Apparatus and method for steering adjustment

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12311909-B2
Application number	US-202318343004-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 28, 2023
Priority date	Aug 22, 2022
Publication date	May 27, 2025
Grant date	May 27, 2025

Abstract

An apparatus for steering adjustment detects a gaze direction of a driver of a vehicle from a facial image in which a face of the driver is represented. During autonomous driving in which steering of the vehicle is autonomously controlled, when an operation by the driver on a steering wheel is detected, determines whether the gaze direction of the driver corresponds to the steering direction in the operation of the driver. The apparatus adjusts a reaction force with respect to the operation of the steering wheel smaller when the gaze direction corresponds to the steering direction than when the gaze direction does not correspond to the steering direction.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for steering adjustment comprising a processor configured to:
detect a gaze direction of a driver of a vehicle from a facial image in which a face of the driver is represented, and
during autonomous driving in which steering of the vehicle is autonomously controlled, when an operation by the driver on a steering wheel accepting operations by the driver for designating a steering direction and a steering amount of the vehicle is detected, determine whether the gaze direction of the driver corresponds to the steering direction in the operation of the driver and adjust a reaction force with respect to the operation on the steering wheel smaller when the gaze direction corresponds to the steering direction than when the gaze direction does not correspond to the steering direction.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the processor, in the adjustment of the reaction force, adjusts the reaction force with respect to the operation of the steering wheel during autonomous driving to a predetermined value and adjusts the reaction force larger than the reaction force during the autonomous driving when the gaze direction does not correspond to the steering direction.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to determine a hazard level indicating a possibility of a hazardous event possibly occurring on the vehicle to proceed in the steering direction based on a relative position from the vehicle of an object detected from a surrounding image representing the state of surroundings of the vehicle, and
the processor, in the adjustment of the reaction force, adjusts the reaction force larger the higher the hazard level.

4. A method for steering adjustment by an apparatus that can adjust a reaction force with respect to an operation of a steering wheel accepting operations by a driver of a vehicle for designating a steering direction and a steering amount, comprising:
detecting a gaze direction of the driver of the vehicle from a facial image in which a face of the driver is represented, and
during autonomous driving in which steering of the vehicle is autonomously controlled, when an operation by the driver on the steering wheel is detected, determining whether the gaze direction of the driver corresponds to the steering direction in the operation of the driver and adjusting a reaction force with respect to the operation on the steering wheel smaller when the gaze direction corresponds to the steering direction than when the gaze direction does not correspond to the steering direction.

5. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having a computer program for steering adjustment stored therein, the computer program causing a computer mounted on a vehicle to execute a process comprising:
detecting a gaze direction of a driver of the vehicle from a facial image in which a face of the driver is represented, and
during autonomous driving in which steering of the vehicle is autonomously controlled, when an operation by the driver on the steering wheel accepting operations by the driver of the vehicle for designating a steering direction and a steering amount is detected, determining whether the gaze direction of the driver corresponds to the steering direction in the operation of the driver and adjusting a reaction force with respect to the operation on the steering wheel smaller when the gaze direction corresponds to the steering direction than when the gaze direction does not correspond to the steering direction.

Assignees

• Toyota Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kuroda Ryusuke

Classifications

• G06V40/18

  Eye characteristics, e.g. of the iris · 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

• B62D6/00 Primary

  Arrangements for automatically controlling steering depending on driving conditions sensed and responded to, e.g. control circuits (means for initiating a change in direction B62D1/00; steering valves B62D5/06; combined with means for inclining the vehicle body or wheels on bends B62D9/00) · CPC title

• B60W50/16

  Tactile feedback to the driver, e.g. vibration or force feedback to the driver on the steering wheel or the accelerator pedal · CPC title

• B60W2554/801

  Lateral distance · CPC title