Vehicle, vehicle system and method for increasing safety and/or comfort during autonomous driving

• US 9,469,307 B2
• Filed: 03/11/2015
• Issued: 10/18/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Volvo Car Corporation (AB Volvo)
• Original Assignee: Volvo Car Corporation (AB Volvo)
• Inventors: Solyom, Stefan, Coelingh, Erik, Brannstrom, Mattias Erik
• Primary Examiner(s): Antonucci, Anne M
• Application Number:
  US14/644,559
• Publication Number:
  US 20150266489A1
• Time in Patent Office: 587 Days
• Field of Search: 701/23
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/04 including control of propulsion units
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/18 including control of braking systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/20 including control of steering systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/0215 Sensor drifts or sensor failures
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2420/403 Image sensing, e.g. optical camera
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2420/408 Radar; Laser, e.g. lidar
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2420/54 Audio sensitive means, e.g. ultrasound
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2555/20 Ambient conditions, e.g. wind or rain
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/45 External transmission of data to or from the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/0205 Diagnosing or detecting failures; Failure detection models
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/029 Adapting to failures or work around with other constraints, e.g. circumvention by avoiding use of failed parts
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/14 Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention

Abstract

A vehicle, vehicle system and method for increasing at least one of safety and comfort during autonomous driving is provided. The vehicle system includes an autonomous drive arrangement with multiple sensors, and a vehicle control arrangement. The vehicle system is configured to determine an estimated probability that at least one sensor will become unavailable, or an estimated time/distance ahead until at least one sensor is determined to become unavailable. The vehicle system is further configured to activate at least one countermeasure based on at least one of the estimated probability, the estimated time and the estimated distance.

Claims

1. A vehicle system configured to increase at least one of safety and comfort during autonomous driving of a host vehicle, the vehicle system comprising:

an autonomous drive arrangement comprising

a plurality of sensors configured to monitor at least one of a vehicle surrounding and a vehicle communication system status,

a processing unit, and

a control arrangement configured to control steering and velocity of the host vehicle based on information received from the sensors;

wherein the vehicle system is configured to determine, by the processing unit, at least one of an estimated probability that at least one sensor will become unavailable, and an estimated time or distance ahead until at least one sensor is determined to become unavailable, the determination being based on a detected host vehicle condition or a detected host vehicle surrounding condition, by at least one of the plurality of sensors;

wherein the vehicle system further is configured to activate, by the autonomous drive arrangement, at least one first countermeasure based on at least one of the estimated probability, the estimated time and the estimated distance.

2. The vehicle system according to claim 1 wherein a sensor is determined to be unavailable if a sensor performance level is below a threshold sensor performance level, and in that at least one first countermeasure is activated only if the sensor is determined to be unavailable for a duration of time that exceeds a threshold duration of time.

3. The vehicle system according to claim 1 wherein the autonomous drive arrangement is configured to activate at least one second countermeasure based on at least one of the estimated probability, the estimated time and the estimated distance.

4. The vehicle system according to claim 1 wherein the activation of at least one countermeasure is based on a detected host vehicle surrounding condition, detected by at least one of the plurality of sensors, in a form of sun-light negatively affecting a vehicle camera sensor.

5. The vehicle system according to claim 1 wherein the vehicle system is configured to activate, by the autonomous drive arrangement, at least one first countermeasure if the estimated probability that at least one sensor will become unavailable exceeds a threshold probability or if the estimated time or distance ahead until at least one sensor is determined to become unavailable is below a threshold level.

6. The vehicle system according to claim 1 wherein the activation of at least one countermeasure is based on a detected host vehicle surrounding condition, detected by at least one of the plurality of sensors, in a form of a weather condition negatively affecting at least one of a camera sensor, a radar sensor and a lidar sensor.

7. The vehicle system according to claim 1 further comprising a communication system configured for communication between the host vehicle and external communication arrangements, wherein the host vehicle is configured to receive data relating to host vehicle surrounding conditions from the external communication arrangements.

8. The vehicle system according to claim 7 wherein the activation of at least one countermeasure is based on a detected decreased communication capacity, detected by at least one of the plurality of sensors, between the host vehicle and at least one external communication arrangement.

9. The vehicle system according to claim 7 wherein the activation of at least one countermeasure is based on a host vehicle surrounding condition information indicative of a communication capacity in a predefined geographical area.

10. The vehicle system according to claim 1 wherein the vehicle system is configured to activate one or more countermeasures, selected from a host vehicle operator alert indicative of an upcoming reduced autonomous driving capacity, a disablement of one or more autonomous drive functions, an increase of safety distance to at least one object in the vehicle surrounding, a change of vehicle velocity, a stop of the host vehicle, activation of dead reckoning.

11. A vehicle comprising:

a vehicle system configured to increase at least one of safety and comfort during autonomous driving of a host vehicle, the vehicle system including an autonomous drive arrangement having a plurality of sensors configured to monitor least one of a vehicle surrounding and a communication system status, a processing unit, and a control arrangement configured to control steering and velocity of the host vehicle based on information received from the sensors;

wherein the vehicle system is configured to determine, by the processing units, at least one of an estimated probability that at least one sensor will become unavailable, and an estimated time or distance ahead until at least one sensor is determined to become unavailable, the determination being based one detected host vehicle condition or a detected host vehicle surrounding condition, by at least one of the plurality of sensors;

wherein the vehicle system further is configured to activate, by the autonomous drive arrangement, at least one first countermeasure based on at least one of the estimated probability, the estimated time and estimated distance.

12. A method for increasing at least one of safety and comfort during autonomous driving of a host vehicle including a vehicle system, the vehicle system comprising an autonomous drive arrangement comprising a plurality of sensors configured to monitor at least one of a vehicle surrounding and a vehicle communication system status, a processing unit, and a control arrangement configured to control steering and velocity of the host vehicle based on information received from the sensors, the method comprising:

determining, by the processing unit, at least one of the estimated probability that at least one sensor will become unavailable and the estimated time or distance ahead until at least one sensor is determined to become unavailable, the determination being based on a detected host vehicle condition or a detected host vehicle surrounding condition, detected by at least one of the plurality of sensors;

activating, by the autonomous drive arrangement, at least one first countermeasure based on at least one of the estimated probability, the estimated time and the estimated distance.