User interface for displaying internal state of autonomous driving system

• US 8,670,891 B1
• Filed: 03/07/2013
• Issued: 03/11/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Waymo LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Szybalski, Andrew, Prada Gomez, Luis Ricardo, Urmson, Christopher Paul, Thrun, Sebastian, Nemec, Philip
• Primary Examiner(s): BROWN, DREW J
• Application Number:
  US13/788,552
• Time in Patent Office: 369 Days
• Field of Search: 701/11, 701/23, 701/24, 701/36, 701/41, 701/70
• US Class Current: 701/23
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/04 including control of propulsion units
• 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 10/30 including control of auxiliary equipment, e.g. air-conditioning compressors or oil pumps
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/146 Display means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/10 Interpretation of driver requests or demands
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/14 Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 1/286 Systems for interrupting non-mechanical steering due to driver intervention
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 15/025 Active steering aids, e.g. helping the driver by actively influencing the steering system after environment evaluation B62D1/28 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/10 providing dedicated supplementary positioning signals
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0061 for transition from automatic pilot to manual pilot and vice versa
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials

Abstract

A passenger in an automated vehicle may relinquish control of the vehicle to a control computer when the control computer has determined that it may maneuver the vehicle safely to a destination. The passenger may relinquish or regain control of the vehicle by applying different degrees of pressure, for example, on a steering wheel of the vehicle. The control computer may convey status information to a passenger in a variety of ways including by illuminating elements of the vehicle. The color and location of the illumination may indicate the status of the control computer, for example, whether the control computer has been armed, is ready to take control of the vehicle, or is currently controlling the vehicle.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

determining, by a processor, whether a control computer associated with a vehicle is ready to autonomously control the vehicle;

when the control computer is ready to autonomously control the vehicle, providing a notification to the user that the control computer is engaged and ready to control the vehicle instead of a user;

receiving a first input indicating that the user is ready for the vehicle to engage the autonomous driving system;

engaging the autonomous driving system upon receiving the first input;

monitoring one of a steering wheel, brake pedal, and accelerator of the vehicle for a second input from the user; and

returning control to the user when the control computer has detected the second input is above a pressure threshold.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first input is provided through a press of a button of a user interface of the vehicle.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the notification to the user that the control computer is engaged includes displaying the notification on a display device of the vehicle.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the notification to the user that the control computer is engaged includes playing an audio message.

5. A method comprising:

determining whether the control computer is ready to autonomously control the vehicle in an autonomous driving mode;

monitoring, by a control computer, one of a steering wheel, brake pedal, and accelerator of the vehicle operating in an autonomous driving mode for an input from a user; and

when the control computer has detected the input being above a pressure threshold, (1) discontinuing autonomous mode of the vehicle and (2) returning control of the vehicle to the user for operation in a manual driving mode.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising, when the control computer is ready to autonomously control the vehicle, providing a notification to the user that the control computer is engaged and ready to control the vehicle.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein providing the notification to the user that the control computer is engaged includes displaying the notification on a display device of the vehicle.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein providing the notification to the user that the control computer is engaged includes playing an audio message.

9. The method of claim 5, further comprising, receiving a second input indicating that the user is ready for the vehicle to engage an autonomous driving mode;

and

engaging the autonomous driving mode upon receiving the second input.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the second input is provided through a press of a button of a user interface of the vehicle.

11. A device comprising:

a processor configured to;

determine whether a control computer associated with a vehicle is ready to autonomously control the vehicle;

when the control computer is ready to autonomously control the vehicle, provide a notification to the user that the control computer is engaged and ready to control the vehicle instead of a user;

receive a first input indicating that the user is ready for the vehicle to engage the autonomous driving system;

engage the autonomous driving system upon receiving the first input;

monitor one of a steering wheel, brake pedal, and accelerator of the vehicle for a second input from the user; and

return control to the user when the control computer has detected the second input is above a pressure threshold.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the first input is provided through a press of a button of a user interface of the vehicle.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein providing the notification to the user that the control computer is engaged includes displaying the notification on a display device of the vehicle.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein providing the notification to the user that the control computer is engaged includes playing an audio message.

15. A system comprising:

a control computer configured to;

determine whether the control computer is ready to autonomously control a vehicle in an autonomous driving mode;

monitor one of a steering wheel, brake pedal, and accelerator of the vehicle operating in an autonomous driving mode for an input from a user; and

when the control computer has detected the input being above a pressure threshold, (1) discontinuing the autonomous mode of the vehicle and (2) returning control of the vehicle to the user for operation in a manual driving mode.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the control computer is further configured to, when the control computer is ready to autonomously control the vehicle, provide a notification to the user that the control computer is engaged and ready to control the vehicle.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein providing the notification to the user that the control computer is engaged includes displaying the notification on a display device of the vehicle.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein providing the notification to the user that the control computer is engaged includes playing an audio message.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the control computer is further configured to:

receive a second input indicating that the user is ready for the vehicle to engage an autonomous driving mode; and

engage the autonomous driving mode upon receiving the second input.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the second input is provided through a press of a button of a user interface of the vehicle.