System, a vehicle and a method concerning the behavior of a vehicle

• US 6,772,055 B2
• Filed: 07/02/2002
• Issued: 08/03/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/13/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Saab AB
• Original Assignee: Saab AB
• Inventors: Hagelin, Hans-Ove
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuchlinski, Jr., William A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Gibson, Eric M.
• Application Number:
  US10/169,383
• Publication Number:
  US 20030004615A1
• Time in Patent Office: 763 Days
• Field of Search: 701/1, 701/70, 701/23, 701/27, 701/40, 701/44, 701/57, 701/59, 701/77, 701/98, 244/76.R, 244/175, 244/190, 244/195
• US Class Current: 701/27
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 60/001 Planning or execution of driving tasks
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 13/0265 the criterion being a learning criterion
• 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: G09B 9/052 characterised by provision for recording or measuring trainee's performance devices for psychotechnics, e.g. for vehicle drivers A61B5/16, A61B5/18

Abstract

The invention concerns a system for generating basis for decisions concerning the behavior of a vehicle and/or of a driver of a vehicle. The system comprises a supervising unit (10) which comprises at least one storage member (12). In the storage member (12) there is a set of rules (14) of a particular kind for how the driver of the vehicle and/or the vehicle shall behave in different situations. The system also comprises a user interface (16) and adaptation means (13) arranged to adapt said set of rules such that at least some of the rules (14) with conclusions (24) belonging thereto are suited to form the basis for decisions concerning the behavior of a vehicle and/or of a driver of a vehicle. The invention also concerns a vehicle and a method of generating basis for decisions concerning the behavior of a vehicle and/or of a driver of a vehicle.

Claims

1. A system for generating basis for decisions concerning the behavior of at least one of a vehicle and of a driver of a vehicle, wherein the system comprises:

a supervising unit comprising at least one storage member comprising a set of rules for how at least one of the driver of the vehicle and the vehicle shall behave in different situations, the supervising unit being arranged to administer the rules,

a user interface comprising first means for presenting information to a user of the system and second means for inputting instructions to the supervising unit such that a user with the help of the second means may modify the set of rules, wherein the system is arranged such that each rule comprises at least one predetermined and pre-programmed premise which may either be true or false and one or more predetermined and pre-programmed conclusions, wherein the system is arranged such that the at least one premise in the rule is assigned an indicator which may indicate three different conditions, wherein the three conditions comprise a first condition which is that the premise shall be true, a second condition which is that the premise shall be false and a third condition which is that it does not matter whether the premise is true or false, and wherein at least one conclusion in the rule is suited to be executed if all of said premises fulfill the conditions set by the assigned indicators, and

adaptation means arranged to adapt the set of rules such that at least some of the rules with conclusions belonging thereto are suited to form the basis for decisions concerning the behavior of at least one of the vehicle and of the driver of the vehicle.

2. The system according to claim 1, further comprising:

transferring means arranged for transferring at least some of the set of rules and the basis for decisions to a presentation computer device which comprises means for presenting the basis for decisions to a driver of a vehicle while the vehicle is in operation.

3. A vehicle, comprising:

a presentation computer device comprising at least a set of rules and a basis for decisions transferred to a presentation computer device with the system according to claim 2, wherein the presentation computer device also comprises the means for presenting the basis for decisions to a driver of the vehicle while the vehicle is in operation.

4. The vehicle according to claim 3, wherein the presentation computer device is arranged to present at least some of the basis for decisions to a driver of the vehicle in response to a command from the driver.

5. The vehicle according to claim 3, wherein the presentation computer device is arranged to automatically present at least some of the basis for decisions to a driver of the vehicle without any special command from the driver.

6. The system according to claim 1, further comprising:

transferring means arranged for transferring at least some of the set of rules and the basis for decisions to a command computer device which is arranged to control the behavior of a vehicle without influence of a driver.

7. A vehicle, comprising:

a command computer device comprising at least a set of rules and a basis for decisions transferred to the command computer device with the system according to claim 6, wherein the command computer device is arranged to control at least a part of the behavior of a vehicle without the influence of a driver.

8. The system according to claim 1, wherein the system is arranged such that the behavior of at least one of the driver and the vehicle is divided into a plurality of states for different situations in which the vehicle may be, wherein the plurality of states are divided into a network or a hierarchy of states, wherein the system is arranged to show, in response to a command from a user via said user interface, a window which illustrates the network or hierarchy of states.

9. The system according to claim 8, wherein the system is arranged such that each state comprises a plurality of the rules which are divided into one or more rule-blocks which concern different aspects of the state, wherein the rule or rules which form part of a certain rule-block on a command from a user via the user interface are shown as a ruleblock window.

10. The system according to claim 9, wherein the system is arranged to show in the rule-block window all premises and conclusions which form part of the different rules which form part of a certain rule-block, wherein for each rule in the rule-block the indications which indicate the conditions and cases are shown as marks for the respective premises and conclusions.

11. The system according to claim 10, wherein the system is arranged such that a user with the help of the second means of the user interface may change the indications of the indicators.

12. The system according to claim 1, wherein the system is arranged such that a rule is organized such that it may comprise several conclusions, wherein each conclusion is assigned an indicator which may indicate two different cases, a first case which indicates that the conclusion shall be executed or a second case which indicates that the conclusion shall not be executed, wherein a conclusion is meant to be executed if all of said premises fulfill the conditions set by the assigned indicators and the indicator of the conclusion indicates said first case.

13. A method of generating basis for decisions concerning the behavior of at elast one of a vehicle and of a driver of a vehicle, the method comprising:

creating a set of rules for how at least one of the driver of the vehicle and the vehicle shall behave in different situations,

providing a user interface comprising first means for presenting information to a user of the rules and second means for inputting instructions such that a user with the help of the second means may modify the set of rules, wherein the rules are created such that each rule comprises at least one predetermined premise which may either be true or false and at least one predetermined conclusion, wherein each premise in the rule is assigned an indicator which may indicate three different conditions, wherein the three conditions comprise a first condition which is that the premise shall be true, a second condition which is that the premise shall be false and a third condition which is that it does not matter whether the premise is true or false, and wherein at least one conclusion in the rule is suited to be executed if all of the premises fulfill the conditions set by the assigned indicators, and

adapting at least some of the rules with conclusions belonging thereto to a form such that they are suited o form the basis for decisions concerning the behavior of at least one of the vehicle and of the driver of the vehicle.

14. The method according to claim 13, further comprising:

transferring at least some of the set of rules and the basis for the decisions to a presentation computer device which comprises means for presenting the basis for decisions to a driver of a vehicle while the vehicle is in operation.

15. The method according to claim 13, further comprising:

transferring at least some of the set of rules and the basis for decisions to a command computer device which is arranged to control the behavior of a vehicle without the influence of a driver.