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US 10,377,303 B2Granted
Management of driver and vehicle modes for semi-autonomous driving systems
AssigneeToyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.
InventorsJohn Michael McNew, Vladimeros Vladimerou
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A least restrictive allowable driving state of a semi-autonomous driving system is determined based on one or more threats and sensor performance. A current driving state and a future driving state are determined based on an attention state and a steering state of a driver. Warnings are provided to the driver in order to match the current driving state to the future driving state. Driver interaction and attention are enforced when the driver does not respond to the warnings.
Claims20
An apparatus, comprising circuitry configured to:
- determine an allowable driving state of a driver of a semi-autonomous driving system that is less restrictive than one or more other driving states of the driver based on one or more threats and performance of one or more sensors;
- classify one of the one or more threats as a comfort threat, which does not affect safety, or a safety threat based on a stored consequence level and a stored time-to-consequence associated with the one or more threats wherein the comfort threat is associated with a first type of consequence that corresponds to a reduction in driver comfort without a reduction in driver safety and a safety threat corresponds to a second type of consequence that corresponds to the reduction in driver safety;
- determine a current driving state of the driver and a future driving state of the driver based on a sensed attention state and a sensed steering state of the driver that is sensed using at least a capacitive steering wheel sensor mounted on a steering wheel of a vehicle that includes the semi-autonomous driving system to determine whether the driver is touching the steering wheel;
- provide warnings to the driver via a human machine interface (HMI) associated with the semi-autonomous driving system to match the current driving state of the driver to the future driving state of the driver;
- and
- enforce driving interaction or attention by modifying an engagement status of the semi-autonomous driving system to cause a physical change in the driving state of the vehicle when the driver is not responding to the warnings.
3 more elements
A method, comprising:
- determining an allowable driving state of a driver of a semi-autonomous driving system that is less restrictive than one or more other driving states of the driver based on one or more threats and performance of one or more sensors;
- classifying one of the one or more threats as a comfort threat, which does not affect safety, or a safety threat based on a stored consequence level and a stored time-to-consequence associated with the one or more threats wherein the comfort threat is associated with a first type of consequence that corresponds to a reduction in driver comfort without a reduction in driver safety and a safety threat corresponds to a second type of consequence that corresponds to the reduction in driver safety;
- determining a current driving state of the driver and a future driving state of the driver based on a sensed attention state and a sensed steering state of the driver that is sensed using at least a capacitive steering wheel sensor mounted on a steering wheel of a vehicle that includes the semi-autonomous driving system to determine whether the driver is touching the steering wheel;
- providing warnings to the driver via a human machine interface (HMI) associated with the semi-autonomous driving system to match the current driving state of the driver to the future driving state of the driver;
- and
- enforcing driving interaction or attention by modifying an engagement status of the semi-autonomous driving system to cause a physical change in the driving state of the vehicle when the driver is not responding to the warnings.
3 more elements
A system, comprising:
- one or more sensors to obtain threat data and driver monitoring data;
- and
- a controller including a processor configured to:
- determine an allowable driving state of a driver of a semi-autonomous driving system that is less restrictive than one or more other driving states of the driver based on one or more threats and performance of one or more sensors;
- classify one of the one or more threats as a comfort threat, which does not affect safety, or a safety threat based on a stored consequence level and a stored time-to-consequence associated with the one or more threats wherein the comfort threat is associated with a first type of consequence that corresponds to a reduction in driver comfort without a reduction in driver safety and a safety threat corresponds to a second type of consequence that corresponds to the reduction in driver safety;
- determine a current driving state of the driver and a future driving state of the driver based on a sensed attention state and a sensed steering state of the driver that is sensed using at least a capacitive steering wheel sensor mounted on a steering wheel of a vehicle that includes the semi-autonomous driving system to determine whether the driver is touching the steering wheel;
- provide warnings to the driver via a human machine interface (HMI) associated with the semi-autonomous driving system to match the current driving state of the driver to the future driving state of the driver;
- and
- enforce driving interaction or attention by modifying an engagement status of the semi-autonomous driving system to cause a physical change in the driving state of the vehicle when the driver is not responding to the warnings.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.