Cognitive driver assist with variable warning for automated vehicles

• US 9,493,118 B1
• Filed: 06/24/2015
• Issued: 11/15/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/24/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aptiv Technologies AG (Aptiv PLC)
• Original Assignee: Delphi Technologies, Inc. (BorgWarner Incorporated)
• Inventors: Lambermont, Serge, Laur, Michael H., Absmeier, John P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bugg, George
• Assistant Examiner(s): Akki, Munear
• Application Number:
  US14/748,522
• Time in Patent Office: 510 Days
• Field of Search: 340/901, 340/605, 340/988, 340/995, 340/436, 701/41, 701/301, 701/213, 701/469
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 28/066 actuating a signalling device B60K28/063 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 9/008 for anti-collision purposes
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/143 Alarm means
• 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 2540/22 Psychological state; Stress level or workload
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/225 Direction of gaze
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/229 Attention level, e.g. attentive to driving, reading or sleeping
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/30 Driving style
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/00 Input parameters relating to objects
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/20 Static objects
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/4029 Pedestrians
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/80 Spatial relation or speed relative to objects
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2555/60 Traffic rules, e.g. speed limits or right of way
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/65 Data transmitted between vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/0953 the prediction being responsive to vehicle dynamic parameters
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/0956 the prediction being responsive to traffic or environmental parameters
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18163 Lane change; Overtaking manoeuvres
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/09 Driving style or behaviour
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/12 Limiting control by the driver depending on vehicle state, e.g. interlocking means for the control input for preventing unsafe operation
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/16 : Tactile feedback to the driver, e.g. vibration or force feedback to the driver on the steering wheel or the accelerator pedal
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/166 : for active traffic, e.g. moving vehicles, pedestrians, bikes
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/167 : Driving aids for lane monitoring, lane changing, e.g. blind spot detection

Abstract

A cognitive-driver-assist system includes an object-detection device, an operator-detection device, and a controller. The object-detection device is operable to detect when an object is proximate to a host-vehicle. The operator-detection device is operable to determine when an operator of the host-vehicle is aware of the object. The controller is configured to output a warning-signal for the operator of the host-vehicle when the object-detection device detects the object. The warning-signal is characterized by a warning-intensity that is variable. The controller is configured to increase the warning-intensity when the operator is not aware of the object.

Claims

1. A cognitive-driver-assist system, said system comprising:

an object-detection device operable to detect when an object is proximate to a host-vehicle;

an operator-detection device operable to determine when an operator of the host-vehicle is aware of the object; and

a controller configured to output a warning-signal for the operator of the host-vehicle when the object-detection device detects the object, said warning-signal characterized by a warning-intensity that is variable, wherein the controller is configured to increase the warning-intensity when the operator is not aware of the object, wherein the controller is further configured to determine an operator-behavior characteristic of the operator based on a prior-traffic-maneuver executed by the operator, and determine the warning-intensity based on the prior-traffic-maneuver and an interference-risk indicative of the probability of interference between the host-vehicle and the object, wherein the object is an other-vehicle, the operator-behavior characteristic includes a lane-change-interval based on a prior-lane-change executed by the operator, the interference-risk includes an estimate of a time-to-interference for interference between the other-vehicle with the host-vehicle, and the warning-intensity is determined by a comparison of the lane-change-interval to the time-to-interference.

2. The system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the object is an other-vehicle, the operator-behavior characteristic includes a lane-position-variation of the host-vehicle when the host-vehicle is steered by the operator, the interference-risk includes a probability-of-interference between the other-vehicle and the host-vehicle when the other-vehicle is beside the host-vehicle, and the warning-intensity is determined by a comparison of the probability-of-interference to a risk threshold.

3. The system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the object is stationary at a location in a travel-path of the host-vehicle, the controller is further configured to estimate a time-to-impact with the object by the host-vehicle, and increase the warning-intensity when the time-to-impact is less than a time-threshold and the operator is not aware of the object.

4. The system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the object is a pedestrian or animal approaching a travel-path of the host-vehicle, the controller is further configured to estimate a time-to-impact with the pedestrian or animal by the host-vehicle, and increase the warning-intensity when the time-to-impact is less than a time-threshold and the operator is not aware of the pedestrian or animal.

5. The system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the object is a traffic-signal for a travel-path of the host-vehicle, the controller is further configured to estimate a time-to-violation of the traffic-signal by the host-vehicle, and increase the warning-intensity when the time-to-violation is less than a time-threshold and the operator is not aware of the object.