Method and device for assisting a driver during the deactivation of a highly automated driving mode of a vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11383730-B2
Application number	US-201716337705-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 8, 2017
Priority date	Oct 20, 2016
Publication date	Jul 12, 2022
Grant date	Jul 12, 2022

Abstract

A method for assisting a driver during the deactivation of a highly automated driving mode of a vehicle. In this context, a takeover signal, which represents a takeover of control of the vehicle by the driver, and auxiliary information are read in. The auxiliary information includes image information representing the driver and/or vehicle-control information representing a control of the vehicle by the driver. In a further step, a degree of attentiveness of the driver is determined, using the takeover signal and the auxiliary information. Finally, using the degree of attentiveness, an assistance signal is output to assist the driver during the takeover of control, by activating at least one driver-assistance function of the vehicle.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for assisting a driver during deactivation of a highly automated driving mode of a vehicle, the method comprising:
reading in:
a takeover signal which represents a switchover to be performed from the highly automated driving mode to a manual mode in which the driver performs a manual control of the vehicle; and
auxiliary information which includes:
(i) an identification of an environment of the vehicle; and
(ii)(a) image information representing the driver and/or (b) vehicle-control information representing a control of the vehicle by the driver;

in a period that is after the reading in of the takeover signal and prior to a beginning of the switchover from the highly automated driving mode to the manual mode, determining a degree of attentiveness of the driver using the auxiliary information;
determining a respective target degree of attentiveness for each of a plurality of respective directions according to the identified environment, wherein the determined degree of attentiveness includes a respective determined degree of attentiveness for each of the plurality of directions;
selecting one or more of driver-assistance functions to initially supplement the manual control by the driver, wherein the selecting is performed depending on a respective determination for each of the plurality of directions of a consistency of the respective determined degree of attentiveness with the respective target degree of attentiveness of the respective direction; and
in accordance with the selection, outputting an assistance signal to activate one or more driver-assistance functions to initially supplement the manual control after the switchover has begun.

2. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein in the determining of the degree of attentiveness of the driver using the auxiliary information, a viewing behavior of the driver is analyzed using the image information to determine the degree of attentiveness.

3. The method as recited in claim 2 , wherein in the reading in step, driving-situation information representing a driving situation of the vehicle is read in, the analysis of the viewing behavior being performed using the driving-situation information.

4. The method as recited in claim 2 , wherein the assistance signal activates: (i) a collision-warning function, and/or (ii) an automatic braking function, and/or (iii) a lane-change warning function, and/or (iv) a lane-keeping function of the vehicle, according to a determination, based on the auxiliary information, that a viewing direction of the driver is turned away from a front and/or side and/or rear area of the vehicle.

5. The method as recited in claim 1 , further comprising:
after the switchover has begun and during the manual control, analyzing a steering behavior of the vehicle and/or acceleration behavior of the vehicle in order to obtain a quality value with respect to control of the vehicle by the driver; and
modifying a control by the driver-assistance functions based on the quality value.

6. The method as recited in claim 5 , wherein the modifying includes activating a lane-keeping function of the vehicle in response to the quality value representing a variation of a lane position of the vehicle outside of a predetermined tolerance range.

7. A device having units for assisting a driver during the deactivation of a highly automated driving mode of a vehicle, the units configured to:
read in:
a takeover signal which represents a switchover to be performed from the highly automated driving mode to a manual mode in which the driver performs a manual control of the vehicle; and
auxiliary information which includes:
(i) an identification of an environment of the vehicle; and
(ii)(a) image information representing the driver and/or (b) vehicle-control information representing a control of the vehicle by the driver;

in a period that is after the reading in of the takeover signal and prior to a beginning of the switchover from the highly automated driving mode to the manual mode, determine a degree of attentiveness of the driver using the auxiliary information;
determine a respective target degree of attentiveness for each of a plurality of respective directions according to the identified environment, wherein the determined degree of attentiveness includes a respective determined degree of attentiveness for each of the plurality of directions;
select one or more of driver-assistance functions to initially supplement the manual control by the driver, wherein the selection is performed depending on a respective determination for each of the plurality of directions of a consistency of the respective determined degree of attentiveness with the respective target degree of attentiveness of the respective direction; and
in accordance with the selection, output an assistance signal to activate one or more driver-assistance functions to initially supplement the manual control after the switchover has begun.

8. A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium on which is stored a computer program for assisting a driver during the deactivation of a highly automated driving mode of a vehicle, the computer program, when executed by a computer, causing the computer to perform a method, the method comprising:
reading in:
a takeover signal which represents a switchover to be performed from the highly automated driving mode to a manual mode in which the driver performs a manual control of the vehicle; and
auxiliary information which includes:
(i) an identification of an environment of the vehicle; and
(ii)(a) image information representing the driver and/or (ii) (b) vehicle-control information representing a control of the vehicle by the driver;

in a period that is after the reading in of the takeover signal and prior to a beginning of the switchover from the highly automated driving mode to the manual mode, determining a degree of attentiveness of the driver using the auxiliary information;
determining a respective target degree of attentiveness for each of a plurality of respective directions according to the identified environment, wherein the determined degree of attentiveness includes a respective determined degree of attentiveness for each of the plurality of directions;
selecting one or more of driver-assistance functions to initially supplement the manual control by the driver, wherein the selection is performed depending on a respective determination for each of the plurality of directions of a consistency of the respective determined degree of attentiveness with the respective target degree of attentiveness of the respective direction; and
in accordance with the selection, outputting an assistance signal to activate one or more driver-assistance functions to initially supplement the manual control after the switchover has begun.

Assignees

• Bosch Gmbh Robert

Inventors

• Marberger Claus
• Flehmig Folko
• Foltin Johannes
• Sautter Peter
• Eisele Sybille
• Vandommele Tjark
• Wulf Felix

Classifications

• B60W60/0059

  Estimation of the risk associated with autonomous or manual driving, e.g. situation too complex, sensor failure or driver incapacity · CPC title

• B60W2540/225

  Direction of gaze · CPC title

• B60W60/0053

  from vehicle to occupant · CPC title

• B60W2540/229

  Attention level, e.g. attentive to driving, reading or sleeping · CPC title

• B60W60/0055

  only part of driving tasks shifted to occupants · CPC title