Automated vehicle control take-over alert timing based on infotainment activation

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9588517-B2
Application number	US-201514798937-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 14, 2015
Priority date	Jul 14, 2015
Publication date	Mar 7, 2017
Grant date	Mar 7, 2017

Abstract

A system for automated operation of a vehicle includes an infotainment-device and a controller. The infotainment-device is operable to provide an infotainment-activity to an operator of a vehicle. The controller is operable to estimate a take-over-interval for an operator to prepare for a mode-transition from automated-control of the vehicle by the controller to manual-control of the vehicle by the operator. The take-over-interval is determined based on the infotainment-activity of the operator. The controller is operable to notify the operator that the mode-transition is needed at least the take-over-interval prior to a take-over-time.

First claim

We claim:

1. A system for automated operation of a vehicle, said system comprising:
an infotainment-device operable to provide an infotainment-activity to an operator of a vehicle;
a controller operable to determine when the infotainment-device that provides the infotainment-activity is activated, and estimate a take-over-interval for the operator to prepare for a mode-transition from automated-control of the vehicle by the controller to manual-control of the vehicle by the operator, wherein the take-over-interval is determined based on the infotainment-device that is activated, said controller operable to notify the operator that the mode-transition is needed at least the take-over-interval prior to a take-over-time, wherein the controller is configured to deactivate the infotainment-device when the operator does not deactivate the infotainment-device.

2. The system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the infotainment-activity includes one of listening to music, listening to an audio-book, watching a movie, watching a sports-event, playing a video-game, typing a memo, operating a navigation-device and participating in a conference-call.

3. The system in accordance with claim 2 , wherein the infotainment-device is a video-game that includes a display-headset.

4. The system in accordance with claim 2 , wherein the infotainment-device is a personal-computing-device.

5. The system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the mode-transition is delayed when the operator does not deactivate the infotainment-device.

6. The system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to stop the vehicle when the operator does not deactivate the infotainment-device.

7. The system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to steer the vehicle to a shoulder of a roadway when the operator does not deactivate the infotainment-device.

Assignees

• Delphi Tech Inc

Inventors

• Laur Michael H
• Vijayan Indu

Classifications

• B60W2556/50

  of positioning data, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System] data · CPC title

• B60W50/14

  Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention · CPC title

• B60W50/082

  Selecting or switching between different modes of propelling · CPC title

• B60W2050/0072

  Controller asks driver to take over · CPC title

• G05D1/0061 Primary

  for transition from automatic pilot to manual pilot and vice versa · CPC title