External indicators and notifications for vehicles with autonomous capabilities

• US 9,809,158 B2
• Filed: 09/29/2015
• Issued: 11/07/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America Incorporated (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America Incorporated (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Geller, Benjamin M.
• Primary Examiner(s): WILSON, BRIAN P
• Application Number:
  US14/869,716
• Publication Number:
  US 20170088038A1
• Time in Patent Office: 770 Days
• Field of Search: 340438, 340457, 340463, 340468
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/5037 the display content changing automatically, e.g. depending on traffic situation
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/507 specific to autonomous vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/543 for indicating other states or conditions of the vehicle indicating taxis' state of hire or fare G07B13/045
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0962 having an indicator mounted inside the vehicle, e.g. giving voice messages
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096716 where the received information does not generate an automatic action on the vehicle control
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096791 where the origin of the information is another vehicle

Abstract

A method for notifying a third party or a third party device (e.g., a mobile phone or a second vehicle) as to whether a first vehicle is operating in an autonomous mode or a semi-autonomous mode. The method includes receiving, at a first electronic control unit, notification information including whether the first vehicle is operating in the autonomous mode or the semi-autonomous mode and a description of or details about the first vehicle and transmitting from a transmitter of the first vehicle to a receiver of the third party device, the notification information. The method also includes displaying, using a display screen of the third party device, the notification information including whether the first vehicle is operating in the autonomous mode or the semi-autonomous mode and the description of or the details about the first vehicle.

Claims

1. A method for notifying a user outside of a vehicle as to whether the vehicle is operating in an autonomous mode or a semi-autonomous mode, the method comprising:

activating, using a processor of the vehicle, an external indicator of the vehicle when the vehicle is operating in the autonomous mode or the semi-autonomous mode;

determining, by the processor of the vehicle, notification information including whether the vehicle is operating in the autonomous mode or the semi-autonomous mode, an identification of at least one active or inactive feature of the autonomous mode or the semi-autonomous mode, whether the external indicator of the vehicle is activated, and a description of or details about the vehicle;

transmitting the notification information from a transmitter coupled to the processor to a receiver of a remote device, the remote device being a cell phone, a smartphone or a tablet device; and

displaying, using a display screen of the remote device, the notification information including whether the vehicle is operating in the autonomous mode or the semi-autonomous mode, the identification of the at least one active or inactive feature of the autonomous mode or the semi-autonomous mode, whether the external indicator of the vehicle is activated, and the description of or the details about the vehicle, the description of or the details about the vehicle including a make, a model, a year, a color, a type of vehicle, a license plate number or a photo of the vehicle, such that the user is able to identify and locate the vehicle based on the description of or the details about the vehicle.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the notification information further includes a location of the vehicle.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the external indicator is positioned on an external portion or surface of the vehicle.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the external indicator is a LED light that when illuminated indicates the autonomous mode or the semi-autonomous mode.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising a vehicle display screen coupled to the processor, the vehicle display screen allowing a user in the vehicle to manually or automatically set the autonomous mode or the semi-autonomous mode.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the processor automatically activates the external indicator of the vehicle when the vehicle is operating in the autonomous mode or the semi-autonomous mode.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the processor prevents a user in the vehicle from activating the external indicator of the vehicle when the vehicle is not operating in the autonomous mode or the semi-autonomous mode.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiver of the remote device determines a direction of the notification information and provides the direction to the display screen of the remote device for display.

9. A method for notifying a second vehicle as to whether a first vehicle is operating in an autonomous mode or a semi-autonomous mode, the method comprising:

receiving, at an electronic control unit of the first vehicle, notification information including whether the first vehicle is operating in the autonomous mode or the semi-autonomous mode, an identification of at least one inactive feature of the autonomous mode or the semi-autonomous mode, and a description of or details about the first vehicle;

transmitting the notification information from a transmitter of the first vehicle to a receiver of the second vehicle; and

displaying, using a display screen of a mobile computing device in the second vehicle, the notification information including whether the first vehicle is operating in the autonomous mode or the semi-autonomous mode, the identification of the at least one active or inactive feature of the autonomous mode or the semi-autonomous mode, and the description of or the details about the first vehicle, the description of or the details about the first vehicle including a make, a model, a year, a color, a type of vehicle, a license plate number or a photo of the first vehicle, such that a user in the second vehicle is able to identify and locate the first vehicle based on the description of or the details about the first vehicle.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising activating, using the electronic control unit, an external indicator when the first vehicle is operating in the autonomous mode or the semi-autonomous mode.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the external indicator is positioned on an external portion or surface of the first vehicle.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the external indicator is a LED light that when illuminated indicates the autonomous mode or the semi-autonomous mode.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the electronic control unit automatically activates the external indicator of the first vehicle when the first vehicle is operating in the autonomous mode or the semi-autonomous mode.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the electronic control unit prevents a user in the first vehicle from activating the external indicator of the first vehicle when the first vehicle is not operating in the autonomous mode or the semi-autonomous mode.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the notification information further includes whether the external indicator of the first vehicle is on or off.

16. The method of claim 9, further comprising a vehicle display screen coupled to the electronic control unit, the vehicle display screen allowing a user in the first vehicle to manually or automatically set the autonomous mode or the semi-autonomous mode.

17. The method of claim 9, wherein the receiver of the second vehicle determines a direction of the notification information or the first vehicle and provides the direction to the display screen of the mobile computing device in the second vehicle for display.