioning data, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System] data
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/00 : Purposes of road vehicle drive control systems not related to the control of a particular sub-unit, e.g. of systems using conjoint control of vehicle sub-units
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/082 : Selecting or switching between different modes of propelling
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 60/0051 : from occupants to vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 60/0053 : from vehicle to occupant
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 60/0059 : Estimation of the risk associated with autonomous or manual driving, e.g. situation too complex, sensor failure or driver incapacity
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0061 : for transition from automatic pilot to manual pilot and vice versa
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0212 : with means for defining a desired trajectory involving a plurality of land vehicles G05D1/0287
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0223 : involving speed control of the vehicle vehicle fittings for automatically controlling, i.e. preventing speed from exceeding an arbitrarily established velocity or maintaining speed at a particular velocity, as selected by the vehicle operator B60K31/00

Abstract

Aspects of the present disclosure relate switching between autonomous and manual driving modes. In order to do so, the vehicle'"'"'s computer may conduct a series of environmental, system, and driver checks to identify certain conditions. The computer may correct some of these conditions and also provide a driver with a checklist of tasks for completion. Once the tasks have been completed and the conditions are changed, the computer may allow the driver to switch from the manual to the autonomous driving mode. The computer may also make a determination, under certain conditions, that it would be detrimental to the driver'"'"'s safety or comfort to make a switch from the autonomous driving mode to the manual driving mode.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

identifying, by one or more processors, at least one condition which prevents a vehicle from autonomously transporting a passenger to a location;

generating, by the one or more processors, a set of tasks including at least one task for addressing the at least one condition;

determining, by the one or more processors, that all of the tasks of the set of tasks are completed;

allowing, by the one or more processors, the vehicle to autonomously transport the passenger to the location.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving status information for non-autonomous components of the vehicle, and wherein identifying the at least one condition is further based on the status information as well as pre-store protocol data identifying the at least one condition.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the pre-stored protocol data is further associated with ranking information, and wherein each task of the set of tasks is assigned a ranking based on the pre-stored protocol.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the status information corresponds to the status of a seatbelt of the vehicle.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the status information corresponds to the status of a door of the vehicle.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein each task of the set of tasks is assigned a ranking based on a type of the at least one condition.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining whether the vehicle has met a minimum maintenance standard and wherein the at least one condition corresponds to the vehicle meeting the minimum maintenance standard.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining whether a tire of the vehicle is properly inflated and wherein the at least one condition corresponds to the tire being properly inflated.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining whether a drive system is in a particular mode and wherein the at least one condition corresponds to the drive system being in the particular mode.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the particular mode is an all wheel drive mode.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the particular mode is a four wheel drive mode.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the particular mode is a two wheel drive mode.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining whether automatic wipers of the vehicle are currently on and wherein the at least one condition corresponds to automatic wipers of the vehicle being on.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining whether automatic wipers of the vehicle are currently on and wherein the at least one condition corresponds to automatic wipers of the vehicle being on.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining whether a particular light of the vehicle is currently on and wherein the at least one condition corresponds to the particular light being on.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining whether an occupant of the vehicle is able to perform the at least one task; and

when the occupant of the vehicle is able to perform the at least one task, generating a notification for display requesting that the at least one task be performed.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising performing, by the one or more processors, the at least one task, and wherein the at least one task includes recalibrating one or more sensors of the vehicle.

18. The method of claim 1, further comprising performing, by the one or more processors, the at least one task, and wherein the at least one task includes requesting a software update from a remote computer.

19. The method of claim 1, further comprising performing, by the one or more processors, the at least one task, and wherein the at least one task includes changing a location or speed of the vehicle.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of tasks includes a first task for completion by an occupant of the vehicle and a second task for completion by the one or more processors.