TRANSITIONING FROM AUTONOMOUS VEHICLE CONTROL TO DRIVER CONTROL

• US 20150088357A1
• Filed: 09/20/2013
• Published: 03/26/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Yopp, Wilford Trent
• Granted Patent: US 9,360,865 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/23
• 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: B62D 1/04 Hand wheels
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/00 Control of position, course, altitude or attitude of land, water, air or space vehicles, e.g. using automatic pilots drive control systems specially adapted for autonomous road vehicles B60W60/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0061 for transition from automatic pilot to manual pilot and vice versa

Abstract

Data is obtained concerning at least one attribute of a vehicle operator. The attribute is used to determine an instruction for positioning a vehicle component during autonomous operation of the vehicle. Autonomous operation of the vehicle, including positioning the vehicle component according to the instruction, is performed.

Claims

1. A system, comprising a computer in a vehicle, the computer comprising a processor and a memory, wherein the computer is configured to:

obtain data concerning at least one attribute of a vehicle operator;

use the attribute to determine an instruction for positioning a vehicle component during autonomous operation of the vehicle; and

perform autonomous operation of the vehicle, including positioning the vehicle component according to the instruction.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the data is at least one of data received concerning a vehicle operator, and operator input.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the instruction specifies not to change a position of the vehicle component during autonomous operations of the vehicle.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the vehicle component is one of a steering wheel, a brake pedal, and an accelerator pedal.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the computer is further configured to allow at least one second component in the vehicle to operate under manual control.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the computer is further configured to:

use the attribute to determine a second instruction for positioning a second vehicle component during autonomous operation of the vehicle; and

perform autonomous operation of the vehicle, including positioning the second vehicle component according to the second instruction.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the computer is further configured to:

use a second attribute to determine a second instruction for positioning a second vehicle component during autonomous operation of the vehicle; and

perform autonomous operation of the vehicle, including positioning the second vehicle component according to the second instruction.

8. A method, comprising:

obtaining data concerning at least one attribute of a vehicle operator;

using the attribute to determine an instruction for positioning a vehicle component during autonomous operation of the vehicle; and

performing autonomous operation of the vehicle, including positioning the vehicle component according to the instruction.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the data is at least one of data received concerning a vehicle operator, and operator input.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the instruction specifies not to change a position of the vehicle component during autonomous operations of the vehicle.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the vehicle component is one of a steering wheel, a brake pedal, and an accelerator pedal.

12. The method of claim 8, further comprising allowing at least one second component in the vehicle to operate under manual control.

13. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

using the attribute to determine a second instruction for positioning a second vehicle component during autonomous operation of the vehicle; and

performing autonomous operation of the vehicle, including positioning the second vehicle component according to the second instruction.

14. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

using a second attribute to determine a second instruction for positioning a second vehicle component during autonomous operation of the vehicle; and

performing autonomous operation of the vehicle, including positioning the second vehicle component according to the second instruction.

15. A computer-readable medium having tangibly embodied thereon instructions executable by a computer processor, the instructions comprising instructions for:

obtaining data concerning at least one attribute of a vehicle operator;

using the attribute to determine an instruction for positioning a vehicle component during autonomous operation of the vehicle; and

performing autonomous operation of the vehicle, including positioning the vehicle component according to the instruction.

16. The medium of claim 15, wherein the data is at least one of data received concerning a vehicle operator, and operator input.

17. The medium of claim 15, wherein the instruction specifies not to change a position of the vehicle component during autonomous operations of the vehicle.

18. The medium of claim 15, wherein the vehicle component is one of a steering wheel, a brake pedal, and an accelerator pedal.

19. The medium of claim 15, further comprising allowing at least one second component in the vehicle to operate under manual control.

20. The medium of claim 15, further comprising:

using the attribute to determine a second instruction for positioning a second vehicle component during autonomous operation of the vehicle; and

performing autonomous operation of the vehicle, including positioning the second vehicle component according to the second instruction.

21. The medium of claim 15, further comprising:

using a second attribute to determine a second instruction for positioning a second vehicle component during autonomous operation of the vehicle; and

performing autonomous operation of the vehicle, including positioning the second vehicle component according to the second instruction.