Notification device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11890986-B2
Application number	US-202218089816-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 28, 2022
Priority date	Jan 17, 2019
Publication date	Feb 6, 2024
Grant date	Feb 6, 2024

Abstract

A notification device provided in a vehicle including an autonomous driving system which causes the vehicle to travel by autonomous driving and to evacuate the vehicle when a failure occurs, includes a display unit configured to display information toward an outside of the vehicle, and a display controller configured to control the display unit. The display controller causes the display unit to be turned on or flicker when a failure occurs and changes a display of the display unit in at least one of a time when an evacuation starts and a time when an evacuation is completed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method implemented by one or more processors, the method comprising:
a display controlling process for causing a display device having one or more display units provided on a vehicle to display a status of the vehicle toward an outside of the vehicle,
wherein, under a condition where it is determined that an autonomous evacuation of the vehicle is to be implemented, the display controlling process changes a current display of the display device from a first flickering rate to a second flickering rate for indicating an evacuation state of the vehicle when or after the autonomous evacuation of the vehicle starts.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the display for indicating the evacuation state of the vehicle is implemented by using a hazard display or a blinker display provided in the vehicle.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the display for indicating the evacuation state of the vehicle is implemented by direction indicators provide in the vehicle so as to indicate a travel direction when a steering of the vehicle occurs during the autonomous evacuation.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the display controlling process causes the display device to display a display for indicating a stopping state of the vehicle when or after the autonomous evacuation of the vehicle is completed.

5. The method according to claim 4 , wherein the display controlling process causes the display for indicating the stopping state of the vehicle to be different from the display for indicating the evacuation state.

6. The method according to claim 4 , wherein the display controlling process deactivates the display for indicating the stopping state upon a manual operation of a user of the vehicle.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the second flickering rate is shorter than the first flickering rate.

8. A notification device provided in a vehicle including an autonomous driving system which causes the vehicle to travel by autonomous driving and an autonomous evacuation of evacuate the vehicle, the notification device comprising:
a display unit configured to display a status of the vehicle toward an outside of the vehicle; and
a display controller configured to control the display unit, the display controller causes the display unit to change a current display from a first flickering rate to a second flickering rate for indicating an evacuation state of the vehicle when or after the autonomous evacuation of the vehicle starts under a condition that an the autonomous evacuation of the vehicle starts.

9. The notification device according to claim 8 , wherein the display for indicating the evacuation state of the vehicle is implemented by using a hazard display or a blinker display provided in the vehicle.

10. The notification device according to claim 8 , wherein the display for indicating the evacuation state of the vehicle is implemented by direction indicators provide in the vehicle so as to indicate a travel direction when a steering of the vehicle occurs during the autonomous evacuation.

11. The notification device according to claim 8 , wherein the display controller causes the display unit to display a display for indicating a stopping state of the vehicle when or after the autonomous evacuation of the vehicle is completed.

12. The notification device according to claim 11 , wherein the display controller causes the display for indicating the stopping state of the vehicle to be different from the display for indicating the evacuation state.

13. The notification device according to claim 11 , wherein the display controller deactivates the display for indicating the stopping state upon a manual operation of a user of the vehicle.

14. The notification device according to claim 8 , wherein the second flickering rate is shorter than the first flickering rate.

15. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having instructions recorded therein that causes a processor to perform operations comprising:
a display controlling process for causing a display device having one or more display units provided on a vehicle to display a status of the vehicle toward an outside of the vehicle,
wherein, under a condition where it is determined that an autonomous evacuation of the vehicle is to be implemented, the display controlling process changes a current display of the display device from a first flickering rate to a second flickering rate for indicating an evacuation state of the vehicle when or after the autonomous evacuation of the vehicle starts.

16. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium according to claim 15 , wherein the display for indicating the evacuation state of the vehicle is implemented by using a hazard display or a blinker display provided in the vehicle.

17. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium according to claim 15 , wherein the display for indicating the evacuation state of the vehicle is implemented by direction indicators provide in the vehicle so as to indicate a travel direction when a steering of the vehicle occurs during the autonomous evacuation.

18. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium according to claim 15 , wherein the display controlling process causes the display device to display a display for indicating a stopping state of the vehicle when or after the autonomous evacuation of the vehicle is completed.

19. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium according to claim 18 , wherein the display controlling process causes the display for indicating the stopping state of the vehicle to be different from the display for indicating the evacuation state.

20. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium according to claim 18 , wherein the display controlling process deactivates the display for indicating the stopping state upon a manual operation of a user of the vehicle.

Assignees

• Toyota Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Morimura Junichi
• Kuriyama Tomoyuki

Classifications

• B60Q1/52 Primary

  for indicating emergencies · CPC title

• B60W60/007

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

• B60W60/0016

  of the vehicle or its occupants · CPC title

• B60Q1/46 Primary

  for giving flashing caution signals during drive, other than signalling change of direction, e.g. flashing the headlights {or hazard lights} · CPC title

• B60Q1/0035

  relative to the vehicle · CPC title