Method and apparatus for providing adaptive transitioning between operational modes of an autonomous vehicle
First Claim
1. A method of operation for a land-based passenger-carrying vehicle that travels on a road network, wherein the vehicle has an automatic mode in which one or more systems control travel of the vehicle on the road network and a manual mode in which real-time input from a human operator controls travel on the road network, the method comprising:
- determining, by the one or more systems, that a transition time at which a transition occurs from the automatic mode to the manual mode while the vehicle remains moving, will occur before a complete time of one or more activities of a human operator in the vehicle;
in response to the determining, initiating, by the one or more systems, a presentation of at least one of options on a user interface to the human operator, wherein the options include slowing down a speed of travel of the vehicle without stopping the vehicle, traveling on an alternative route, and changing to a slower lane of a road upon which the vehicle travels without stopping the vehicle, and each of the options extends a period of time during which the vehicle is operated in the automatic mode beyond an earlier possible time at which the transition could occur; and
in response to a user selection of one of the options, initiating, by the one or more systems, a modification of an operation of the vehicle to execute the option.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method and apparatus for providing adaptive transitioning between operational modes of an autonomous vehicle. In one embodiment, the vehicle is a land-based passenger-carrying vehicle that travels on a road network and has an automatic mode in which one or more systems control travel of the vehicle on the road network. A system provides a modification of the operation of the vehicle to defer a transition time at which a transition occurs from the automatic mode to a manual mode to extend a period of time during which the vehicle is operated in the automatic mode beyond an earlier possible time at which the transition could occur.
21 Citations
14 Claims
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1. A method of operation for a land-based passenger-carrying vehicle that travels on a road network, wherein the vehicle has an automatic mode in which one or more systems control travel of the vehicle on the road network and a manual mode in which real-time input from a human operator controls travel on the road network, the method comprising:
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determining, by the one or more systems, that a transition time at which a transition occurs from the automatic mode to the manual mode while the vehicle remains moving, will occur before a complete time of one or more activities of a human operator in the vehicle; in response to the determining, initiating, by the one or more systems, a presentation of at least one of options on a user interface to the human operator, wherein the options include slowing down a speed of travel of the vehicle without stopping the vehicle, traveling on an alternative route, and changing to a slower lane of a road upon which the vehicle travels without stopping the vehicle, and each of the options extends a period of time during which the vehicle is operated in the automatic mode beyond an earlier possible time at which the transition could occur; and in response to a user selection of one of the options, initiating, by the one or more systems, a modification of an operation of the vehicle to execute the option. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. An apparatus for operation of a land-based passenger-carrying vehicle that travels on a road network, wherein the vehicle has an automatic mode in which one or more systems control travel of the vehicle on the road network and a manual mode in which real-time input from a human operator controls travel on the road network, the apparatus comprising:
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at least one processor; and at least one memory including computer program code for one or more programs, the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus embedded in the one or more systems to; determine that a transition time at which a transition occurs from the automatic mode to the manual mode while the vehicle remains moving, will occur before a complete time of one or more activities of a human operator in the vehicle; in response to the determining, initiate a presentation of at least one of options on a user interface to the human operator, wherein the options include slowing down a speed of travel of the vehicle without stopping the vehicle, traveling on an alternative route, and changing to a slower lane of a road upon which the vehicle travels without stopping the vehicle, and each of the options extends a period of time during which the vehicle is operated in the automatic mode beyond an earlier possible time at which the transition could occur; and in response to a user selection of one of the options, initiate a modification of an operation of the vehicle to execute the option. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12)
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13. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium for operation of a land-based passenger-carrying vehicle that travels on a road network, wherein the vehicle has an automatic mode in which one or more systems control travel of the vehicle on the road network and a manual mode in which real-time input from a human operator controls travel on the road network, the computer-readable storage medium carrying one or more sequences of one or more instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause an apparatus embedded in the one or more systems to at least perform the following steps:
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determining that a transition time at which a transition occurs from the automatic mode to the manual mode while the vehicle remains moving, will occur before a complete time of one or more activities of a human operator in the vehicle; in response to the determining, initiating a presentation of at least one of options on a user interface to the human operator, wherein the options include slowing down a speed of travel of the vehicle without stopping the vehicle, traveling on an alternative route, and changing to a slower lane of a road upon which the vehicle travels without stopping the vehicle, and each of the options extends a period of time during which the vehicle is operated in the automatic mode beyond an earlier possible time at which the transition could occur; and in response to a user selection of one of the options, initiating a modification of an operation of the vehicle to execute the option. - View Dependent Claims (14)
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Specification