Vehicle driving control system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11209819-B2
Application number	US-201916708057-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 9, 2019
Priority date	Feb 15, 2019
Publication date	Dec 28, 2021
Grant date	Dec 28, 2021

Abstract

A driving control system includes an automatic driving control device and a driver monitoring device. The automatic driving control device includes a driver state determining unit, an override detector, a retreat mode controller, and a retreat mode canceler. During traveling under an automatic driving mode, when the driver state determining unit determines from a driver state detected by the driver monitoring device that the driver is not in a state capable of driving normally, the retreat mode controller sets a retreat mode in which an override operation is disabled and an own vehicle is caused to travel for retreat. When the driver state determining unit determines, during traveling for retreat, that the driver has returned to the state capable of driving normally, the retreat mode canceler cancels the retreat mode, and enables detection of the override operation of the driver by the override detector.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A vehicle driving control system having an automatic driving mode that enables traveling without a driving operation by a driver, the vehicle driving control system comprising:
an override detector configured to detect an override operation for canceling the automatic driving mode and transitioning to a manual driving mode by the driver;
a driver monitor configured to monitor, as the driver, an occupant who can perform a driving operation in a vehicle compartment, and detect a driver state;
a driver state determining unit configured to determine, on a basis of the driver state, whether the driver is in a state capable of driving normally;
a retreat mode controller configured to control a retreat mode that disables the override operation and causes an own vehicle to travel for retreat to a place where the own vehicle can safely stop when the driver state determining unit determines, during traveling under the automatic driving mode, that the driver is not in the state capable of driving normally; and
a retreat mode canceler configured to cancel the retreat mode and enable the override operation when the driver state determining unit determines, during the travel for retreat, that the driver has returned to the state capable of driving normally,
wherein, in the override operation, transitioning to the manual driving mode includes transitioning to a first manual driving mode or a second manual driving mode different from the first manual driving mode,
wherein transition from the first manual driving mode to the automatic driving mode is allowed,
wherein transition from the second manual driving mode to the automatic driving mode is prohibited,
wherein, when the override operation is enabled upon canceling the retreat mode, the retreat mode canceler implements a mode transition restriction in which the retreat mode canceler allows transition to the second manual driving mode while restricting transition to the first manual driving mode such that transition to the automatic driving mode is restricted, and
wherein the mode transition restriction is canceled when the driver continues to be in the state capable of driving normally for a first period of time.

2. The vehicle driving control system according to claim 1 , wherein when detecting from the driver state that the driver is gazing at least in a traveling direction during the travel for retreat, the driver state determining unit determines that the driver has returned to the state capable of driving normally.

3. The vehicle driving control system according to claim 2 , wherein the driver state determining unit determines that the driver has returned to the state capable of driving normally, when detecting at least one of a state that the driver is holding a steering wheel and a state that a hand motion of the driver is same as a pre-registered specific hand motion.

4. The vehicle driving control system according to claim 3 , wherein the retreat mode canceler cancels the retreat mode when the driver state determining unit determines that the driver has returned to the state capable of driving normally and when the own vehicle travels for a certain period of time in a state where the driver checks ahead of the own vehicle and holds the steering wheel.

5. The vehicle driving control system according to claim 2 , wherein the retreat mode canceler cancels the retreat mode when the driver state determining unit determines that the driver has returned to the state capable of driving normally and when the own vehicle travels for a second period of time in a state where the driver checks ahead of the own vehicle and holds a steering wheel.

6. The vehicle driving control system according to claim 1 , wherein the retreat mode canceler cancels the retreat mode when the driver state determining unit determines that the driver has returned to the state capable of driving normally and when the own vehicle travels for a second period of time in a state where the driver checks ahead of the own vehicle and holds a steering wheel.

7. A vehicle driving control system comprising:
circuitry configured to operate in an automatic driving mode that enables traveling without a driving operation by a driver, the circuitry being configured to:
detect an override operation for canceling the automatic driving mode and transition to a manual driving mode by the driver;
monitor, as the driver, an occupant who can perform a driving operation in a vehicle compartment, and detect a driver state;
determine, on a basis of the driver state, whether the driver is in a state capable of driving normally;
control a retreat mode that disables the override operation and causes an own vehicle to travel for retreat to a place where the own vehicle can safely stop when it is determined, during traveling under the automatic driving mode, that the driver is not in the state capable of driving normally; and
cancel the retreat mode and enable the override operation when it is determined, during the travel for retreat, that the driver has returned to the state capable of driving normally,

wherein, in the override operation, transitioning to the manual driving mode includes transitioning to a first manual driving mode or a second manual driving mode different from the first manual driving mode,
wherein transition from the first manual driving mode to the automatic driving mode is allowed,
wherein transition from the second manual driving mode to the automatic driving mode is prohibited,
wherein, when the override operation is enabled upon canceling the retreat mode, the retreat mode canceler implements a mode transition restriction in which the retreat mode canceler allows transition to the second manual driving mode while restricting transition to the first manual driving mode such that transition to the automatic driving mode is restricted, and
wherein the mode transition restriction is canceled when the driver continues to be in the state capable of driving normally for a certain period of time.

Assignees

• Subaru Corp

Inventors

• Kuwahara Keisuke

Classifications

• B60W10/20

  including control of steering systems · CPC title

• B60W2540/223

  Posture, e.g. hand, foot, or seat position, turned or inclined · CPC title

• B60W2540/221

  Physiology, e.g. weight, heartbeat, health or special needs · CPC title

• B60W2040/0827

  due to sleepiness · CPC title

• B60W50/082

  Selecting or switching between different modes of propelling · CPC title