US 2019/0155279 A1Published application

Automatic driving system for vehicles

AssigneesShuichi TAYAMA, Image Co., Ltd.

InventorShuichi TAYAMA

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Abstract

An automatic driving system for vehicles safely switches a vehicle from an automatic drive mode to a manual drive mode. An automatic driving controller of the automatic driving system includes a travel behavior determining unit that determines a travel behavior of a vehicle during automatic driving based on an operational state of a steering system, an accelerating system, and/or a braking system thereof; a driver's state determining unit that determines a state of a driver based on a face image of the driver captured by a face image camera, biometric information of the driver obtained from body pressure of the driver and variation thereof detected by body pressure sensors of a driver's seat, and signals from pressure-sensitive sensors arranged at a steering wheel and the like; and a drive mode switching control unit that controls in stages switching to manual driving based on the determination results.

Claims12

Dependent claims

An automatic driving system for vehicles capable of switching between an automatic drive mode in which an own vehicle is caused to travel with automatic driving in accordance with a scheduled travel behavior along a scheduled travel route set in advance and a manual drive mode in which a driver performs driving manually, comprising:

a driver's state determining unit configured to determine whether or not a state of the driver is a state of being capable of performing manual driving;
a travel behavior determining unit configured to determine whether or not a travel behavior of the own vehicle during automatic driving is in a stable state of being switchable to manual driving;
and
a drive mode switching control unit configured to control switching from the automatic drive mode during automatic driving to the manual drive mode,
wherein the driver's state determining unit determines the state of the driver based on an arousal state of the driver and readiness for manual driving of the driver,
the travel behavior determining unit determines the travel behavior of the own vehicle based on an operational state of a steering system, an accelerating system, and/or a braking system of the own vehicle during automatic driving,
the drive mode switching control unit allows switching from the automatic drive mode to the manual drive mode when the driver's state determining unit determines that the state of the driver is in a state of being capable of performing manual driving and the travel behavior determining unit determines that the travel behavior of the own vehicle is in a stable state of being switchable to manual driving, and
the drive mode switching control unit provides a notification to encourage the driver to confirm readiness using a display device and/or a speaker of the own vehicle when the driver's state determining unit determines that the driver is in the arousal state but is not ready for manual driving, and then, the driver's state determining unit determines readiness of the driver again.

5 more elements

An automatic driving method for vehicles with an automatic driving system for vehicles capable of switching between an automatic drive mode in which an own vehicle is caused to travel with automatic driving in accordance with a scheduled travel behavior along a scheduled travel route set in advance and a manual drive mode in which a driver performs driving manually, comprising:

determining whether or not a state of the driver is a state of being capable of performing manual driving based on an arousal state of the driver and readiness for manual driving of the driver;
determining whether or not a travel behavior of the own vehicle during automatic driving is in a stable state of being switchable to manual driving based on an operational state of a steering system, an accelerating system, and/or a braking system of the own vehicle;
and
switching to the manual drive mode as releasing the automatic drive mode when the determined state of the driver is in a state of being capable of performing manual driving and the determined travel behavior of the own vehicle is in a stable state of being switchable to manual driving.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 15/747,667Filed 4 Jul 2016
Priority: JP 2015-14950129 Jul 2015
Published: 23 May 2019
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification36 codes

B60W 60/0059
Handover processes: estimation of the risk associated with autonomous or manual driving, e.g. situation too complex, sensor failure or driver…
B60K 35/10
Instruments specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement of instruments in or on vehicles: input arrangements, i.e. from user to vehicle,…
B60K 35/22
Using visual output, e.g. blinking lights or matrix displays: display screens
B60K 35/23
Using visual output, e.g. blinking lights or matrix displays: head-up displays [HUD]