AUTOMATED VEHICLE CONTROL-RULE SELECTION BASED ON OPERATOR STATE-OF-AWARENESS

• US 20160357185A1
• Filed: 06/04/2015
• Published: 12/08/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/04/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aptiv Technologies AG
• Original Assignee: Delphi Technologies, Inc. (BorgWarner Incorporated)
• Inventors: LAMBERMONT, SERGE, SUN, LUDONG, MIDDLETON, RYAN S., LAUR, MICHAEL H., VIJAYAN, INDU
• Granted Patent: US 9,618,936 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/0083 Setting, resetting, calibration
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/00 Input parameters relating to occupants
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/223 Posture, e.g. hand, foot, or seat position, turned or inclined
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/229 Attention level, e.g. attentive to driving, reading or sleeping
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/16 Control of distance between vehicles, e.g. keeping a distance to preceding vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/182 Selecting between different operative modes, e.g. comfort and performance modes
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/0098 Details of control systems ensuring comfort, safety or stability not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 60/00133 for resting
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 60/00136 for intellectual activities, e.g. reading, gaming or working
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3484 Personalized, e.g. from learned user behaviour or user-defined profiles
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0055 with safety arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0212 with means for defining a desired trajectory involving a plurality of land vehicles G05D1/0287

Abstract

A system for automated operation of a host-vehicle includes a sensor, a data-source, and a controller. The sensor is installed in a host-vehicle. The sensor is operable to determine a state-of-awareness of an operator of the host-vehicle. The data-source provides route-data used for automated operation of the host-vehicle. The route-data includes a map and a control-rule for navigating the map. The controller is in communication with the sensor and the data-source. The controller is configured to operate the host-vehicle during automated operation of the host-vehicle in accordance with the route-data. The controller is also configured to modify the control-rule based on the state-of-awareness of the operator.

Claims

1. A system for changing from automated operation of a host-vehicle to manual control of the host-vehicle by an operator, said system comprising:

a sensor installed in a host-vehicle, said sensor operable to determine a state-of-awareness of an operator of the host-vehicle, said state-of-awareness indicative of how much time is needed for the operator to become prepared to take manual control of the host-vehicle;

a data-source that provides route-data used for automated operation of the host-vehicle, wherein said route-data includes a map and a control-rule for automated operation of the host-vehicle while navigating the map when state-of-awareness of the operator is attentive; and

a controller in communication with the sensor and the data-source, said controller configured to operate the host-vehicle during automated operation of the host-vehicle in accordance with the route-data, wherein the controller is configured to modify the control-rule when the state-of-awareness of the operator is not attentive.

3. The system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the control-rule specifies a minimum-following-distance between the host-vehicle and an other-vehicle forward of the host-vehicle, and the controller follows the other-vehicle at a following-distance greater than the minimum-following-distance when the state-of-awareness is not attentive.

4. The system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the control-rule specifies a recommended-speed when the state-of-awareness is attentive, and the controller operates the host-vehicle at a vehicle-speed less than the recommended-speed when the state-of-awareness is not attentive.

5. The system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the control-rule specifies an acceleration-rate when the state-of-awareness is attentive, and the controller accelerates the host-vehicle at less than the acceleration-rate when the state-of-awareness is not attentive.

6. The system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the control-rule specifies that all available lanes may be used when the state-of-awareness is attentive, and the controller steers the host-vehicle into preferred-lanes when the state-of-awareness is not attentive.

7. The system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the control-rule specifies a preferred-route when the state-of-awareness is attentive, and an alternate-route when the state-of-awareness is not attentive.

2. (canceled)