METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR CONTROLLING A VEHICLE DURING AN AUTONOMOUS CONTROL MODE

• US 20140300479A1
• Filed: 04/09/2014
• Published: 10/09/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/09/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: WOLTER, Stefan, GOLM, Florian
• Granted Patent: US 9,483,927 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/576
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2040/0863 due to erroneous selection or response of the driver
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/14 Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/04 responsive to non-activity, e.g. of elderly persons G08B21/06 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/06 indicating a condition of sleep, e.g. anti-dozing alarms

Abstract

A method and control system for maintaining attentiveness of a driver of a vehicle during an autonomous control mode. A series of cognitively demanding tasks is presented to the driver via a man-machine interface during the autonomous control mode. Driver responses to the tasks are monitored, and an audible alert is provided to the driver if the response of the driver and/or a reaction time of the driver in making the response indicate an insufficient level of driver attentiveness.

Claims

1. A method for maintaining attentiveness of a driver of a vehicle during an autonomous control mode comprising:

presenting a series of cognitively demanding tasks to the driver via a man-machine interface during the autonomous control mode;

monitoring a response of the driver to a task in the series; and

providing an audible alert to the driver if the response of the driver and/or a reaction time of the driver in making the response indicate an insufficient level of driver attentiveness.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising placing the vehicle into a fail-safe state if no response is made to one of the tasks in the series within a specified time period.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the level of driver attentiveness is determined to be adequate if the response is made within specified time window, even if the response is not correct.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein a degree of difficulty of a task in the series is adaptively matched to driver capabilities, the driver capabilities assessed by previous responses.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein a subject area and/or a difficulty of a task in the series is configurable by the driver.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one task in the series requires for its solution logical and/or mathematical thought processes by the driver and/or calls upon at least one of knowledge, ability to respond, and memory retention of the driver.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one task of the series is visually displayed to the driver on a display unit, the display unit further used to display a message regarding taking over responsibility for control.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the message regarding taking over responsibility for control is presented to visually overlay the at least one task.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting that the driver is operating a communication system in a manner indicating a sufficient degree of driver attentiveness; and

suspending presentation of the tasks while the driver is operating the communication system.

10. A control system for a motor vehicle operative to:

present a series of cognitively demanding tasks to a driver of the vehicle via a man-machine interface during an autonomous control mode;

monitor a response of the driver to a task of the series; and

provide an audible alert to the driver if the response of the driver and/or a reaction time of the driver in making the response indicate an insufficient level of driver attentiveness.

11. The control system of claim 10, further operative to place the vehicle into a fail-safe state if a response to one of the tasks in the series is not made within a specified time period.

12. The control system of claim 10, wherein the level of driver attentiveness is determined to be adequate if the response is made within specified time window, even if the response is not correct.

13. The control system of claim 10, wherein a degree of difficulty of one of the tasks in the series is adaptively matched to driver capabilities, the driver capabilities assessed by previous responses.

14. The control system of claim 10, wherein a subject area and/or a difficulty of one of the tasks in the series is configurable by the driver.

15. The control system of claim 10, wherein at least one of the task in the series requires for its solution logical and/or mathematical thought processes by the driver and/or calls upon at least one of knowledge, ability to respond, and memory retention of the driver.

16. The control system of claim 10, wherein at least one task of the series is visually displayed to the driver on a display unit, the display unit further dues to display a message regarding taking over responsibility for control.

17. The control system of claim 16, wherein the message regarding taking over responsibility for control is presented to visually overlay the at least one task.

18. The control system of claim 10, further operative to:

detect that the driver is operating a communication system in a manner indicating a sufficient degree of driver attentiveness; and

suspend presentation of the tasks while the driver is operating the communication system.