AUTONOMOUS PERIL CONTROL

• US 20170248953A1
• Filed: 03/17/2016
• Published: 08/31/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/2016
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Kelley, David B., Miller, Kenneth James, Perkins, William Paul
• Application Number:
  US15/073,129
• Publication Number:
  US 20170248953A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/04 including control of propulsion units
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/18 including control of braking systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/20 including control of steering systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/0095 Automatic control mode change
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/22 Psychological state; Stress level or workload
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/095 Predicting travel path or likelihood of collision
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/182 Selecting between different operative modes, e.g. comfort and performance modes
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/08 Interaction between the driver and the control system
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 15/0265 Automatic obstacle avoidance by steering
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/862 Combination of radar systems with sonar systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/865 Combination of radar systems with lidar systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/87 Combinations of radar systems, e.g. primary radar and secondary radar
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/931 of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/931 of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/931 of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/411 Identification of targets based on measurements of radar reflectivity G01S7/415 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0061 for transition from automatic pilot to manual pilot and vice versa
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0088 characterized by the autonomous decision making process, e.g. artificial intelligence, predefined behaviours using knowledge based models G06N5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/58 Recognition of moving objects or obstacles, e.g. vehicles or pedestrians; Recognition of traffic objects, e.g. traffic signs, traffic lights or roads

Abstract

At least one object having a risk of collision with the vehicle is detected. Levels of autonomous control are transitioned in response to detection of a potential collision based at least in part on an autonomous peril factor which includes a probability of collision and a magnitude of possible damage in the event of a collision.

Claims

1. A method for controlling a vehicle, comprising the steps of:

detecting at least one object having a risk of collision with the vehicle; and

transitioning between levels of autonomous control in response to detection of a potential collision based at least in part on an autonomous peril factor which includes a probability of collision and a magnitude of possible damage in the event of a collision.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the levels of autonomous control include an autonomous, a semi-autonomous, and a manual level of control.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein developing the autonomous peril factor includes weighting the dynamics factors for a plurality of objects.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising changing from a first one of the levels of autonomous control to a second one of the levels of autonomous control when the peril factor exceeds a first threshold.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising changing to autonomous control when the peril factor exceeds the first threshold.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising actuating at least one of vehicle steering, braking, and propulsion according to the peril factor.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising arbitrating transitioning between levels of autonomous control based on peril factors for a plurality of objects.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein arbitrating between levels of autonomous control includes transitioning to autonomous control from one of manual and semi-autonomous control when the autonomous peril factor for one of the plurality of objects indicates autonomous control.

9. An autonomous vehicle, comprising:

a plurality of vehicle control subsystems;

a plurality of sensors and receivers for receiving signals, from a plurality of sources, representing at least one object having a risk of collision with a vehicle;

at least one controller programmed to develop an autonomous peril factor based on a dynamics factor for at least one of the signals; and

wherein the at least one controller is programmed to transition control of the vehicle between levels of autonomous control based at least in part on the peril factor.

10. The vehicle of claim 9, wherein the levels include an autonomous, a semi-autonomous, and a manual level of control.

11. The vehicle of claim 10, wherein the autonomous level of control comprises little or no control of each of vehicle steering, braking, and propulsion by a vehicle operator, the semi-autonomous level of control includes partial or full control of at least one of vehicle steering, braking, and propulsion by the vehicle operator controller, and the manual level of control includes partial or full control of each of vehicle steering, braking, and propulsion by a vehicle operator.

12. The vehicle of claim 9, wherein developing the autonomous peril factor includes weighting the dynamics factors for several objects.

13. The vehicle of claim 9, wherein the controller is programmed to change from a first one of the levels of autonomous control to a second one of the levels of autonomous control when the peril factor exceeds a first threshold.

14. The vehicle of claim 13, wherein the controller is programmed to change to autonomous control when the peril factor exceeds the first threshold.

15. The vehicle of claim 9, wherein the controller is programmed to actuate at least one of vehicle steering, braking, and propulsion according to the peril factor.

16. The vehicle of claim 9, wherein the controller is programmed to arbitrate transitioning between levels of autonomous control based on peril factors for a plurality of objects.

17. The vehicle of claim 16, wherein the controller is programmed to transition to autonomous control from one of manual and semi-autonomous control when the autonomous peril factor for one of the plurality of objects indicates autonomous control.

18. A method for controlling a vehicle comprising transitioning between levels of autonomous control in response to detection of a potential collision at least in part on a magnitude of possible damage and a probability of collision.