Transitioning from autonomous vehicle control to driver control

• US 9,360,865 B2
• Filed: 09/20/2013
• Issued: 06/07/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Yopp, Wilford Trent
• Primary Examiner(s): Chen, Shelley
• Application Number:
  US14/032,289
• Publication Number:
  US 20150088357A1
• Time in Patent Office: 991 Days
• Field of Search: 701/29.2
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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: B62D 1/04 Hand wheels
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/00 Control of position, course, altitude or attitude of land, water, air or space vehicles, e.g. using automatic pilots drive control systems specially adapted for autonomous road vehicles B60W60/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0061 for transition from automatic pilot to manual pilot and vice versa

Abstract

Data is obtained concerning at least one attribute of a vehicle operator. The attribute is used to determine an instruction for positioning a vehicle component during autonomous operation of the vehicle. Autonomous operation of the vehicle, including positioning the vehicle component according to the instruction, is performed.

Claims

1. A system, comprising a computer, the computer comprising a processor and a memory, the memory storing programming executable by the processor to:

obtain data concerning at least one attribute of a vehicle operator;

use the attribute to determine a plurality of respective modes for positioning each of a plurality of vehicle components during autonomous travel of the vehicle, each of the modes specifying, for each of the components, whether to move the vehicle component during the autonomous travel to mimic movement of the vehicle component as if the vehicle were being manually operated or not to move the component during the autonomous travel; and

perform autonomous travel of the vehicle, including positioning the vehicle components according to the modes;

wherein

the vehicle components include at least one of a steering wheel, a brake pedal, and an accelerator pedal.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the data is at least one of data received concerning a vehicle operator, and operator input.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the computer is further configured to allow at least one second component in the vehicle to operate under manual control.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the attribute includes at least one of a driver level of experience with autonomous vehicle operation and an estimated driver age.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one attribute includes both at least one operator preference and at least one factual characteristic of the operator.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the memory further stores programming executable by the processor to:

determine whether the operator preference and the factual characteristic agree; and

in the absence of agreement, give priority to the factual characteristic over the operator preference as the determining attribute.

4. A method, comprising:

obtaining data concerning at least one attribute of a vehicle operator;

using the attribute to determine a plurality of respective modes for positioning each of a plurality of vehicle components during autonomous travel of the vehicle, each of the modes specifying, for each of the components, whether to move the vehicle component during the autonomous travel to mimic movement of the vehicle component as if the vehicle were being manually operated or not to move the component during the autonomous travel; and

performing autonomous travel of the vehicle, including positioning the vehicle components according to the modes;

wherein

the vehicle components include at least one of a steering wheel, a brake pedal, and an accelerator pedal.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the data is at least one of data received concerning a vehicle operator, and operator input.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising allowing at least one second component in the vehicle to operate under manual control.

11. The method of claim 4, wherein the attribute includes at least one of a driver level of experience with autonomous vehicle operation and an estimated driver age.

15. The method of claim 4, wherein the at least one attribute includes both at least one operator preference and at least one factual characteristic of the operator.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

determining whether the operator preference and the factual characteristic agree; and

in the absence of agreement, giving priority to the factual characteristic over the operator preference as the determining attribute.

7. A computer-readable medium having tangibly embodied thereon instructions executable by a computer processor, the instructions comprising instructions for:

obtaining data concerning at least one attribute of a vehicle operator;

using the attribute to determine a plurality of respective modes for positioning each of a plurality of vehicle components during autonomous travel of the vehicle, each of the modes specifying, for each of the components, whether to move the vehicle component during the autonomous travel to mimic movement of the vehicle component as if the vehicle were being manually operated or not to move the component during the autonomous travel; and

performing autonomous travel of the vehicle, including positioning the vehicle components according to the modes;

wherein

the vehicle components include at least one of a steering wheel, a brake pedal, and an accelerator pedal.

8. The medium of claim 7, wherein the data is at least one of data received concerning a vehicle operator, and operator input.

9. The medium of claim 7, further comprising allowing at least one second component in the vehicle to operate under manual control.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein the attribute includes at least one of a driver level of experience with autonomous vehicle operation and an estimated driver age.

17. The method of claim 7, wherein the at least one attribute includes both at least one operator preference and at least one factual characteristic of the operator.

18. The method of claim 17, the instructions further comprising instructions for:

determining whether the operator preference and the factual characteristic agree; and

in the absence of agreement, giving priority to the factual characteristic over the operator preference as the determining attribute.