Early Notification of Non-Autonomous Area

• US 20170236210A1
• Filed: 02/15/2017
• Published: 08/17/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 02/15/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Allstate Insurance Company (Allstate Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Allstate Insurance Company (Allstate Corporation)
• Inventors: Kumar, Surender, Gibson, Timothy W.
• Granted Patent: US 11,250,514 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/04 including control of propulsion units
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/30 including control of auxiliary equipment, e.g. air-conditioning compressors or oil pumps
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/05 Type of road, e.g. motorways, local streets, paved or unpaved roads
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/10 Number of lanes
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/20 Road profile, i.e. the change in elevation or curvature of a plurality of continuous road segments
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/35 Road bumpiness, e.g. potholes
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2555/20 Ambient conditions, e.g. wind or rain
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2555/60 Traffic rules, e.g. speed limits or right of way
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/45 External transmission of data to or from the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/50 of positioning data, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System] data
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2900/00 Indexing codes relating to the purpose of, or problem solved of road vehicle drive control systems not otherwise provided for in groups B60W30/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/08 Active safety systems predicting or avoiding probable or impending collision or attempting to minimise its consequences
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/10 Path keeping cruise control for automatically following a preceding vehicle B60W30/165
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/082 Selecting or switching between different modes of propelling
• 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 60/0057 Estimation of the time available or required for the handover
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 60/0059 Estimation of the risk associated with autonomous or manual driving, e.g. situation too complex, sensor failure or driver incapacity
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 60/0061 Aborting handover process
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0061 for transition from automatic pilot to manual pilot and vice versa
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0077 : using redundant signals or controls
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/047 : Optimisation of routes or paths, e.g. travelling salesman problem
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/08 : Insurance

Abstract

The disclosure provides an early notification system to alert a driver of an approaching unsafe autonomous or semi-autonomous driving zone so that a driver may switch vehicle to a non-autonomous driving mode and navigate safely through the identified location. In response, to a determination of an upcoming unsafe autonomous or semi-autonomous driving zone, the driver or system may take appropriate actions in response to the early notification.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by a computing device, an indication of a travel route selected by a driver of a vehicle, wherein the travel route comprises one or more segments;

determining, for a first segment of the one or more segments, that a non-autonomous driving mode should be used when traversing the first segment;

prior to the vehicle traversing the first segment, determining a current driving mode associated with the vehicle; and

responsive to determining that the vehicle is operating in an autonomous driving mode, causing output, to the driver, of a notification that the non-autonomous driving mode should be used when traversing the first segment.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

causing output, to the driver, an indication identifying the first segment.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, after a predetermined period, that the vehicle is operating in the autonomous driving mode; and

notify a third party that the vehicle continued operating in the autonomous driving mode.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein causing output of the notification comprises causing generation of an audio notification or a visual notification proximate to the driver.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining that the non-autonomous driving mode should be used when traversing the first segment is responsive to determining, for the first segment, that the non-autonomous driving mode provides less risk of an accident than the autonomous driving mode.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the determining that the non-autonomous driving mode provides less risk of an accident than the autonomous driving mode is based on accident information, geographic information and vehicle operation information associated with the first segment.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein causing output, to the driver, of the notification is performed when the vehicle is approaching the first segment.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, after a predetermined period, that the driver did not respond to the notification; and

modifying a driving mode of the vehicle based on a preset preference.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein modifying the driving mode of the vehicle based on the preset preference further comprises:

modifying the travel route to avoid the first segment, causing the vehicle to slow down, causing pretension of seat belts, causing control of the vehicle to be passed to another driver remotely, or causing engagement of additional analysis of the first segment.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, after a predetermined period, that the driver did not respond to the notification; and

causing an increase in an insurance cost associated with the driver.

11. A method comprising:

receiving, by a computing device, an indication of a travel route selected by a driver of a vehicle, wherein the travel route comprises one or more segments;

determining, for a first segment of the one or more segments, that a non-autonomous driving mode should be used when traversing the first segment; and

prior to the vehicle traversing the first segment, causing output, to the driver, of a notification that the non-autonomous driving mode should be used when traversing the first segment.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the determining that the non-autonomous driving mode should be used when traversing the first segment is responsive to determining, for the first segment, that the non-autonomous driving mode provides less risk of an accident than an autonomous driving mode.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the determining that the non-autonomous driving mode provides less risk of an accident than the autonomous driving mode is based on accident information, geographic information and vehicle operation information associated with the first segment.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

determining, after a predetermined period, that the driver did not respond to the notification and that the vehicle is in an autonomous driving mode; and

modifying a driving mode of the vehicle based on a preset preference.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the determining that the driver did not respond to the notification comprises determining that driver has not taken manual control of the vehicle.

16. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

determining, after a predetermined period, that the driver did not respond to the notification; and

causing an increase in an insurance cost associated with the driver.

17. An apparatus, comprising:

a processor configured to execute computer-executable instructions; and

a memory storing the computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the apparatus to;

receive an indication of a travel route selected by a driver of a vehicle, wherein the travel route comprises one or more segments;

determine, for a first segment of the one or more segments, that a non-autonomous driving mode should be used when traversing the first segment; and

prior to the vehicle traversing the first segment, causing output, to the driver, of a notification that the non-autonomous driving mode should be used when traversing the first segment.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein determining that the non-autonomous driving mode should be used when traversing the first segment is responsive to determining, for the first segment, that the non-autonomous driving mode provides less risk of an accident than an autonomous driving mode.

19. The apparatus of claim 17, the apparatus further comprising computer-executable instructions, which when executed by the processor, cause the apparatus to:

determine, after a predetermined period, that the driver did not respond to the notification; and

modify a driving mode of the vehicle based on a preset preference.

20. The apparatus of claim 17, the apparatus further comprising computer-executable instructions, which when executed by the processor, cause the apparatus to:

determine, after a predetermined period, that the driver did not respond to the notification; and

cause an increase in an insurance cost associated with the driver.