# US 12,179,797 B2 · Layered architecture for availability of advanced driver assistance features > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,179,797 B2 - Document ID: US12179797B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/952,852 - Filed: 2020-11-19 - Published: 2022-04-28 - Granted: 2024-12-31 - Earliest claimed: 2020-10-28 - Assignees: Toyota Research Institute, Inc. - Applicants: Toyota Research Institute, Inc. - Inventors: Ryan Marcotte; Marcus McCoy Hammond - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12179797B2 ## CPC - B60W 50/082: {Selecting or switching between different modes of propelling} - B60W 60/0015: {specially adapted for safety} - B60W 30/0953: {the prediction being responsive to vehicle dynamic parameters} - B60W 30/0956: {the prediction being responsive to traffic or environmental parameters} - B60W 50/02: Ensuring safety in case of control system failures, e.g. by diagnosing, circumventing or fixing failures - B60W 50/029: Adapting to failures or work around with other constraints, e.g. circumvention by avoiding use of failed parts - B60W 50/035: Bringing the control units into a predefined state, e.g. giving priority to particular actuators - B60W 50/085: {Changing the parameters of the control units, e.g. changing limit values, working points by control input} - B60W 2050/0295: {Inhibiting action of specific actuators or systems} - B60W 2050/0297: {Control Giving priority to different actuators or systems} - 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 2510/20: Steering systems - 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 ## Abstract A method of controlling availability of autonomy functions of a vehicle includes determining one or more uncertainty levels, each corresponding to a driving data stream including driving data, wherein the uncertainty levels correspond to a probability of a collision or driving off the roadway. The method further includes generating a total uncertainty level based on the one or more uncertainty levels and disabling a first autonomy function based on availability criteria of the first autonomy function. The availability criteria define a first threshold of the total uncertainty level. The method further includes providing a second autonomy function based on the second autonomy function's availability criteria that include a total uncertainty threshold higher than the first threshold. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for controlling availability of autonomy functions of a vehicle, the method comprising: determining one or more uncertainty levels, each corresponding to a driving data stream comprising driving data, wherein the uncertainty levels correspond to a probability of an undesirable outcome; generating a total uncertainty level based on the one or more uncertainty levels; and disabling a driver assistance feature comprising an adaptive cruise control that includes a plurality of autonomy functions including a first autonomy function based on availability criteria of the first autonomy function, the plurality of autonomy functions further including a second autonomy function; and enabling a second driver assistance feature when the first autonomy function and the second autonomy function of the driver assistance feature are disabled based on a first uncertainty level for the first autonomy function and a second uncertainty level for the second autonomy function, wherein the first uncertainty level includes its own respective threshold that is triggered and the second uncertainty level includes its own respective threshold is triggered, the first uncertainty level and the second uncertainty level being defined in a respective availability criteria, and the first uncertainty level corresponding to a first driving data stream and the second uncertainty level corresponding to a second driving data stream, wherein the availability criteria define a first threshold of the total uncertainty level, wherein the first autonomy function remains enabled when the second autonomy function is disabled, and wherein the first autonomy function includes a lane keeping autonomous function, the second autonomy function includes a following distance autonomy function, and the second driver assistance feature comprises basic cruise control. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the availability criteria further define a second threshold of an uncertainty level corresponding to at least one of the driving data streams, and wherein the disabling of the driver assistance feature including the first autonomy function is performed in response to at least one of the first threshold or the second threshold being triggered. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising providing the second autonomy function of the plurality of autonomy functions based on the second autonomy function's availability criteria that include a total uncertainty threshold higher than the first threshold. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the generating of a total uncertainty level comprises: projecting the driving data of each driving data stream into an occupancy grid, wherein the occupancy grid including a set of locations that represent physical space within a range of a vehicle sensor, each location in the occupancy grid associated with the driving data stream; creating an uncertainty map by convolving the uncertainty level corresponding to each driving data stream with the occupancy grid; and combining uncertainty levels in a path of the vehicle in the uncertainty map to produce the total uncertainty level. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4, wherein the combining comprises one or more of weighted averaging, multiplication, or summation. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the undesirable outcome comprises a collision or leaving a roadway. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein driving data comprises one or more of sensor data, map data, trajectory data, location data, and wherein sensor data comprises camera data, image device data, audio data, sonar data, LIDAR data, RADAR data, obstacle detection data, throttle data, steering data, or any data from a vehicle sensor. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising re-enabling one or more of the first autonomy function or the second autonomy function in response to satisfying the respective availability criteria. ### Claim 9 A system for controlling availability of autonomy functions of a vehicle, the system comprising: a processor; and memory storing instructions that, when executed by the processor cause the processor to perform the steps of: determining one or more uncertainty levels, each corresponding to a driving data stream comprising driving data, wherein the uncertainty levels correspond to a probability of an undesirable outcome; generating a total uncertainty level based on the one or more uncertainty levels; disabling a driver assistance feature comprising an adaptive cruise control that includes a plurality of autonomy functions including a first autonomy function based on availability criteria of the first autonomy function, the plurality of autonomy functions further including a second autonomy function; and enabling a second driver assistance feature when the first autonomy function and the second autonomy function of the driver assistance feature are disabled based on a first uncertainty level for the first autonomy function and a second uncertainty level for the second autonomy function, wherein the first uncertainty level includes its own respective threshold that is triggered and the second uncertainty level includes its own respective threshold is triggered, the first uncertainty level and the second uncertainty level being defined in a respective availability criteria, and the first uncertainty level corresponding to a first driving data stream and the second uncertainty level corresponding to a second driving data stream, wherein the availability criteria define a first threshold of the total uncertainty level, wherein the first autonomy function remains enabled when the second autonomy function is disabled, and wherein the first autonomy function includes a lane keeping autonomous function, the second autonomy function includes a following distance autonomy function, and the second driver assistance feature comprises basic cruise control. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The system of claim 9, wherein the availability criteria further define a second threshold of an uncertainty level corresponding to at least one of the driving data streams, and wherein the disabling of the driver assistance feature including the first autonomy function is performed in response to at least one of the first threshold or the second threshold being triggered. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The system of claim 9, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to perform the steps of: providing the second autonomy function of the plurality of autonomy functions based on the second autonomy function's availability criteria that include a total uncertainty threshold higher than the first threshold. ### Claim 12 (depends on 9) The system of claim 9, wherein the generating of a total uncertainty level comprises: projecting the driving data of each driving data stream into an occupancy grid, wherein the occupancy grid including a set of locations that represent physical space within a range of a vehicle sensor, each location in the occupancy grid associated with the driving data stream; creating an uncertainty map by convolving the uncertainty level corresponding to each driving data stream with the occupancy grid; and combining uncertainty levels in a path of the vehicle in the uncertainty map to produce the total uncertainty level. ### Claim 13 (depends on 9) The system of claim 9, wherein the undesirable outcome comprises a collision or leaving a roadway. ### Claim 14 (depends on 9) The system of claim 9, wherein driving data comprises one or more of sensor data, map data, trajectory data, or location data; wherein sensor data comprises data from the vehicle sensor; and wherein the vehicle sensor comprises one or more of a camera, image device, audio sensor, sonar sensor, LIDAR device, RADAR device, obstacle detection device, throttle sensor, steering sensor, or any sensor of an autonomous vehicle. ### Claim 15 (depends on 9) The system of claim 9, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to perform the step of re-enabling one or more of the first autonomy function or the second autonomy function in response to satisfying the respective availability criteria. ### Claim 16 A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform a method for controlling availability of autonomy functions of a vehicle, the method comprising: determining one or more uncertainty levels, each corresponding to a driving data stream comprising driving data, wherein the uncertainty levels correspond to a probability of an undesirable outcome; generating a total uncertainty level based on the one or more uncertainty levels; disabling a driver assistance feature comprising an adaptive cruise control that includes a plurality of autonomy functions including a first autonomy function based on availability criteria of the first autonomy function, the plurality of autonomy functions further including a second autonomy function; and enabling a second driver assistance feature when the first autonomy function and the second autonomy function of the driver assistance feature are disabled based on a first uncertainty level for the first autonomy function and a second uncertainty level for the second autonomy function, wherein the first uncertainty level includes its own respective threshold that is triggered and the second uncertainty level includes its own respective threshold is triggered, the first uncertainty level and the second uncertainty level being defined in a respective availability criteria, and the first uncertainty level corresponding to a first driving data stream and the second uncertainty level corresponding to a second driving data stream, wherein the availability criteria define a first threshold of the total uncertainty level, wherein the first autonomy function remains enabled when the second autonomy function is disabled, and wherein the first autonomy function includes a lane keeping autonomous function, the second autonomy function includes a following distance autonomy function, and the second driver assistance feature comprises basic cruise control. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the availability criteria further define a second threshold of an uncertainty level corresponding to at least one of the driving data streams, and wherein the disabling of the driver assistance feature including the first autonomy function is performed in response to at least one of the first threshold or the second threshold being triggered. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, further comprising providing the second autonomy function of the plurality of autonomy functions based on the second autonomy function's availability criteria that include a total uncertainty threshold higher than the first threshold. ### Claim 19 (depends on 16) The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the generating of a total uncertainty level comprises: projecting the driving data of each driving data stream into an occupancy grid, wherein the occupancy grid including a set of locations that represent physical space within a range of a vehicle sensor, each location in the occupancy grid associated with the driving data stream; creating an uncertainty map by convolving the uncertainty level corresponding to each driving data stream with the occupancy grid; and combining uncertainty levels in a path of the vehicle in the uncertainty map to produce the total uncertainty level. ### Claim 20 (depends on 16) The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, the method further comprising re-enabling one or more of the first autonomy function or the second autonomy function in response to satisfying the respective availability criteria.