# US 11,077,863 B2 · Secondary disengage alert for autonomous vehicles > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,077,863 B2 - Document ID: US11077863B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/599,693 - Filed: 2019-10-11 - Published: 2021-02-18 - Granted: 2021-08-03 - Earliest claimed: 2019-08-14 - Assignees: Waymo LLC - Applicants: Waymo LLC - Inventors: Philip Nemec; Keith Hutchings; Julien Mercay; Annissa Al-Alusi; Saswat Panigrahi; Cristi Landy; Matthew Schwall - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11077863B2 ## CPC - B60W 50/10: Interpretation of driver requests or demands - B60W 40/105: Speed - B60W 50/14: Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention - B60W 60/0053: {from vehicle to occupant} - G05D 1/0061: {for transition from automatic pilot to manual pilot and vice versa} - G05D 1/0088: {characterized by the autonomous decision making process, e.g. artificial intelligence, predefined behaviours (using knowledge based models G06N5/00)} - G05D 1/81: Handing over between on-board automatic and on-board manual control - B60W 60/0061: {Aborting handover process} - B60W 2050/0073: {Driver overrides controller} - B60W 2050/143: {Alarm means} - B60W 2050/146: {Display means} - B60W 2540/10: Accelerator pedal position - B60W 2540/12: Brake pedal position - B60W 2540/18: Steering angle - 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 - G05D: SYSTEMS FOR CONTROLLING OR REGULATING NON-ELECTRIC VARIABLES ## Abstract Aspects of the disclosure provide for determining when to provide and providing secondary disengage alerts for a vehicle having autonomous and manual driving modes. For instance, while the vehicle is being controlled in the autonomous driving mode, receiving user input at one or more using input devices of the vehicle. In response to receiving the user input, the vehicle may be transitioned from the autonomous driving mode to a manual driving mode and provide a primary disengage alert to an occupant of the vehicle regarding the transition. Whether to provide a secondary disengage alert may be determined based on at least circumstances of the user input. After the transition, the secondary disengage alert may be provided based on the determination. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of providing disengage alerts to an occupant of a vehicle having autonomous and manual driving modes, the method comprising: while the vehicle is being controlled in the autonomous driving mode, receiving, by one or more processors, user input at one or more using input devices of the vehicle; in response to receiving the user input, transitioning, by the one or more processors, the vehicle from the autonomous driving mode to a manual driving mode and providing an audible primary disengage alert to the occupant of the vehicle regarding the transition; determining, by the one or more processors, whether the user input was intentional or unintentional based on whether there has been additional user input within a predetermined period of time from when the user input was received or when the transition occurred; and after the transition, providing, by the one or more processors, an audible secondary disengage alert to the occupant of the vehicle when it is determined that the user input was unintentional. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the user input relates to a type of a user input device at which the user input was received. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein when the type of the user input device is a steering wheel, the determination of whether the user input was intentional or unintentional is based on at least whether the user input meets a predetermined torque threshold. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, further comprising determining whether the user input meets a predetermined torque for at least a predetermined duration. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising storing the predetermined period of time in a memory. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the additional user input is a control input at one or more of a steering wheel, brake pedal, or accelerator of the vehicle. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the additional user input is a non-control input at one or more user inputs of the vehicle other than a steering wheel, brake pedal, or accelerator of the vehicle. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein when there has been no control input at one or more of a steering wheel, brake pedal, or accelerator of the vehicle and no non-control input at one or more user inputs of the vehicle other than a steering wheel, brake pedal or accelerator of the vehicle within the period of time, determining that the user input was unintentional. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein when the additional input includes control input at one or more of a steering wheel, brake pedal or accelerator of the vehicle and no non-control input at one or more user inputs of the vehicle other than a steering wheel, brake pedal or accelerator of the vehicle, determining that the user input was unintentional. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein when the additional input includes control input at one or more of a steering wheel, brake pedal or accelerator of the vehicle and non-control input at one or more user inputs of the vehicle other than a steering wheel, brake pedal or accelerator of the vehicle, determining that the user input was intentional. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising determining the period of time based on a current speed of the vehicle. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein when the current speed is a first speed, the period of time is less than when the current speed is a second speed less than the first speed. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the determining whether the user input was intentional or unintentional is further based on whether a predetermined period of time has lapsed since the autonomous driving mode was engaged. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein when the predetermined period of time has lapsed since the autonomous driving mode was engaged, determining that the user input was unintentional. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the determining whether the user input was intentional or unintentional is further based on whether a predetermined period of time has lapsed since non-control input was received at one or more user inputs of the vehicle other than a steering wheel, brake pedal or accelerator of the vehicle. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising, disabling the audible secondary disengage alert based on whether there is a second occupant in the vehicle. ### Claim 17 A system for providing disengage alerts to an occupant of a vehicle having autonomous and manual driving modes, the system comprising one or more processors configured to: while the vehicle is being controlled in the autonomous driving mode, receive user input at one or more using input devices of the vehicle; in response to receiving the user input, transition the vehicle from the autonomous driving mode to a manual driving mode and provide an audible primary disengage alert to the occupant of the vehicle regarding the transition; determine whether the user input was intentional or unintentional based on whether there has been additional user input within a predetermined period of time from when the user input was received or when the transition occurred; and after the transition, provide an audible secondary disengage alert to the occupant of the vehicle when it is determined that the user input was unintentional. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The system of claim 17, further comprising a memory, wherein the predetermined period of time is stored in the memory. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The system of claim 17, wherein the determination as to whether the user input was intentional or unintentional is further based on whether a predetermined period of time has lapsed since the autonomous driving mode was engaged. ### Claim 20 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein when the type of the user input device is a button that causes the vehicle to transition to the manual driving mode, the audible secondary disengage alert is not provided. ### Claim 21 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, further comprising: when the type of the user input device is one of a brake pedal and accelerator, determining whether the user input meets a predetermined force threshold; and providing the audible secondary disengage alert when it is determined that user input is unintentional because the user input does not meet the predetermined force threshold. ### Claim 22 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the audible secondary disengage alert is louder than the audible primary disengage alert. ### Claim 23 (depends on 17) The system of claim 17, wherein the audible secondary disengage alert is louder than the audible primary disengage alert. ### Claim 24 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: adjusting, by the one or more processors, the predetermined period of time based on a speed of the vehicle. ### Claim 25 (depends on 17) The system of claim 17, wherein the predetermined period of time is adjusted based on a speed of the vehicle.