Automatic Autonomous Driving of a Vehicle

• US 20180079413A1
• Filed: 09/21/2016
• Published: 03/22/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke AG
• Original Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke AG
• Inventors: HERRERO, Mariano, LI, Yang
• Granted Patent: US 11,262,754 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/244 Charge state
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2530/00 Input parameters relating to vehicle conditions or values, not covered by groups B60W2510/00 or B60W2520/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2530/20 Tyre data
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2530/209 Fuel quantity remaining in tank
• 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 2540/229 Attention level, e.g. attentive to driving, reading or sleeping
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/26 Incapacity
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/00 Input parameters relating to infrastructure
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/00 Input parameters relating to objects
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/40 Dynamic objects, e.g. animals, windblown objects
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/80 Spatial relation or speed relative to objects
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2555/20 Ambient conditions, e.g. wind or rain
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/45 External transmission of data to or from the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2756/10 Involving external transmission of data to or from the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/10 Path keeping cruise control for automatically following a preceding vehicle B60W30/165
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/182 Selecting between different operative modes, e.g. comfort and performance modes
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/14 Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention
• 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: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/40 : Business processes related to the transportation industry shipping G06Q10/083
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/60 : for patient-specific data, e.g. for electronic patient records
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 80/00 : ICT specially adapted for facilitating communication between medical practitioners or patients, e.g. for collaborative diagnosis, therapy or health monitoring

Abstract

A motor vehicle includes a plurality of sensors, a wireless communication unit, and a control device that is configured to receive data from the plurality of sensors and via the wireless communication unit relating to at least one of an environmental condition, a mechanical condition and a health-rated condition. The control unit formats the received data into a predetermined format corresponding to at least one detected condition, and compares the at least one detected condition to a plurality of known conditions. The control unit is further configured to identify a detected known condition when the at least one detected condition matches at least one of the plurality of known conditions, to select, in response to identifying the detected known condition, an automatic autonomous driving mode of the vehicle, and then to execute a predetermined driving maneuver corresponding to the detected known condition.

Claims

1. A motor vehicle comprising:

a plurality of sensors;

a wireless communication unit; and

a control device, coupled to the plurality of sensors and wireless communication unit, wherein the control device is configured to;

receive data from the plurality of sensors and via the wireless communication unit relating to at least one of an environmental condition, a mechanical condition and a health-rated condition;

format the received data into a predetermined format corresponding to at least one detected condition;

compare the at least one detected condition to a plurality of known conditions;

identify a detected known condition when the at least one detected condition matches at least one of the plurality of known conditions;

select, in response to identifying the detected known condition, an automatic autonomous driving mode of the vehicle;

determine a destination corresponding to the detected known condition; and

cause the motor vehicle to automatically travel to the determined destination.

2. The motor vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one environmental condition comprises at least one of weather, proximity to an external object, date, time of day, an accumulation of debris on the motor vehicle, traffic conditions, road construction, a road closure, a hazard, a crime in progress, a riot, an area of known high crime, an area of known high vehicle accidents, and information from environmental sensors.

3. The motor vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one mechanical condition comprises at least one of fuel level, oil level, a vehicle malfunction, vehicle maintenance, vehicle inspection, a battery charge status, tire pressure, and a vehicle shape/size.

4. The motor vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one health-related condition comprises at least one of human vital signs, a heart attack, a stroke, an epileptic state, hyperthermia, hypothermia, hypoxia, drowsiness, and a health state that inhibits the driver from safely operating the vehicle.

5. The motor vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein the control device is configured to identify the detected known condition by performing a template matching operation using based on the at least one detected condition and the plurality of known conditions.

7. The motor vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein the control device is configured to cause the motor vehicle to automatically travel to the determined destination by one of moving the vehicle into or out of a garage, traveling to a repair shop, traveling to a gas station, traveling to hospital or emergency center, traveling to a car wash, traveling to a package pickup destination, and traveling to a merchant.

8. The motor vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein the control device is configured to cause the motor vehicle to automatically travel to the determined destination without any input from an operator of the vehicle.

9. The motor vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein, in determining the destination, the control device is configured to take into account a location of the vehicle and surroundings of the vehicle.

10. The motor vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein the control device is further configured to providing information to a driver of the motor vehicle corresponding to the determined information.

6. (canceled)

11. A method for automatically autonomously driving a motor vehicle comprising:

receiving data from a plurality of sensors of the vehicle and via a wireless communication unit of the vehicle relating to at least one of an environmental condition, a mechanical condition and a health-rated condition;

formatting the received data into a predetermined format corresponding to at least one detected condition;

comparing the at least one detected condition to a plurality of known conditions;

identifying a detected known condition when the at least one detected condition matches at least one of the plurality of known conditions;

selecting, in response to said identifying the detected known condition, an automatic autonomous driving mode of the vehicle;

determining a destination corresponding to the detected known condition; and

causing the motor vehicle to automatically travel to the determined destination.

12. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the at least one environmental condition comprises at least one of weather, proximity to an external object, date, time of day, an accumulation of debris on the motor vehicle, traffic conditions, road construction, a road closure, a hazard, a crime in progress, a riot, an area of known high crime, an area of known high vehicle accidents, and information from environmental sensors.

13. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the at least one mechanical condition comprises at least one of fuel level, oil level, a vehicle malfunction, vehicle maintenance, vehicle inspection, a battery charge status, tire pressure, and a vehicle shape/size.

14. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the at least one health-related condition comprises at least one of human vital signs, a heart attack, a stroke, an epileptic state, hyperthermia, hypothermia, hypoxia, drowsiness, and a health state that inhibits the driver from safely operating the vehicle.

15. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein identifying the detected known condition comprises performing a template matching operation using based on the at least one detected condition and the plurality of known conditions.

17. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein causing the motor vehicle to automatically travel to the determined destination comprises one of moving the vehicle into or out of a garage, traveling to a repair shop, traveling to a gas station, traveling to hospital or emergency center, traveling to a car wash, traveling to a package pickup destination, and traveling to a merchant.

18. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein causing the motor vehicle to automatically travel to the determined destination comprises causing the motor vehicle to automatically travel to the determined destination without any input from an operator of the vehicle.

19. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein determining the destination corresponding to the detected known condition further comprises taking into account a location of the vehicle and surroundings of the vehicle.

20. The method as claimed in claim 11, further comprises displaying information, on a display in the vehicle, corresponding to the determined destination.

16. (canceled)