# US 2019/0377340 A1 · Method for piloting an autonomous motor vehicle > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2019/0377340 A1 - Document ID: US20190377340A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 16/477,402 - Filed: 2018-01-09 - Published: 2019-12-12 - Earliest claimed: 2017-01-12 - Assignees: Valeo Schalter und Sensoren GmbH - Applicants: Valeo Schalter und Sensoren GmbH - Inventors: Samia Ahiad; Ronan Sy - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20190377340A1 ## CPC - B60W 60/00182: {in response to weather conditions} - B60K 35/10: Input arrangements, i.e. from user to vehicle, associated with vehicle functions or specially adapted therefor - B60K 35/28: characterised by the type of the output information, e.g. video entertainment or vehicle dynamics information; characterised by the purpose of the output information, e.g. for attracting the attention of the driver - B60K 35/285: {for improving awareness by directing driver's gaze direction or eye points} - B60W 50/08: Interaction between the driver and the control system - B60W 60/0053: {from vehicle to occupant} - B60W 60/0059: {Estimation of the risk associated with autonomous or manual driving, e.g. situation too complex, sensor failure or driver incapacity} - G06V 20/56: exterior to a vehicle by using sensors mounted on the vehicle - G06V 20/58: Recognition of moving objects or obstacles, e.g. vehicles or pedestrians; Recognition of traffic objects, e.g. traffic signs, traffic lights or roads - B60K 2360/149: Instrument input by detecting viewing direction not otherwise provided for - B60K 2360/175: Autonomous driving - B60W 2050/0072: {Controller asks driver to take over} - B60W 2420/403: Image sensing, e.g. optical camera - B60W 2540/215: Selection or confirmation of options - B60W 2540/225: Direction of gaze - B60W 2554/00: Input parameters relating to objects - B60W 2554/20: Static objects - B60W 2554/4029: Pedestrians - B60W 2554/80: Spatial relation or speed relative to objects - B60W 2555/00: Input parameters relating to exterior conditions, not covered by groups B60W2552/00, B60W2554/00 - B60W 2555/20: Ambient conditions, e.g. wind or rain - 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 - B60K: ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF PROPULSION UNITS OR OF TRANSMISSIONS IN VEHICLES; ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF PLURAL DIVERSE PRIME-MOVERS IN VEHICLES; AUXILIARY DRIVES FOR VEHICLES; INSTRUMENTATION OR DASHBOARDS FOR VEHICLES; ARRANGEMENTS IN CONNECTION WITH COOLING, AIR INTAKE, GAS EXHAUST OR FUEL SUPPLY OF PROPULSION UNITS IN VEHICLES - G06V: IMAGE OR VIDEO RECOGNITION OR UNDERSTANDING ## Abstract The invention relates to a method for piloting means (13, 14, 15) for driving a motor vehicle (10) according to either of two driving modes, i.e.: —a manual driving mode, wherein the driving means are controlled manually, by the motor vehicle driver (20), and —an autonomous driving mode, wherein the driving means are controlled automatically, by a calculation unit (12) of the motor vehicle. According to the invention, when the autonomous driving mode is exited, the following steps are provided: —acquiring at least one image of the surrounding area in from of the motor vehicle, —calculating a coefficient of visibility of at least a portion of the surrounding area in the image acquired, and c) selecting, depending on said coefficient of visibility, a way to exit the autonomous driving mode, from at least two separate exiting ways. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for controlling means of driving a motor vehicle, said driving means being able to be controlled according to one or other of at least two driving modes, comprising: a manual driving mode in which the driving means are controlled manually, by the driver of the motor vehicle, and an autonomous driving mode in which the driving means are controlled automatically, by a computation unit of the motor vehicle, the method comprising, on exiting the autonomous driving mode: a) acquisition of at least one item of data representing the environment in front of the motor vehicle; b) computation of a coefficient of visibility of at least a portion of the environment on the basis of the acquired item of data; and c) selection, as a function of said coefficient of visibility, of a way of exiting from the autonomous driving mode, from among at least two separate exiting ways. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The control method as claimed in claim 1, wherein one of the two ways of exiting consists of switching into the manual driving mode after a predetermined time and another way of the two ways of exiting consists of switching into a degraded driving mode. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The control method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the degraded driving mode consists, for the computation unit, of controlling the driving means so that: the motor vehicle brakes or moves at a slow speed, so that an alarm emits a signal warning the driver of a potential danger, or so that the computation unit switches into manual driving mode after a time strictly longer than said predetermined time. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The control method as claimed in claim 1, wherein: further comprising, between b) and c), evaluation of a level of risk which is relative to the capability of the driver to be aware of a potential danger, as a function of said coefficient of visibility and, in c), the way of exiting is selected as a function of at least the evaluated level of risk. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The control method as claimed in claim 4, further comprising: detection of obstacles, and of determination of the position, of the speed and of the direction of each detected obstacle, wherein said level of risk is evaluated also as a function of the position, of the speed and of the direction of each detected obstacle. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) The control method as claimed in claim 4, further comprising: detection of the direction in which the driver is looking and wherein said level of risk is evaluated as a function also of the direction in which the driver is looking. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The control method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said item of data is an image acquired by an image sensor oriented toward the front of the motor vehicle. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The control method as claimed in claim 7, wherein, in b), the coefficient of visibility is computed taking account of an overall coefficient characterizing the average visibility of the environment over the whole of the acquired image. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The control method as claimed in claim 7, wherein in b), the coefficient of visibility is computed taking account of at least a local coefficient, characterizing the visibility of a determined portion of the environment on the acquired image. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The control method as claimed in claim 9, wherein said determined portion of the environment is an obstacle or a read infrastructure. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The control method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the exiling from the autonomous driving mode is commanded when the computation unit receives an instruction from an input means available to the driver, or when the computation unit establishes an impossibility of continuing driving in autonomous mode taking account of signals received from environment sensors.