Engaging and disengaging for autonomous driving

• US 9,821,818 B2
• Filed: 04/27/2017
• Issued: 11/21/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Waymo LLC (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:
  US15/498,886
• Publication Number:
  US 20170253253A1
• Time in Patent Office: 208 Days
• 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;

assessing, by one or more processors using information generated by one or more sensors of the vehicle, a current location of the vehicle;

in response to receiving the request, generating, by the one or more processors, a set of tasks based on the current location of the vehicle, wherein a first task of the set of tasks includes maneuvering the vehicle in a manual driving mode, 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, wherein the first task includes changing a current speed of the vehicle.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first task includes maneuvering the vehicle from one lane to another lane.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein assessing the current location of the vehicle includes determining whether the vehicle is currently driving in a lane designated for autonomous driving as defined by detailed map information of the vehicle'"'"'s environment accessible by the one or more processors, and wherein generating the set of tasks is further based on whether the vehicle is currently driving in the lane designated for autonomous driving.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the first task includes maneuvering the vehicle to the lane designated for autonomous driving.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein assessing the current location of the vehicle includes determining shape characteristics of a roadway on which the vehicle is currently driving, and wherein generating the set of tasks is further based on the shape characteristics.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the shape characteristics include whether or not the roadway is curved.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the shape characteristics include a width of the roadway.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the first task includes attempting to move the vehicle towards a center of a lane in which the vehicle is currently located.

10. The method of claim 1, assessing the current location of the vehicle includes determining whether another object is pulling in a lane of the vehicle.

11. The method of claim 1, assessing the current location of the vehicle includes determining whether another object is within a predetermined distance of the vehicle.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising assessing a current speed of the vehicle, and wherein generating the set of tasks is further based on the current speed.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the first task includes changing a speed of the vehicle.

14. A system comprising one or more computing devices having one or more processors configured to:

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

assess, using information generated by one or more sensors of the vehicle, a current location of the vehicle;

in response to receiving the request, generate a set of tasks based on the current location of the vehicle, wherein a first task of the set of tasks includes maneuvering the vehicle in a manual driving mode, 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.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the first task includes changing a current speed of the vehicle.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the first task includes maneuvering the vehicle from one lane to another lane.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to assess the current location of the vehicle by determining whether the vehicle is currently driving in a lane designated for autonomous driving as defined by detailed map information of the vehicle'"'"'s environment accessible by the one or more processors, and generate the set of tasks further based on whether the vehicle is currently driving in the lane designated for autonomous driving.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the first task includes maneuvering the vehicle to the lane designated for autonomous driving.

19. The system of claim 14, further comprising the vehicle.

20. The system of claim 14, further comprising the display.