# US 11,113,970 B2 · Apparatus and method of safety support for vehicle > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,113,970 B2 - Document ID: US11113970B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/698,038 - Filed: 2019-11-27 - Published: 2020-03-26 - Granted: 2021-09-07 - Earliest claimed: 2017-03-14 - Assignees: Hyundai Mobis Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Hyundai Mobis Co., Ltd. - Inventors: David Agnew; Doug MacKenzie; Nathan Johnson - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11113970B2 ## CPC - G08G 1/16: Anti-collision systems (road vehicle drive control systems for predicting or avoiding probable or impending collision otherwise than by control of a particular sub-unit B60W30/08) - B60W 30/09: Taking automatic action to avoid collision, e.g. braking and steering - B60W 40/04: Traffic conditions - B60W 50/0098: {Details of control systems ensuring comfort, safety or stability not otherwise provided for} - B60W 50/14: Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention - B60W 60/0051: {from occupants to vehicle} - 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 1/0055: {with safety arrangements} - B60W 2040/0818: {Inactivity or incapacity of driver} - B60W 2040/0872: {Driver physiology} - B60W 2050/143: {Alarm means} - B60W 2420/403: Image sensing, e.g. optical camera - B60W 2420/408: Radar; Laser, e.g. lidar - B60W 2420/54: Audio sensitive means, e.g. ultrasound - B60W 2540/043: Identity of occupants - B60W 2540/10: Accelerator pedal position - B60W 2540/12: Brake pedal position - B60W 2540/18: Steering angle - B60W 2540/21: Voice - B60W 2540/22: Psychological state; Stress level or workload - B60W 2540/221: Physiology, e.g. weight, heartbeat, health or special needs - B60W 2540/223: Posture, e.g. hand, foot, or seat position, turned or inclined - B60W 2540/225: Direction of gaze - B60W 2540/229: Attention level, e.g. attentive to driving, reading or sleeping - B60W 2540/26: Incapacity - B60W 2554/00: Input parameters relating to objects - B60W 2554/4029: Pedestrians - B60W 2554/801: Lateral distance - B60W 2554/802: Longitudinal distance - B60W 2556/10: Historical data - B60W 2756/10: Involving external transmission of data to or from the vehicle - G05D 1/0231: {using optical position detecting means (position-fixing by using electromagnetic waves other than radio waves, e.g. optical position detecting means G01S5/16)} - G05D 1/0255: {using acoustic signals, e.g. ultra-sonic singals (sonar systems designed for anti-collision purposes G01S15/93)} - G05D 1/0257: {using a radar (radar systems designed for anti-collision purposes between land vehicles or between land vehicle and fixed obstacles G01S13/931)} - G08G: TRAFFIC CONTROL SYSTEMS (guiding railway traffic, ensuring the safety of railway traffic B61L; arrangement of road signs or traffic signals E01F9/00; radar or analogous systems, sonar systems, lidar systems specially adapted for traffic control G01S13/91, G01S15/88, G01S17/88; {radar or analogous systems, sonar systems, lidar systems specially adapted for anti-collision purposes G01S13/93, G01S15/93, G01S17/93}) - 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 A vehicle safety support apparatus includes: a driver monitoring sensor configured to monitor a driver; an external environment monitoring sensor configured to monitor an external environment of a vehicle; and at least one processor configured to: determine whether the vehicle is in an immediate hazard situation based on data acquired from the driver monitoring sensor and the external environment monitoring sensor; determine, in response to determining that the vehicle is in the immediate hazard situation, whether to perform a recovery maneuver or a rescue maneuver based on the data acquired from the driver monitoring sensor and the external environment monitoring sensor to get out of the immediate hazard situation; and perform, in response to determining to perform the rescue maneuver, autonomous driving to move the vehicle to a safe area by taking over a driving control from the driver. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A vehicle safety support apparatus comprising: a driver monitoring sensor configured to monitor a driver; an external environment monitoring sensor configured to monitor an external environment of a vehicle; and at least one processor configured to: determine whether the vehicle is in an immediate hazard situation based on data acquired from the driver monitoring sensor and the external environment monitoring sensor; determine, in response to determining that the vehicle is in the immediate hazard situation, whether to perform a recovery maneuver or a rescue maneuver based on the data acquired from the driver monitoring sensor and the external environment monitoring sensor to get out of the immediate hazard situation; perform, in response to determining to perform the rescue maneuver, autonomous driving to move the vehicle to a safe area by taking over a driving control from the driver; and a driver input filtering unit configured to filter a vehicle control input by the driver, wherein the at least one processor is configured to control the driver input filtering unit to block the vehicle control input from the driver in response to determining to perform the rescue maneuver. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The vehicle safety support apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is configured to: estimate an availability of the driver based on the data acquired from the driver monitoring sensor; estimate a traffic hazard based on the data acquired from the external environment monitoring sensor; and determine to take over the driving control based on the estimated availability of the driver and traffic hazard. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The vehicle safety support apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is configured to perform the rescue maneuver in response to the vehicle is in immediate hazard situation and there is no response by the driver. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The vehicle safety support apparatus of claim 1, wherein the recovery maneuver comprises at least one of: returning the vehicle to original lane; emergency braking to avoid colliding into another vehicle; and running through an intersection. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The vehicle safety support apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is configured to operate a hazard lamp of the vehicle in response to performing the autonomous driving. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The vehicle safety support apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is configured to transmit a signal requesting for emergency assistance through a communication unit, in response to performing autonomous driving to move the vehicle to the safe area. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The vehicle safety support apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is configured to perform the autonomous driving based on the data acquired from the external environment monitoring sensor. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The vehicle safety support apparatus of claim 1, wherein the driver monitoring sensor comprises: at least one interior camera for filming the driver; a steering wheel angle sensor; an accelerator pedal sensor; and a brake pedal sensor. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The vehicle safety support apparatus of claim 1, wherein the external environment monitoring sensor comprises: at least one exterior camera; radar; and ultrasonic sensor, configured to detect an outside environment of the vehicle. ### Claim 10 A vehicle safety support method comprising: monitoring, using sensors, a driver and an external environment of a vehicle; estimating, by at least one processor, an availability of a driver and traffic hazard based on data acquired from monitoring the driver and the external environment; determining whether the vehicle is in an immediate hazard situation based on the estimated availability of the driver and traffic hazard; determining, by the at least one processor in response to determining that the vehicle is in the immediate hazard situation, whether to perform a recovery maneuver or a rescue maneuver based on the estimated availability of the driver and traffic hazard to get out of the immediate hazard situation; performing, by the at least one processor in response to determining to perform the rescue maneuver, autonomous driving to move the vehicle to a safe area, by taking over a driving control from the driver; and blocking, by the at least one processor, a vehicle control input from the driver, in response to determining to perform the rescue maneuver. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The vehicle safety support method of claim 10, further comprising: transmitting, by the at least one processor, a signal for requesting an emergency assistance through a communication unit, in response to the performing of the autonomous driving to move the vehicle to the safe area. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The vehicle safety support method of claim 10, wherein the monitoring, using the sensors, of the driver and the external environment comprises: monitoring at least one of physical feature, posture, and control intention of the driver. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The vehicle safety support method of claim 10, wherein the monitoring of the driver and the external environment, using the sensors, comprises: monitoring at least one of road and traffic environment outside of the vehicle. ### Claim 14 (depends on 10) The vehicle safety support method of claim 10, wherein the recovery maneuver comprises at least one of: returning the vehicle to original lane; emergency braking to avoid colliding into another vehicle; and running through an intersection.