DRIVERLESS VEHICLE, DRIVERLESS VEHICLE CONTROL METHOD AND DRIVERLESS VEHICLE CONTROL APPARATUS

• US 20170305425A1
• Filed: 09/30/2016
• Published: 10/26/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/2016
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Baidu Online Network Technology (Beijing) Co., Ltd (Baidu Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Baidu Online Network Technology (Beijing) Co., Ltd (Baidu Incorporated)
• Inventors: XING, Liang
• Application Number:
  US15/283,099
• Publication Number:
  US 20170305425A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/0095 Automatic control mode change
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2420/24 Capacitance type, e.g. as level indicator
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2900/00 Indexing codes relating to the purpose of, or problem solved of road vehicle drive control systems not otherwise provided for in groups B60W30/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/0098 Details of control systems ensuring comfort, safety or stability not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/082 Selecting or switching between different modes of propelling
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/10 Interpretation of driver requests or demands
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 60/0051 from occupants to vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 60/0053 from vehicle to occupant
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 60/0059 Estimation of the risk associated with autonomous or manual driving, e.g. situation too complex, sensor failure or driver incapacity
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 60/0061 Aborting handover process

Abstract

The present application discloses a driverless vehicle, a driverless vehicle control method and a driverless vehicle control apparatus. The vehicle includes: a steering wheel and a processor. A sensor is provided on the steering wheel. The processor is configured to switch a driving mode of the driverless vehicle to a manual driving mode in response to detecting a sensing signal outputted by the sensor, when the driverless vehicle is in an autonomous driving mode. This implementation achieves smooth switching of the driving mode.

Claims

1. A driverless vehicle comprising:

a steering wheel;

a processor; and

a sensor provided on the steering wheel; and

the processor configured to switch a driving mode of the driverless vehicle to a manual driving mode in response to detecting a sensing signal output by the sensor, when the driverless vehicle is in an autonomous driving mode.

2. The driverless vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to:

switch the driving mode of the driverless vehicle to the autonomous driving mode in response to that no sensing signal output by the sensor is detected, when the driverless vehicle is in the manual driving mode.

3. The driverless vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the sensor comprises at least one of the following:

a capacitive sensor configured to detect a contact between an object and the steering wheel, and output a sensing signal indicating the contact between the object and the steering wheel if affirmative;

a tactile switch configured to detect an object pressing the steering wheel, and output a sensing signal indicating the object pressing the steering wheel if affirmative;

a proximity switch configured to detect an object approaching the steering wheel, and output a sensing signal indicating the object approaching the steering wheel if affirmative; and

a pressure sensor configured to detect an object pressing the steering wheel, output a sensing signal indicating the object pressing the steering wheel, and detect and output magnitude of a pressure exerted by the object on the steering wheel if affirmative.

4. The driverless vehicle according to claim 3, wherein the capacitive sensor comprises:

an insulated flexible printed circuit board covering an inner surface of an annular body of the steering wheel, and an electrostatic capacitance detecting electrode disposed on a surface of the flexible printed circuit board.

5. The driverless vehicle according to claim 3, wherein the pressure sensor comprises:

an insulated flexible printed circuit board covering an inner surface of an annular body of the steering wheel, and a pressure sensitive material disposed on a surface of the flexible printed circuit board.

6. The driverless vehicle according to claim 1, wherein when the sensor is a pressure sensor, the processor is configured to:

switch the driving mode of the driverless vehicle to the manual driving mode in response to detecting a pressure value of an object on the steering wheel outputted by the pressure sensor being greater than a preset pressure threshold, when the driverless vehicle is in the autonomous driving mode;

or

switch the driving mode of the driverless vehicle to the autonomous driving mode in response to not detecting a pressure value of an object on the steering wheel outputted by the pressure sensor being greater than the preset pressure threshold, when the driverless vehicle is in the manual driving mode.

7. The driverless vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to:

when the driverless vehicle is in the autonomous driving mode, output, in a preset prompt time period, prompt information indicating that the driving mode of the driverless vehicle is to be switched to the manual driving mode in response to detecting the sensing signal outputted by the sensor, and if the sensing signal outputted by the sensor is continuously detected in the prompt time period, switch the driving mode of the driverless vehicle to the manual driving mode;

or

when the driverless vehicle is in the manual driving mode, output, in a preset prompt time period, prompt information indicating that the driving mode of the driverless vehicle is to be switched to the autonomous driving mode in response to that no sensing signal outputted by the sensor is detected, and if no sensing signal outputted by the sensor is detected in the prompt time period, switch the driving mode of the driverless vehicle to the autonomous driving mode.

8. The driverless vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising at least two sensors, wherein

the processor is configured to:

switch the driving mode of the driverless vehicle to the manual driving mode in response to detection of sensing signals outputted by the at least two sensors, when the driverless vehicle is in the autonomous driving mode, wherein a distance between the at least two sensors exceeds a predetermined value.

9. The driverless vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to:

send an autonomous driving mode switching request to a remote service center of the driverless vehicle in response to that sensing signal outputted by the sensor is not detected, when the driverless vehicle is in the manual driving mode;

determine whether a permission indicating that switching to the autonomous driving mode can be performed in a current road section is received from the remote service center; and

if yes, switch the driving mode of the driverless vehicle to the autonomous driving mode; and

if not, output information indicating that the switching to the autonomous driving mode of the driverless vehicle fails.

10. The driverless vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the sensor further comprises a distance sensor;

and

the processor is configured to;

output prompt information for preventing an unintended touch in response to detecting a distance value outputted by the distance sensor being smaller than a preset distance threshold, when the driverless vehicle is in the autonomous driving mode.

11. A driverless vehicle control apparatus comprising:

at least one processor; and

a memory storing instructions, which when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform operations, the operations comprising;

detecting a sensor signal outputted by a sensor, wherein the sensor is provided on a steering wheel of the driverless vehicle; and

switching a driving mode of the driverless vehicle to a manual driving mode in response to detecting the sensor signal, when the driverless vehicle is in an autonomous driving mode.

12. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the operations further comprises:

switching the driving mode of the driverless vehicle to the autonomous driving mode in response to that no sensing signal output by the sensor is detected, when the driverless vehicle is in the manual driving mode.

13. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the sensor comprises at least one of the following:

a capacitive sensor configured to detect a contact between an object and the steering wheel, and output a sensing signal indicating the contact between the object and the steering wheel if affirmative;

a tactile switch configured to detect an object pressing the steering wheel, and output a sensing signal indicating the object pressing the steering wheel if affirmative;

a proximity switch configured to detect an object approaching the steering wheel, and output a sensing signal indicating the object approaching the steering wheel if affirmative; and

a pressure sensor configured to detect an object pressing the steering wheel, output a sensing signal indicating the object pressing the steering wheel, and detect and output magnitude of a pressure exerted by the object on the steering wheel if affirmative.

14. The apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the capacitive sensor comprises:

an insulated flexible printed circuit board covering an inner surface of an annular body of the steering wheel, and an electrostatic capacitance detecting electrode disposed on a surface of the flexible printed circuit board.

15. The apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the pressure sensor comprises:

an insulated flexible printed circuit board covering an inner surface of an annular body of the steering wheel, and a pressure sensitive material disposed on a surface of the flexible printed circuit board.

16. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein when the sensor is a pressure sensor, the operations further comprises:

switching the driving mode of the driverless vehicle to the manual driving mode in response to detecting a pressure value of an object on the steering wheel outputted by the pressure sensor being greater than a preset pressure threshold, when the driverless vehicle is in the autonomous driving mode;

or

switching the driving mode of the driverless vehicle to the autonomous driving mode in response to not detecting a pressure value of an object on the steering wheel outputted by the pressure sensor being greater than the preset pressure threshold, when the driverless vehicle is in the manual driving mode.

17. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the operations further comprises:

when the driverless vehicle is in the autonomous driving mode, outputting, in a preset prompt time period, prompt information indicating that the driving mode of the driverless vehicle is to be switched to the manual driving mode in response to detecting the sensing signal outputted by the sensor, and if the sensing signal outputted by the sensor is continuously detected in the prompt time period, switching the driving mode of the driverless vehicle to the manual driving mode;

or

when the driverless vehicle is in the manual driving mode, outputting, in a preset prompt time period, prompt information indicating that the driving mode of the driverless vehicle is to be switched to the autonomous driving mode in response to that no sensing signal outputted by the sensor is detected, and if no sensing signal outputted by the sensor is detected in the prompt time period, switching the driving mode of the driverless vehicle to the autonomous driving mode.

18. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein at least two sensors are provided on the steering wheel of the driverless vehicle, and the operations further comprises:

switching the driving mode of the driverless vehicle to the manual driving mode in response to detection of sensing signals outputted by the at least two sensors, when the driverless vehicle is in the autonomous driving mode, wherein a distance between the at least two sensors exceeds a predetermined value.

19. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the operations further comprises:

sending an autonomous driving mode switching request to a remote service center of the driverless vehicle in response to that sensing signal outputted by the sensor is not detected, when the driverless vehicle is in the manual driving mode;

determining whether a permission indicating that switching to the autonomous driving mode can be performed in a current road section is received from the remote service center; and

if yes, switching the driving mode of the driverless vehicle to the autonomous driving mode; and

if not, outputting information indicating that the switching to the autonomous driving mode of the driverless vehicle fails.

20. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the sensor further comprises a distance sensor, and the operations further comprises:

outputting prompt information for preventing an unintended touch in response to detecting a distance value outputted by the distance sensor being smaller than a preset distance threshold, when the driverless vehicle is in the autonomous driving mode.

21. A non-transitory storage medium storing one or more programs, the one or more programs when executed by an apparatus, causing the apparatus to perform a driverless vehicle control method, comprising:

switching a driving mode of a driverless vehicle to a manual driving mode in response to detecting a sensing signal outputted by a sensor, when the driverless vehicle is in an autonomous driving mode, the sensor provided on a steering wheel of the driverless vehicle.