Vehicle and interface system for autonomous driving with fault-based operational requests

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12441340-B2
Application number	US-202318473891-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 25, 2023
Priority date	Oct 4, 2022
Publication date	Oct 14, 2025
Grant date	Oct 14, 2025

Abstract

A VCIB performs processing including issuing a request for maintenance after a vehicle returns when the vehicle is carrying out autonomous driving, a failure occurs, and the vehicle is able to continue a service operation, stopping the service operation and outputting a back request when the vehicle is unable to continue the service operation and the vehicle is able to travel, and stopping the service operation and outputting a stop request when the vehicle is unable to continue traveling.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vehicle comprising:
an autonomous driving system; and
a vehicle platform on which the autonomous driving system is mounted, wherein
the vehicle platform includes
a base vehicle that carries out vehicle control in accordance with a command from the autonomous driving system, and
a vehicle control interface box that interfaces between the base vehicle and the autonomous driving system,

the vehicle control interface box outputs to the autonomous driving system, one of a first request, a second request, and a third request that corresponds to failure information on a failure that has occurred in the vehicle platform, the first request requesting performance of maintenance of the vehicle platform, the second request requesting being back to a garage of the vehicle platform, the third request requesting a stop,
the autonomous driving system configured to:
(i) upon receipt of the first request, continue normal autonomous operation and request maintenance be scheduled,
(ii) upon receipt of the second request, halts the current service an autonomously returns the vehicle to a garage, and
(iii) upon receipt of the third request, halts the current service operation at a location where the vehicle does not interfere with traffic of other cars,

the vehicle control interface box further gives the autonomous driving system, fault information indicating whether the vehicle is able to carry out limp home travel while the vehicle is carrying out autonomous driving with the autonomous driving system,
the vehicle control interface box includes:
a first control system, and
a second control system provided for redundancy of the first control system, and

the first control system sets a value indicating a state other than the inability at limp home travel as a value indicating whether or not the limp home travel is possible when the limp home travel with the second control system is impossible.

2. The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein
the vehicle control interface box outputs the first request to the autonomous driving system when the failure information includes information indicating that the vehicle is able to continue traveling and operation of a service with the vehicle can be maintained.

3. The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein
the vehicle control interface box outputs the second request to the autonomous driving system when the failure information includes information indicating that the vehicle is able to continue traveling and operation of a service with the vehicle cannot be maintained.

4. The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein
the vehicle control interface box outputs the third request to the autonomous driving system when the failure information includes information indicating that the vehicle is unable to continue traveling and operation of a service with the vehicle cannot be maintained.

5. The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein
the autonomous driving system uses any one system that is able to carry out the limp home travel, of the first control system and the second control system.

6. The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein
the first control system sets a value indicating the ability at limp home travel as a value indicating whether or not the limp home travel is possible when the limp home travel with the second control system is impossible.

7. The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein
the first control system sets a value indicating the inability at limp home travel as a value indicating whether or not the limp home travel is possible when the limp home travel with the first control system is impossible.

8. A method of controlling a vehicle, the vehicle including a vehicle platform on which an autonomous driving system is mounted, the vehicle platform including a vehicle control interface box that interfaces between a base vehicle and the autonomous driving system, the vehicle control interface box includes a first control system and a second control system provided for redundancy of the first control system, the method comprising:
carrying out vehicle control in accordance with a command from the autonomous driving system;
outputting to the autonomous driving system, one of a first request, a second request, and a third request that corresponds to failure information on a failure that has occurred in the vehicle platform, the first request requesting performance of maintenance of the vehicle platform, the second request requesting being back to a garage of the vehicle platform, the third request requesting a stop;
autonomous driving system configured to perform the following:
(i) upon receipt of the first request, continue normal autonomous operation and request maintenance be scheduled,
(ii) upon receipt of the second request, halts the current service an autonomously returns the vehicle to a garage, and
(iii) upon receipt of the third request, halts the current service operation at a location where the vehicle does not interfere with traffic of other cars,

giving the autonomous driving system, fault information indicating whether the vehicle is able to carry out limp home travel while the vehicle is carrying out autonomous driving with the autonomous driving system; and
setting, by the first control system, a value indicating a state other than the inability at limp home travel as a value indicating whether or not the limp home travel is possible when the limp home travel with the second control system is impossible.

9. A vehicle control interface box that interfaces between an autonomous driving system and a base vehicle, the base vehicle carrying out vehicle control in accordance with a command from the autonomous driving system, the base vehicle and the vehicle control interface box implementing a vehicle platform provided in the vehicle together with the autonomous driving system, wherein
the vehicle control interface box outputs to the autonomous driving system, one of a first request, a second request, and a third request that corresponds to failure information on a failure that has occurred in the vehicle platform, the first request requesting performance of maintenance of the vehicle platform, the second request requesting being back to a garage of the vehicle platform, the third request requesting a stop,
the autonomous driving system configured to perform the following:
(i) upon receipt of the first request, continue normal autonomous operation and request maintenance be scheduled,
(ii) upon receipt of the second request, halts the current service an autonomously returns the vehicle to a garage, and
(iii) upon receipt of the third request, halts the current service operation at a location where the vehicle does not interfere with traffic of other cars,

the vehicle control interface box further gives the autonomous driving system, fault information indicating whether the vehicle is able to carry out limp home travel while the vehicle is carrying out autonomous driving with the autonomous driving system,
the vehicle control interface box includes
a first control system, and
a second control system provided for redundancy of the first control system, and

the first control system sets a value indicating a state other than the inability at limp home travel as a value indicating whether or not the limp home travel is possible when the limp home travel with the second control system is impossible.

Assignees

• Toyota Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Ando Eisuke
• Miura Mitsuhiro

Classifications

• B60W60/001 Primary

  Planning or execution of driving tasks · CPC title

• B60W2050/0292

  Fail-safe or redundant systems, e.g. limp-home or backup systems · CPC title

• B60R16/0232

  for measuring vehicle parameters and indicating critical, abnormal or dangerous conditions · CPC title

• B60R16/02

  electric {constitutive elements} · CPC title

• B60W60/0059

  Estimation of the risk associated with autonomous or manual driving, e.g. situation too complex, sensor failure or driver incapacity · CPC title