Autonomous vehicle

• US 10,744,967 B2
• Filed: 09/29/2017
• Issued: 08/18/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Lee, Jinkyo, Kim, Ilho
• Primary Examiner(s): Lonsberry, Hunter B
• Assistant Examiner(s): Martinez Borrero, Luis A
• Application Number:
  US15/720,468
• Publication Number:
  US 20180093631A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,054 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00357 Air-conditioning arrangements specially adapted for particular vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00742 by detection of the vehicle occupants' presence; by detection of conditions relating to the body of occupants, e.g. using radiant heat detectors
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01512 Passenger detection systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01538 for image processing, e.g. cameras or sensor arrays
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01552 detecting position of specific human body parts, e.g. face, eyes or hands
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2040/0881 Seat occupation; Driver or passenger presence
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/007 Switching between manual and automatic parameter input, and vice versa
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/0095 Automatic control mode change
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/21 Voice
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/221 Physiology, e.g. weight, heartbeat, health or special needs
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/223 Posture, e.g. hand, foot, or seat position, turned or inclined
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/225 Direction of gaze
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/227 Position in the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/229 Attention level, e.g. attentive to driving, reading or sleeping
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/05 Type of road, e.g. motorways, local streets, paved or unpaved roads
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/50 Barriers
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/20 Static objects
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/4026 Cycles
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/4029 Pedestrians
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/4041 Position
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/802 : Longitudinal distance
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/804 : Relative longitudinal speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/24 : Energy storage means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/025 : related to comfort of drivers or passengers
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/06 : Automatic manoeuvring for parking
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/085 : Taking automatic action to adjust vehicle attitude in preparation for collision, e.g. braking for nose dropping
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/095 : Predicting travel path or likelihood of collision
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/08 : related to drivers or passengers
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/082 : Selecting or switching between different modes of propelling
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 60/0013 : specially adapted for occupant comfort
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 60/0023 : in response to energy consumption
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 60/0053 : from vehicle to occupant
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 60/0059 : Estimation of the risk associated with autonomous or manual driving, e.g. situation too complex, sensor failure or driver incapacity
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/56 : exterior to a vehicle by using sensors mounted on the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/58 : Recognition of moving objects or obstacles, e.g. vehicles or pedestrians; Recognition of traffic objects, e.g. traffic signs, traffic lights or roads
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/593 : Recognising seat occupancy
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/597 : Recognising the driver's state or behaviour, e.g. attention or drowsiness
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/166 : for active traffic, e.g. moving vehicles, pedestrians, bikes

Abstract

A vehicle that operates in an autonomous driving mode and includes: an occupant sensing unit that is configured to sense an occupant inside the vehicle; and at least one processor configured to: determine, through the occupant sensing unit, whether the vehicle is occupied; and in a state in which the vehicle operates in the autonomous driving mode, control one or more in-vehicle devices based on a determination of whether the vehicle is occupied.

Claims

1. A vehicle that operates in an autonomous driving mode, the vehicle comprising:

a sensor that is configured to sense an occupant inside the vehicle; and

at least one processor configured to;

determine, through the sensor, whether the vehicle is occupied,

in a state in which the vehicle operates in the autonomous driving mode, control one or more in-vehicle devices based on a determination of whether the vehicle is occupied,

control a speed variation per unit time during an accelerating operation or a decelerating operation of the vehicle based on the determination of whether the vehicle is occupied,

in a state in which the vehicle is occupied, control the speed variation per unit time to a first speed variation per unit time of the accelerating operation or the decelerating operation, the first speed variation per unit time being less than a second speed variation per unit time of the accelerating operation or the decelerating operation in a state in which the vehicle is unoccupied,

based on the determination of whether the vehicle is occupied, control a timing of the decelerating operation according to each of the autonomous driving mode and an automatic parking mode of the vehicle,

control the timing of the decelerating operation to a first timing in a state in which the vehicle is in the automatic parking mode and is occupied,

control the timing of the decelerating operation to a second timing in a state in which the vehicle is in the automatic parking mode and is unoccupied, the first timing being earlier than the second timing,

control the timing of the decelerating operation to a third timing in a state in which the vehicle operates in the autonomous driving mode and is occupied, and

control the timing of the decelerating operation to a fourth timing in a state in which the vehicle operates in the autonomous driving mode and is unoccupied, the third timing being later than the fourth timing.

2. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is configured to:

based on a determination that the vehicle is in an unmanned driving state in which the vehicle operates in the autonomous driving mode and the vehicle is not occupied, operate the one or more in-vehicle devices according to the unmanned driving state.

3. The vehicle of claim 2, wherein the at least one processor is configured to:

based on the vehicle being in the unmanned driving state, control the one or more in-vehicle devices to perform at least one of a fuel efficiency task, a safe driving task, or a driving performance task.

4. The vehicle of claim 3, wherein the at least one processor is configured to:

based on the vehicle being in the unmanned driving state, deactivate at least one in-vehicle device among the one or more in-vehicle devices based on a determination of whether the vehicle is occupied, the at least one in-vehicle device comprising at least one of;

a user interface apparatus, a driving manipulation apparatus, a safety apparatus drive unit, a lamp drive unit, an air-conditioner drive unit, a wiper drive unit, a side mirror drive unit, or an electronic control suspension,

wherein the at least one processor is configured to;

perform the fuel efficiency task by deactivating at least one of the user interface apparatus, the driving manipulation apparatus, the lamp drive unit, the air-conditioner drive unit, the wiper drive unit, the side mirror drive unit, or the electronic control suspension; and

perform the safe driving task by deactivating the safety apparatus drive unit.

5. The vehicle of claim 3, wherein the at least one processor is configured to:

based on the vehicle being in the unmanned driving state, control at least one of a light intensity or an irradiation range of at least one lamp of the vehicle based on a sensing range of one or more sensors of the vehicle.

6. The vehicle of claim 3, wherein the at least one processor is configured to:

based on the vehicle being in the unmanned driving state, control an intervention rate of a regenerative brake system of the vehicle.

7. The vehicle of claim 3, wherein the at least one processor is configured to:

based on the vehicle being in the unmanned driving state, control an Adaptive Cruise Control speed of the vehicle to operate the vehicle at engine RPM values for which a fuel consumption of the vehicle satisfies a threshold value.

8. The vehicle of claim 3, wherein the at least one processor is configured to:

determine that the vehicle is likely to collide with at least one of a first object or a second object based on object information acquired by an object detection apparatus of the vehicle and a driving condition of the vehicle; and

based on the vehicle being in the unmanned driving state and based on a determination that the vehicle is likely to collide with at least one of the first object or the second object, determine a first importance level for the first object and a second importance level for the second object according to types of the first object and the second object; and

control the vehicle to prioritize avoiding colliding with the first object over the second object based on the first importance level being greater than the second importance level.

9. The vehicle of claim 8, wherein the at least one processor is configured to:

based on the first importance level of the first object being the same as the second importance level of the second object, control the vehicle to prioritize avoiding colliding with the first object over the second object based on a determination that colliding with the first object will cause a first impact to an engine or battery of the vehicle that is greater than a second impact to the engine or battery caused by colliding with the second object.

10. The vehicle of claim 3, wherein the at least one processor is configured to:

based on the vehicle being in the unmanned driving state and based on a determination that the vehicle is unable to avoid a collision with an object, control the vehicle to operate an engine brake of the vehicle and to deactivate a safety apparatus drive unit of the vehicle;

determine, by an object detection apparatus, that snow or liquid is present on a road on which the vehicle travels; and

based on the vehicle being in the unmanned driving state and based on a determination that snow or liquid is present on the road on which the vehicle travels, control the vehicle to operate the engine brake of the vehicle.

11. The vehicle of claim 3, wherein the at least one processor is configured to:

based on a determination that the vehicle is occupied, control a suspension of the vehicle to be a first suspension level that is more flexible than a second suspension level corresponding to the vehicle being unoccupied.

12. The vehicle of claim 3, wherein the at least one processor is configured to:

based on the vehicle being in the unmanned driving state, transmit, to an external terminal, information regarding at least one of a location, a driving condition, a route, or a driving environment of the vehicle; and

based on a determination of an emergency situation of the vehicle, transmit, to the external terminal, information regarding the emergency situation.

13. The vehicle of claim 3, wherein the at least one processor is configured to:

based on the vehicle being in the unmanned driving state, and based on a determination that a user is likely to board the vehicle;

perform a first control operation of at least one of the one or more in-vehicle devices comprising a user interface apparatus, a driving manipulation apparatus, an air-conditioner drive unit, a wiper drive unit, or a side mirror drive unit,

wherein the first control operation is based on at least one of an estimated boarding time of the user, a preset temperature for the user, or a boarding location of the user.

14. The vehicle of claim 3, wherein the at least one processor is configured to:

based on the vehicle being in the unmanned driving state, control the vehicle to unlock a locked door of the vehicle based on a determination that a first user is authorized to board the vehicle according to boarding authorization information acquired through a user interface apparatus or a communication apparatus of the vehicle.

15. The vehicle of claim 3, further comprising:

an output unit configured to display information,

wherein the at least one processor is configured to;

in the state in which the vehicle operates in the autonomous driving mode and based on a determination that the vehicle is occupied by a first user sitting in a driver'"'"'s seat of the vehicle, control the output unit to display a query asking whether to switch from the autonomous driving mode to a manual driving mode; and

based on receiving an input to switch from the autonomous driving mode to the manual driving mode;

determine whether the first user is allowed to drive based on at least one of driving authorization information indicating whether the first user is authorized to drive the vehicle, or driving condition information indicating a physical condition of the first user; and

based on a determination that the first user is allowed to drive, switch from the autonomous driving mode to the manual driving mode.

16. The vehicle of claim 3, wherein the at least one processor is configured to:

determine that the vehicle is likely to collide with one or more objects based on a travelling direction of the vehicle, a speed of the vehicle, or road conditions.

17. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is configured to:

based on a determination that the vehicle is occupied;

control the one or more in-vehicle devices based on a location of an occupant inside the vehicle; and

activate at least one of a user interface apparatus, a driving manipulation apparatus, a safety apparatus drive unit, or an air-conditioner drive unit based on the location of the occupant inside the vehicle.

18. The vehicle of claim 17, wherein the at least one processor is configured to:

based on the determination that the vehicle is occupied and based on a determination that the vehicle is unable to avoid a collision with an object, adjust a traveling direction of the vehicle based on the location of the occupant inside the vehicle.

19. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the sensor includes a camera or a biometric sensor.