# US 12,110,043 B2 · Autonomous controller and method thereof

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- Number: US 12,110,043 B2
- Document ID: US12110043B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/111,103
- Filed: 2020-12-03
- Published: 2021-07-08
- Granted: 2024-10-08
- Earliest claimed: 2020-01-03
- Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company; Kia Motors Corporation
- Applicants: Hyundai Motor Company; Kia Motors Corporation
- Inventors: Na Eun Yang; Jin Su Jeong; Jae Yong Jeon
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12110043B2

## CPC

- B60N 2/005: Arrangement or mounting of seats in vehicles {, e.g. dismountable auxiliary seats}(B60N2/02 takes precedence {; for railway vehicles B61D1/04})
- B60W 60/0051: {from occupants to vehicle}
- B60K 35/10: Input arrangements, i.e. from user to vehicle, associated with vehicle functions or specially adapted therefor
- 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
- B60N 2/0244: {with logic circuits}
- B60N 2/0272: {using sensors or detectors for detecting the position of seat parts}
- B60N 2/0292: {Multiple configuration seats, e.g. for spacious vehicles or mini-buses}
- B60N 2/04: the whole seat being movable
- B60W 40/08: related to drivers or passengers
- B60W 50/12: Limiting control by the driver depending on vehicle state, e.g. interlocking means for the control input for preventing unsafe operation
- B60W 50/14: Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention
- B60W 50/16: Tactile feedback to the driver, e.g. vibration or force feedback to the driver on the steering wheel or the accelerator pedal
- B60W 60/0059: {Estimation of the risk associated with autonomous or manual driving, e.g. situation too complex, sensor failure or driver incapacity}
- B60K 35/23: Head-up displays [HUD] (optical aspects of head-up displays G02B27/01)
- B60K 35/25: using haptic output
- B60K 35/26: using acoustic output
- B60K 35/265: {Voice}
- 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 2360/166: Navigation
- B60K 2360/178: Warnings
- B60W 2050/143: {Alarm means}
- B60W 2050/146: {Display means}
- B60W 2520/10: Longitudinal speed
- B60W 2540/043: Identity of occupants
- B60W 2540/215: Selection or confirmation of options
- B60W 2540/223: Posture, e.g. hand, foot, or seat position, turned or inclined
- B60W 2540/227: Position in the vehicle
- B60W 2552/53: Road markings, e.g. lane marker or crosswalk
- B60N: SEATS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR VEHICLES; VEHICLE PASSENGER ACCOMMODATION NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- 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

## Abstract

The autonomous controller includes: a processor configured to control autonomous driving, calculate a safety area, and determine conversion into an autonomous driving mode based on a current location of the driver's seat; and a storage configured to store information about the safety area, data, and an algorithm run by the processor. The processor is configured to convert a manual driving mode into the autonomous driving mode when the current location of the driver's seat is within the safety area or when a request for conversion into the autonomous driving mode is input while driving in the manual driving mode, and move the current location of the driver's seat into the safety area and convert the manual driving mode into the autonomous driving mode when the current location of the driver's seat is not within the safety area.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An autonomous controller comprising:
a processor configured to control autonomous driving of a vehicle, calculate a safety area for a driver of the vehicle to able to keep eyes of the driver on a road, and determine conversion into an autonomous driving mode based on a current location of a seat of the driver, wherein the safety area includes information about at least one of a sliding location, a reclining angle, or a height of the seat of the driver, and wherein the processor is configured to calculate the safety area based on a location of the seat of the driver in response to determining, based on least one of a location of the vehicle in a lane, a distance from a forward vehicle, a change in vehicle speed, whether there is rapid deceleration or acceleration, or a face location of the driver, that the location of the seat of the driver is safe;
a storage configured to store information about the safety area, data, and an algorithm run by the processor; and
an interface configured to be controlled by the processor, and to output a state of the autonomous driving mode or a manual driving mode,
wherein the processor is configured to:
determine to convert the manual driving mode into the autonomous driving mode when the current location of the seat of the driver is within the safety area or when a request for the conversion into the autonomous driving mode is input while driving in the manual driving mode,
when the current location of the seat of the driver is not within the safety area, move the current location of the seat of the driver into the safety area and convert the manual driving mode into the autonomous driving mode, and
control the interface to notify the driver that it is impossible to convert the manual driving mode into the autonomous driving mode when it is impossible to move the current location of the seat of the driver into the safety area.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The autonomous controller of claim 1, wherein the interface includes at least one of a cluster, a head up display, an audio, video, navigation (AVN), a display, a warning sound speaker, or a haptic device.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The autonomous controller of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to calculate the safety area based on the location of the seat of the driver when a rate at which a center of the vehicle departs from a center of the lane over a certain level during a predetermined time is not greater than a predetermined threshold.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The autonomous controller of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to calculate the safety area based on the location of the seat of the driver when a deviation of a distance from a center of the vehicle from a center of the lane during a predetermined time is not greater than a predetermined threshold.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The autonomous controller of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to calculate the safety area based on the location of the seat of the driver when an inter-vehicle distance between the vehicle and the forward vehicle is kept constant over a predetermined threshold.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The autonomous controller of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to:
calculate a collision minimum safe distance from the forward vehicle using a relative vehicle speed with respect to the forward vehicle, and
calculate the safety area based on the location of the seat of the driver when a rate at which the vehicle violates the collision minimum safe distance during a predetermined time is not greater than a predetermined value.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The autonomous controller of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to calculate the safety area based on the location of the seat of the driver when an amount of change in vehicle speed during a predetermined time is less than a predetermined value.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The autonomous controller of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to calculate the safety area based on the location of the seat of the driver depending on whether sudden acceleration or deceleration occurs during a predetermined time.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The autonomous controller of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to calculate the safety area based on the location of the seat of the driver when the face location of the driver is within a predetermined range.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The autonomous controller of claim 9, wherein the processor is configured to calculate the safety area based on the location of the seat of the driver when the face location of the driver is a location at which a view of the driver is least obstructed.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The autonomous controller of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to calculate a safety area for each driver based on authentication information for each driver, and the storage stores information about the calculated safety area.

### Claim 12

An autonomous control method comprising:
calculating, by a processor, a safety area for a driver of a vehicle to be able to keep eyes of the driver on a road, wherein the safety area includes information about at least one of a sliding location, a reclining angle, or a height of a seat of a driver, and wherein calculating the safety area includes calculating the safety area based on a location of the seat of the driver in response to determining, based on least one of a location of the vehicle in a lane, a distance from a forward vehicle, a change in vehicle speed, whether there is rapid deceleration or acceleration, or a face location of the driver, that the location of the seat of the driver is safe;
storing, in a storage, information about the safety area;
determining, by the processor, conversion into an autonomous driving mode based on a current location of the seat of the driver during manual driving, including
determining, by the processor, whether the current location of the seat of the driver is within the safety area when a request for conversion into the autonomous driving mode is input while driving in a manual driving mode;
converting, by the processor, the manual driving mode into the autonomous driving mode when the current location of the seat of the driver is within the safety area;
moving, by the processor, the current location of the seat of the driver into the safety area and converting the manual driving mode into the autonomous driving mode when the current location of the seat of the driver is not within the safety area;
outputting a state of the autonomous driving mode or the manual driving mode; and
notifying the driver that it is impossible to convert the manual driving mode into the autonomous driving mode when it is impossible to move the current location of the seat of the driver into the safety area.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The autonomous control method of claim 12, wherein calculating the safety area and storing the information about the safety area includes:
calculating a safety area for each driver based on authentication information for each driver and storing information about the calculated safety area.