Automatic driving control device and automatic driving control method, and program

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10331127-B2
Application number	US-201515527728-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 4, 2015
Priority date	Dec 12, 2014
Publication date	Jun 25, 2019
Grant date	Jun 25, 2019

Abstract

A method for switching modes for operating a vehicle, a non-transitory computer-readable medium for performing the method, and information processing apparatuses. The method includes determining, by circuitry of an information processing apparatus, whether a mode for operating the vehicle is to be switched from one of autonomous and manual driving modes to the other of the autonomous and manual driving modes. A state of a driver of the vehicle is obtained when the mode for operating the vehicle is determined to be switched. The method further includes switching, by the circuitry, the mode for operating the vehicle from the one of the autonomous and manual driving modes to the other of the autonomous manual driving modes based on the obtained state of the driver.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for switching modes for operating a vehicle, the method comprising:
determining, by circuitry of an information processing apparatus, whether a mode for operating the vehicle is to be switched from an autonomous driving mode to a manual driving mode based on a distance to an end of an automatic driving-only lane;
obtaining a state of a driver of the vehicle when the mode for operating the vehicle is determined to be switched;
and
in response to determining the mode for operating the vehicle is to be switched, switching from the autonomous driving mode to the manual driving mode.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining an ability of a driver to drive the vehicle based on the obtained state of the driver; and
switching the mode for operating the vehicle from the autonomous driving mode to the manual driving mode at a time when the ability of the driver is determined to be greater than or equal to a predetermined level.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising:
providing a warning to the driver to change the state of the driver when the ability of the driver is determined to be less than the predetermined level; and
determining the ability of the driver to drive the vehicle after the warning is provided to the driver; and
switching the mode for operating the vehicle from the autonomous driving mode to the manual driving mode when the ability of the driver after the warning is provided is determined to be greater than or equal to the predetermined level.

4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising:
causing the vehicle to stop when the ability of the driver to drive the vehicle is determined to be less than the predetermined level.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
notifying the driver that the autonomous driving mode is to be terminated when the mode for operating the vehicle is determined to be switched from the autonomous driving mode to the manual driving mode.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining whether the autonomous driving mode can be started based on the obtained state of the driver, wherein
the step of switching the mode includes switching the mode for operating the vehicle from the manual driving mode to the autonomous driving mode when the autonomous driving mode can be started.

7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising:
determining an ability of the driver to drive the vehicle based on the obtained state of the driver; and
prohibiting the mode for operating the vehicle to switch from the manual driving mode to the autonomous driving mode when the ability of the driver is determined to be less than a predetermined level.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
monitoring the state of the driver and an ambient environment while the mode for operating the vehicle is in the autonomous driving mode.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
causing a plurality of content to be displayed to the driver; and
monitoring a reaction of the driver to the display of the plurality of content, wherein
the step of obtaining includes obtaining the state of the driver based on the monitored reaction of the driver.

10. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions which, when executed by a computer, causes the computer to perform a method for switching modes for operating a vehicle, the method comprising:
determining whether a mode for operating the vehicle is to be switched from an autonomous driving mode to a manual driving mode based on a distance to an end of an automatic driving-only lane;
obtaining a state of a driver of the vehicle when the mode for operating the vehicle is determined to be switched;
and
in response to determining the mode for operating the vehicle is to be switched, switching from the autonomous driving mode to the manual driving mode.

11. An information processing apparatus, comprising:
circuitry configured to
determine whether a mode for operating a vehicle is to be switched from an autonomous driving mode to a manual driving mode based on a distance to an end of an automatic driving-only lane;
obtain a state of a driver of the vehicle when the mode for operating the vehicle is determined to be switched; and
in response to the circuitry determining the mode for operating the vehicle is to be switched, the circuitry is configured to switch the mode for operating the vehicle from the autonomous driving mode to the manual driving mode.

12. The information processing apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the circuitry is configured to
determine an ability of a driver to drive the vehicle based on the obtained state of the driver; and
switch the mode for operating the vehicle from the autonomous driving mode to the manual driving mode at a time when the ability of the driver is determined to be greater than or equal to a predetermined level.

13. The information processing apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the circuitry is configured to
provide a warning to the driver to change the state of the driver when the ability of the driver is determined to be less than the predetermined level;
determine the ability of the driver to drive the vehicle after the warning is provided to the driver; and
switch the mode for operating the vehicle from the autonomous driving mode to the manual driving mode at a time when the ability of the driver after the warning is provided is determined to be greater than or equal to the predetermined level.

14. The information processing apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the circuitry is configured to
cause the vehicle to stop when the ability of the driver to drive the vehicle is determined to be less than the predetermined level.

15. The information processing apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the circuitry is configured to
notify the driver that the autonomous driving mode is to be terminated when the mode for operating the vehicle is determined to be switched from the autonomous driving mode to the manual driving mode.

16. The information processing apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the circuitry is configured to
determine the mode for operating the vehicle is to be switched from the autonomous driving mode to the manual driving mode based on a distance to an end of an automatic driving-only lane.

17. The information processing apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the circuitry is configured to
determine whether the autonomous driving mode can be started based on the obtained state of the driver, and
switch the mode for operating the vehicle from the manual driving mode to the autonomous driving mode when the autonomous driving mode can be started.

18. The information processing apparatus of claim 17 , wherein the circuitry is configured to
determine an ability of the driver to drive the vehicle based on the obtained state of the driver; and
prohibit the mode for operating the vehicle to switch from the manual driving mode to the autonomous driving mode when the ability of the driver is determined to be less than a predetermined level.

19. The information processing apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the circuitry is configured to
monitor the state of the driver and an ambient environment while the mode for operating the vehicle is in the autonomous driving mode.

20. The information processing apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the circuitry is configured to
cause a plurality of content to be displayed to the driver;
monitor a reaction of the driver to the display of the plurality of content; and
obtain

Assignees

• Sony Corp

Inventors

• Oba Eiji

Classifications

• B60W2555/60

  Traffic rules, e.g. speed limits or right of way · CPC title

• B60K28/066 Primary

  actuating a signalling device (B60K28/063 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B60W50/08 Primary

  Interaction between the driver and the control system · CPC title

• B60W2540/22

  Psychological state; Stress level or workload · CPC title

• B60W50/14

  Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention · CPC title