Method and arrangement for handover warning in a vehicle having autonomous driving capabilities

• US 9,235,211 B2
• Filed: 09/05/2014
• Issued: 01/12/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Polestar Performance AB (Polestar Automotive Holding UK Plc)
• Original Assignee: Volvo Car Corporation (AB Volvo)
• Inventors: Davidsson, Staffan, Chen, Sicheng
• Primary Examiner(s): Tweel, Jr., John A
• Application Number:
  US14/478,618
• Publication Number:
  US 20150070160A1
• Time in Patent Office: 494 Days
• Field of Search: 340/457, 701/1, 701/7, 701/22, 701/23, 701/117, 180/65.285, 180/65.21
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/0025 Transfer function weighting factor
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/0072 Controller asks driver to take over
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/0073 Driver overrides controller
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/0096 Control during transition between modes
• 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 50/14 Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 60/0053 from vehicle to occupant
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 60/0057 Estimation of the time available or required for the handover
• 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

Abstract

A method and arrangement are described for handover warning in a vehicle having autonomous driving capabilities and a vehicle controller configured to control unmanned autonomous travel. A processor may be configured to monitor if there is a need to transition from unmanned autonomous travel to manual control of the vehicle. A detecting arrangement may be configured to monitor a vehicle driver and evaluate the vehicle driver'"'"'s readiness to assume the act of driving the vehicle. A warning arrangement may be configured to provide warning information when driver-handover is requested by the processor, which warning arrangement may be further configured to adapt warning information timing in respect to the evaluated vehicle driver'"'"'s readiness to assume the act of driving the vehicle. A warning output system may be configured to output the time adapted warning information to a vehicle passenger compartment.

Claims

1. An arrangement for handover warning in a vehicle having autonomous driving capabilities and a vehicle controller arranged to control unmanned autonomous travel, the arrangement comprising:

monitoring means for monitoring if there is a need to transition from unmanned autonomous travel to manual control of the vehicle;

a detecting arrangement configured to monitor a vehicle driver and evaluate the vehicle driver'"'"'s readiness to assume an act of driving the vehicle;

a warning arrangement configured to provide warning information when driver-handover is requested by the monitoring means, which warning arrangement is further configured to adapt warning information timing in respect to the vehicle driver'"'"'s evaluated readiness to assume the act of driving the vehicle;

a warning output system configured to output the adapted warning information timing to a vehicle passenger compartment.

2. The arrangement according to claim 1 wherein the warning arrangement further is configured to adapt warning information timing such that the warning output system will output the warning information earlier if the vehicle driver'"'"'s readiness to assume the act of driving the vehicle is detected as low, and later if the vehicle driver'"'"'s readiness to assume the act of driving the vehicle is detected as high.

3. The arrangement according to claim 1 wherein the warning arrangement further is configured to adapt warning information urgency such that the warning output system will output the warning information with higher urgency if the vehicle driver'"'"'s readiness to assume the act of driving the vehicle is detected as low, and lower urgency if the vehicle driver'"'"'s readiness to assume the act of driving the vehicle is detected as high.

4. The arrangement according to claim 1 wherein the detecting arrangement further comprises driver monitoring sensors and input arrangements comprising at least one of a driver monitoring camera, a steering wheel torque sensor and a seat position detection arrangement.

5. The arrangement according to claim 1 wherein the monitoring means are for monitoring availability and sufficiency of inputs to the vehicle controller for maintaining unmanned autonomous travel of the vehicle or if there is a need to transition from unmanned autonomous travel to manual control of the vehicle.

6. The arrangement according to claim 5 wherein the monitoring means are for monitoring availability of inputs to the vehicle controller comprising inputs from at least one of onboard systems for detection of surrounding vehicles, detection of traffic lanes, detection of obstacles and systems for providing navigation data.

7. The arrangement according to claim 4 wherein the detecting arrangement further comprises driver monitoring sensors and input arrangements comprising a driver gaze direction determining arrangement.

8. The arrangement according to claim 1 wherein the warning output system is configured to output the adapted warning information timing to the vehicle passenger compartment as at least one of a visual warning, an audio warning and a haptic warning.

9. A motor vehicle having autonomous driving capabilities and a vehicle controller configured to control unmanned autonomous travel, the vehicle comprising an arrangement for handover warning according to claim 1.

10. A method for handover warning in a vehicle having autonomous driving capabilities and a vehicle controller configured to control unmanned autonomous travel, the method comprising:

monitoring if there is a need to transition from unmanned autonomous travel to manual control of the vehicle using a monitoring arrangement;

monitoring a vehicle driver and evaluating the vehicle driver'"'"'s readiness to assume an act of driving the vehicle using a detecting arrangement;

providing warning information when driver-handover is requested by the monitoring arrangement, and adapting warning information timing in respect to the evaluated vehicle driver'"'"'s readiness to assume the act of driving the vehicle using a warning arrangement; and

outputting the adapted warning information timing to a vehicle passenger compartment using a warning output system.