AUTONOMOUS READY VEHICLE

• US 20160167653A1
• Filed: 12/14/2015
• Published: 06/16/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Polaris Industries Incorporated (Polaris Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Polaris Industries Incorporated (Polaris Inc.)
• Inventors: Blair, Kevin P., Weldon, Patrick D., Malone, Amber P., Koenig, David J., Sytsma, Cole A.
• Granted Patent: US 10,160,436 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/10 including control of change-speed gearings
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/18 including control of braking systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/20 including control of steering systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/0006 Digital architecture hierarchy
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/0071 Controller overrides driver automatically
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/0091 of control inputs
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/0094 of control units
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/45 External transmission of data to or from the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/55 using telemetry
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/12 Limiting control by the driver depending on vehicle state, e.g. interlocking means for the control input for preventing unsafe operation
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0022 characterised by the communication link data switching networks in general H04L12/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/403 with centralised control, e.g. polling

Abstract

A system and method for interfacing an autonomous or remote control drive-by-wire controller with a vehicle'"'"'s control modules. Vehicle functions including steering, braking, starting, etc. are controllable by wire via a control network. A CAN architecture is used as an interface between the remote/autonomous controller and the vehicle'"'"'s control modules. A CAN module interface provides communication between a vehicle control system and a supervisory, remote, autonomous, or drive-by-wire controller. The interface permits the supervisory control to control vehicle operation within pre-determined bounds and using control algorithms.

Claims

1. A vehicle including:

a communication network having a plurality of vehicle devices coupled thereto;

a vehicle control unit coupled to the communication network and able to control a first subset of the plurality of devices via the communication network to effect vehicle operation;

the vehicle control unit operable to receive input from a second subset of the vehicle devices via the network and to control the first subset of the plurality of devices responsive to the input received from the second subset of vehicle devices, input from the second subset of vehicle devices being indicative of operator interaction with one or more of the vehicle devices; and

a network interface;

the network interface operable to couple to an autonomous vehicle controller such that the autonomous vehicle controller is able to effect vehicle operation via the first subset of vehicle devices independent of input from the second subset of vehicle devices.

2. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the first subset of vehicle devices include one or more of a steering controller;

a brake, a transmission shift controller, vehicle speed controller, and a vehicle on/off controller.

3. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the second subset of vehicle devices include one or more of a brake pedal, a steering device, a shift lever, a shift button, an accelerator pedal, and an on/off mode selector.

4. The vehicle of claim 1, further including instructions thereon that when interpreted by a processor cause the processor to review commands received via the network interface for controlling the first subset of vehicle devices, the review comparing the commands to a set of allowable conditions to block implementation of the commands when doing so would cause the vehicle to assume a non-allowable state.

5. The vehicle of claim 1, further including a mode switch, the mode switch having a first state in which the first subset of vehicle devices is controlled responsive to the second subset of vehicle devices, the mode switch having a second state in which the first subset of vehicle devices is controlled responsive to commands received via the network interface.

6. The vehicle of claim 5, wherein the switch is one of a software switch that is able to change states without physical manipulation and a physical switch operable via physical manipulation.

7. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the vehicle control unit receives input from the second subset of the plurality of devices and receives input from the network interface and determines which input to use to control the first subset of the plurality of devices.

8. The vehicle of claim 7, wherein the vehicle control unit determines which input to use responsive to determining a state of a mode switch.

9. The vehicle of claim 7, wherein the second subset of vehicle devices includes a brake actuator and the vehicle control unit determines which input to use based upon which input indicates a greatest actuation of the brake actuator.

10. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the plurality of vehicle devices include a plurality of sensors, the control unit operable to receive input from the plurality of sensors to determine one or more operational error states of the vehicle, the control unit further operable to determine conflicting commands between those received from at least one of the plurality of sensors and first subset of vehicle devices and those received via the network interface, the detection of conflicting commands being used to determine one or more error states, the control unit responding to determining one or more error states by entering a degraded operational mode.

11. The vehicle of claim 1, further including instructions thereon that, when interpreted by a processor, invoke an authentication protocol to determine whether commands received via the network interface are being sent from an authorized source.

12. The vehicle of claim 11, wherein upon a determination that commands received via the network interface are not from an authorized source, the vehicle controller instructs operation of the vehicle as one of operation as instructed via the second subset of vehicle devices and operation via a shut-down mode.

13. The vehicle of claim 12, wherein the shut-down mode causes the vehicle to come to a stop when the vehicle is in motion and refuses instructions via the network interface until such time as the authentication protocol is successfully completed.

14. A method of providing autonomous vehicle operation including:

providing a vehicle with a communication network having a plurality of vehicle operation devices coupled thereto, the plurality of vehicle operation devices being capable of operating the vehicle, the plurality of vehicle operation devices including a first subset of devices that operate based upon instructions from a vehicle control unit, the plurality of vehicle operation devices including a second subset of devices that provide input to the vehicle control unit, the input being indicative of operator interaction with one or more of the vehicle devices;

providing an interface to the communication network; and

receiving, via the interface, input from an autonomous vehicle controller, thereby allowing the autonomous vehicle controller to control the first subset of vehicle devices independent of input from the second subset of vehicle devices.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the first subset of vehicle devices include one or more of a steering controller;

a brake, a transmission shift controller, vehicle speed controller, and a vehicle on/off controller.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the second subset of vehicle devices include one or more of a brake pedal, a steering device, a shift lever, a shift button, an accelerator pedal, and an on/off mode selector.

17. The method of claim 14, further including reviewing commands received via the network interface for controlling the first subset of vehicle devices, the reviewing including comparing the commands to a set of allowable conditions to block implementation of the commands when doing so would cause the vehicle to assume a non-allowable state.

18. The method of claim 14, further including detecting a state of a mode switch, the mode switch having a first state in which the first subset of vehicle devices is controlled responsive to the second subset of vehicle devices, the mode switch having a second state in which the first subset of vehicle devices is controlled responsive to commands received via the network interface.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the switch is one of a software switch that is able to change states without physical manipulation and a physical switch operable via physical manipulation.

20. The method of claim 14, further including:

receiving, by the vehicle control unit, input from the second subset of the plurality of devices;

receiving, by the vehicle control unit, input from the network interface; and

determining which input to use to control the first subset of the plurality of devices.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the determining is performed by the vehicle control unit responsive to determining a state of a mode switch.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein the second subset of vehicle devices includes a brake actuator and the vehicle control unit determines which input to use based upon which input indicates a greatest actuation of the brake actuator.

23. The method of claim 14, wherein the plurality of vehicle devices include a plurality of sensors, and further including:

receiving input by the control unit from the plurality of sensors and determine one or more operational error states of the vehicle responsive to the input,

determining, by the control unit, conflicting commands between those received from at least one of the plurality of sensors and first subset of vehicle devices and those received via the network interface,

determining one or more error states responsive to the detection of conflicting commands, and

entering a degraded operational mode in response to determining existence of the one or more error states.

24. The method of claim 14, further including invoking an authentication protocol to determine whether commands received via the network interface are being sent from an authorized source.

25. The method of claim 24, further including determining that commands received via the network interface are not from an authorized source, and in response instructing operation of the vehicle as one of operation as instructed via the second subset of vehicle devices and operation via a shut-down mode.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein operating via the shut-down mode causes the vehicle to come to a stop when the vehicle is in motion and refuses instructions via the network interface until such time as the authentication protocol is successfully completed.

27. A computer readable media having non-transitory instructions thereon that when interpreted by a processor cause the processor to:

provide instructions to a first subset of vehicle devices capable of operating a vehicle, the first subset of device operate based upon instructions from a vehicle control unit, the instructions being provided via a vehicle communication network;

receive input, via the communication network, from a second subset of vehicle devices, the input being indicative of operator interaction with one or more of the vehicle devices; and

receive, via an interface to the communication network, input from an autonomous vehicle controller, thereby allowing the autonomous vehicle controller to control the first subset of vehicle devices independent of input from the second subset of vehicle devices.