CONTROL OF THE AUTONOMOUS MODE OF BIMODAL VEHICLES

• US 20140358353A1
• Filed: 12/06/2012
• Published: 12/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ampere SAS
• Original Assignee: Renault Sas (Renault)
• Inventors: Ibanez-Guzman, Javier, Minoiu-Enache, Nicoleta, Chale Gongora, Hugo Guillermo, Lesaing, Jean, Chauveau, Francois
• Granted Patent: US 9,317,033 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/23
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 60/0025 specially adapted for specific operations
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0027 involving a plurality of vehicles, e.g. fleet or convoy travelling fleet control of land vehicles from a control room G05D1/0297; traffic control systems for road vehicles G08G1/00; for marine craft G08G3/00; for aircraft G08G5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0061 for transition from automatic pilot to manual pilot and vice versa
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0297 by controlling means in a control room
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network

Abstract

A control of autonomous vehicles, and a method for controlling at least one autonomous ground vehicle configured to adopt two operating modes, including a manual mode in which the driving depends on driving instructions from the driver of the vehicle, and an autonomous mode, in which the driving depends on data received from sensors configured to provide information on surroundings of the vehicle, and on data received by a navigation system, the method including: authorizing the autonomous mode only when the vehicle is within an area determined by defined boundaries; receiving reservation data from a user interface; generating a set message to be transmitted to the vehicle in accordance with the received reservation data; and transmitting the set message to the vehicle such that the vehicle autonomously performs a movement corresponding to the transmitted set message.

Claims

1-15. -15. (canceled)

16. A method of control of at least one autonomous terrestrial vehicle configured to adopt two modes of operation, the modes including:

a manual mode, in which driving is dependent on vehicle driver commands,

an autonomous mode, in which driving is dependent on data received from sensors configured to provide information about an environment of the vehicle and on data received from a navigation system,

the method comprising;

authorizing the autonomous mode only when the vehicle is situated in a site determined by defined boundaries;

receiving booking data arising from a user interface;

formulating a directive message to be transmitted to the vehicle as a function of the booking data received;

transmitting the directive message to the vehicle so that the vehicle carries out in an autonomous manner a movement corresponding to the directive message transmitted.

17. The method as claimed in claim 16, in which information comprising a battery state of charge makes it possible to oblige the vehicle to go to a recharging facility.

18. The method as claimed in claim 16, in which the message transmitted comprises a destination address and/or a movement data.

19. The method as claimed in claim 16, in which the message transmitted comprises information relating to a user of the vehicle.

20. The method as claimed in claim 16, in which the message transmitted comprises information relating to a profile of a circuit to be traveled by the vehicle in the autonomous mode.

21. The method as claimed in claim 16, further comprising, for an autonomous vehicle:

detecting a possible malfunction of the vehicle; and

emitting an alarm signal in case of detection of malfunction.

22. The method as claimed in claim 16, further comprising:

receiving at least one item of state information in respect of the autonomous vehicle; and

formulating the directive message to be transmitted to the vehicle as a function of the at least one item of state information received.

23. The method as claimed in claim 22, further comprising:

storing in memory vehicle state information logged subsequent to the receiving.

24. The method as claimed in claim 16, in which the transmitting is performed for each autonomous vehicle of an assembly of autonomous vehicles, the method further comprising:

estimating a desired spatial distribution of the assembly of autonomous vehicles, the directive message to be transmitted to the vehicle being formulated as a function of the estimated distribution.

25. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing a computer program product comprising instructions for performing the method as claimed in claim 16 when the program is executed by a processor.

29. The control device as claimed in claim 16, in which the supervision module is equipped for signaling remotely a presence of obstacle obstructing the path to be traveled by the vehicle in autonomous mode.

30. The control device as claimed in claim 16, configured to manage more other vehicles of a given pool in addition to the autonomous vehicle, and/or equipment of the site in communication with the control device, comprising sensors installed on the site constituting an ecosystem.

26. A device for control of at least one autonomous vehicle configured to adopt two modes of operation, the modes including:

a manual mode, in which driving is dependent on vehicle driver commands,

an autonomous mode, in which driving is dependent on data received from sensors configured to provide information about an environment of the vehicle and on data received from a navigation system,

the device comprising;

processing means for authorizing the autonomous mode only when the vehicle is situated in a site determined by defined boundaries;

a supervision module for transmitting directive messages to at least one vehicle of the assembly so that the vehicle carries out in an autonomous manner a movement corresponding to the directive message transmitted, and for assisting the vehicles in their movements when the vehicles are in autonomous mode;

means of communication with a user interface for receiving booking data arising from the user interface;

a fleet management module in communication with the supervision module and with the communication means for ensuring the maintenance of the vehicles, and for optimizing a spatial distribution of the vehicles on the site.

27. The control device as claimed in claim 26, in which the supervision module allows an observer to move the autonomous vehicle remotely.

28. The control device as claimed in claim 26, in which the supervision module is equipped for signaling remotely a presence of emergency service vehicle in proximity to the autonomous vehicle.