Safe transfer between manned and autonomous driving modes

A system for safe transfer between manned and autonomous driving modes, the system comprises a processing unit and a memory unit;

• wherein the memory unit is configured to store first sensed information sensed during a first period;
• wherein the processing unit is configured to:
• detect, by using machine a learning process, a situation related to an environment of an autonomous vehicle, based on first sensed information sensed during the first period using a situation signature generated by limiting, without applying a recognition process to the first sensed information, a processing of the first sensed information according to statistical probabilities of appearances of situation pertaining information within different parts of the first sensed information;
• wherein the limiting, without applying the recognition process to the first sensed information, is (a) also based on an inclination of the autonomous vehicle, and (b) further comprises determining whether to process only a lower part of the first sensed information, wherein the lower part of the first sensed information is defined based on the inclination of the autonomous vehicle and according to an estimation that the autonomous vehicle is located ahead of a T-junction;
• search, based on the situation signature, a matching concept that is related to the situation, the matching concept belongs to a group of reference concept structures;
• each reference concept structure of the group represents a plurality of situations and is associated with a reference concept structure safety level, for each reference concept structure of at least a sub-group of the group of reference concept structures the reference concept structure safety level is based on a tested success level of only some of the plurality of scenarios represented by the reference concept structure;
• and
• determine, based on an outcome of the searching, whether the autonomous vehicle is capable to safely autonomously drive through the environment;
• and
• outputting, based on the determining, a transition control instruction, wherein the transition control instruction is related to a transition of control of the autonomous vehicle from autonomous driving to human assisted driving of the autonomous vehicle when determining that the autonomous vehicle is not capable to safely autonomously drive through the environment and when the determining of whether the autonomous vehicle is capable to safely autonomously drive through the environment occurred while autonomously driving the autonomous vehicle.

A non-transitory computer readable medium that stores instructions for:

• detecting, by using a machine learning process, a situation related to an environment of an autonomous vehicle, based on first sensed information sensed during a first period using a situation signature generated by limiting, without applying a recognition process to the first sensed information, a processing of the first sensed information according to statistical probabilities of appearances of situation pertaining information within different parts of the first sensed information;
• wherein the limiting, without applying the recognition process to the first sensed information, is (a) also based on an inclination of the autonomous vehicle, and (b) further comprises determining whether to process only a lower part of the first sensed information, wherein the lower part of the first sensed information is defined based on the inclination of the autonomous vehicle and according to an estimation that the autonomous vehicle is located ahead of a T-junction;
• searching, based on the situation signature, a matching concept that is related to the situation, the matching concept belongs to a group of reference concept structures;
• each reference concept structure of the group represents a plurality of situations and is associated with a reference concept structure safety level, for each reference concept structure of at least a sub-group of the group of reference concept structures the reference concept structure safety level is based on success levels of multiple attempts to autonomously drive one or more autonomous vehicles at only some of the plurality of scenarios represented by the reference concept structure;
• wherein each reference concept structure comprises a reference concept structure signature, reference signatures and reference metadata related to the reference signatures;
• determining, based on an outcome of the searching, whether the autonomous vehicle is capable to safely autonomously drive through the environment;
• and
• outputting, based on the determining, a transition control instruction, wherein the transition control instruction is related to a transition of control of the autonomous vehicle from autonomous driving to human assisted driving of the autonomous vehicle when determining that the autonomous vehicle is not capable to safely autonomously drive through the environment and when the determining whether the autonomous vehicle is capable to safely autonomously drive through the environment occurred while autonomously driving the autonomous vehicle.