Crowd-sourced transfer-of-control policy for automated vehicles

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9798323-B2
Application number	US-201414444314-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 28, 2014
Priority date	Jul 28, 2014
Publication date	Oct 24, 2017
Grant date	Oct 24, 2017

Abstract

An automated vehicle includes a control system configured to selectively transfer the automated vehicle from an automated control mode to a manual control mode based on a transfer-of-control criterion. The transfer-of-control criterion is based on a current context of the automated vehicle and a dataset of previous transfer-of-control events and previous contexts associated with the operation of a plurality of additional automated vehicles.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An automated vehicle comprising:
a control system configured to selectively transfer the automated vehicle from an automated control mode to a manual control mode based on a transfer-of-control criterion;
wherein the transfer-of-control criterion is based on a current context of the automated vehicle and a dataset of previous transfer-of-control events and previous contexts associated with the operation of a plurality of additional automated vehicles.

2. The automated vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the control system is configured to receive, over a network, a transfer-event probability value computed by a processor remote from the automated vehicle, wherein the transfer-event probability data is computed based on the dataset and the current context of the automated vehicle.

3. The automated vehicle of claim 2 , wherein the transfer-of-control criterion includes determining whether the transfer-event probability value is greater than a predetermined threshold.

4. The automated vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the control system is further configured to request that the automated vehicle perform an action based on the transfer-of-control criterion.

5. The automated vehicle of claim 4 , wherein the action includes an alert indicating that the automated vehicle is to be transferred from the automated control mode to the manual control mode.

6. The automated vehicle of claim 4 , wherein the alert includes a visual representation of a reason for transferring from the automated control mode to the manual control mode or remaining in the automated mode.

7. The automated vehicle of claim 4 , wherein the action is an accident avoidance action.

8. The automated vehicle of claim 4 , wherein the control system is further configured to learn when it is likely to perform the action.

9. The automated vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the control system is further configured to adapt the transfer-of-control criterion based on driver behavior.

10. A method for operating an automated vehicle having an automated control mode and a manual control mode, the method comprising:
predicting, with a processor, a transfer-of-control event based on a transfer-of-control criterion, the transfer-of-control criterion based on a current context of the automated vehicle and a dataset of previous transfer-of-control events and previous contexts associated with the operation of a plurality of additional automated vehicles; and
requesting, with the processor, that the automated vehicle perform an action based on the transfer-of-control event, the action including transferring control of the automated vehicle to the manual control mode.

11. The method of claim 10 , further including receiving, over a network, a transfer-event probability value computed by a processor remote from the automated vehicle, wherein the transfer-event probability data is computed based on the dataset and the current context of the automated vehicle.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the transfer-of-control criterion includes determining whether the transfer-event probability value is greater than a predetermined threshold.

13. The method of claim 10 , wherein the action includes outputting an alert indicating that the automated vehicle is to be transferred from the automated control mode to the manual control mode.

14. The method of claim 10 , further including adapting the transfer-of-control criterion based on driver behavior.

15. An automated vehicle control system for a vehicle having an automated control mode and a manual control mode, the automated vehicle control system comprising:
an event reporter module configured to transmit, over a network, transfer-of-control event data and context data associated with the automated vehicle to a server storing a dataset of previous transfer-of-control events and previous contexts associated with the operation of a plurality of additional automated vehicles;
an analysis module, including a processor, configured to predict a transfer-of-control event based on a transfer-of-control criterion, the transfer-of-control criterion based on a current context of the automated vehicle and the dataset; and
an action determination module configured to request that the automated vehicle perform an action based on the transfer-of-control event, the action including transferring control of the automated vehicle to the manual control mode.

16. The automated vehicle control system of claim 15 , wherein the analysis module is configured to receive, over a network, a transfer-event probability value computed by a processor remote from the automated vehicle, wherein the transfer-event probability data is computed based on the dataset and the current context of the automated vehicle.

17. The automated vehicle control system of claim 16 , wherein the transfer-of-control criterion includes determining whether the transfer-event probability value is greater than a predetermined threshold.

18. The automated vehicle control system of claim 15 , wherein the action includes an alert indicating that the automated vehicle is to be transferred from the automated control mode to the manual control mode.

19. The automated vehicle control system of claim 15 , wherein the analysis module is further configured to learn when the action determination module is likely to request the action.

20. The automated vehicle control system of claim 15 , wherein the analysis module is further configured to adapt the transfer-of-control criterion based on driver behavior.

Assignees

• Gm Global Tech Operations Llc

Inventors

• Tsimhoni Omer
• Goldman-Shenhar Claudia V
• Hecht Ron M
• Salinger Jeremy A

Classifications

• B60W30/00

  Purposes of road vehicle drive control systems not related to the control of a particular sub-unit, e.g. of systems using conjoint control of vehicle sub-units · CPC title

• G06Q50/00

  Information and communication technology [ICT] specially adapted for implementation of business processes of specific business sectors, e.g. utilities or tourism (healthcare informatics G16H) · CPC title

• G05D1/0061 Primary

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

• G05D2201/0213

  Physics · mapped topic

• B60W50/082

  Selecting or switching between different modes of propelling · CPC title