Occupant based vehicle control

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017282912-A1
Application number	US-201715626523-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 19, 2017
Priority date	Mar 11, 2015
Publication date	Oct 5, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

A vehicle includes an occupant monitoring system and a processing circuit coupled to the occupant monitoring system. The occupant monitoring system is configured to acquire occupant data regarding an occupant of the vehicle. The processing circuit is configured to receive the occupant data; determine a vehicle operation command based on the occupant data, the vehicle operation command configured to affect operation of the vehicle while the vehicle is in a robotic driving mode; and provide the vehicle operation command to a vehicle system.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method of operating a robotic driving vehicle, comprising:
receiving, by a processing circuit, occupant data; determining, by the processing circuit, a vehicle operation command based on the occupant data, the vehicle operation command configured to affect operation of a vehicle while the vehicle is in a robotic driving mode; and providing, by the processing circuit, the vehicle operation command to a vehicle system.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the vehicle system includes a robotic driving system, wherein the robotic driving system is configured to provide robotic control of the vehicle while the vehicle is in the robotic driving mode.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the occupant data provides an indication of discomfort of an occupant while the vehicle is in the robotic driving mode.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the occupant data includes at least one of an eye motion, a pupil size, a perspiration amount, a perspiration rate, a temperature, a pulse rate, audible information, an amount of shaking, an exertion of force, and a facial feature.

5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein the vehicle command determination is based on an occupant data point being outside a predefined standard.

6 . The method of claim 4 , wherein the predefined standard includes at least one of an acceptable operating range and a threshold level, the threshold level defining at least one of a minimum level and a maximum level for one or more occupant data points.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the vehicle command determination is based on a gradation level of an occupant data point relative to a predefined standard, wherein each gradation level corresponds with a different vehicle operation command.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the vehicle command determination is based on occupant data for only one occupant of a group of occupants in the vehicle.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the vehicle command determination is based on a comparison of one or more occupant data points to one or more reference occupant data points included in reference occupant data.

10 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the reference occupant data is specific to an occupant that is acquired via one or more vehicle trips.

11 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the reference occupant data is based on occupant data that is acquired for all occupants in the vehicle during one vehicle trip.

12 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the reference occupant data is based on occupant data that is acquired for one or more vehicle occupants during a manual driving mode of the vehicle.

13 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the reference occupant data is based on occupant data acquired after a predetermined time of operation of the vehicle.

14 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the processing circuit is configured to generate an output based on the occupant data and provide the generated output to an occupant of the vehicle, wherein the output includes at least one of the occupant data acquired, a proposed vehicle operation command, and a correlation between an occupant data point and a vehicle operating parameter.

15 . The method of claim 1 , wherein a sensor is configured to acquire the occupant data.

16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the sensor includes at least one of a camera, a body position sensor, a force sensor, a pressure sensor, a microphone, a heart rate/pulse sensor, a moisture sensor, a temperature sensor, and a facial sensor.

17 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the sensor includes at least one of a physiological response sensor, a physical response sensor, and an acoustic sensor, wherein the acoustic sensor acquires at least one of a voluntary sound and an involuntary sound emitted by an occupant of the vehicle.

18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the physical response sensor acquires a physical force generated by an occupant of the vehicle.

19 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the effect on operation of the vehicle is based on affecting a vehicle operating parameter including at least one of a deactivation of the robotic driving mode, a vehicle speed relative to another vehicle, an absolute vehicle speed, a following distance, an acceleration characteristic of the vehicle, a braking characteristic of the vehicle, a vehicle turning characteristic, and a lateral separation distance of the vehicle relative to an object.

20 . A method of operating a robotic driving vehicle, comprising:
receiving, by a processing circuit, occupant data; receiving, by the processing circuit, vehicle operation data; providing, by the processing circuit, an output to an occupant of a vehicle regarding operation of the vehicle; and providing, by the processing circuit, a vehicle operation command to a robotic driving system of the vehicle based on the occupant data and the vehicle operation data, the vehicle operation command configured to affect operation of the vehicle while the vehicle is in a robotic driving mode.

21 . The method of claim 20 , wherein the vehicle operation command is based on the vehicle operation data and the occupant data.

22 . The method of claim 20 , wherein the vehicle operation command is configured to adjust a vehicle operating parameter that caused the occupant data to indicate discomfort.

23 . The method of claim 20 , wherein the vehicle operation data provides an indication of a vehicle operating parameter, the vehicle operating parameter including a vehicle speed relative to another vehicle, an absolute vehicle speed, a following distance, an acceleration characteristic of the vehicle, a braking characteristic of the vehicle, a vehicle turning characteristic, and a lateral separation distance of the vehicle relative to an object.

24 . The method of claim 20 , wherein the generated output includes at least one of the occupant data acquired, a proposed vehicle operation command, and a correlation between an occupant data point and a vehicle operating parameter.

25 . The method of claim 20 , further comprising receiving, by the processing circuit, a response to the provided output.

26 . The method of claim 25 , wherein the response includes at least one of a vehicle operation command, a rejection to a generated vehicle operation command, a modification to a generated vehicle operation command, and an acceptance to a generated vehicle operation command.

27 . A method of operating a robotic driving vehicle, comprising:
identifying, by a processing circuit, an occupant of a vehicle; receiving, by the processing circuit, occupant data regarding the occupant; determining, by the processing circuit, a vehicle operation command based on the occupant data; and providing, by the processing circuit, the vehicle operation command to a vehicle system; wherein the vehicle operation command is configured to affect operation of the vehicle while the vehicle is in a robotic driving mode.

28 . The method of claim 27 , wherein identification is based on a personal electronic device of the occupant.

29 . The method of claim 27 , further comprising classifying, by the processing circuit, the occupant into an occupant type.

30 . The method of claim 27 , wherein the processing circuit is configured to weight occupant data corresponding to higher classified occupants types

Assignees

• Elwha Llc

Inventors

• Chan Alistair K
• Driscoll Tom
• Hyde Roderick A
• Kare Jordin T
• Smith David R
• Tegreene Clarence T

Classifications

• A61B5/165

  Evaluating the state of mind, e.g. depression, anxiety · CPC title

• B60W2420/24

  Capacitance type, e.g. as level indicator · CPC title

• B60W2540/22

  Psychological state; Stress level or workload · CPC title

• A61B5/0816

  Measuring devices for examining respiratory frequency (measuring frequency of electric signals G01R23/00) · CPC title

• A61B5/14551

  for measuring blood gases · CPC title