Engaging and disengaging for autonomous driving

• US 9,663,117 B2
• Filed: 10/28/2016
• Issued: 05/30/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Cullinane, Brian Douglas, Nemec, Philip, Clement, Manuel Christian, Mariet, Robertus Christianus Elisabeth, Jonsson, Lilli Ing-Marie
• Primary Examiner(s): CAMBY, RICHARD M
• Application Number:
  US15/337,339
• Publication Number:
  US 20170043788A1
• Time in Patent Office: 214 Days
• Field of Search: 701 23
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/172 Driving mode indication
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/175 Autonomous driving
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/172 Driving mode indication
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/175 Autonomous driving
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/00 Instruments specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement of instruments in or on vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/10 Input arrangements, i.e. from user to vehicle, associated with vehicle functions or specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/28 characterised by the type of the output information, e.g. video entertainment or vehicle dynamics information; characterised by the purpose of the output information, e.g. for attracting the attention of the driver
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 37/06 of controls, e.g. controls knobs
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/023 for transmission of signals between vehicle parts or subsystems
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2022/4866 Displaying or indicating arrangements thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 22/48 Control systems, alarms, or interlock systems, for the correct application of the belt or harness
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/105 using multiple cameras
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/0002 Automatic control, details of type of controller or control system architecture
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/0075 Automatic parameter input, automatic initialising or calibrating means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/146 Display means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/045 Occupant permissions
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/16 Ratio selector position
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/215 Selection or confirmation of options
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/229 Attention level, e.g. attentive to driving, reading or sleeping
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/00 Input parameters relating to infrastructure
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/20 : Road profile, i.e. the change in elevation or curvature of a plurality of continuous road segments
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/30 : Road curve radius
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/53 : Road markings, e.g. lane marker or crosswalk
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/801 : Lateral distance
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2555/20 : Ambient conditions, e.g. wind or rain
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/00 : Input parameters relating to data
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/45 : External transmission of data to or from the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/50 : of positioning data, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System] data
• 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 50/082 : Selecting or switching between different modes of propelling
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 60/0051 : from occupants to vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 60/0053 : from vehicle to occupant
• 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: G05D 1/0061 : for transition from automatic pilot to manual pilot and vice versa
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0212 : with means for defining a desired trajectory involving a plurality of land vehicles G05D1/0287
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0223 : involving speed control of the vehicle vehicle fittings for automatically controlling, i.e. preventing speed from exceeding an arbitrarily established velocity or maintaining speed at a particular velocity, as selected by the vehicle operator B60K31/00

Abstract

Aspects of the present disclosure relate switching between autonomous and manual driving modes. In order to do so, the vehicle'"'"'s computer may conduct a series of environmental, system, and driver checks to identify certain conditions. The computer may correct some of these conditions and also provide a driver with a checklist of tasks for completion. Once the tasks have been completed and the conditions are changed, the computer may allow the driver to switch from the manual to the autonomous driving mode. The computer may also make a determination, under certain conditions, that it would be detrimental to the driver'"'"'s safety or comfort to make a switch from the autonomous driving mode to the manual driving mode.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by one or more processors from a passenger of a vehicle, a request to operate the vehicle in an autonomous driving mode;

in response to receiving the request, determining, by the one or more processors, that a door of the vehicle is not properly closed;

generating, by the one or more processors, a set of tasks based on at least the determination that the door of the vehicle is not properly closed, wherein a first task of the set of tasks includes closing the door, each task of the set of tasks being assigned a priority level;

selecting the first task based on the priority levels of the set of tasks;

displaying, by the one or more processors on a display of the vehicle, to the passenger of the vehicle a request to complete the first task; and

only upon determining that all of the tasks of the set of tasks are completed, allowing, by the one or more processors, the vehicle to operate in the autonomous driving mode.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that the first task has been completed;

selecting a second task of the set of tasks based on the priority levels of the tasks of the set of tasks; and

displaying a request to complete the second task.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

reassessing the priority levels of the set of tasks after the first task has been completed and is no longer included in the set of tasks, and

wherein selecting the second task is further based on the reassessed priority levels.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one task of the set of tasks cannot be completed by the passenger and must be completed by the one or more processors.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one task of the set of tasks involves maneuvering the vehicle to a specific location by the passenger.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one task of the set of tasks is generated further based on a characteristic of a roadway.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one task of the set of tasks is generated further based on a location of the vehicle relative to a roadway.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one task of the set of tasks is generated further based whether the vehicle has met a minimum maintenance standard.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

after the first task is completed, generating a new set of tasks, each task of the new set of tasks being associated with a new priority level; and

selecting a second task of the new set of tasks based on the new priority levels, and

wherein the vehicle is allowed to operate in the autonomous driving mode only upon determining that all of the tasks of the new set of tasks are completed.

10. A system comprising:

one or more processors of one or more computing devices associated with a vehicle, the one or more processors being configured to;

receive, from a passenger of the vehicle, a request to operate the vehicle in an autonomous driving mode;

in response to receiving the request, determine that a door of the vehicle is not properly closed;

generate a set of tasks based on at least the determination that the door of the vehicle is not properly closed, wherein a first task of the set of tasks includes closing the door, each task of the set of tasks being assigned a priority level;

select the first task based on the priority levels of the set of tasks;

display, on a display of the vehicle to the passenger of the vehicle, a request to complete the first task; and

only upon determining that all of the tasks of the set of tasks are completed, allow the vehicle to operate in the autonomous driving mode.

11. The system of claim 10, further comprising the vehicle.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:

determine that the first task has been completed;

select a second task of the set of tasks based on the priority levels of the tasks of the set of tasks; and

display a request to complete the second task.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:

reassess the priority levels of the set of tasks after the first task has been completed and is no longer included in the set of tasks, and

wherein selecting the second task is further based on the reassessed priority levels.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein at least one task of the set of tasks cannot be completed by the passenger and must be completed by the one or more processors.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein at least one task of the set of tasks involves maneuvering the vehicle to a specific location by the passenger.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein at least one task of the set of tasks is generated further based on a characteristic of a roadway.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein at least one task of the set of tasks is generated further based on a location of the vehicle relative to a roadway.

18. The system of claim 11, wherein at least one task of the set of tasks is generated further based whether the vehicle has met a minimum maintenance standard.

19. The system of claim 11, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:

after the first task is completed, generate a new set of tasks, each task of the new set of tasks being associated with a new priority level; and

select a second task of the new set of tasks based on the new priority levels, and

wherein the vehicle is allowed to operate in the autonomous driving mode only upon determining that all of the tasks of the new set of tasks are completed.

20. A method comprising:

receive, from a passenger of a vehicle, a request to operate the vehicle in an autonomous driving mode;

in response to receiving the request, determining that a door of the vehicle is not properly closed;

generating a set of tasks based on at least the determination that a door of the vehicle is not properly closed, wherein a first task of the set of tasks includes closing the door, each task of the set of tasks being assigned a priority level;

selecting the first task based on the priority levels of the set of tasks;

displaying on a display of the vehicle, to the passenger of the vehicle a request to complete the first task; and

only upon determining that all of the tasks of the set of tasks are completed, allowing, by one or more processors, the vehicle to operate in the autonomous driving mode.