Apparatus for controlling autonomous driving of a vehicle, system having the same and method thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12233920-B2
Application number	US-202318143631-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 5, 2023
Priority date	Mar 24, 2020
Publication date	Feb 25, 2025
Grant date	Feb 25, 2025

Abstract

An autonomous driving control apparatus for a vehicle includes: a processor that determines whether a current driving condition of the vehicle is a limit situation during an autonomous driving control. When the limit situation is determined, the processor demands to transfer a control authority to a user of the vehicle, and if the control authority is not transferred to the user, the processor starts a minimum risk maneuver and controls engagement of an electronic parking brake device when the vehicle is stopped after the minimum risk maneuver ends. The autonomous driving control apparatus further includes a storage configured to store driving condition data of the vehicle and a set of instructions executed by the processor.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An autonomous driving control apparatus for a vehicle, comprising:
a processor configured to:
determine whether a current driving condition of the vehicle is a limit situation during an autonomous driving control,
when the limit situation is determined, demand to transfer a control authority to a user of the vehicle,
when the control authority is not transferred to the user, start a minimum risk maneuver,
transmit an electronic parking brake (EPB) activation signal to an electronic parking brake device a predetermined time after the vehicle is stopped after the minimum risk maneuver ends, and
control engagement of the electronic parking brake device; and
a storage configured to store driving condition data of the vehicle and a set of instructions executed by the processor.

2. The autonomous driving control apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to determine whether the current driving condition is the limit situation in which the autonomous driving control is disabled based on road information of a road on which the vehicle is running, or sensing information regarding driving conditions of the vehicle.

3. The autonomous driving control apparatus of claim 1 , wherein when the control authority is transferred to the user within a predetermined time or immediately after performing the minimum risk maneuver, the processor is configured to stop the autonomous driving control.

4. The autonomous driving control apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to determine whether the vehicle is stopped after the minimum risk maneuver ends when the control authority is not transferred to the user within a predetermined time or immediately after performing the minimum risk maneuver.

5. The autonomous driving control apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to control transmission of an engagement signal of the electronic parking brake device within a predetermined time or after the vehicle is stopped.

6. The autonomous driving control apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising
a communication device configured to transmit a signal for demanding engagement of the electronic parking brake device.

7. The autonomous driving control apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to transmit a signal for disabling reactivation of the autonomous driving control to at least one of an input device for inputting an autonomous driving control command, an output device for outputting an autonomous driving control state, or a device related to the autonomous driving control in a vehicle.

8. A vehicle system comprising:
an electronic parking brake control device configured to control engagement of an electronic parking brake device of a vehicle; and
an autonomous driving control apparatus configured to:
demand to transfer a control authority to a user of the vehicle when a current driving condition is a limit situation during an autonomous driving control,
start a minimum risk maneuver when the control authority is not transferred to the user,
transmit an electronic parking brake (EPB) activation signal to the electronic parking brake device a predetermined time after the vehicle is stopped after the minimum risk maneuver ends, and

control engagement of the electronic parking brake device.

9. The vehicle system of claim 8 , wherein the electronic parking brake control device is configured to determine whether the vehicle is stopped when the engagement of the electronic parking brake device is demanded.

10. The vehicle system of claim 9 , wherein when the vehicle is in a stopped state, the electronic parking brake control device is configured to: allow the electronic parking brake device to be engaged and transmit an engagement completion signal to the autonomous driving control apparatus.

11. The vehicle system of claim 10 , further comprising:
an output device configured to output a signal to demand to transfer the control authority or a signal to disable reactivation of the autonomous driving control, and
an input device configured to receive an autonomous driving control command from the user.

12. The vehicle system of claim 11 , wherein the autonomous driving control apparatus is configured to transmit the signal for disabling reactivation of the autonomous driving control to at least one of the input device, the output device, or a device related to the autonomous driving control in a vehicle.

13. The vehicle system of claim 8 , wherein the autonomous driving control apparatus is configured to stop the autonomous driving control when the control authority is transferred to the user within a predetermined time or immediately after performing the minimum risk maneuver.

14. An autonomous driving control method of a vehicle, the method comprising:
determining, by a processor, whether a current driving condition corresponds to a limit situation while the vehicle is under an autonomous driving control, where the autonomous driving control is restricted in the limit situation;
when the current driving condition corresponds to the limit situation, demanding, by the processor, to transfer a control authority to a user of the vehicle, and performing a minimum risk maneuver when the transfer of the control authority is not permitted by the user;
determining, by the processor, whether the vehicle is stopped after the minimum risk maneuver ends; and
transmitting, by the processor, an electronic parking brake (EPB) activation signal to an electronic parking brake device a predetermined time after the vehicle is stopped after the minimum risk maneuver ends.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein whether the current driving condition corresponds to the limit situation determined based on road information of a road on which the vehicle is driving, or sensing information regarding driving conditions of the vehicle.

16. The method of claim 14 , wherein determining whether the vehicle is stopped after the minimum risk maneuver ends includes:
releasing the autonomous driving control when the control authority is transferred to the user within a predetermined time or immediately after performing the minimum risk maneuver.

17. The method of claim 14 , wherein determining whether the vehicle is stopped after the minimum risk maneuver ends includes:
determining whether the vehicle is stopped after the minimum risk maneuver ends when the control authority is not transferred to the user within a predetermined time or immediately after performing the minimum risk maneuver.

18. The method of claim 14 , wherein demanding the engagement of the electronic parking brake device includes:
transmitting an engagement signal of the electronic parking brake device within a predetermined time or after the vehicle is stopped.

19. An autonomous driving control apparatus for a vehicle, comprising:
a processor configured to:
demand to transfer a control authority to a user of the vehicle when a current driving condition is a limit situation during an autonomous driving control,
start a minimum risk maneuver when the control authority is not transferred to the user,
ignore a reactivation command of the autonomous driving control inputted from the user while performing the minimum risk maneuver, and
transmit an electronic parking brake (EPB) activation signal to an electronic parking brake device a predetermined time after the vehicle is stopped after the minimum risk maneuver ends; and
a storage configured to store a set of instruction executed by the processor.

Assignees

• Hyundai Motor Co Ltd
• Kia Corp

Inventors

• Kim Hee Kyung
• Jeong Jin Su

Classifications

• B60W2520/04

  Vehicle stop · CPC title

• B60W50/12

  Limiting control by the driver depending on vehicle state, e.g. interlocking means for the control input for preventing unsafe operation · CPC title

• B60W40/06

  Road conditions · CPC title

• B60W10/18

  including control of braking systems · CPC title

• B60W60/0053 Primary

  from vehicle to occupant · CPC title