AUTONOMOUS VEHICLE DRIVING SUPPORT SYSTEM AND AUTONOMOUS DRIVING METHOD PERFORMED BY THE SAME

• US 20150166059A1
• Filed: 12/18/2013
• Published: 06/18/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2013
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Automotive Research & Testing Center
• Original Assignee: Automotive Research & Testing Center
• Inventors: KO, Ming-Kuan
• Application Number:
  US14/132,249
• Publication Number:
  US 20150166059A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2201/022 Collision avoidance systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 7/12 for automatic initiation; for initiation not subject to will of driver or passenger limiting speed of vehicles other than rail vehicles B60K31/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 7/22 initiated by contact of vehicle, e.g. bumper, with an external object, e.g. another vehicle , or by means of contactless obstacle detectors mounted on the vehicle
• 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 2040/0818 Inactivity or incapacity of driver
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2420/403 Image sensing, e.g. optical camera
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2756/10 Involving external transmission of data to or from the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/09 Taking automatic action to avoid collision, e.g. braking and steering

Abstract

An autonomous vehicle driving support system is mounted on a vehicle, is electrically connected to an electronic control unit (ECU) of the vehicle, and has a dangerous driving state determination device and a driving assistance device. The dangerous driving state determination device detects a driving condition of the driver and a collision possibility of the vehicle. The driving assistance device provides suitable driving assistance functions to control the vehicle through the ECU. Given the driving condition of the driver and the collision possibility, corresponding driving assistance function is provided to control the vehicle. Accordingly, the cost arising from an expensive detection system required for enhanced driving assistances to drivers and passengers can be reduced.

Claims

1. An autonomous vehicle driving support system mounted in a vehicle, comprising:

a dangerous driving state determination device detecting a distance and an orientation between the vehicle and an external obstacle, providing a predicted collision value according to the distance and the orientation between the vehicle and the external obstacle, comparing the predicted collision value with a reference value to determine a collision possibility of colliding with the external obstacle, and determining behavioral competence and a risk level of a driver of the vehicle according to a driving condition of the driver; and

a driving assistance device electrically connected to the dangerous driving state determination device and having a controller selecting a control function according to the collision possibility and the behavioral competence and the risk level of the driver to control the vehicle.

2. The autonomous vehicle driving support system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the controller of the driving assistance device is adapted to electrically connect to an electronic control unit of the vehicle to accelerate and decelerate the vehicle, and change a turning angle of a steering wheel of the vehicle.

3. The autonomous vehicle driving support system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the controller provides alert or assistance control to the driver when the corresponding risk level is determined to be low, which is defined by a low collision possibility below 90% and a normal driving condition of the driver, or to be medium, which is defined by the low collision possibility and a distracted driving condition of the driver, and takes control of braking or acceleration of the vehicle for the vehicle to have an emergency stop or fast avoidance of a possible collision, or identifies an obstacle-free driving path for the vehicle to be parked beside a curb when the corresponding risk level is determined to be high, which is defined by corresponding one condition of the low collision possibility and an unconscious driving condition of the driver, a high collision possibility at and above 90% and the normal driving condition, and the high collision possibility and the unconscious driving condition.

4. The autonomous vehicle driving support system as claimed in claim 3, wherein the controller is further connected to a wireless transmission device to wirelessly transmit the risk level or the driving condition of the driver in the form of wireless signal.

5. The autonomous vehicle driving support system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the dangerous driving state determination device has multiple detection units to detect the distance and the orientation between the vehicle and the external obstacle and acquires an internal image of the vehicle to recognize the driving condition of the driver.

6. The autonomous vehicle driving support system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the dangerous driving state determination device has multiple detection units to detect the distance and the orientation between the vehicle and the external obstacle and acquires an internal image of the vehicle to recognize the driving condition of the driver.

7. The autonomous vehicle driving support system as claimed in claim 3, wherein the dangerous driving state determination device has multiple detection units to detect the distance and the orientation between the vehicle and the external obstacle and acquires an internal image of the vehicle to recognize the driving condition of the driver.

8. The autonomous vehicle driving support system as claimed in claim 4, wherein the dangerous driving state determination device has multiple detection units to detect the distance and the orientation between the vehicle and the external obstacle and acquires an internal image of the vehicle to recognize the driving condition of the driver.

9. The autonomous vehicle driving support system as claimed in claim 5, wherein the detection units include at least one millimeter wave sensor for detecting the distance and the orientation between the vehicle and the external obstacle and a camera for acquiring the internal image of the vehicle.

10. The autonomous vehicle driving support system as claimed in claim 6, wherein the detection units include at least one millimeter wave sensor for detecting the distance and the orientation between the vehicle and the external obstacle and a camera for acquiring the internal image of the vehicle.

11. The autonomous vehicle driving support system as claimed in claim 7, wherein the detection units include at least one millimeter wave sensor for detecting the distance and the orientation between the vehicle and the external obstacle and a camera for acquiring the internal image of the vehicle.

12. The autonomous vehicle driving support system as claimed in claim 8, wherein the detection units include at least one millimeter wave sensor for detecting the distance and the orientation between the vehicle and the external obstacle and a camera for acquiring the internal image of the vehicle.

13. An autonomous driving method, comprising:

a dangerous driving state determination step detecting a distance and an orientation between the vehicle and an adjacent obstacle to a vehicle to generate a predicted collision value, calculating a collision possibility according to the predicted collision value of the vehicle, and detecting a driving condition of a driver in the vehicle to determine if the driving condition is normal; and

a vehicle driving assistance step selecting a control function to activate driving intervention of the vehicle when the predicted collision value is higher than a reference value or when the driving condition of the driver is abnormal.

14. The autonomous driving method as claimed in claim 13, wherein in the dangerous driving state determination step, the predicted collision value is compared with a reference value to determine the collision possibility between the vehicle and another vehicle, and the driving condition of the driver is used to determine behavioral competence and a risk level of the driver.

15. The autonomous driving method as claimed in claim 14, wherein when the collision possibility pertains to a medium-risk level defined by a low collision possibility below 90% and a distracted driving condition of the driver or a low-risk level defined by the low collision possibility and a normal driving condition of the driver, in the vehicle driving assistance step, an advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) function is activated to control the vehicle, and the ADAS function provides alert or assistance control to the driver.

16. The autonomous driving method as claimed in claim 14, wherein when the collision possibility pertains to a high-risk level defined by one of the low collision possibility and an unconscious driving condition of the driver, a high collision possibility at and above 90% and the normal driving condition, and the high collision possibility and the unconscious driving condition in the vehicle driving assistance step, a collision prevention assistance function or an automatic emergency parking function is activated to control the vehicle, the collision prevention assistance function takes control of brake or accelerator of the vehicle, and the automatic emergency parking function identifies an obstacle-free driving path for the vehicle to be parked beside a curb.

17. The autonomous driving method as claimed in claim 14, wherein the vehicle driving assistance step further comprises the step of generating an emergency notification upon an emergency event when the driving condition of the driver is unconscious.