Removable manual controls for an autonomous vehicle

• US 9,802,638 B1
• Filed: 03/31/2016
• Issued: 10/31/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/19/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Waymo LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Waymo LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Stoffel, Christopher John, Cullinane, Brian Douglas, Fairfield, Nathaniel, Khaykin, Alex, Torcellini, Brian
• Primary Examiner(s): Freedman, Laura
• Application Number:
  US15/087,118
• Time in Patent Office: 579 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 1/00 Steering controls, i.e. means for initiating a change of direction of the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 1/22 Alternative steering-control elements, e.g. for teaching purposes
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 1/26 mechanical, e.g. by a non-load-bearing guide railways B61
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0088 characterized by the autonomous decision making process, e.g. artificial intelligence, predefined behaviours using knowledge based models G06N5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05G 1/34 Double foot controls, e.g. for instruction vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G05G 1/36 Mounting units comprising an assembly of two or more pedals, e.g. for facilitating mounting

Abstract

Aspects of the present disclosure relate to a vehicle for maneuvering a passenger to a destination autonomously. The vehicle includes a computing system and a set of user input buttons for communicating requests to stop the vehicle and to initiate a trip to the destination with the computing system The vehicle has no steering wheel and no user inputs for the steering, acceleration, and deceleration of the vehicle other than the set of user input buttons. In order to safely test the vehicle, a removable manual control system may be used. The system may include a housing having an electronic connection to a computing system of the vehicle. The housing includes a steering input configured to allow a passenger to control the direction of the vehicle. The system also includes one or more computing devices configured to receive input from the steering input and send instructions the computing system.

Claims

1. A removable manual control system for testing an autonomous vehicle having an autonomous driving mode, the system comprising:

a removable housing configured to be mounted proximate to one or more passenger seats in the vehicle, the removable housing having an electronic connection to a computer system of the vehicle, and the removable housing has at least one emergency stopping button redundant to an emergency stopping button of the vehicle;

a steering input mounted in the removable housing at an orientation proximate to a horizontal plane, the steering input being configured to allow a passenger to control a direction of movement of the vehicle in manual driving mode; and

one or more computing devices having one or more processors configured to receive input from the steering input and send corresponding instructions to the computer system of the vehicle.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the removable housing is positioned on a base structure that connects to a floor of the vehicle by a set of removable fasteners.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the removable housing is movable relative to the base structure in a horizontal direction and also a vertical direction.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the removable housing is configured to rest above the emergency stopping button of the vehicle.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the removable housing further includes a screen for displaying information to the passenger.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising a removable pedal assembly configured to allow the passenger to control a speed of the vehicle.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the removable pedal assembly is configured to connect to an interior of the vehicle by a set of removable fasteners.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising a hand held wand configured to allow the passenger to control turn signals of the vehicle.

9. The system of claim 1, further comprising a hand held wand configured to allow the passenger to activate the manual driving mode.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the hand held wand is further configured to allow the passenger to activate the autonomous driving mode.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the steering input is a steering wheel having a protrusion that allows the passenger to manipulate a position of the steering wheel.

12. An autonomous vehicle having an autonomous driving mode, the vehicle comprising:

no permanent steering wheel and no user inputs for steering, acceleration, and deceleration of the vehicle other than a set of user input buttons including an emergency stopping button to control a stopping function of the autonomous vehicle in the autonomous driving mode; and

a removable manual control system for testing the autonomous vehicle, the removable manual control system having steering, acceleration, and braking inputs as well as at least one emergency stopping button redundant to the emergency stopping button of the set of user input buttons.

13. The vehicle of claim 12, further comprising one or more seats, wherein the removable manual control system includes a housing for the steering input and the housing is placed proximate to the one or more seats.

14. The vehicle of claim 13, wherein the housing is positioned on a base structure that connects to a floor of the vehicle by a set of removable fasteners.

15. The vehicle of claim 14, wherein the housing is movable relative to the base structure in a horizontal direction and also a vertical direction.

16. The vehicle of claim 13, wherein the housing is configured to rest above the emergency stopping button of the set of user input buttons.

17. The vehicle of claim 12, wherein the removable manual control system further includes a removable pedal assembly in which the acceleration and braking inputs are mounted.

18. The vehicle of claim 17, wherein the removable pedal assembly is configured to connect to an interior of vehicle by a set of removable fasteners.

19. The vehicle of claim 12, wherein the set of user input buttons further includes a button for initiating the autonomous driving mode.

20. A system comprising:

an autonomous vehicle having an autonomous driving mode; and

a removable manual control system for testing the vehicle, the removable manual control system comprising;

a removable housing configured to be mounted proximate to one or more passenger seats in the vehicle, the removable housing having an electronic connection to a computer system of the vehicle, and the removable housing has at least one emergency stopping button redundant to an emergency stopping button of the vehicle;

a steering input mounted in the removable housing at an orientation proximate to a horizontal plane, the steering input being configured to allow a passenger to control a direction of movement of the vehicle in manual driving mode; and

one or more computing devices having one or more processors configured to receive input from the steering input and send corresponding instructions to the computer system of the vehicle.