# US 10,864,917 B2 · Engaging and disengaging for autonomous driving > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,864,917 B2 - Document ID: US10864917B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/377,383 - Filed: 2019-04-08 - Published: 2019-09-26 - Granted: 2020-12-15 - Earliest claimed: 2012-11-30 - Assignees: Waymo LLC - Applicants: Waymo LLC - Inventors: Brian Douglas Cullinane; Philip Nemec; Manuel Christian Clement; Robertus Christianus Elisabeth Mariet; Lilli Ing-Marie Jonsson - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10864917B2 ## CPC - B60W 50/082: {Selecting or switching between different modes of propelling} - B60K 35/10: Input arrangements, i.e. from user to vehicle, associated with vehicle functions or specially adapted therefor - B60K 35/22: Display screens - 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 - B60K 35/29: Instruments characterised by the way in which information is handled, e.g. showing information on plural displays or prioritising information according to driving conditions - B60R 16/023: for transmission of signals between vehicle parts or subsystems - B60R 22/48: Control systems, alarms, or interlock systems, for the correct application of the belt or harness - 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 - B60W 60/0051: {from occupants to vehicle} - B60W 60/0053: {from vehicle to occupant} - B60W 60/0059: {Estimation of the risk associated with autonomous or manual driving, e.g. situation too complex, sensor failure or driver incapacity} - G05D 1/00: Control of position, course, altitude or attitude of land, water, air or space vehicles, e.g. using automatic pilots (drive control systems specially adapted for autonomous road vehicles B60W60/00) - G05D 1/0061: {for transition from automatic pilot to manual pilot and vice versa} - G05D 1/0212: {with means for defining a desired trajectory (involving a plurality of land vehicles G05D1/0287)} - 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)} - G05D 1/646: Following a predefined trajectory, e.g. a line marked on the floor or a flight path - G05D 1/65: Following a desired speed profile - G05D 1/81: Handing over between on-board automatic and on-board manual control - B60K 2360/172: Driving mode indication - B60K 2360/175: Autonomous driving - B60R 2022/4866: {Displaying or indicating arrangements thereof} - B60R 2300/105: using multiple cameras - B60W 2050/0002: {Automatic control, details of type of controller or control system architecture} - B60W 2050/0075: {Automatic parameter input, automatic initialising or calibrating means} - B60W 2050/146: {Display means} - B60W 2540/045: Occupant permissions - B60W 2540/16: Ratio selector position - B60W 2540/215: Selection or confirmation of options - B60W 2540/229: Attention level, e.g. attentive to driving, reading or sleeping - B60W 2552/00: Input parameters relating to infrastructure - B60W 2552/20: Road profile, i.e. the change in elevation or curvature of a plurality of continuous road segments - B60W 2552/30: Road curve radius - B60W 2552/53: Road markings, e.g. lane marker or crosswalk - B60W 2554/801: Lateral distance - B60W 2555/20: Ambient conditions, e.g. wind or rain - B60W 2556/00: Input parameters relating to data - B60W 2556/45: External transmission of data to or from the vehicle - B60W 2556/50: of positioning data, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System] data - B60W: CONJOINT CONTROL OF VEHICLE SUB-UNITS OF DIFFERENT TYPE OR DIFFERENT FUNCTION; CONTROL SYSTEMS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR HYBRID VEHICLES; ROAD VEHICLE DRIVE CONTROL SYSTEMS FOR PURPOSES NOT RELATED TO THE CONTROL OF A PARTICULAR SUB-UNIT - B60K: ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF PROPULSION UNITS OR OF TRANSMISSIONS IN VEHICLES; ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF PLURAL DIVERSE PRIME-MOVERS IN VEHICLES; AUXILIARY DRIVES FOR VEHICLES; INSTRUMENTATION OR DASHBOARDS FOR VEHICLES; ARRANGEMENTS IN CONNECTION WITH COOLING, AIR INTAKE, GAS EXHAUST OR FUEL SUPPLY OF PROPULSION UNITS IN VEHICLES - B60R: VEHICLES, VEHICLE FITTINGS, OR VEHICLE PARTS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR - G05D: SYSTEMS FOR CONTROLLING OR REGULATING NON-ELECTRIC VARIABLES ## 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 ### Claim 1 A method comprising: receiving, by one or more processors from an occupant of a vehicle, a request to operate the vehicle in an autonomous driving mode; assessing, by the one or more processors, a status of a door of the vehicle is; generating, by the one or more processors, display information based on at least the assessment; displaying, by the one or more processors on a display of the vehicle, the display information to the occupant of the vehicle; and only upon determining that the door is closed, allowing, by the one or more processors, the vehicle to operate in the autonomous driving mode in response to the request. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the assessment includes accessing information from a door sensor of the vehicle. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein assessing the status of the door includes determining whether the door is open. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein assessing the status of the door includes determining whether the door is improperly closed. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein assessing the status of the door is performed continuously. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising, generating a task based on the assessment, the task including closing the door, and wherein allowing the vehicle to operate in the autonomous driving mode occurs after the task has been completed. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising, displaying the display information until the door is closed. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, further comprising: identifying a problem condition by assessing status of an aspect of the vehicle; generating second display information based on the problem condition; and displaying the second display information at a time when the display information is not being display. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein generating the second display information occurs while the vehicle is operating in the autonomous driving mode. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, wherein the second display information requests that the occupant complete a task. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising, after displaying the display information, determining that the door is closed. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, further comprising, reassessing the status of the door after the determining that the door is closed. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: determining that a problem condition exists which cannot be corrected by the one or more processors; generating a notification explaining that the autonomous driving mode is unavailable based on the problem condition; and displaying the notification to the occupant. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein the problem condition cannot be corrected by the occupant. ### Claim 15 A system comprising one or more processors configured to: receive, from an occupant of a vehicle, a request to operate the vehicle in an autonomous driving mode; assess a status of a door of the vehicle is; generate display information based on at least the assessment; display, on a display of the vehicle, the display information to the occupant of the vehicle; and only upon determining that the door is closed, allow the vehicle to operate in the autonomous driving mode in response to the request. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The system of claim 15, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to generate a task based on the assessment, the task including closing the door, and wherein allowing the vehicle to operate in the autonomous driving mode occurs after the task has been completed. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The system of claim 15, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to: identify a problem condition by assessing status of an aspect of the vehicle; generate second display information based on the problem condition; and display the second display information at a time when the display information is not being display. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The system of claim 17, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to generate the second display information while the vehicle is operating in the autonomous driving mode. ### Claim 19 (depends on 15) The system of claim 15, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to after displaying the display information, determine that the door is closed. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The system of claim 19, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to reassess the status of the door after the determining that the door is closed.