Systems and methods for automated vehicle driving that mimic safe driver behaviors

• US 10,850,741 B2
• Filed: 09/20/2017
• Issued: 12/01/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation, Denso International America Incorporated (DENSO Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Denso International America Incorporated (DENSO Corporation)
• Inventors: Alasry, Bilal, Vang, Doua
• Primary Examiner(s): Berona, Kimberly S
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kerrigan, Michael V
• Application Number:
  US15/709,583
• Publication Number:
  US 20190084578A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,168 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/04 including control of propulsion units
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/184 with wheel brakes
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/20 including control of steering systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/0014 Adaptive controllers
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/002 Integrating means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/0075 Automatic parameter input, automatic initialising or calibrating means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/0088 Adaptive recalibration
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/146 Display 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 2420/54 Audio sensitive means, e.g. ultrasound
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/12 Brake pedal position
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/18 Steering angle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/20 Direction indicator values
• 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 2540/30 Driving style
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/53 Road markings, e.g. lane marker or crosswalk
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/00 Input parameters relating to objects
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2555/60 Traffic rules, e.g. speed limits or right of way
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/00 : Input parameters relating to data
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/10 : Historical data
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/45 : External transmission of data to or from the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18163 : Lane change; Overtaking manoeuvres
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/09 : Driving style or behaviour
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/0098 : Details of control systems ensuring comfort, safety or stability not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/08 : Interaction between the driver and the control system
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 60/0015 : specially adapted for safety

Abstract

A system includes a pattern recognizing module that identifies a pattern based on at least one of: (i) a movement of a driver of a vehicle, (ii) an object in front of the vehicle, (iii) a status of the vehicle, and (iv) an action of the vehicle. The pattern corresponds to a pattern response. A safety module compares the pattern response to a safe maneuver database. The pattern response is classified as safe in response to the pattern response matching at least one safe pattern response of the safe maneuver database. A pattern integration module integrates the pattern and the pattern response into a pattern database in response to the pattern response matching the at least one safe pattern response of the safe maneuver database. A vehicle control module performs the pattern response in response to the pattern recognizing module identifying the pattern.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

at least one processor and

a non-transitory memory coupled to the at least one processor,

wherein the non-transitory memory stores;

a safe maneuver database,

a pattern database, and

instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to;

identify a pattern and a pattern response based on at least one of;

(i) a movement of a driver of a vehicle, (ii) an object in front of the vehicle, (iii) a status of the vehicle, and (iv) an action of the vehicle, wherein the pattern response occurs in response to the pattern;

compare the pattern response to the safe maneuver database, wherein the pattern response is classified as safe in response to the pattern response matching at least one safe pattern response of the safe maneuver database;

integrate the pattern and the pattern response into the pattern database in response to the pattern response matching the at least one safe pattern response of the safe maneuver database; and

in response to recognizing a first pattern;

identify a first set of pattern responses stored in the pattern database, wherein the first set of pattern responses can safely be performed in response to recognizing the first pattern;

compare each response of the first set of pattern responses to a previously programmed response;

perform a first pattern response from the first set of pattern responses when a first safety score of the first pattern response is equal to or greater than a preset safety score of the previously programmed response; and

perform the previously programmed response when the preset safety score of the previously programmed response is greater than the first safety score of the first pattern response.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the instructions further cause the at least one processor to:

recognize a behavior of the driver of the vehicle;

monitor the movement of the driver of the vehicle;

identify the object in front of the vehicle; and

determine at least one of (i) the status of the vehicle and (ii) the action of the vehicle.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the instructions further cause the at least one processor to:

identify the pattern and the pattern response based on the behavior of the driver of the vehicle, and

integrate the pattern and the pattern response into the pattern database after receiving a predetermined amount of data recognizing the behavior of the driver of the vehicle.

4. The system of claim 2 wherein the instructions further cause the at least one processor to identify the pattern after receiving data recognizing the behavior of the driver of the vehicle for a predetermined period.

5. The system of claim 2 wherein the instructions further cause the at least one processor to monitor the movement of the driver of the vehicle by imaging at least one of:

(i) an eye of the driver, (ii) a head of the driver, (iii) a neck of the driver, and (iv) an arm of the driver.

6. The system of claim 2 wherein data is received from at least one of (i) a radar sensor, (ii) a sonar sensor, (iii) a LIDAR sensor, and (iv) a camera.

7. The system of claim 2 wherein the instructions further cause the at least one processor to identify a lane marking of a road in front of the vehicle.

8. The system of claim 2 wherein the instructions further cause the at least one processor to determine an actuation of at least one of (i) a right turn signal, (ii) a left turn signal, (iii) a brake of the vehicle, and (iv) a steering wheel of the vehicle.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein the safe maneuver database includes a plurality of predetermined safe pattern responses that the vehicle can perform.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein the first pattern response of is at least one of (i) changing a lane of the vehicle, (ii) changing a position of the vehicle in a current lane of the vehicle, (iii) actuating a brake of the vehicle, and (iv) actuating an accelerator of the vehicle.

11. A method comprising:

identifying a pattern and a pattern response based on at least one of;

(i) a movement of a driver of a vehicle, (ii) an object in front of the vehicle, (iii) a status of the vehicle, and (iv) an action of the vehicle, wherein the pattern response occurs in response to the pattern;

comparing the pattern response to a safe maneuver database, wherein the pattern response is classified as safe in response to the pattern response matching at least one safe pattern response of the safe maneuver database;

integrating the pattern and the pattern response into a pattern database in response to the pattern response matching the at least one safe pattern response of the safe maneuver database; and

in response to recognizing a first pattern;

identifying a first set of pattern responses stored in the pattern database, wherein the first set of pattern responses can safely be performed in response to recognizing the first pattern;

comparing each response of the first set of pattern responses to a previously programmed response;

performing a first pattern response from the first set of pattern responses when a first safety score of the first pattern response is equal to or greater than a preset safety score of the previously programmed response; and

performing the previously programmed response when the preset safety score of the previously programmed response is greater than the first safety score of the first pattern response.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

recognizing a behavior of the driver of the vehicle;

monitoring the movement of the driver of the vehicle;

identifying the object in front of the vehicle; and

determining at least one of (i) the status of the vehicle and (ii) the action of the vehicle.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising:

identifying the pattern and the pattern response based on the behavior of the driver of the vehicle; and

integrating the pattern and the pattern response into the pattern database after receiving a predetermined amount of data recognizing the behavior of the driver of the vehicle.

14. The method of claim 12 further comprising:

identifying the pattern after receiving data recognizing the behavior of the driver of the vehicle for a predetermined period.

15. The method of claim 12 further comprising monitoring the movement of the driver of the vehicle by imaging at least one of:

(i) an eye of the driver, (ii) a head of the driver, (iii) a neck of the driver, and (iv) an arm of the driver.

16. The method of claim 12 wherein data is received from at least one of (i) a radar sensor, (ii) a sonar sensor, (iii) a LIDAR sensor, and (iv) a camera.

17. The method of claim 12 further comprising identifying a lane marking of a road in front of the vehicle.

18. The method of claim 12 further comprising determining an actuation of at least one of (i) a right turn signal, (ii) a left turn signal, (iii) a brake of the vehicle, and (iv) a steering wheel of the vehicle.

19. The method of claim 11 wherein the safe maneuver database includes a plurality of predetermined safe pattern responses that the vehicle can perform.

20. The method of claim 11 wherein the first pattern response is at least one of (i) changing a lane of the vehicle, (ii) changing a position of the vehicle in a current lane of the vehicle, (iii) actuating a brake of the vehicle, and (iv) actuating an accelerator of the vehicle.