Autonomous vehicle with driver presence and physiological monitoring

• US 8,874,301 B1
• Filed: 07/09/2013
• Issued: 10/28/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/09/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Rao, Manoharprasad K., Cuddihy, Mark A., Le, Jialiang
• Primary Examiner(s): ARTHUR JEANGLAUDE, GERTRUDE
• Application Number:
  US13/937,446
• Time in Patent Office: 476 Days
• Field of Search: 701/1, 701/23, 701/25, 701/45, 701/46, 701/47, 340/439, 340/576, 180/232, 180/268, 180/271, 180/272, 180/273
• US Class Current: 701/25
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 28/04 responsive to presence or absence of the driver, e.g. to weight or lack thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 28/066 actuating a signalling device B60K28/063 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2040/0872 Driver physiology
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2040/0881 Seat occupation; Driver or passenger presence
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/221 Physiology, e.g. weight, heartbeat, health or special needs
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/227 Position in the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/229 Attention level, e.g. attentive to driving, reading or sleeping
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2756/10 Involving external transmission of data to or from the vehicle
• 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 60/007 Emergency override Handing over between remote control and on-board control or handing over between remote control arrangements G05D1/227
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2302/05 Leading to automatic stopping of the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0061 for transition from automatic pilot to manual pilot and vice versa

Abstract

A transportation vehicle with an autonomous driving control has a set-up mode, an active drive mode, a safe shutdown mode, and an emergency response mode. The active drive mode autonomously navigates along a driving route specified in the set-up mode. A driver sensing system senses a driver presence in the driver seat and a driver'"'"'s physiological state. Active drive mode is not entered from set-up mode unless the driver is present in the driver seat and the physiological state matches a normal condition. While in active driving mode, an elapsed time period is measured whenever the driver presence is not detected. If the time period increases above a first threshold then a notice is given to the driver that the active drive mode may be interrupted. If the time period increases above a second threshold then the active drive mode is terminated and the safe shutdown mode is initiated. A sensed physiological state is compared to a predetermined emergency condition and if a match is found then the autonomous driving control terminates the active drive mode and the emergency response mode is initiated.

Claims

1. A road transportation vehicle having a driver seat, comprising:

autonomous driving control having a set-up mode for specifying a driving route, an active drive mode for performing autonomous steering, acceleration, and braking functions to navigate along the driving route, a safe shutdown mode for identifying and autonomously proceeding to an out-of-traffic stopping location, and an emergency response mode for autonomously performing an emergency intervention; and

a driver sensing system for sensing a driver presence in the driver seat and for sensing a physiological state of the driver;

wherein while in the set-up mode the autonomous driving control compares the sensed physiological state to a predetermined normal condition, and the active drive mode is not entered unless the driver is present in the driver seat and the physiological state matches the predetermined normal condition;

wherein while in the active driving mode the autonomous driving control quantifies an elapsed time period over which the driver presence is not detected, wherein if the time period increases above a first threshold then the autonomous driving control initiates a warning state to provide a notice to the driver that the active drive mode will be interrupted if the driver presence continues to not be detected, and wherein if the time period increases above a second threshold then the autonomous driving control terminates the active drive mode and initiates the safe shutdown mode; and

wherein while in the active driving mode the autonomous driving control compares the sensed physiological state to a predetermined emergency condition and if a match is found then the autonomous driving control terminates the active drive mode and initiates the emergency response mode.

2. The vehicle of claim 1 wherein the emergency intervention is comprised of determining an emergency route to a medical assistance facility and performing autonomous steering, acceleration, and braking functions to navigate along the emergency route.

3. The vehicle of claim 1 wherein the emergency intervention is comprised of identifying and autonomously proceeding to an out-of-traffic stopping location and automatically transmitting a message to a public safety answering point.

4. The vehicle of claim 1 further comprising a driver infotainment system, wherein the notice in the warning state is comprised of an audible warning message generated by the infotainment system.

5. The vehicle of claim 1 wherein the driver sensing system is comprised of an infrared sensor for monitoring contents of the driver seat.

6. The vehicle of claim 1 wherein the driver sensing system is comprised of a capacitive sensor mounted in the driver seat.

7. The vehicle of claim 1 wherein the driver sensing system is comprised of a physiological sensor for measuring at least one of a driver'"'"'s heart rate, respiration, blood pressure, and alertness.

8. The vehicle of claim 1 wherein the driver sensing system is comprised of a vision sensor mounted in the vehicle which monitors both presence and driver physiological state.

9. The vehicle of claim 1 wherein the driver sensing system is comprised of a radar sensor mounted in the vehicle which monitors both presence and driver physiological state.

10. The vehicle of claim 1 wherein the driver sensing system is comprised of a Lidar sensor mounted in the vehicle which monitors both presence and driver physiological state.

11. A method for autonomous driving of a road transportation vehicle comprising the steps of:

specifying a driving route in a set-up mode;

sensing a driver presence in the driver seat and sensing a physiological state of the driver;

comparing the sensed physiological state to a predetermined normal condition and entering an active drive mode only if the driver is present in the driver seat and the physiological state matches the predetermined normal condition;

while in the active drive mode, performing autonomous steering, acceleration, and braking functions to navigate along the driving route;

while in the active driving mode, measuring an elapsed time period over which the driver presence is not detected and if the time period increases above a first threshold then initiating a warning state to provide a notice to the driver that the active drive mode will be interrupted if the driver presence continues to not be detected;

while in the active driving mode, if the time period increases above a second threshold then terminating the active drive mode and initiating a safe shutdown mode comprising the steps of identifying and autonomously proceeding to an out-of-traffic stopping location;

while in the active driving mode, comparing the sensed physiological state to a predetermined emergency condition and if a match is found then terminating the active drive mode and initiating an emergency response mode for autonomously performing an emergency intervention.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the emergency intervention is comprised of determining an emergency route to a medical assistance facility and performing autonomous steering, acceleration, and braking functions to navigate along the emergency route.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein the emergency intervention is comprised of identifying and autonomously proceeding to an out-of-traffic stopping location and automatically transmitting a message to a public safety answering point.

14. The method of claim 11 wherein the notice in the warning state is comprised of an audible warning message.

15. The method of claim 11 wherein the step of sensing a driver presence in the driver seat employs an infrared sensor for monitoring contents of the driver seat.

16. The method of claim 11 wherein the step of sensing a driver presence in the driver seat and sensing a physiological state of the driver employs a capacitive sensor mounted in the driver seat.

17. The method of claim 11 wherein the physiological state is comprised of at least one of a driver'"'"'s heart rate, respiration, blood pressure, and alertness.

18. The method of claim 11 wherein the step of sensing a driver presence in the driver seat and sensing a physiological state of the driver employs a vision sensor mounted in the vehicle.

19. The method of claim 11 wherein the step of sensing a driver presence in the driver seat and sensing a physiological state of the driver employs a radar sensor mounted in the vehicle.

20. The method of claim 11 wherein the step of sensing a driver presence in the driver seat and sensing a physiological state of the driver employs a lidar sensor mounted in the vehicle.