Automated driving safety system

• US 9,141,109 B1
• Filed: 05/06/2014
• Issued: 09/22/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/06/2014
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America Incorporated (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Kamata, Nobuhide
• Primary Examiner(s): Marc, McDieunel
• Application Number:
  US14/271,318
• Time in Patent Office: 504 Days
• Field of Search: 701/436, 701/455, 701/23, 701/41, 701/42, 340/995.25
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/00 Purposes of road vehicle drive control systems not related to the control of a particular sub-unit, e.g. of systems using conjoint control of vehicle sub-units
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/023 Avoiding failures by using redundant parts
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/14 Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0061 for transition from automatic pilot to manual pilot and vice versa
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/02 Alarms for ensuring the safety of persons

Abstract

A system, device, and methods of automated driving. One example method includes determining a planned vehicle path using a path planner application receiving information based on inputs to one or more sensors disposed on a vehicle. The method further includes sending a command to one or more vehicle systems to control the vehicle to follow the planned vehicle path. While the vehicle follows the planned vehicle path, the method includes receiving an indication that the path planner application is not meeting a threshold performance level. After receiving the indication that the path planner application is not meeting the threshold performance level, the method further includes resending the previously sent command to the one or more vehicle systems to control the vehicle to follow the planned vehicle path.

Claims

1. An automated driving system, comprising:

one or more sensors disposed on a vehicle; and

a computing device in communication with the one or more sensors, comprising;

one or more processors for controlling the operations of the computing device; and

a memory for storing data and program instructions used by the one or more processors, wherein the one or more processors are configured to execute instructions stored in the memory to;

determine, using a path planner application receiving information based on inputs to the one or more sensors, a planned vehicle path;

send a command to one or more vehicle systems to control the vehicle to follow the planned vehicle path;

while the vehicle follows the planned vehicle path, receive an indication that the path planner application is not meeting a threshold performance level; and

after receiving the indication that the path planner application is not meeting the threshold performance level, resend the command to the one or more vehicle systems to control the vehicle to follow the planned vehicle path.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:

after receiving the indication that the path planner application is not meeting the threshold performance level, send a notification to a driver of the vehicle to take control of the one of more vehicle systems.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the notification includes at least one of an audible warning, a tactile warning, and visual warning.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:

after reaching a threshold time after sending the notification to the driver of the vehicle to take control of the one or more vehicle systems, send a command to the one or more vehicle systems to control the vehicle according to vehicle safety protocols.

5. The system of claim 2, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:

after sending the notification to the driver of the vehicle to take control of the one or more vehicle systems, receive an indication that the driver of the vehicle has taken control of the one or more vehicle systems; and

in response to the indication that the driver of the vehicle has taken control of the one or more vehicle systems, disable the automated driving system.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein determining the planned vehicle path includes at least one of analyzing a navigation route of the vehicle and analyzing information specific to the environment surrounding a vehicle.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the information specific to the environment surrounding the vehicle includes at least one of proximate object information and lane information.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the threshold performance level is based on meeting at least a predetermined accuracy score for calculations performed by the path planner application.

9. A computer-implemented method of automated driving, comprising:

determining, using a path planner application receiving information based on inputs to one or more sensors disposed on a vehicle, a planned vehicle path;

sending a command to one or more vehicle systems to control the vehicle to follow the planned vehicle path;

while the vehicle follows the planned vehicle path, receiving an indication that the path planner application is not meeting a threshold performance level; and

after receiving the indication that the path planner application is not meeting the threshold performance level, resending the command to the one or more vehicle systems to control the vehicle to follow the planned vehicle path.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

after receiving the indication that the path planner application is not meeting the threshold performance level, sending a notification to a driver of the vehicle to take control of the one of more vehicle systems, wherein the notification includes at least one of an audible warning, a tactile warning, and visual warning.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

after reaching a threshold time after sending the notification to the driver of the vehicle to take control of the one or more vehicle systems, sending a command to the one or more vehicle systems to control the vehicle according to vehicle safety protocols.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

after sending the notification to the driver of the vehicle to take control of the one or more vehicle systems, receiving an indication that the driver of the vehicle has taken control of the one or more vehicle systems; and

in response to the indication that the driver of the vehicle has taken control of the one or more vehicle systems, disabling the automated driving system.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein determining the planned vehicle path includes at least one of analyzing a navigation route of the vehicle and analyzing information specific to the environment surrounding a vehicle, wherein the information specific to the environment surrounding the vehicle includes at least one of proximate object information and lane information.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the threshold performance level is based on meeting at least a predetermined accuracy score for calculations performed by the path planner application.

15. A computing device, comprising:

one or more processors for controlling the operations of the computing device; and

a memory for storing data and program instructions used by the one or more processors, wherein the one or more processors are configured to execute instructions stored in the memory to;

determine, using a path planner application receiving information based on inputs to one or more sensors disposed on a vehicle, a planned vehicle path;

send a command to one or more vehicle systems to control the vehicle to follow the planned vehicle path;

while the vehicle follows the planned vehicle path, receive an indication that the path planner application is not meeting a threshold performance level; and

after receiving the indication that the path planner application is not meeting the threshold performance level, resend the command to the one or more vehicle systems to control the vehicle to follow the planned vehicle path.

16. The device of claim 15, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:

after receiving the indication that the path planner application is not meeting the threshold performance level, send a notification to a driver of the vehicle to take control of the one of more vehicle systems, wherein the notification includes at least one of an audible warning, a tactile warning, and visual warning.

17. The device of claim 16, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:

after reaching a threshold time after sending the notification to the driver of the vehicle to take control of the one or more vehicle systems, send a command to the one or more vehicle systems to control the vehicle according to vehicle safety protocols.

18. The device of claim 16, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:

after sending the notification to the driver of the vehicle to take control of the one or more vehicle systems, receive an indication that the driver of the vehicle has taken control of the one or more vehicle systems; and

in response to the indication that the driver of the vehicle has taken control of the one or more vehicle systems, disable the automated driving system.

19. The device of claim 15, wherein determining the planned vehicle path includes at least one of analyzing a navigation route of the vehicle and analyzing information specific to the environment surrounding a vehicle, wherein the information specific to the environment surrounding the vehicle includes at least one of proximate object information and lane information.

20. The device of claim 15, wherein the threshold performance level is based on meeting at least a predetermined accuracy score for calculations performed by the path planner application.