AUTOMATIC DRIVING CONTROL DEVICE AND AUTOMATIC DRIVING CONTROL METHOD, AND PROGRAM

• US 20170364070A1
• Filed: 12/04/2015
• Published: 12/21/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: OBA, Eiji
• Granted Patent: US 10,331,127 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 28/066 actuating a signalling device B60K28/063 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/18 Steering angle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/22 Psychological state; Stress level or workload
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/221 Physiology, e.g. weight, heartbeat, health or special needs
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/223 Posture, e.g. hand, foot, or seat position, turned or inclined
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/225 Direction of gaze
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/229 Attention level, e.g. attentive to driving, reading or sleeping
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/26 Incapacity
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2555/60 Traffic rules, e.g. speed limits or right of way
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2720/10 Longitudinal speed
• 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: B60W 50/082 Selecting or switching between different modes of propelling
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/14 Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention
• 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: G05D 1/0061 for transition from automatic pilot to manual pilot and vice versa

Abstract

A method for switching modes for operating a vehicle, a non-transitory computer-readable medium for performing the method, and information processing apparatuses. The method includes determining, by circuitry of an information processing apparatus, whether a mode for operating the vehicle is to be switched from one of autonomous and manual driving modes to the other of the autonomous and manual driving modes. A state of a driver of the vehicle is obtained when the mode for operating the vehicle is determined to be switched. The method further includes switching, by the circuitry, the mode for operating the vehicle from the one of the autonomous and manual driving modes to the other of the autonomous manual driving modes based on the obtained state of the driver.

Claims

1. A method for switching modes for operating a vehicle, the method comprising:

determining, by circuitry of an information processing apparatus, whether a mode for operating the vehicle is to be switched from one of autonomous and manual driving modes to the other of the autonomous and manual driving modes;

obtaining a state of a driver of the vehicle when the mode for operating the vehicle is determined to be switched; and

switching, by the circuitry, the mode for operating the vehicle from the one of the autonomous and manual driving modes to the other of the autonomous manual driving modes based on the obtained state of the driver.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining an ability of a driver to drive the vehicle based on the obtained state of the driver; and

switching the mode for operating the vehicle from the autonomous driving mode to the manual driving mode when the ability of the driver is determined to be greater than or equal to a predetermined level.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

providing a warning to the driver to change the state of the driver when the ability of the driver is determined to be less than the predetermined level; and

determining the ability of the driver to drive the vehicle after the warning is provided to the driver; and

switching the mode for operating the vehicle from the autonomous driving mode to the manual driving mode when the ability of the driver after the warning is provided is determined to be greater than or equal to the predetermined level.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

causing the vehicle to stop when the ability of the driver to drive the vehicle is determined to be less than the predetermined level.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

notifying the driver that the autonomous driving mode is to be terminated when the mode for operating the vehicle is determined to be switched from the autonomous driving mode to the manual driving mode.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of determining comprises:

determining the mode for operating the vehicle is to be switched from the autonomous driving mode to the manual driving mode based on a distance to an end of an automatic driving-only lane.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining whether the autonomous driving mode can be started based on the obtained state of the driver, wherein

the step of switching the mode includes switching the mode for operating the vehicle from the manual driving mode to the autonomous driving mode when the autonomous driving mode can be started.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

determining an ability of the driver to drive the vehicle based on the obtained state of the driver; and

prohibiting the mode for operating the vehicle to switch from the manual driving mode to the autonomous driving mode when the ability of the driver is determined to be less than a predetermined level.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

monitoring the state of the driver and an ambient environment while the mode for operating to vehicle is in the autonomous driving mode.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

causing a plurality of content to be displayed to the driver; and

monitoring a reaction of the driver to the display of the plurality of content, wherein

the step of obtaining includes obtaining the state of the driver based on the monitored reaction of the driver.

11. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions which, when executed by a computer, causes the computer to perform a method for switching modes for operating a vehicle, the method comprising:

determining whether a mode for operating the vehicle is to be switched from one of autonomous and manual driving modes to the other of the autonomous and manual driving modes;

obtaining a state of a driver of the vehicle when the mode for operating the vehicle is determined to be switched; and

switching the mode for operating the vehicle from the one of the autonomous and manual driving modes to the other of the autonomous manual driving modes based on the obtained state of the driver.

12. An information processing apparatus comprising:

circuitry configured to

determine whether a mode for operating a vehicle is to be switched from one of autonomous and manual driving modes to the other of the autonomous and manual driving modes;

obtain a state of a driver of the vehicle when the mode for operating the vehicle is determined to be switched; and

switch the mode for operating the vehicle from the one of the autonomous and manual driving modes to the other of the autonomous manual driving modes based on the obtained state of the driver.

13. The information processing apparatus of claim 12, wherein the circuitry is configured to

determine an ability of a driver to drive the vehicle based on the obtained state of the driver;

and

switch the mode for operating the vehicle from the autonomous driving mode to the manual driving mode when the ability of the driver is determined to be greater than or equal to a predetermined level.

14. The information processing apparatus of claim 13, wherein the circuitry is configured to

provide a warning to the driver to change the state of the driver when the ability of the driver is determined to be less than the predetermined level;

determine the ability of the driver to drive the vehicle after the warning is provided to the driver; and

switch the mode for operating the vehicle from the autonomous driving mode to the manual driving mode when the ability of the driver after the warning is provided is determined to be greater than or equal to the predetermined level.

15. The information processing apparatus of claim 14, wherein the circuitry is configured to

cause the vehicle to stop when the ability of the driver to drive the vehicle is determined to be less than the predetermined level.

16. The information processing apparatus of claim 12, wherein the circuitry is configured to

notify the driver that the autonomous driving mode is to be terminated when the mode for operating the vehicle is determined to be switched from the autonomous driving mode to the manual driving mode.

17. The information processing apparatus of claim 12, wherein the circuitry is configured to

determine the mode for operating the vehicle is to be switched from the autonomous driving mode to the manual driving mode based on a distance to an end of an automatic driving-only lane.

18. The information processing apparatus of claim 12, wherein the circuitry is configured to

determine whether the autonomous driving mode can be started based on the obtained state of the driver, and

switch the mode for operating the vehicle from the manual driving mode to the autonomous driving mode when the autonomous driving mode can be started.

19. The information processing apparatus of claim 18, wherein the circuitry is configured to

determine an ability of the driver to drive the vehicle based on the obtained state of the driver;

and

prohibit the mode for operating the vehicle to switch from the manual driving mode to the autonomous driving mode when the ability of the driver is determined to be less than a predetermined level.

20. The information processing apparatus of claim 12, wherein the circuitry is configured to

monitor the state of the driver and an ambient environment while the mode for operating to vehicle is in the autonomous driving mode.

21. The information processing apparatus of claim 12, wherein the circuitry is configured to

cause a plurality of content to be displayed to the driver;

monitor a reaction of the driver to the display of the plurality of content; and

obtain the state of the driver based on the monitored reaction of the driver.

22. An information processing apparatus, comprising:

means for determining whether a mode for operating a vehicle is to be switched from one of autonomous and manual driving modes to the other of the autonomous and manual driving modes;

means for obtaining a state of a driver of the vehicle when the mode for operating the vehicle is determined to be switched; and

means for switching the mode for operating the vehicle from the one of the autonomous and manual driving modes to the other of the autonomous manual driving modes based on the obtained state of the driver.