MODIFIED AUTONOMOUS VEHICLE SETTINGS

• US 20150149023A1
• Filed: 11/22/2013
• Published: 05/28/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/22/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Attard, Christopher, Elwart, Shane, Greenberg, Jeff Allen, Johri, Rajit, Kochhar, Devinder Singh, Rhode, Douglas Scott, Shutko, John, Tseng, Eric Hongtei
• Granted Patent: US 9,475,496 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/28
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/037 for occupant comfort , e.g. for automatic adjustment of appliances according to personal settings, e.g. seats, mirrors, steering wheel
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/0064 using a remote, e.g. cordless, transmitter or receiver unit, e.g. remote keypad or mobile phone
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/043 Identity of occupants
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/045 Occupant permissions
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/182 Selecting between different operative modes, e.g. comfort and performance modes
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/085 Changing the parameters of the control units, e.g. changing limit values, working points by control input
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/10 Interpretation of driver requests or demands
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/12 Limiting control by the driver depending on vehicle state, e.g. interlocking means for the control input for preventing unsafe operation

Abstract

A vehicle includes at least one autonomous driving sensor configured to monitor at least one condition while operating in an autonomous mode. The vehicle further includes a processing device configured to identify at least one occupant, select a profile associated with the occupant, and autonomously operate at least one subsystem according to the selected profile and the at least condition monitored by the at least one autonomous driving sensor.

Claims

1. A vehicle comprising:

at least one autonomous driving sensor configured to monitor at least one condition while operating in an autonomous mode;

a processing device configured to identify at least one occupant, select a profile associated with the occupant, and autonomously operate at least one subsystem according to the selected profile and the at least condition monitored by the at least one autonomous driving sensor.

2. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the processing device is configured to identify the at least one occupant based on an occupant identification signal.

3. The vehicle of claim 2, wherein the occupant identification signal is received from an occupant identification system.

4. The vehicle of claim 3, wherein the occupant identification system is configured to receive a key.

5. The vehicle of claim 3, wherein the occupant identification system includes a camera configured to capture an image of at least one occupant.

6. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the processing device is configured to identify multiple occupants.

7. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the processing device is configured to determine whether at least one of the occupants is licensed to operate the vehicle.

8. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the selected profile defines at least one driving restriction including at least one of a geographic restriction, a road type restriction, a timing restriction, a speed restriction, a safety restriction, and an environmental restriction.

9. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the processing device is configured to receive a user input requesting at least a partial override of the selected profile.

10. The vehicle of claim 9, further comprising a network interface device configured to transmit an override request.

11. The vehicle of claim 9, wherein the user input includes at least one of a vehicle owner override request and an emergency services override.

12. A method comprising

identifying at least one vehicle occupant;

selecting a profile associated with the at least one vehicle occupant;

autonomously operating at least one vehicle subsystem according to the selected profile.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the at least one vehicle occupant is identified from an occupant identification signal.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein identifying the at least one vehicle occupant includes determining whether at least one of the occupants is licensed to operate the vehicle.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the selected profile defines at least one driving restriction including at least one of a geographic restriction, a road type restriction, a timing restriction, a speed restriction, a safety restriction, and an environmental restriction.

16. The method of claim 12, further comprising receiving a user input requesting at least a partial override of the selected profile.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising transmitting an override request.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

receiving an override authorization; and

autonomously operating at least one vehicle subsystem according to the selected profile subject to the override authorization.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the user input includes at least one of a vehicle owner override request and an emergency services override.

20. A vehicle comprising:

at least one autonomous driving sensor configured to monitor at least one condition while operating in an autonomous mode;

an occupant identification system configured to output an occupant identification signal representing at least one vehicle occupant;

a processing device configured to identify the at least one occupant based on the occupant identification signal, select a profile associated with the identified occupant, and autonomously operate at least one subsystem according to the selected profile and the at least one condition monitored by the at least one autonomous driving sensor;

wherein the selected profile defines at least one driving restriction and wherein the processing device is configured to receive a user input requesting an override of at least one of the driving restrictions.