Operation device and vehicle control system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11565724-B2
Application number	US-202016914576-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 29, 2020
Priority date	Jul 16, 2019
Publication date	Jan 31, 2023
Grant date	Jan 31, 2023

Abstract

An operation device including: an operation section configured to receive operation by a remote operator conferred with operation authority to operate a vehicle capable of autonomous driving; a communication section configured to transmit, to the vehicle, operation information for remote driving based on the operation received by the operation section; a memory; and a processor coupled to the memory, the processor being configured to: acquire biometric information regarding the remote operator, determine whether or not a compromised state, in which operation of the vehicle by the remote operator is compromised, has arisen based on the acquired biometric information, and transfer operation authority of the vehicle to another remote operator in a case in which the compromised state has been determined to have arisen.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An operation device comprising:
a memory; and
a processor coupled to the memory, the processor being configured to:
receive operation by a remote operator conferred with operation authority to operate a vehicle configured for autonomous driving;
transmit, to the vehicle, operation information for remote driving based on the received operations;

wherein the processor is configured to acquire change instruction information in which an occupant of the vehicle instructs a change in remote operator,
(I) in a case in which the processor does not acquire the change instruction information, the processor being configured to:
acquire biometric information regarding the remote operator,
determine whether or not a compromised state, in which operation of the vehicle by the remote operator is compromised, has arisen based on the acquired biometric information or based on the operation information instead of the acquired biometric information, and then determine whether or not there is another remote operator available for remote driving, and
(i) transfer operation authority of the vehicle to another remote operator in a case in which the compromised state has been determined to have arisen and there is another remote operator,
(ii) hand back operation authority of the vehicle to the vehicle in a case in which the compromised state has been determined to have arisen and there is not another remote operator,

(II) in a case in which the processor acquires the change instruction information, the processor being configured to:
determine whether or not there is another remote operator without determining whether or not the compromised state has arisen,
(iii) transfer operation authority of the vehicle to another remote operator, in a case in which there is another remote operator, and
(iv) hand back operation authority of the vehicle to the vehicle in a case in which there is not another remote operator.

2. A vehicle control system comprising:
a plurality of operation devices, each of the plurality of operation devices comprising:
a memory; and
a processor coupled to the memory, the processor being configured to:
receive operation by a remote operator conferred with operation authority to operate a vehicle configured for autonomous driving;
transmit, to the vehicle, operation information for remote driving based on the received operations;

wherein the processor is configured to acquire change instruction information in which an occupant of the vehicle instructs a change in remote operator,
(I) in a case in which the processor does not acquire the change instruction information, the processor being configured to:
acquire biometric information regarding the remote operator,
determine whether or not a compromised state, in which operation of the vehicle by the remote operator is compromised, has arisen based on the acquired biometric information or based on the operation information instead of the acquired biometric information, and then determine whether or not there is another remote operator available for remote driving, and
(i) transfer operation authority of the vehicle to another remote operator in a case in which the compromised state has been determined to have arisen and there is another remote operator,
(ii) hand back operation authority of the vehicle to the vehicle in a case in which the compromised state has been determined to have arisen and there is not another remote operator,

(II) in a case in which the processor acquires the change instruction information, the processor being configured to:
determine whether or not there is another remote operator without determining whether or not the compromised state has arisen,
(iii) transfer operation authority of the vehicle to another remote operator, in a case in which there is another remote operator, and
(iv) hand back operation authority of the vehicle to the vehicle in a case in which there is not another remote operator;

the system further comprises the vehicle, the vehicle being configured to be remotely driven based on operation information received from one of the plurality of operation devices, wherein:
when the processor has transferred operation authority to the another remote operator, the vehicle executes remote driving based on operation information received from an operation device operated by the another remote operator, and
when the processor has handed back operation authority to the vehicle, the vehicle switches from executing remote driving to executing autonomous driving.

3. A vehicle control system comprising:
a plurality of operation devices configured to remotely operate a vehicle that is configured for autonomous driving;
the vehicle, the vehicle being configured to be remotely driven based on operation information received from one of the plurality of operation devices; and
a server connected to the plurality of operation devices and to the vehicle, the server configured to communicate with the plurality of operation devices and the vehicle, wherein:
each of the plurality of operation devices includes a memory and processor, the processor programmed to:
receive operation by a remote operator conferred with operation authority to operate the vehicle configured for autonomous driving, and
transmit, to the vehicle, operation information for remote driving based on the received operations; and

the server includes:
a memory; and
a server processor coupled to the memory, the server processor being configured to:
acquire change instruction information in which an occupant of the vehicle instructs a change in remote operator,

(I) in a case in which the server processor does not acquire the change instruction information, the server processor being configured to:
acquire biometric information regarding the remote operator,
determine whether or not a compromised state, in which operation of the vehicle by the remote operator is compromised, has arisen based on the acquired biometric information or based on the operation information instead of the acquired biometric information, and then determine whether or not there is another remote operator available for remote driving, and
(i) transfer operation authority of the vehicle to another remote operator in a case in which the compromised state has been determined to have arisen and there is another remote operator,
(ii) hand back operation authority of the vehicle to the vehicle in a case in which the compromised state has been determined to have arisen and there is not another remote operator,

(II) in a case in which the server processor acquires the change instruction information, the server processor being configured to:
determine whether or not there is another remote operator without determining whether or not the compromised state has arisen,
(iii) transfer operation authority of the vehicle to another remote operator, in a case in which there is another remote operator, and
(iv) hand back operation authority of the vehicle to the vehicle in a case in which there is not another remote operator.

Assignees

• Toyota Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Yokota Yusuke
• Hanawa Atsushi
• Nakagawa Yasuki
• Matsushita Makoto
• Kuriyama Tomoyuki
• Sugimura Tae

Classifications

• G05D1/0088

  characterized by the autonomous decision making process, e.g. artificial intelligence, predefined behaviours (using knowledge based models G06N5/00) · CPC title

• G05D1/0061

  for transition from automatic pilot to manual pilot and vice versa · CPC title

• G05D2201/0213

  Physics · mapped topic

• B60W60/005 Primary

  Handover processes (Handing over between remote control and on-board control or handing over between remote control arrangements G05D1/227) · CPC title

• B60W2540/221

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