Systems and Methods for Transitioning Control of an Autonomous Vehicle to a Driver

• US 20140303827A1
• Filed: 04/05/2013
• Published: 10/09/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/05/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Dolgov, Dmitri, Urmson, Christopher, Schultz, Andrew, Egnor, Daniel Trawick
• Granted Patent: US 9,342,074 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/23
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/0096 Control during transition between modes
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/00 Purposes of road vehicle drive control systems not related to the control of a particular sub-unit, e.g. of systems using conjoint control of vehicle sub-units
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/10 Interpretation of driver requests or demands
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/14 Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 60/0053 from vehicle to occupant
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 60/0054 Selection of occupant to assume driving tasks
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 15/025 Active steering aids, e.g. helping the driver by actively influencing the steering system after environment evaluation B62D1/28 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0061 for transition from automatic pilot to manual pilot and vice versa

Abstract

Methods and systems for adaptive methods for transitioning control to the driver are described. A computing device controlling a vehicle autonomously may be configured to receive a request for a transition of the vehicle from autonomous mode to manual mode through an indication by the driver. The computing device may determine the state of the vehicle based on parameters related to the autonomous operation of the vehicle. Based on the state of the vehicle and the indication, the computing device may determine instructions corresponding to the transition of control, which may include a strategy for the transition and duration of time corresponding to the transition of control. The computing device may provide the instructions to perform the transition of control of the vehicle from autonomous mode to manual mode.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, via a computing device, an indication for a transition of control of a vehicle operating in an autonomous mode, wherein the computing device is configured to control the vehicle in the autonomous mode;

determining, by the computing device, a state of the vehicle based on at least one parameter related to operation of the vehicle in the autonomous mode;

based on both the state of the vehicle and the indication, determining a strategy for the transition of control of one or more systems of the vehicle from the autonomous mode to a manual mode of operation, wherein the strategy includes information indicative of which respective systems of the one or more systems of the vehicle to transition control from the autonomous mode to the manual mode of operation and one or more durations of time over which the transition of control of the respective systems of the one or more systems of the vehicle from the autonomous mode to the manual mode of operation is configured to occur; and

providing the strategy to perform the transition of control of the one or more systems of the vehicle from the autonomous mode to the manual mode of operation.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the indication for the transition of control includes information indicating a change in a steering system of the vehicle above a threshold unrelated to the control of the vehicle in the autonomous mode.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the indication for the transition of control includes information indicating an increase in an amount of applied brake related to a braking system of the vehicle.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the indication for the transition of control comprises receiving a disengage signal via a button or a switch.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the state of the vehicle based on at least one parameter related to operation of the vehicle in the autonomous mode comprises determining information associated with one or more of a braking system, a steering system, and a throttle system of the vehicle.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the state of the vehicle based on at least one parameter comprises determining a speed of the vehicle and a turning angle of a steering system of the vehicle.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising delaying the transition of control of the vehicle from the autonomous mode to the manual mode of operation based on at least one parameter related to operation of the vehicle in the autonomous mode.

8. A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon instructions that, upon execution by a computing device, cause the computing device to perform functions comprising:

receiving an indication for a transition of control of a vehicle operating in an autonomous mode;

determining a state of the vehicle based on at least one parameter related to operation of the vehicle in the autonomous mode;

based on both the state of the vehicle and the indication, determining a strategy for the transition of control of one or more systems of the vehicle from the autonomous mode to a manual mode of operation, wherein the strategy includes information indicative of which respective systems of the one or more systems of the vehicle to transition control from the autonomous mode to the manual mode of operation and one or more durations of time over which the transition of control of the respective systems of the one or more systems of the vehicle from the autonomous mode to the manual mode of operation is configured to occur; and

providing the strategy to perform the transition of control of the one or more systems of the vehicle from the autonomous mode to the manual mode of operation.

9. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 8, wherein the indication for the transition of control includes information indicating a change in a steering system of the vehicle above a threshold unrelated to the control of the vehicle in the autonomous mode.

10. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 8, wherein the indication for the transition of control includes information indicating an increase in an amount of applied brake related to a braking system of the vehicle.

11. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 8, wherein receiving the indication for the transition of control comprises receiving a disengage signal via a button or a switch.

12. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 8, wherein determining the state of the vehicle based on at least one parameter related to operation of the vehicle in the autonomous mode comprises determining information associated with one or more of a braking system, a steering system, and a throttle system of the vehicle.

13. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 8, wherein determining the state of the vehicle based on at least one parameter comprises determining a speed of the vehicle and a turning angle of a steering system of the vehicle.

14. A system comprising:

at least one processor; and

a memory having stored thereon instructions that, upon execution by the at least one processor, cause the system to perform functions comprising;

receiving an indication for a transition of control of a vehicle operating in an autonomous mode;

determining a state of the vehicle based on at least one parameter related to operation of the vehicle in the autonomous mode;

based on both the state of the vehicle and the indication, determining a strategy for the transition of control of one or more systems of the vehicle from the autonomous mode to a manual mode of operation, wherein the strategy includes information indicative of which respective systems of the one or more systems of the vehicle to transition control from the autonomous mode to the manual mode of operation and one or more durations of time over which the transition of control of the respective systems of the one or more systems of the vehicle from the autonomous mode to the manual mode of operation is configured to occur; and

providing the strategy to perform the transition of control of the one or more systems of the vehicle from the autonomous mode to the manual mode of operation.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the indication for the transition of control includes information indicating a change in a steering system of the vehicle above a threshold unrelated to the control of the vehicle in the autonomous mode.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the indication for the transition of control includes information indicating an increase in an amount of applied brake related to a braking system of the vehicle.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein receiving the indication for the transition of control comprises receiving a disengage signal via a button or a switch.

18. The system of claim 14, wherein determining the at least one parameter related to operation of the vehicle in the autonomous mode comprises determining information associated with one or more of a braking system, a steering system, and a throttle system of the vehicle.

19. The system of claim 14, wherein determining the state of the vehicle based on at least one parameter comprises determining a speed of the vehicle and a turning angle of a steering system of the vehicle.

20. The system of claim 14, wherein the functions further comprise delaying the transition of control of the vehicle from the autonomous mode to the manual mode of operation based on at least one parameter related to operation of the vehicle in the autonomous mode.