# US 12,179,805 B2 · Transitioning steering control from an autonomous vehicle to a driver > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,179,805 B2 - Document ID: US12179805B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/176,714 - Filed: 2023-03-01 - Published: 2023-06-29 - Granted: 2024-12-31 - Earliest claimed: 2019-05-13 - Assignees: Tusimple, Inc. - Applicants: TuSimple, Inc. - Inventors: Kaixin Zheng; Xiaoling Han; Zehua Huang; Charles A. Price - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12179805B2 ## CPC - B60W 60/0055: {only part of driving tasks shifted to occupants} - B62D 1/286: {Systems for interrupting non-mechanical steering due to driver intervention} - B60W 10/20: including control of steering systems - B60W 40/105: Speed - B60W 60/0053: {from vehicle to occupant} - B60W 60/0057: {Estimation of the time available or required for the handover} - B62D 6/10: characterised by means for sensing {or determining} torque - B62D 15/025: {Active steering aids, e.g. helping the driver by actively influencing the steering system after environment evaluation (B62D1/28 takes precedence)} - B60W 2520/10: Longitudinal speed - B60W 2540/18: Steering angle - B60W 2556/50: of positioning data, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System] data - 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 - B62D: MOTOR VEHICLES; TRAILERS (steering, or guiding on a desired track, of agricultural machines or implements A01B69/00; wheels, castors, axles, increasing wheel adhesion B60B; vehicle tyres, tyre inflation or tyre changing B60C; connections between vehicles of a train or the like B60D; vehicles for use on rail and road, amphibious or convertible vehicles B60F; suspension arrangements B60G; heating, cooling, ventilating or other air treating devices B60H; windows, windscreens, non-fixed roofs, doors or similar devices, protective coverings for vehicles not in use B60J; propulsion plant arrangements, auxiliary drives, transmissions, controls, instrumentation or dashboards B60K; electric equipment or propulsion of electrically-propelled vehicles B60L; power supply for electrically-propelled vehicles B60M; passenger accommodation not otherwise provided for B60N; adaptations for load transportation or to carry special loads or objects B60P; arrangement of signalling or lighting devices, the mounting or supporting thereof or circuits therefor, for vehicles in general B60Q; vehicles, vehicle fittings or vehicle parts not otherwise provided for B60R; servicing, cleaning, repairing, supporting, lifting, or manoeuvring, not otherwise provided for, B60S; brake arrangements, brake control systems or parts thereof B60T; air-cushion vehicles B60V; motor-cycles, accessories therefor B62J, B62K; testing of vehicles G01M) ## Abstract Techniques are described for transitioning control of a steering system from an autonomous mode in a vehicle to a driver-controlled mode where the driver can control the steering wheel of the steering system. A method includes receiving values that describe an amount of torque and a direction of torque in response to a torque applied to a steering wheel of a steering system operated in an autonomous mode, determining that the values are either greater than or equal to a threshold value or are less than or equal to a negative of the threshold value, determining that the values are measured over a period of time greater than or equal to a pre-determined amount of time, and transitioning the steering system from being operated in the autonomous mode to being operated in a driver-controlled mode in which the steering system is under manual control. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of controlling a vehicle operation, comprising: performing a first determination, by a computer located in a vehicle, that each torque value in a set of torque values is past one or more threshold values, wherein the set of torque values indicate torque applied over time to a steering wheel of a steering system of the vehicle; performing a second determination that a period of time over which the set of torque values were measured is greater than a certain amount of time, wherein the period of time is determined based on a number of torque values in the set of torque values; and causing, in response to the first determination and the second determination, the vehicle to transition from a first mode where the computer is configured to control the steering system to a second mode where the steering system is operated under manual control. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein each torque value in the set of torque values is associated with a time stamp value. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein the period of time is determined by subtracting a last time stamp value associated with a last torque value in the set of torque values from a first time stamp value associated with a first torque value in the set of torque values. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein in the first mode, a position control command is sent to the steering system to control a steering of the vehicle, and wherein the position control command indicates an amount of angular displacement or a position of the steering wheel. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein in the first mode, a torque control command is sent to the steering system to control a steering of the vehicle, and wherein the torque control command indicates an amount of torque to be applied to the steering wheel. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein each torque value in the set of torque values is determined to be past the one or more threshold values upon comparing each torque value with a first threshold value or upon comparing each torque value with a second threshold value, and wherein the first threshold value is higher than the second threshold value. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein the comparing the set of torque values with the first threshold value includes determining that each torque value is greater than the first threshold value. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein the comparing the set of torque values with the second threshold value includes determining that each torque value is less than the second threshold value. ### Claim 9 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein the comparing the set of torque values with the first threshold value is performed before the comparing each torque value to the second threshold value. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the set of torque values are periodically measured. ### Claim 11 A system comprising a computer that includes a processor and a memory comprising stored instructions that upon execution configure the processor to: perform a first determination, by the computer located in a vehicle, that each torque value in a set of torque values is past one or more threshold values, wherein the set of torque values indicate torque applied over time to a steering wheel of a steering system of the vehicle; perform a second determination that a period of time over which the set of torque values were measured is greater than a certain amount of time, wherein the period of time is determined based on a number of torque values in the set of torque values; and cause, in response to the first determination and the second determination, the vehicle to transition from a first mode where the computer is configured to control the steering system to a second mode where the steering system is operated under manual control. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein the steering system includes the steering wheel that is connected to one side of a steering column, wherein another side of the steering column is coupled to a steering shaft, and wherein the steering column is associated with a motor that is configured to assist the steering column to turn the steering shaft. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein the vehicle is operated in an autonomous mode as the first mode, and wherein, in the autonomous mode, the processor is configured to operate one or more systems within the vehicle to cause the vehicle to be driven. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein each torque value in the set of torque values is associated with a time stamp value. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein the set of torque values are periodically measured. ### Claim 16 A non-transitory computer readable program storage medium having code stored thereon, the code, when executed by a processor, causing the processor to implement a method comprising: performing a first determination, by a computer located in a vehicle, that each torque value in a set of torque values is past one or more threshold values, wherein the set of torque values indicate torque applied over time to a steering wheel of a steering system of the vehicle; performing a second determination that a period of time over which the set of torque values were measured is greater than a certain amount of time, wherein the period of time is determined based on a number of torque values in the set of torque values; and causing, in response to the first determination and the second determination, the vehicle to transition from a first mode where the computer is configured to control the steering system to a second mode where the steering system is operated under manual control. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The non-transitory computer readable program storage medium of claim 16, wherein a control command is not sent to the steering system in the second mode, and wherein the control command includes a position control command indicative of an amount of angular displacement or a position of the steering wheel, or a torque control command indicative of an amount of torque to be applied to the steering wheel. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The non-transitory computer readable program storage medium of claim 16, wherein each torque value in the set of torque values is associated with an indication that indicates a direction in which torque is applied. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The non-transitory computer readable program storage medium of claim 18, wherein the first determination includes that each torque value in the set of torque values is past the one or more threshold values and each torque in the set of torque values has a same direction. ### Claim 20 (depends on 18) The non-transitory computer readable program storage medium of claim 18, wherein the direction includes a clockwise direction or a counterclockwise direction. ### Claim 21 (depends on 16) The non-transitory computer readable program storage medium of claim 16, wherein the causing the vehicle to transition from the first mode to the second mode includes sending a command to disable operation of the steering system under the first mode.