Readiness and identification by gaze and/or gesture pattern detection

A vehicle control handoff system comprising:

• a controller comprising a processor;
• one or more environment sensors communicatively coupled to the controller;
• and
• at least one imaging device communicatively coupled to the controller, wherein the controller is configured to:
• receive image data of a driver from the at least one imaging device;
• receive one or more signals corresponding to an environment of a vehicle from the one or more environment sensors;
• define a gaze pattern comprising a first gaze direction corresponding to a first location within the environment of the vehicle and a second gaze direction corresponding to a second location within the environment;
• determine a first gaze and a first pointing gesture based on the image data of the driver;
• determine whether the first gaze corresponds to the first gaze direction of the gaze pattern;
• determine whether the first pointing gesture corresponds to the first gaze direction of the gaze pattern;
• determine a second gaze and a second pointing gesture based on the image data of the driver;
• determine whether the second gaze corresponds to the second gaze direction;
• determine whether the second pointing gesture corresponds to the second gaze direction of the gaze pattern;
• and
• transfer control of a vehicle operation from control by the controller to the driver in response to determining that the first gaze or the first pointing gesture corresponds to the first gaze direction of the gaze pattern and that the second gaze or the second pointing gesture corresponds to the second gaze direction of the gaze pattern.