# US 2016/0355192 A1 · Transitioning between operational modes of an autonomous vehicle > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2016/0355192 A1 - Document ID: US20160355192A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 14/730,570 - Filed: 2015-06-04 - Published: 2016-12-08 - Earliest claimed: 2015-06-04 - Assignees: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.; Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha - Applicants: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.; Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha - Inventors: Michael R. James; Katsuhiro Sakai; Toshiki Kindo; Danil V. Prokhorov; Masahiro Harada - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20160355192A1 ## CPC - B60W 50/082: {Selecting or switching between different modes of propelling} - B60R 11/04: Mounting of cameras operative during drive; Arrangement of controls thereof relative to the vehicle - B60W 40/08: related to drivers or passengers - 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 2040/0818: {Inactivity or incapacity of driver} - B60W 2050/143: {Alarm means} - B60W 2050/146: {Display means} - B60W 2420/403: Image sensing, e.g. optical camera - B60W 2540/215: Selection or confirmation of options - 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 - B60R: VEHICLES, VEHICLE FITTINGS, OR VEHICLE PARTS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR ## Abstract Arrangements relating to the transitioning of a vehicle between operational modes are described. The vehicle can transition between a first operational mode and a second operational mode. The second operational mode has a greater degree of manual involvement than the first operational mode. For instance, the first operational mode can be an unmonitored autonomous operational mode, and the second operational mode can be a monitored autonomous operational mode or a manual operational mode. It can be determined whether an operational mode transition event has occurred while the vehicle is operating in the first operational mode. In response to determining that an operational mode transition event has occurred, a time buffer for continuing in the first operational mode before switching to the second operational mode can be determined. A transition alert can be presented within the vehicle. The transition alert can represent the determined time buffer. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of transitioning a vehicle between a first operational mode and a second operational mode, the second operational mode having a greater degree of manual involvement than the first operational mode, the method comprising: capturing, using one or more sensors located onboard the vehicle, one or more driving scenes along a travel route while the vehicle is operating in the first operational mode; comparing, using one or more processors, the captured one or more driving scenes to a predetermined set of driving scenes; determining, using one or more processors, whether an operational mode transition event has occurred while the vehicle is operating in the first operational mode, the operational mode transition event being determined to have occurred at least when there is a sufficient mismatch between the captured one or more driving scenes and the predetermined set of driving scenes; responsive to determining that an operational mode transition event has occurred, determining, using one or more processors, a time buffer for continuing in the first operational mode before switching to the second operational mode; and presenting a transition alert within the vehicle, the transition alert corresponding to the determined time buffer. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the time buffer is based at least partially on a characteristic of a current driving environment of the vehicle. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein presenting the transition alert within the vehicle includes varying an output characteristic of the transition alert responsive to changes in the determined time buffer. ### Claim 4 (canceled) ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the time buffer is based at least partially on the amount of mismatch between the captured one or more driving scenes and the predetermined set of driving scenes. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined set of driving scenes includes a set of scene markers. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein the set of scene markers are ranked, wherein at least one of the scene markers is assigned a high priority, and wherein a sufficient mismatch occurs when a high priority scene marker is not present in the captured one or more driving scenes. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the first operational mode is an unmonitored autonomous operational mode, and wherein the second operational mode is one of a monitored autonomous operational mode or a manual operational mode. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the first operational mode is monitored autonomous operational mode, and wherein the second operational mode is a manual operational mode. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the transition alert is a visual transition alert. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the transition alert is an audial transition alert. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the transition alert is a haptic transition alert. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further including: detecting whether a vehicle occupant has provided an indication that the vehicle occupant is ready for the second operational mode; and responsive to detecting that a user has provided an indication that the vehicle occupant is ready for the second operational mode, causing the vehicle to switch from the first operational mode to the second operational mode. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further including: detecting whether a vehicle occupant has provided an indication that the vehicle occupant is ready for the second operational mode; and responsive to detecting that a user has not provided an indication that the vehicle occupant is ready for the second operational mode, causing the vehicle to switch from the current operational mode to a special operational mode. ### Claim 15 A system for transitioning a vehicle between a first operational mode and a second operational mode, the second operational mode having a greater degree of manual involvement than the first operational mode, the system comprising: one or more sensors located onboard the vehicle, the one or more sensors operable to sense at least a portion of an external environment of the vehicle, the one or more sensors being configured to capture one or more driving scenes along a travel route while the vehicle is operating in the first operational mode; a user interface element located within the vehicle, the user interface element being at least one of a display, a light source, a speaker, or a haptic actuator; and one or more processors operatively connected to the user interface element and to the one or more sensors, the one or more processors being programmed to initiate executable operations comprising: comparing the captured one or more driving scenes to a predetermined set of driving scenes; determining whether an operational mode transition event has occurred while the vehicle is operating in the first operational mode, the operational mode transition event being determined to have occurred at least when there is a sufficient mismatch between the captured one or more driving scenes and the predetermined set of driving scenes; responsive to determining that an operational mode transition event has occurred, determining a time buffer for continuing in the first operational mode before switching to the second operational mode; and presenting a transition alert within the vehicle using the user interface element, the transition alert corresponding to the determined time buffer. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The system of claim 15, wherein the time buffer is based at least partially on a characteristic of a current driving environment of the vehicle. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The system of claim 15, wherein presenting the transition alert within the vehicle includes varying an output characteristic of the transition alert responsive to changes in the determined time buffer. ### Claim 18 (canceled) ### Claim 19 (depends on 15) The system of claim 15, wherein the first operational mode is an unmonitored autonomous operational mode, and wherein the second operational mode is one of a monitored autonomous operational mode or a manual operational mode. ### Claim 20 (depends on 15) The system of claim 15, wherein the user interface element is a display, wherein the transition alert is a visual transition alert, and wherein the transition alert is presented on the display. ### Claim 21 (depends on 15) The system of claim 15, wherein the user interface element is a speaker, wherein the transition alert is an audial transition alert, and wherein the transition alert is presented on the speaker. ### Claim 22 (depends on 15) The system of claim 15, wherein the user interface element is a haptic actuator, wherein the transition alert is a haptic transition alert, and wherein the transition alert is presented by the haptic actuator.