AUTOMATED VEHICLE SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR CHANGING FROM AUTOMATED-MODE TO MANUAL-MODE NEAR A CONSTRUCTION-ZONE

• US 20190196466A1
• Filed: 12/29/2017
• Published: 06/27/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aptiv Technologies AG (Aptiv PLC)
• Original Assignee: Delphi Technologies LLC (Aptiv PLC)
• Inventors: Agarwal, Divya, Laur, Michael H., Hilnbrand, Brian R.
• Granted Patent: US 10,642,267 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2420/403 Image sensing, e.g. optical camera
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2420/408 Radar; Laser, e.g. lidar
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/05 Type of road, e.g. motorways, local streets, paved or unpaved roads
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/53 Road markings, e.g. lane marker or crosswalk
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/20 Static objects
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/402 Type
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2555/60 Traffic rules, e.g. speed limits or right of way
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/50 of positioning data, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System] data
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/06 Road conditions
• 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: G05D 1/0061 for transition from automatic pilot to manual pilot and vice versa

Abstract

A system and method for operating an automated vehicle includes providing a detector and a controller-circuit. The detector is configured to detect construction-objects. The controller-circuit is configured to, in accordance with a detection of a construction-object by the detector, determine that a host-vehicle is proximate to a construction-zone. The controller-circuit and the method is also configured to, in accordance with a determination that the host-vehicle is proximate the construction-zone, change control of the host-vehicle from an automated-mode characterized by the controller-circuit steering the host-vehicle to a manual-mode characterized by an occupant of the host-vehicle steering the host-vehicle.

Claims

1. A system for operating an automated vehicle, said system comprising:

a detector configured to detect construction-objects; and

a controller-circuit configured to, in accordance with a detection of a construction-object by the detector, determine that a host-vehicle is proximate to a construction-zone, and

in accordance with a determination that the host-vehicle is proximate the construction-zone, change control of the host-vehicle from an automated-mode characterized by the controller-circuit steering the host-vehicle to a manual-mode characterized by an occupant of the host-vehicle steering the host-vehicle.

2. The system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the determination that the host-vehicle is proximate the construction-zone is in accordance with a determination that the host-vehicle is closer than a threshold-distance to the construction-zone.

3. The system in accordance with claim 2, wherein the threshold-distance is two-hundred meters (200 m).

4. The system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the construction-object is associated with construction-zones.

5. The system in accordance with claim 4, wherein the construction-object is one or more of a construction-sign, a traffic-cone, a barricade, a construction-worker, and construction-equipment.

6. The system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the system includes a receiver configured to receive a construction-broadcast.

7. The system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the system includes a digital-map that designates the construction-zone.

8. The system in accordance with claim 7, wherein the determination that the host-vehicle is proximate the construction-zone is in accordance with a determination that a localization-object indicated in the digital-map is not detected by the detector.

9. The system in accordance with claim 7, wherein the determination that the host-vehicle is proximate the construction-zone is in accordance with a determination that an object-location of a localization-object detected by the detector is not located at a map-location of the localization-object indicated in the digital-map.

10. The system in accordance with claim 7, wherein the digital-map is stored remote from the host-vehicle, and the system includes a transceiver configured to access the digital-map.

11. A controller-circuit for operating an automated vehicle, said controller-circuit comprising:

an input configured to receive a signal from a detector, said detector configured to detect construction-objects; and

a processor configured to, in accordance with a detection of a construction-object by the detector, determine that a host-vehicle is proximate to a construction-zone, and

in accordance with a determination that the host-vehicle is proximate the construction-zone, change control of the host-vehicle from an automated-mode characterized by the controller-circuit steering the host-vehicle to a manual-mode characterized by an occupant of the host-vehicle steering the host-vehicle.

12. The controller-circuit in accordance with claim 11, wherein the determination that the host-vehicle is proximate the construction-zone is in accordance with a determination that the host-vehicle is closer than a threshold-distance to the construction-zone.

14. The controller-circuit in accordance with claim 11, wherein the controller-circuit is configured to receive a construction-broadcast.

15. The controller-circuit in accordance with claim 11, wherein the controller-circuit is configured to access a digital-map that designates the construction-zone.

16. A method for operating an automated vehicle, said method comprising:

operating a host-vehicle in an automated-mode, said automated-mode characterized by a controller-circuit steering the host-vehicle;

detecting a construction-object with a detector;

determining, in accordance with detecting the construction-object by the detector, that the host-vehicle is proximate to a construction-zone; and

changing, in accordance with the determining that the host-vehicle is proximate the construction-zone, control of the host-vehicle from the automated-mode to a manual-mode, said manual-mode characterized by an occupant of the host-vehicle steering the host-vehicle.

17. The method in accordance with claim 16, wherein the determining that the host-vehicle is proximate the construction-zone is in accordance with a determination that the host-vehicle is closer than a threshold-distance to the construction-zone.

18. The method in accordance with claim 17, wherein the threshold-distance is two-hundred meters (200 m).

19. The method in accordance with claim 16, wherein the construction-object is associated with construction-zones.

20. The method in accordance with claim 19, wherein the construction-object is one or more of a construction-sign, a traffic-cone, a barricade, a construction-worker, and construction-equipment.

21. The method in accordance with claim 16, wherein the method includes receiving, by a receiver, a construction-broadcast.

22. The method in accordance with claim 16, wherein the method includes accessing a digital-map that designates the construction-zone.

23. The method in accordance with claim 22, wherein the determining that the host-vehicle is proximate the construction-zone is in accordance with a determination that a localization-object indicated in the digital-map is not detected by the detector.

24. The method in accordance with claim 22, wherein the determining that the host-vehicle is proximate the construction-zone is in accordance with a determination that an object-location of a localization-object detected by the detector is not located at a map-location of the localization-object indicated in the digital-map.

25. The method in accordance with claim 22, wherein the digital-map is stored remote from the host-vehicle, and the method includes accessing the digital-map.