System with user input for autonomous vehicle control

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2025074189-A1
Application number	US-202318458259-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Aug 30, 2023
Priority date	Aug 30, 2023
Publication date	Mar 6, 2025
Grant date	—

Abstract

A system for controlling a vehicle includes a steering actuator, a brake actuator a throttle actuator, an interface device and a control system. The interface device has a drive controller coupled to the brake actuator and the throttle actuator, and a steering controller coupled to the steering actuator. The control system is responsive to actuation of the interface device to change one or both of the speed and direction of the vehicle as compared to the instructions executed by the vehicle controller, and the control system is responsive to actuation of the interface device to adjust the instructions as a function of the actuation of the interface device in at least some operating conditions.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A system for controlling a vehicle, comprising:
a steering actuator arranged to permit adjustment of a direction of travel of the vehicle; a brake actuator arranged to permit reduction in a speed of the vehicle; a throttle actuator arranged to permit an increase in a speed of the vehicle; an interface device having a drive controller adapted to be movable about a pivot axis relative to a base, the drive controller being coupled to the brake actuator and the throttle actuator, and the interface device having a steering controller carried by the drive controller for movement with the drive controller and rotatable relative to the drive controller about an axis of rotation that is not parallel to the pivot axis, and the steering controller is coupled to the steering actuator; and a control system connected to the steering actuator, the brake actuator and the throttle actuator wherein the control system includes a processor and memory that are arranged to execute instructions to control the speed and direction of the vehicle along a path of travel, and the control system is responsive to actuation of the interface device to change one or both of the speed and direction of the vehicle as compared to the instructions executed by the vehicle controller, and wherein the control system is responsive to actuation of the interface device to adjust the instructions as a function of the actuation of the interface device in at least some operating conditions.

2 . The system of claim 1 wherein the control system adjusts a steering instruction after a threshold number of actuations of the interface device to change an output of the steering actuator from the output of the steering actuator determined by the control system.

3 . The system of claim 1 wherein the control system adjusts a throttle instruction after a threshold number of actuations of the interface device to change an output of the throttle actuator from the output of the throttle actuator determined by the control system.

4 . The system of claim 1 wherein the control system adjusts a braking instruction after a threshold number of actuations of the interface device to change an output of the braking actuator from the output of the braking actuator determined by the control system.

5 . The system of claim 1 wherein the interface device includes an input that may be actuated to allow use of the interface device to control one or more of the steering actuator, braking actuator and throttle actuator.

6 . The system of claim 5 wherein the processor stores to the memory the actuation of the interface device along with a context in which the actuation of the interface device occurred, where the context includes one or more of a number of lanes in a road on which the vehicle is traveling, a speed of the vehicle, a proximity of the vehicle to other vehicles, and a location of the vehicle within a lane in the road along which the vehicle is traveling.

7 . The system of claim 1 wherein the control system selectively deactivates the interface device to prevent actuation of one or more of the steering actuator, the brake actuator and the throttle actuator in a manner that exceeds a threshold for one or more of the steering actuator, the brake actuator and the throttle actuator.

8 . The system of claim 7 wherein the threshold is a distance of the vehicle to another vehicle.

9 . The system of claim 7 wherein the threshold varies as a function of the speed of the vehicle.

10 . The system of claim 2 wherein the control system controls the steering actuator to position the vehicle within a lane on the road along which the vehicle is traveling and the steering controller is operable to permit the position of the vehicle within the lane to be adjusted by a user.

11 . The system of claim 10 wherein the steering instruction is adjusted after at multiple actuations of the steering controller of the interface device that occur within a threshold range of vehicle speeds.

12 . The system of claim 1 which also comprises a communication interface by which a user can activate a mode in which the control system learns a user's preferences based on control of the vehicle by the user via the interface device.

13 . The system of claim 12 wherein the communication interface includes an infotainment system of the vehicle by which multiple menu options can be presented to a user for selection by the user.

14 . The system of claim 1 wherein the control system controls the throttle actuator to provide a predetermined rate of acceleration from a stopped position, and the drive controller is operable to permit the rate of acceleration from a stopped position to be adjusted by a user.

15 . A method of controlling a vehicle, including:
controlling a speed and a direction of a vehicle with a vehicle control system including one or more electronic controllers; determining a driver actuation of one or more of a steering controller and a drive controller having one or both of a braking input and a throttle input and allowing the driver actuation to adjust one or both of the speed and direction of the vehicle; storing in memory said driver actuation and a context in which the driver actuation occurred; and adjusting the manner in which the vehicle control system controls one or both of the speed and the direction of the vehicle as a function of the driver actuation.

16 . The method of claim 15 wherein the manner in which the vehicle control system controls the speed of the vehicle includes a rate of acceleration of the vehicle.

17 . The method of claim 15 which includes enabling a learning mode during which the driver actuation of the steering controller, the braking input or the throttle input are recorded in memory and used by the control system to adjust instructions used by the control system to adjust control in the future of the direction and the speed of the vehicle.

18 . The method of claim 15 wherein the steering controller, the braking input and the throttle input are integrated into an interface device arranged for manipulation by one hand of a user.

19 . The method of claim 18 wherein the steering controller and one of the braking input and the throttle input can be manipulated at the same time to permit simultaneous adjustment of both the speed and the direction of the vehicle.

20 . The method of claim 15 wherein controlling the direction of the vehicle includes at least controlling a lateral position of the vehicle within a lane of a road on which the vehicle is traveling and wherein, after repeated driver actuations of the steering controller to change the lateral position of the vehicle within the lane, the vehicle control system changes a setting relating to the lateral position of the vehicle within the lane of the road on which the vehicle is traveling.

Assignees

• Fca Us Llc

Inventors

• Bechtel Travis D
• Brady Brandon F
• Blum Johannes

Classifications

• B62D1/02

  vehicle-mounted · CPC title

• B60W30/18181

  Propulsion control with common controlling member for different functions · CPC title

• B60K26/04

  of means connecting initiating means or elements to propulsion unit · CPC title

• B60K35/29

  Instruments characterised by the way in which information is handled, e.g. showing information on plural displays or prioritising information according to driving conditions · CPC title

• B60K35/10 Primary

  Input arrangements, i.e. from user to vehicle, associated with vehicle functions or specially adapted therefor · CPC title