Detection of autonomous operation of a vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12287629-B2
Application number	US-202217819430-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 12, 2022
Priority date	Aug 12, 2022
Publication date	Apr 29, 2025
Grant date	Apr 29, 2025

Abstract

A computer includes a processor and a memory, and the memory stores instructions executable by the processor to receive operation data generated by first components of a vehicle; determine that the vehicle is being operated autonomously by an on-board autonomous-operation module based on the operation data without using output from the on-board autonomous-operation module; and upon determining that the vehicle is being operated autonomously, actuate a second component of the vehicle.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A computer comprising a processor and a memory, the memory storing instructions executable by the processor to:
receive operation data generated by first components of a vehicle, the operation data indicating motion of the vehicle or a relationship of the vehicle to an external environment;
determine that the vehicle is being operated autonomously by an on-board autonomous-operation module based on the operation data without using output from the on-board autonomous-operation module; and
upon determining that the vehicle is being operated autonomously, actuate a second component of the vehicle.

2. The computer of claim 1 , wherein determining that the vehicle is being operated autonomously includes executing a machine-learning classifier.

3. The computer of claim 2 , wherein the machine-learning classifier is trained to classify the operation data as one of a plurality of operation classifications, and the operation classifications include at least one autonomous-operation classification and at least one nonautonomous-operation classification.

4. The computer of claim 2 , wherein the machine-learning classifier is trained with training data including first operation data generated while operating vehicles using at least one first autonomous-operation module and second operation data generated while nonautonomously operating the vehicles.

5. The computer of claim 4 , wherein the first operation data and the second operation data are generated while operating the vehicles over a same environment.

6. The computer of claim 4 , wherein the training data includes third operation data generated while operating the vehicles using a second autonomous-operation module.

7. The computer of claim 1 , wherein determining that the vehicle is being operated autonomously is conditional on determining that a trigger condition is met.

8. The computer of claim 7 , wherein the trigger condition includes an indicator of an operator of the vehicle being distracted.

9. The computer of claim 7 , wherein the trigger condition includes a lack of an indicator of an operator being distracted at the same time as the operator providing an input to the vehicle, and providing the input is correlated with the operator being distracted.

10. The computer of claim 7 , wherein the trigger condition includes a first indicator of an operator being distracted and a lack of a second indicator of the operator being distracted.

11. The computer of claim 7 , wherein the trigger condition includes the vehicle being at a preset geographic location.

12. The computer of claim 7 , wherein the trigger condition includes an environmental condition being experienced by the vehicle.

13. The computer of claim 7 , wherein the trigger condition includes a preset response to a prompt to an operator.

14. The computer of claim 1 , wherein the first components include at least one of a propulsion system, a brake system, or a steering system.

15. The computer of claim 1 , wherein the first components include at least one sensor that returns data about the external environment around the vehicle.

16. The computer of claim 1 , wherein the operation data includes data transmitted over a communications network of the vehicle.

17. The computer of claim 1 , wherein actuating the second component includes instructing a user interface to output a message to an operator of the vehicle.

18. The computer of claim 1 , wherein actuating the second component includes inhibiting an input stream from the on-board autonomous-operation module.

19. The computer of claim 1 , wherein actuating the second component includes instructing a transceiver to transmit the operation data to a remote server.

20. A method comprising:
receiving operation data generated by first components of a vehicle, the operation data indicating motion of the vehicle or a relationship of the vehicle to an external environment;
determining that the vehicle is being operated autonomously by an on-board autonomous-operation module based on the operation data without using output from the on-board autonomous-operation module; and
upon determining that the vehicle is being operated autonomously, actuating a second component of the vehicle.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Herman david michael
• Shanku Alexander George
• Jain Yashanshu

Classifications

• B60W40/08

  related to drivers or passengers · CPC title

• B60W2050/146

  Display means · CPC title

• B60W50/14

  Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention · CPC title

• G05D2105/22

  of humans · CPC title

• G05D2109/10

  Land vehicles · CPC title