User interface for displaying internal state of autonomous driving system

• US 8,260,482 B1
• Filed: 07/08/2010
• Issued: 09/04/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Szybalski, Andrew, Nemec, Philip, Urmson, Christopher, Thrun, Sebastian, Prada Gomez, Luis Ricardo
• Primary Examiner(s): BROWN, DREW J
• Application Number:
  US12/832,447
• Time in Patent Office: 789 Days
• Field of Search: 701/1, 701 23- 25, 701/27, 701/28, 701/41, 701/44, 701/117, 701408-410, 701/301, 701/302
• US Class Current: 701/23
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/04 including control of propulsion units
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/18 including control of braking systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/20 including control of steering systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/30 including control of auxiliary equipment, e.g. air-conditioning compressors or oil pumps
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/146 Display means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/10 Interpretation of driver requests or demands
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/14 Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 1/286 Systems for interrupting non-mechanical steering due to driver intervention
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 15/025 Active steering aids, e.g. helping the driver by actively influencing the steering system after environment evaluation B62D1/28 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/10 providing dedicated supplementary positioning signals
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0061 for transition from automatic pilot to manual pilot and vice versa
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials

Abstract

A passenger in an automated vehicle may relinquish control of the vehicle to a control computer when the control computer has determined that it may maneuver the vehicle safely to a destination. The passenger may relinquish or regain control of the vehicle by applying different degrees of pressure, for example, on a steering wheel of the vehicle. The control computer may convey status information to a passenger in a variety of ways including by illuminating elements of the vehicle. The color and location of the illumination may indicate the status of the control computer, for example, whether the control computer has been armed, is ready to take control of the vehicle, or is currently controlling the vehicle.

Claims

1. A vehicle comprising:

a plurality of control apparatuses including a braking apparatus, an acceleration apparatus, and a steering apparatus;

a geographic position component for determining the current geographic location of the vehicle;

a force input apparatus for identifying the approximate location and degree of a force;

memory for storing a detailed map information including roadway, traffic signal, and intersection information; and

a processor operable to;

receive location information from the geographic position component;

receive input from the force input apparatus;

determine, from location information received from the geographic position component and the stored map information, the current geographic location of the vehicle;

determine, based on the current geographic location of the vehicle, whether the processor can control the plurality of control apparatuses safely; and

determine, based on input received from the force input apparatus, whether the processor has permission to control the plurality of control apparatuses.

2. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the processor is operable to control the plurality of control apparatuses when the current geographic location of the vehicle corresponds to a roadway of the detailed roadway map.

3. The vehicle of claim 1, further comprising a light emitting apparatus and wherein the processor is further operable to illuminate the light emitting apparatus if the processor has determined that the processor has permission to control the control apparatuses.

4. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the force input apparatus is associated with a threshold value, and the processor is further operable to determine that the processor has permission if a force input on the force input apparatus is less than the threshold value.

5. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the processor is further operable to control the control apparatuses if the processor has determined that the processor has permission to control the control apparatuses.

6. The vehicle of claim 5, further comprising a light emitting apparatus and wherein the processor is further programmed to illuminate the light emitting apparatus while the processor is controlling the control apparatuses.

7. The vehicle of claim 5, wherein the processor is further operable to:

determine, based on the current geographic location of the vehicle, whether the processor can no longer control the control apparatuses safely; and

discontinue the controlling of the control apparatuses if the processor can no longer control the control apparatuses safely.

8. The vehicle of claim 7, further comprising a light emitting apparatus and wherein the processor is further operable to illuminate the light emitting apparatus if the processor discontinues the controlling of the control apparatuses because the processor can no longer control the control apparatuses safely.

9. The vehicle of claim 5, wherein the force input apparatus is associated with a threshold value and the processor is further operable to discontinue control of the control apparatuses if a force input on the force input apparatus is greater than the threshold value.

10. The vehicle of claim 5, further comprising a light emitting apparatus and wherein the processor is further operable to:

illuminate the light emitting apparatus in a first color if the processor can control the plurality of control apparatuses safely and the processor is not controlling the control apparatuses;

control the control apparatuses and illuminate the light emitting apparatus in a second color if the processor has determined that the processor has permission to control the control apparatuses; and

illuminate the light emitting apparatus in a third color if the processor discontinues the controlling of the control apparatuses because the processor can no longer control the control apparatuses safely.

11. A method for controlling a plurality of control apparatuses of a vehicle including a braking apparatus, an acceleration apparatus, and a steering apparatus, the method comprising:

receiving location information from a geographic position component for determining a current geographic location of the vehicle;

receiving input from a force input apparatus identifying an approximate location and degree of a force;

determining, from the location information received from the geographic position component and detailed map information, the current geographic location of the vehicle, the detailed map information including roadway, traffic signal and intersection information;

determining, based on the current geographic location of the vehicle, whether a processor is operable to control the plurality of control apparatuses safely;

determining, based on input received from the force input apparatus, whether the processor has permission to control the plurality of control apparatuses; and

controlling the control apparatuses if the processor has permission to control the control apparatuses.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein:

the force input apparatus is associated with a force threshold value; and

determining that the processor has permission is based on whether a force input on the force input apparatus is less than the threshold value.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising illuminating a light emitting apparatus if the processor is not operable to control the control apparatuses safely.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising illuminating a light emitting apparatus while the processor is controlling the control apparatuses.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein if the processor is not operable to control the control apparatuses safely, then discontinuing the controlling of the control apparatuses by the processor.

16. A computer comprising:

memory for storing map information; and

a processor operable to;

receive location information from a geographic position component which determines a current geographic location of the vehicle;

receive input from a force input apparatus which identifies an approximate location and degree of a force;

determine, from the location information received from the geographic position component and the stored map information, the current geographic location of the vehicle;

determine, based on the current geographic location of the vehicle, whether the processor is operable to control a plurality of control apparatuses safely; and

determine, based on input received from the force input apparatus, whether the processor has permission to control the plurality of control apparatuses.

17. The computer of claim 16, wherein the plurality of control apparatuses control an automobile.

18. The computer of claim 17, wherein the plurality of control apparatuses control a boat.

19. The computer of claim 18, wherein the plurality of control apparatuses control an airplane.

20. The computer of claim 16, wherein the processor is further operable to:

illuminate light emitting apparatus in a first color if the processor is operable to control the plurality of control apparatuses safely and the processor is not currently controlling the control apparatuses;

control the control apparatuses if the processor has determined that the processor has permission to control the control apparatuses and illuminate the light emitting apparatus in a second color; and

illuminate the light emitting apparatus in a third color if the processor discontinues the controlling of the control apparatuses because the processor can no longer control the control apparatuses safely.