Arrangement for controlling highly automated driving of a vehicle

• US 9,340,204 B2
• Filed: 08/15/2014
• Issued: 05/17/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/16/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbH (Continental AG)
• Original Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbH (Continental AG)
• Inventors: Schnieders, Heiko, Leimbach, Jrgen
• Primary Examiner(s): HOLLOWAY, JASON R
• Application Number:
  US14/461,043
• Publication Number:
  US 20150051781A1
• Time in Patent Office: 641 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2040/0872 Driver physiology
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/221 Physiology, e.g. weight, heartbeat, health or special needs
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/223 Posture, e.g. hand, foot, or seat position, turned or inclined
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/229 Attention level, e.g. attentive to driving, reading or sleeping
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/00 Purposes of road vehicle drive control systems not related to the control of a particular sub-unit, e.g. of systems using conjoint control of vehicle sub-units
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/12 Lane keeping
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/16 Control of distance between vehicles, e.g. keeping a distance to preceding vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/08 related to drivers or passengers
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/0097 Predicting future conditions
• 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

Abstract

An arrangement for controlling highly automated driving of a vehicle includes: a vehicle guiding device autonomously guiding the vehicle, an evaluation device evaluating a condition of a driver of the vehicle, and a control device controlling activation and deactivation of the vehicle guiding device. The control device activates or deactivates the vehicle guiding device on the basis of the remaining autonomous driving time during which the vehicle can be autonomously controlled by the vehicle guiding device and the reaction time of the driver.

Claims

1. An arrangement for controlling highly automated driving of a vehicle, comprising:

a vehicle guiding device (100) autonomously guiding the vehicle (1);

an evaluation device (110) evaluating a condition of a driver (2) of the vehicle (1); and

a control device (120) controlling activation and deactivation of the vehicle guiding device (100),

wherein the vehicle guiding device (100) guides the vehicle (1) autonomously in an activated state,

wherein the vehicle guiding device (100) calculates a remaining autonomous driving time, wherein the remaining autonomous driving time indicates a time for which the vehicle guiding device (100) can autonomously guide the vehicle (1),

wherein the evaluation device (110) calculates a reaction time (Ti) of the driver (2) on the basis of the evaluated condition of the driver (2), wherein the reaction time (Ti) indicates a time that the driver (2) requires at most to take over control of the vehicle (1) from the vehicle guiding device (100) when the vehicle guiding device (100) is in the activated state, and

wherein the control device (120) activates or deactivates the vehicle guiding device (100) on the basis of the remaining autonomous driving time and the reaction time (Ti) of the driver (2).

2. The arrangement as claimed in claim 1,

wherein the control device (120) compares the remaining autonomous driving time with the reaction time (Ti), and

wherein, if the control device (120) determines that the remaining autonomous driving time is greater than the reaction time (Ti) the control device (120):

switches the vehicle guiding device (100) from a deactivated state into the activated state, or

maintains the activated state of the vehicle guiding device (100).

3. The arrangement as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

an indicating device (130) indicating a signal,

wherein the control device (120) controls the output of the signal on the indicating device (130), and

wherein the control device (120) outputs the signal on the indicating device (130) at the latest when the control device (120) determines that the remaining autonomous driving time is equal to the reaction time (Ti).

4. The arrangement as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

an input device (140) inputting a time,

wherein the evaluation device (110) calculates the reaction time (Ti) on the basis of the input time.

5. The arrangement as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a first sensor device (150) detecting the condition of the driver (2),

wherein the evaluation device (110) is coupled to the first sensor device (150),

wherein the first sensor device (150) generates a driver condition signal on the basis of the calculated condition of the driver (2), wherein the driver condition signal indicates the detected condition of the driver (2), and

wherein the evaluation device (110) calculates the reaction time (Ti) on the basis of the driver condition signal.

6. The arrangement as claimed in claim 5, wherein the first sensor device (150) comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of:

at least one camera (151) observing the driver,

at least one sensor (152) detecting a seat position,

at least one sensor (153) detecting a physical condition of the driver and

a microphone (154).

7. The arrangement as claimed in claim 6, further comprising:

a second sensor device (160) detecting a condition of the vehicle (1),

wherein the vehicle guiding device (100) is coupled to the second sensor device (160),

wherein the second sensor device (160) generates a vehicle condition signal on the basis of the calculated condition of the vehicle (1), wherein the vehicle condition signal indicates the detected condition of the vehicle (1), and

wherein the vehicle guiding device (100) calculates the remaining autonomous driving time on the basis of the vehicle condition signal.

8. The arrangement as claimed in claim 7, further comprising:

a third sensor device (170) detecting a condition of the traffic,

wherein the vehicle guiding device (100) is coupled to the third sensor device (170),

wherein the third sensor device (170) generates a traffic condition signal on the basis of the calculated condition of the traffic, wherein the traffic condition signal indicates the condition of the traffic, and

wherein the vehicle guiding device (100) calculates the remaining autonomous driving time on the basis of the traffic condition signal.

9. The arrangement as claimed in claim 8, further comprising:

a fourth sensor device (180) detecting a condition of the environment of the vehicle (1),

wherein the vehicle guiding device (100) is coupled to the fourth sensor device (180),

wherein the fourth sensor device (180) generates an environment condition signal on the basis of the calculated condition of the environment of the vehicle (1), wherein the environment condition signal indicates the condition of the environment of the vehicle (1), and

wherein the vehicle guiding device (100) calculates the remaining autonomous driving time on the basis of the environment condition signal.

10. The arrangement as claimed in claim 9, further comprising:

a fifth sensor device (190) detecting a condition of the weather,

wherein the vehicle guiding device (100) is coupled to the fifth sensor device (190),

wherein the fifth sensor device (190) generates a weather condition signal on the basis of the calculated condition of the weather, wherein the weather condition signal indicates the condition of the weather, and

wherein the vehicle guiding device (100) calculates the remaining autonomous driving time on the basis of the weather condition signal.

11. A vehicle (1) for autonomous driving, comprising:

an arrangement (10) having;

a vehicle guiding device (100) autonomously guiding the vehicle (1);

an evaluation device (110) evaluating a condition of a driver (2) of the vehicle (1); and

a control device (120) controlling activation and deactivation of the vehicle guiding device (100),

wherein the vehicle guiding device (100) guides the vehicle (1) autonomously in an activated state,

wherein the vehicle guiding device (100) calculates a remaining autonomous driving time, wherein the remaining autonomous driving time indicates a time for which the vehicle guiding device (100) can autonomously guide the vehicle (1),

wherein the evaluation device (110) calculates a reaction time (Ti) of the driver (2) on the basis of the evaluated condition of the driver (2), wherein the reaction time (Ti) indicates a time that the driver (2) requires at most to take over control of the vehicle (1) from the vehicle guiding device (100) when the vehicle guiding device (100) is in the activated state, and

wherein the control device (120) activates or deactivates the vehicle guiding device (100) on the basis of the remaining autonomous driving time and the reaction time (Ti) of the driver (2),

the arrangement (10) controlling autonomous driving of the vehicle (1).