Interactive automated driving system

• US 9,454,150 B2
• Filed: 07/17/2013
• Issued: 09/27/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/17/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America Incorporated (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Uehara, Yasuo
• Primary Examiner(s): Shaawat, Mussa A
• Assistant Examiner(s): JHA, ABDHESH K
• Application Number:
  US13/944,805
• Publication Number:
  US 20150025731A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,168 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/0005 Processor details or data handling, e.g. memory registers or chip architecture
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/0083 Setting, resetting, calibration
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/0094 of control units
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/0095 Automatic control mode change
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/043 Identity of occupants
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/215 Selection or confirmation of options
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/082 Selecting or switching between different modes of propelling
• 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: 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

Abstract

A system, device, and methods of interactive automated driving are disclosed. One example method includes receiving a current value from one or more sensors disposed on a vehicle and determining a current vehicle state based on the current value. The method also includes generating a target vehicle state based on the current vehicle state and including a range of target values and generating a desired vehicle state. The desired vehicle state includes a desired value based on one or more driver inputs received at one or more vehicle interfaces. If the desired value falls inside the range of target values, the method also includes sending a command to one or more vehicle systems to change the vehicle state from the target vehicle state to the desired vehicle state.

Claims

1. An interactive automated driving system, comprising:

one or more sensors disposed on a vehicle; and

a computing device in communication with the one or more sensors, comprising;

one or more processors for controlling the operations of the computing device; and

a memory for storing data and program instructions used by the one or more processors, wherein the one or more processors are configured to execute instructions stored in the memory to;

determine a current vehicle state based on a current value captured by the one or more sensors wherein the current vehicle state includes one of parking, turning, lane keeping, lane changing, cruising, accelerating, decelerating, and start-and-stop traffic;

generate a range of target values associated with operation of the vehicle in the current vehicle state wherein the target values include one of times, accelerations, decelerations, velocities, and distances;

receive, from a driver of the vehicle at one or more vehicle interfaces, one or more driver inputs during operation of the vehicle in the current vehicle state, the one or more driver inputs being related to a control of one or more vehicle systems;

generate a desired value based on the one or more driver inputs, the desired value representing a change to be made to the one or more vehicle systems as desired by the driver;

if the desired value falls inside the range of target values for the current vehicle state, send a command to the one or more vehicle systems to change an operation of the one or more vehicle systems based on the desired value; and

if the desired value falls outside the range of target values for the current vehicle state, either send a command to the one or more vehicle systems to maintain the current vehicle state, or ignore the one or more driver inputs received at the one or more vehicle interfaces.

2. The interactive automated driving system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to:

if the one or more driver inputs satisfy a predetermined condition, modify the range of target values to reflect the desired value.

3. The interactive automated driving system of claim 2, wherein the predetermined condition is that one of the driver inputs received at one of the vehicle interfaces includes a command to update the range of target values to reflect the desired value.

4. The interactive automated driving system of claim 2, wherein the predetermined condition is that one of the driver inputs has been received more than a predetermined number of times within a predetermined time period.

5. The interactive automated driving system of claim 2, wherein the predetermined condition is that one of the driver inputs lasts for a predetermined time period.

6. The interactive automated driving system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to:

if the desired value falls outside the range of target values, capture and record data related to the one or more driver inputs generating the desired value in the memory.

7. The interactive automated driving system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to:

if the desired value falls outside the range of target values, generate an error message and send the error message to at least one vehicle interface.

8. The interactive automated driving system of claim 7, wherein the error message includes a command configured to send at least one of an audible alert, tactile alert, and visual alert to the driver.

9. The interactive automated driving system of claim 1, wherein the range of target values is based on vehicle design constraints.

10. The interactive automated driving system of claim 1, wherein the range of target values is based on classification of the driver of the vehicle.

11. The interactive automated driving system of claim 10, wherein the classification of the driver includes at least one of verified identification, age, license restriction, and authorization for vehicle operation.

12. The interactive automated driving system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to:

send a command to one or more vehicle systems to provide information to the driver monitoring the desired value and the target values.

13. The interactive automated driving system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to:

if the current value falls outside the range of target values, send a command to one or more vehicle systems to change operation of the vehicle to be within the range of target values.

14. A computer-implemented method of interactive automated driving, comprising:

receiving, from one or more sensors disposed on a vehicle, a current value;

determining a current vehicle state based on the current value wherein the current vehicle state includes one of parking, turning, lane keeping, lane changing, cruising, accelerating, decelerating, and start-and-stop traffic;

generating a range of target values associated with operation of the vehicle in the current vehicle state wherein the target values include one of times, accelerations, decelerations, velocities, and distances;

receiving, from a driver of the vehicle at one or more vehicle interfaces, one or more driver inputs during operation of the vehicle in the current vehicle state, the one or more driver inputs being related to a control of one or more vehicle systems;

generating a desired value based on the one or more driver inputs, the desired value representing a change to be made to the one or more vehicle systems as desired by the driver;

if the desired value falls inside the range of target values for the current vehicle state, sending a command to the one or more vehicle systems to change an operation of the one or more vehicle systems based on the desired value; and

if the desired value falls outside the range of target values for the current vehicle state, either send a command to the one or more vehicle systems to maintain the current vehicle state, or ignore the one or more driver inputs received at the one or more vehicle interfaces.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

if the one or more driver inputs satisfy a predetermined condition, modifying the range of target values to reflect the desired value.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

if the desired value falls outside the range of target values, generating an error message and sending the error message to at least one vehicle interface.

17. A computing device, comprising:

one or more processors for controlling the operations of the computing device; and

a memory for storing data and program instructions used by the one or more processors, wherein the one or more processors are configured to execute instructions stored in the memory to;

receive, from one or more sensors disposed on a vehicle, a current value;

determine a current vehicle state based on the current value wherein the current vehicle state includes one of parking, turning, lane keeping, lane changing, cruising, accelerating, decelerating, and start-and-stop traffic;

generate a range of target values associated with operation of the vehicle in the current vehicle state wherein the target values include one of times, accelerations, decelerations, velocities, and distances;

receive, from a driver of the vehicle at one or more vehicle interfaces, one or more driver inputs during operation of the vehicle in the current vehicle state, the one or more driver inputs being related to a control of one or more vehicle systems;

generate a desired value based on the one or more driver inputs, the desired value representing a change to be made to the one or more vehicle systems as desired by the driver;

if the desired value falls inside the range of target values for the current vehicle state, send a command to the one or more vehicle systems to change an operation of the one or more vehicle systems based on the desired value; and

if the desired value falls outside the range of target values for the current vehicle state, either send a command to the one or more vehicle systems to maintain the current vehicle state, or ignore the one or more driver inputs received at the one or more vehicle interfaces.

18. The computing device of claim 17, wherein the processor is further configured to:

if the one or more driver inputs satisfy a predetermined condition, modify the range of target values to reflect the desired value.