System and method for auto-correcting an autonomous driving system

• US 8,823,530 B2
• Filed: 02/15/2013
• Issued: 09/02/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/17/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Green, Charles A., Salinger, Jeremy A., Tsimhoni, Omer, Raphael, Eric L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tweel, Jr., John A
• Application Number:
  US13/768,623
• Publication Number:
  US 20140139341A1
• Time in Patent Office: 564 Days
• Field of Search: 340/576, 340/575, 340/439, 180/272
• US Class Current: 340/576
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2503/22 Motor vehicles operators, e.g. drivers, pilots, captains
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/163 by tracking eye movement, gaze, or pupil change
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/18 for vehicle drivers or machine operators
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6893 Cars
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 28/06 responsive to incapacity of driver
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2040/0863 due to erroneous selection or response of the driver
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/09 Driving style or behaviour
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/14 Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/02 Alarms for ensuring the safety of persons
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/06 indicating a condition of sleep, e.g. anti-dozing alarms

Abstract

A method and system for driver attention management system may include means for closed-loop diagnostics. A convenience message may alert a driver of an item of interest to the driver. A sensor may detect the driver'"'"'s response to the convenience message. Based on the response to the convenience message, the characteristics of an attentive response from the driver may be determined. The determined attentive response may be used by a driver attention management system. The driver attention management system may be able to diagnose errors in the sensors that are used in the driver attention management system. The driver attention management system may also be able to determine whether a driver is exercising sufficient supervisory control of a vehicle by determining whether the driver is attentively responding to prompts provided by the driver attention management system. The driver attention management system may be used in an autonomous or semi-autonomous driving system.

Claims

1. A closed-loop diagnostics method, comprising:

providing, by a processor in a vehicle, a convenience message to alert a driver of an item of interest to the driver;

detecting, by a sensor, the driver'"'"'s response to the convenience message;

determining, based on the driver'"'"'s response, the characteristics of an attentive response from the driver; and

utilizing the determined characteristics of the attentive response in a driver attention management system.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein utilizing the characteristics of the attentive response in a driver attention management system comprises diagnosing sensor error in the driver attention management system, based on the characteristics of the attentive response.

3. The method of claim 1, comprising requesting a response from the driver after the convenience message is provided.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein utilizing the determined characteristics of the attentive response in a driver attention management system comprises:

providing a prompt to the driver;

detecting the driver'"'"'s response to the prompt; and

determining whether the driver exercises sufficient supervisory control of the vehicle based on the driver'"'"'s response to the prompt and the determined characteristics of the attentive response.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein determining whether the driver exercises sufficient supervisory control of the vehicle comprises determining whether the driver'"'"'s response to the prompt is similar to the determined characteristics of the attentive response.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the convenience message is provided less frequently than the prompt to the driver.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting the driver'"'"'s response to the convenience message comprises detecting behavioral characteristics of the driver, including head movement, eye movement, body movement, or interactions with the vehicle.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein providing a convenience message to alert a driver comprises providing at least one of:

an audio message, visual message, and an audiovisual message.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the item of interest to the driver comprises information on at least one of:

an external driving condition and points of interest in the vehicle'"'"'s vicinity.

10. A closed-loop diagnostics system, comprising:

a processor, on a vehicle, to provide a convenience message to alert a driver of an item of interest to the driver;

a sensor to detect the driver'"'"'s response to the convenience message;

wherein the processor is further to;

determine, based on the driver'"'"'s response, the characteristics of an attentive response from the driver; and

utilize the determined characteristics of the attentive response in a driver attention management system.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the processor is to utilize the characteristics of the attentive response in a driver attention management system by diagnosing sensor error in the driver attention management system, based on the characteristics of the attentive response.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the processor is to utilize the characteristics of the attentive response in a driver attention management system by:

providing a prompt to the driver;

detecting the driver'"'"'s response to the prompt; and

determining whether the driver exercises sufficient supervisory control of the vehicle based on the driver'"'"'s response to the prompt and the determined characteristics of the attentive response.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the processor is to determine whether the driver exercises sufficient supervisory control of the vehicle by determining whether the driver'"'"'s response to the prompt is similar to the determined characteristics of the attentive response.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the processor is to provide a convenience message less frequently than the prompt to the driver.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the sensor is to detect the driver'"'"'s response to the convenience message by detecting behavioral characteristics of the driver, including head movement, eye movement, body movement, or interactions with the vehicle.

16. An apparatus, comprising:

a convenience messaging system to;

alert a driver of an item of interest to the driver;

detect the driver'"'"'s response to the convenience message;

determine an attentive driver response based on the driver'"'"'s response to the convenience message;

a driver attention management system to determine whether the driver exercises sufficient supervisory control of a vehicle, based on the determined attentive driver response.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the driver attention management system is adapted to diagnose sensor error in the driver attention management system, based on the determined attentive response.

18. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the driver attention management system is to:

provide a prompt to the driver;

detect the driver'"'"'s response to the prompt; and

determine whether the driver exercises sufficient supervisory control of the vehicle based on whether the driver'"'"'s response to the prompt is similar to the determined attentive driver response.

19. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the convenience messaging system to alert a driver of an item of interest to the driver by providing at least one of:

an audio message, visual message, and an audiovisual message.

20. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the convenience messaging system is to detect the driver'"'"'s response to the convenience message by detecting behavioral characteristics of the driver, including head movement, eye movement, body movement, or interactions with the vehicle.