Method for maintaining active control of an autonomous vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9582003-B1
Application number	US-201615182989-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Jun 15, 2016
Priority date	May 16, 2016
Publication date	Feb 28, 2017
Grant date	Feb 28, 2017

Abstract

Method for maintaining active control of an autonomous vehicle can involve confirming the active presence of a human in a semi-autonomous vehicle. The human's active physical control and monitoring of the semi-autonomous vehicle can be verified by detecting that a throttle pedal on the semi-autonomous vehicle is depressed relative to a non-actuated position. The vehicle can then continue semi-autonomously as long as the active physical control and monitoring by the human is confirmed. Once the throttle pedal is found to no longer be depressed, the vehicle can be returned to normal human control.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of confirming the active presence of a human driver in a semi-autonomous vehicle, the method comprising:
confirming that the human driver is actively physically controlling and monitoring the semi-autonomous vehicle by detecting that a throttle pedal on a semi-autonomous vehicle is depressed relative to a non-actuated position;
continuing to drive the semi-autonomous vehicle semi-autonomously while the active physical control and monitoring by the human driver is confirmed;
detecting that the throttle pedal on the semi-autonomous vehicle is no longer being depressed; and
terminating semi-autonomous driving of the semi-autonomous vehicle and returning the semi-autonomous vehicle to normal human control upon detecting that the throttle pedal on the semi-autonomous vehicle is no longer being depressed.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of confirming that the human driver is actively physically controlling and monitoring the semi-autonomous vehicle comprises detecting that the throttle pedal on the semi-autonomous vehicle is moved periodically, and the step of terminating semi-autonomous driving comprises detecting that the throttle pedal has not been depressed for an extended period of time.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of confirming that the human driver is actively physically controlling and monitoring the semi-autonomous vehicle comprises detecting that the throttle pedal is continuously held in a depressed position, and the step of terminating semi-autonomous driving comprises detecting that the throttle pedal on the semi-autonomous vehicle has been released to a non-depressed position.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising detecting the position of the throttle pedal when depressed, and adjusting a semi-autonomous driving behavior of the semi-autonomous vehicle according to the position of the throttle pedal.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the semi-autonomous driving behavior comprises a maximum speed during semi-autonomous driving of the semi-autonomous vehicle.

6. The method of claim 4 , wherein the semi-autonomous behavior comprises a maximum motive power during semi-autonomous driving of the semi-autonomous vehicle.

7. The method of claim 4 , wherein the semi-autonomous behavior comprises at least one of a following-distance of the vehicle, a tendency to pass other vehicles, and a tendency to allow other vehicles to pass.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising displaying to the human driver a future plan of semi-autonomous driving and confirming that the human driver approves of the future plan by detecting a movement pattern of the throttle pedal.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the future plan is an immediate plan of semi-autonomous driving.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the future plan is a long-term route for semi-autonomous driving.

11. The method of claim 8 , wherein the position or movement pattern of the throttle pedal comprises a pump of the throttle pedal.

12. The method of claim 1 , further comprising terminating semi-autonomous driving of the semi-autonomous vehicle and returning the semi-autonomous vehicle to normal human control upon detecting a sudden and extreme depression of the throttle pedal.

13. The method of claim 1 , further comprising terminating semi-autonomous driving of the semi-autonomous vehicle and returning the semi-autonomous vehicle to normal human control upon detecting a sudden and extreme depression of a brake pedal of the semi-autonomous vehicle.

14. The method of claim 1 , further comprising detecting a movement pattern of the throttle pedal and processing the detected movement as a discrete command from the human driver.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the movement pattern comprises a plurality of pumps of different durations.

16. The method of claim 14 , further comprising displaying a query to the human driver and processing the discrete command as a response to the query.

17. A semi-autonomous vehicle comprising one or more processors operatively connected to the vehicle to control the vehicle, the one or more processors further configured to:
confirm that the human driver is actively physically controlling and monitoring the semi-autonomous vehicle by detecting that a throttle pedal on a semi-autonomous vehicle is depressed relative to a non-actuated position;
continue to drive the semi-autonomous vehicle semi-autonomously while the active physical control and monitoring by the human driver is confirmed;
detect that the throttle pedal on the semi-autonomous vehicle is no longer being depressed; and
terminate semi-autonomous driving of the semi-autonomous vehicle and return the semi-autonomous vehicle to normal human control upon detecting that the throttle pedal on the semi-autonomous vehicle is no longer being depressed.

18. The vehicle of claim 17 , wherein the vehicle is an automobile.

19. The vehicle of claim 18 , wherein the automobile is a truck.

20. The vehicle of claim 19 , wherein the truck is a tractor unit.

Assignees

• Ottomotto Llc
• Uber Technologies Inc

Inventors

• Levandowski Anthony
• Burnette Don

Classifications

• B60W2540/12

  Brake pedal position · CPC title

• B60W2540/215

  Selection or confirmation of options · CPC title

• B60W2540/10

  Accelerator pedal position · CPC title

• B60W40/08

  related to drivers or passengers · CPC title

• B60W50/10 Primary

  Interpretation of driver requests or demands · CPC title