Autonomous sensing vehicle pedals

• US 10,351,147 B2
• Filed: 09/20/2016
• Issued: 07/16/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Salter, Stuart C., Buttolo, Pietro, Surman, James J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Odeh, Nadeem
• Application Number:
  US15/270,226
• Publication Number:
  US 20180079426A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,029 Days
• Field of Search: 701 49
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2420/403 Image sensing, e.g. optical camera
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2420/408 Radar; Laser, e.g. lidar
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/10 Accelerator pedal position
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/12 Brake pedal position
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/223 Posture, e.g. hand, foot, or seat position, turned or inclined
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/082 Selecting or switching between different modes of propelling
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/10 Interpretation of driver requests or demands
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 60/0053 from vehicle to occupant
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0061 for transition from automatic pilot to manual pilot and vice versa

Abstract

A system includes a controller in a vehicle in communication with sensors supported on pedals of the vehicle. The controller includes instructions for determining a user intention based on a detected movement of a foot of the user. Upon determination that the user intention is to take over control the vehicle, the controller sets a control mode of the vehicle to a manual control mode.

Claims

1. A controller in a vehicle, the controller comprising a processor and a memory storing instructions executable by the processor to:

determine a user intention based on a comparison of a slope of a signal value indicating a detected movement of a foot of a user approaching a pedal with a predetermined threshold slope; and

upon determination that the user intention is to take over control of the vehicle, set the vehicle to a manual control mode;

wherein the determination that the user intention is to take over control of the vehicle is made in response to the controller receiving a plurality of signals from a plurality of sensors, the plurality of signals having signal values that rise and fall at substantially the same time, rise above a predetermined minimum threshold for a predetermined period of time, and stay within a predetermined range of fluctuation for the predetermined period of time after rising.

2. The controller of claim 1, wherein the memory stores instructions executable by the processor to:

upon determination that the user intention is to take over control of the vehicle, move a pedal of the vehicle to an extended position.

3. The controller of claim 1, wherein the memory stores instructions executable by the processor to:

determine that the user intention is to take over control of the vehicle as a normal takeover; and

upon determination that the user intends the normal takeover, receive a manual control request before setting the vehicle to the manual control mode.

4. The controller of claim 3, wherein the memory stores instructions executable by the processor to determine that the user intends the normal takeover based on identifying the slope of the signal value is below the predetermined threshold slope.

5. The controller of claim 3, wherein the manual control request is generated in response to the user interacting with a user input device in communication with the controller.

6. The controller of claim 3, wherein the manual control request is generated by the controller when an opt out instruction is not received by the controller.

7. The controller of claim 3, wherein the memory stores instructions executable by the processor to determine that the user intends a priority takeover based on identifying the slope of the signal value is above the predetermined threshold slope.

8. The controller of claim 1, wherein the memory stores instructions executable by the processor to:

determine whether the signal value is above a predetermined threshold before determining the user intention; and

upon determining that the signal value is not above the predetermined threshold, retract the pedal to a retracted position.

9. The controller of claim 1, wherein the memory stores instructions executable by the processor to:

determine when the foot of the user is behind the pedal; and

upon determining that the foot is behind the pedal, inhibit retracting the pedal to a retracted position.

10. The controller of claim 1, wherein the memory stores instructions executable by the processor to:

determine that the user intention is to take over control of the vehicle as a priority takeover; and

upon determination that the user intends the priority takeover, set the vehicle to the manual control mode without waiting to receive a manual control request.

11. The controller of claim 1, wherein the memory stores instructions executable by the processor to:

determine that the signal value fluctuates outside the predetermined range of fluctuation; and

upon determination that the signal value fluctuates outside the predetermined range of fluctuation, actuate a light disposed in a foot well of the vehicle.

12. A system for a vehicle comprising:

a pedal positioning device including a pedal supporting a proximity sensor, the pedal moveable between an extended and a retracted position; and

a controller programmed to determine a user intention based on a comparison of a slope of a signal value received from the proximity sensor with a predetermined threshold slope and to determine whether the signal value fluctuates outside of a predetermined range of fluctuation having an upper limit and a lower limit; and

wherein the controller is programmed to, upon determination that the user intention is to take over control of the vehicle, set a control mode of the vehicle to a manual control mode; and

wherein the controller is programmed to, upon determination the signal value fluctuates outside of the predetermined range of fluctuation, actuate a user interface device.

13. The system of claim 12, further comprising a plurality of sensors supported on the pedal.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein one of the plurality of sensors is located at a left side of the pedal, and one of the plurality of sensors is located at a right side of the pedal.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein one of the plurality of sensors is located at a top of the pedal, and one of the plurality of sensors is located at a bottom of the pedal.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein one of the plurality of sensors is located on a back surface of the pedal.

17. A method of controlling a vehicle comprising:

detecting movement of a foot of a user of the vehicle approaching a pedal;

determining a user intention based on a comparison of a slope of a signal value indicating the detected movement of the foot of the user with a predetermined threshold slope and based on a comparison of the signal value with a predetermined minimum threshold value and based on whether the signal value fluctuates outside of a predetermined range of fluctuation having an upper limit and a lower limit; and

setting, upon determination that the user intention is to take over control of the vehicle, a control mode of the vehicle to a manual control mode.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

moving, upon determination that the user intention is to take over control of the vehicle, the pedal to an extended position.