AUTONOMOUS VEHICLE MANAGEMENT

• US 20200130705A1
• Filed: 10/31/2018
• Published: 04/30/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kyndryl Incorporated (Kyndryl Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Boss, Gregory J., Fox, Jeremy R., Jones, Andrew R., Moore, JR., John E.
• Granted Patent: US 11,608,074 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/0002 Automatic control, details of type of controller or control system architecture
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/0083 Setting, resetting, calibration
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/143 Alarm means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/146 Display means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/043 Identity of occupants
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/30 Driving style
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/0098 Details of control systems ensuring comfort, safety or stability not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/085 Changing the parameters of the control units, e.g. changing limit values, working points by control input
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/087 where the control system corrects or modifies a request from the driver
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/14 Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0055 with safety arrangements
• 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

Abstract

A computer-implemented method for controlling a vehicle. The method monitors one or more characteristics of one or more users within the vehicle, and compares the one or more characteristics of the one or more users with one or more corresponding baseline characteristics of the one or more users. The method further determines, based on the comparison, that a difference between the one or more characteristics and the one or more corresponding baseline characteristics of the one or more users exceeds a threshold value, and performs a controlling action associated with the vehicle, wherein the controlling action may be taking a higher level of autonomous control over the vehicle; varying speed and handling of the vehicle; and overriding the one or more characteristics of the one or more users in order to avoid an accident.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for controlling a vehicle, the method comprising:

monitoring one or more characteristics of one or more users within the vehicle;

comparing each of the one or more characteristics of the one or more users with one or more corresponding baseline characteristics of the one or more users;

determining, based on the comparison, that a difference between each of the one or more characteristics and the one or more corresponding baseline characteristics of the one or more users exceeds a threshold value; and

performing a controlling action associated with the vehicle.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein a controlling action comprises any one or more of the following actions:

taking a higher level of autonomous control over the vehicle;

varying speed and handling of the vehicle in order to bring the one or more characteristics of the one or more users back to the corresponding baseline characteristics of the one or more users; and

overriding the one or more characteristics of the one or more users in order to avoid an accident.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing an alert to the one or more users that communicates the controlling action to be performed, wherein the alert comprises at least one of the following;

audio feedback and visual feedback.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 3, further comprising:

requesting that the one or more users confirm the controlling action to be performed, prior to performing the action.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

obtaining the one or more characteristics of the one or more users within the vehicle by at least one of the following;

video cameras, internet of things (IoT) devices, IoT sensors, personal computing devices of the one or more users, personal medical devices of the one or more users, or biometric data collection devices.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

building a data profile for each user of the one or more users based on the monitored one or more characteristics; and

dynamically updating the data profile for each user of the one or more users.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 6, further comprising:

identifying the one or more users within the vehicle;

receiving the data profile for the identified one or more users within the vehicle, wherein the data profile comprises one or more preferences specific to the one or more users; and

performing one or more controlling actions associated with the vehicle that conform to the data profile for the identified one or more users within the vehicle.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, further comprising:

performing the one or more controlling actions associated with the vehicle to ensure the safety of the one or more users, even though the performed one or more controlling actions violate the data profile for the identified one or more users within the vehicle.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving user feedback from the one or more users within the vehicle, in response to the controlling action performed; and

incorporating the received user feedback into confidence level data, for the one or more characteristics of the one or more users.

10. A computer program product, comprising a tangible storage device having program code embodied therewith, the program code executable by a processor of a computer to perform a method, the method comprising:

monitoring one or more characteristics of one or more users within the vehicle;

comparing each of the one or more characteristics of the one or more users with one or more corresponding baseline characteristics of the one or more users;

determining, based on the comparison, that a difference between each of the one or more characteristics and the one or more corresponding baseline characteristics of the one or more users exceeds a threshold value; and

performing a controlling action associated with the vehicle.

11. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein a controlling action comprises any one or more of the following actions:

taking a higher level of autonomous control over the vehicle;

varying speed and handling of the vehicle in order to bring the one or more characteristics of the one or more users back to the corresponding baseline characteristics of the one or more users; and

overriding the one or more characteristics of the one or more users in order to avoid an accident.

12. The computer program product of claim 10, further comprising:

providing an alert to the one or more users that communicates the controlling action to be performed, wherein the alert comprises at least one of the following;

audio feedback and visual feedback.

13. The computer program product of claim 12, further comprising:

requesting that the one or more users confirm the controlling action to be performed, prior to performing the action.

14. The computer program product of claim 10, further comprising:

obtaining the one or more characteristics of the one or more users within the vehicle by at least one of the following;

video cameras, internet of things (IoT) devices, IoT sensors, personal computing devices of the one or more users, personal medical devices of the one or more users, or biometric data collection devices.

15. The computer program product of claim 10, further comprising:

building a data profile for each user of the one or more users based on the monitored one or more characteristics; and

dynamically updating the data profile for each user of the one or more users.

16. A computer system, comprising:

one or more computer devices each having one or more processors and one or more tangible storage devices; and

a program embodied on at least one of the one or more storage devices, the program having a plurality of program instructions for execution by the one or more processors, the program instructions comprising instructions for;

monitoring one or more characteristics of one or more users within the vehicle;

comparing each of the one or more characteristics of the one or more users with one or more corresponding baseline characteristics of the one or more users;

determining, based on the comparison, that a difference between each of the one or more characteristics and the one or more corresponding baseline characteristics of the one or more users exceeds a threshold value; and

performing a controlling action associated with the vehicle.

17. The computer system of claim 16, wherein a controlling action comprises any one or more of the following actions:

taking a higher level of autonomous control over the vehicle;

varying speed and handling of the vehicle in order to bring the one or more characteristics of the one or more users back to the corresponding baseline characteristics of the one or more users; and

overriding the one or more characteristics of the one or more users in order to avoid an accident.

18. The computer system of claim 16, further comprising:

providing an alert to the one or more users that communicates the controlling action to be performed, wherein the alert comprises at least one of the following;

audio feedback and visual feedback.

19. The computer system of claim 18, further comprising:

requesting that the one or more users confirm the controlling action to be performed, prior to performing the action.

20. The computer system of claim 16, further comprising:

obtaining the one or more characteristics of the one or more users within the vehicle by at least one of the following;

video cameras, internet of things (IoT) devices, IoT sensors, personal computing devices of the one or more users, personal medical devices of the one or more users, or biometric data collection devices.