Selectable autonomous driving modes

• US 9,365,218 B2
• Filed: 07/14/2014
• Issued: 06/14/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/14/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Pallett, Tobias John, Doering, Jeffrey Allen, Tsakiris, Anthony David, Post, Kyle Richard
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas G
• Assistant Examiner(s): PAIGE, TYLER D
• Application Number:
  US14/330,251
• Publication Number:
  US 20160009291A1
• Time in Patent Office: 701 Days
• Field of Search: 701/23, 701/93
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/80 Circuits; Control arrangements for dashboards B60Q3/16; for mass transit vehicles B60Q3/47
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/182 Selecting between different operative modes, e.g. comfort and performance modes
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/082 Selecting or switching between different modes of propelling
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/085 Changing the parameters of the control units, e.g. changing limit values, working points by control input
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3469 Fuel consumption; Energy use; Emission aspects
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0217 in accordance with energy consumption, time reduction or distance reduction criteria

Abstract

A vehicle system includes a user interface device and an autonomous mode controller. The user interface device receives a user input representing a driving mode selection. The autonomous mode controller commands one or more vehicle subsystems to operate in accordance with characteristics associated with the driving mode selection. Examples of characteristics can include how aggressively the vehicle accelerates or decelerates, a minimum distance from the vehicle to a front vehicle, or how frequently the vehicle changes lanes, among others.

Claims

1. A vehicle system comprising:

a user interface device configured to present a plurality of driving modes and receive a user input representing a driving mode selection from among the plurality of driving modes, wherein each driving mode defines at least one predefined characteristic associated with autonomous control of a vehicle; and

an autonomous mode controller configured to command at least one vehicle subsystem to operate in accordance with the predefined characteristics associated with the driving mode selection to autonomously control the vehicle,

wherein the characteristics include at least one of a minimum distance from the vehicle to a front vehicle, how aggressively the vehicle changes lanes, and how abruptly the vehicle is steered.

2. The vehicle system of claim 1, wherein the user interface device is configured to present information in accordance with a personality associated with the driving mode selection.

3. The vehicle system of claim 2, wherein the user interface device is configured to present audible information with a voice associated with the driving mode selection.

4. The vehicle system of claim 2, wherein the user interface device is configured to adopt a color scheme associated with the selected driving mode.

5. The vehicle system of claim 2, wherein each selectable driving mode is associated with at least one of an interior lighting and color scheme.

6. The vehicle system of claim 1, wherein the autonomous mode controller is configured to receive the driving mode selection from the user interface device.

7. The vehicle system of claim 1, wherein the characteristics include how aggressively the vehicle accelerates and decelerates.

17. The vehicle system of claim 1, wherein the predefined characteristics are exclusive of learned driver behavior.

8. A vehicle system comprising:

a user interface device configured to present a plurality of driving modes and receive a user input representing a driving mode selection of among the plurality of driving modes, wherein each driving mode defines at least one predefined characteristic associated with autonomous control of a vehicle;

at least one autonomous driving sensor configured to output signals associated with autonomously controlling the vehicle; and

an autonomous mode controller configured to command at least one vehicle subsystem to operate in accordance with predefined characteristics associated with the driving mode selection and the signals output by the autonomous driving sensor,

wherein the characteristics include at least one of a minimum distance from the vehicle to a front vehicle, how aggressively the vehicle changes lanes, and how abruptly the vehicle is steered.

9. The vehicle system of claim 8, wherein the user interface device is configured to present information in accordance with a personality associated with the driving mode selection.

10. The vehicle system of claim 9, wherein the user interface device is configured to present audible information with a voice associated with the driving mode selection.

11. The vehicle system of claim 9, wherein the user interface device is configured to adopt a color scheme associated with the selected driving mode.

12. The vehicle system of claim 8, wherein the characteristics include how aggressively the vehicle accelerates and decelerates.

13. The vehicle system of claim 8, wherein each selectable driving mode is associated with at least one of an interior lighting and color scheme.

14. A method of autonomously controlling a vehicle, the method comprising:

presenting a plurality of driving modes via a user interface device, each driving mode defining at least one predefined characteristic associated with autonomously controlling the vehicle;

receiving a selection of a driving mode; and

commanding at least one vehicle subsystem to operate in accordance with the predefined characteristics associated with how the vehicle navigates through traffic while in the selected driving mode,

wherein the characteristics include at least one of;

how aggressively the vehicle accelerates or decelerates;

how abruptly the vehicle is steered;

a minimum distance from the vehicle to a front vehicle; and

how frequently the vehicle changes lanes.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein commanding the vehicle subsystem includes commanding the user interface device to present audible information with a voice associated with the driving mode selection.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein commanding the vehicle subsystem includes commanding the user interface device to adopt a color scheme associated with the selected driving mode.