MANAGEMENT OF DRIVER AND VEHICLE MODES FOR SEMI-AUTONOMOUS DRIVING SYSTEMS

• US 20160068103A1
• Filed: 09/04/2014
• Published: 03/10/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/04/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America Incorporated (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Vladimerou, Vladimeros, McNEW, John Michael
• Granted Patent: US 10,377,303 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 9/00 Arrangement or adaptation of signal devices not provided for in one of main groups B60Q1/00 - B60Q7/00 , e.g. haptic signalling
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/225 Direction of gaze
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/229 Attention level, e.g. attentive to driving, reading or sleeping
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/12 Lane keeping
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/16 Control of distance between vehicles, e.g. keeping a distance to preceding vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/0097 Predicting future conditions
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/14 Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention

Abstract

A least restrictive allowable driving state of a semi-autonomous driving system is determined based on one or more threats and sensor performance. A current driving state and a future driving state are determined based on an attention state and a steering state of a driver. Warnings are provided to the driver in order to match the current driving state to the future driving state. Driver interaction and attention are enforced when the driver does not respond to the warnings.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising circuitry configured to:

determine a least restrictive allowable driving state of a semi-autonomous driving system based on one or more threats and performance of one or more sensors;

determine a current driving state and a future driving state based on an attention state and a steering state of a driver;

provide warnings to the driver to match the current driving state to the future driving state; and

enforce driving interaction or attention when the driver is not responding to the warnings.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to:

determine that the one or more threats is a safety threat or a comfort threat;

determine that the one or more threats is driver-sensed or system-sensed;

determine a desired action by the driver for the one or more threats; and

determine a priority for the one or more threats based on an associated time of occurrence.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to determine a driver response time to the one or more threats based on a driver attention time, an eyes on the road time, and a hands-on-the-wheel time.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to compare the time of occurrence for the one or more threats to the driver response time to determine the least restrictive allowable driving state.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to determine that the driver has complied with one or more previous requests.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to determine that the future driving state will not generate one or more warnings within a predetermined time period.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the future driving state is set to the least restrictive allowable driving state.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the warnings include attention warnings and steering warnings.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the warnings are provided when the future driving state is more restrictive than at least one of the current driving state and a current lane trace control state.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to determine the current lane trace control state based on a level of automation of a lane trace control system.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to determine an amount of time the driver takes to comply with the warnings.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to enforce the driving interaction when the amount of time the driver takes to comply with the warnings is greater than a first predetermined threshold.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to enforce the driving interaction by implementing one or more enforcement interventions.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to compare a number of enforcement events in an enforcement history to a second predetermined threshold.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to determine a safe scenario for disengaging the semi-autonomous driving system.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to disengage the semi-autonomous driving system when the number of the enforcement events in the enforcement history is greater than the second predetermined threshold.

17. A method, comprising:

determining a least restrictive allowable driving state of a semi-autonomous driving system based on one or more threats and sensor performance;

determining a current driving state and a future driving state based on an attention state and a steering state of a driver;

providing warnings to the driver to match the current driving state to the future driving state; and

enforcing driving interaction or attention when the driver is not responding to the warnings.

18. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium including executable instructions, which when executed by circuitry, causes the circuitry to perform the method according to claim 17.

19. A system, comprising:

one or more sensors to obtain threat data and driver monitoring data; and

a controller including a processor configured to;

determine a least restrictive allowable driving state of a semi-autonomous driving system based on one or more threats and sensor performance,

determine a current driving state and a future driving state based on an attention state and a steering state of a driver,

provide warnings to the driver to match the current driving state to the future driving states, and

enforce driving interaction or attention when the driver is not responding to the warnings.