Autonomous drive system

1. An autonomous drive system for a vehicle comprising:

an autonomous drive module configured to pilot the vehicle;

a control module configured to monitor operating performance of the autonomous drive system;

a location module configured to identify the vehicle's location; and

a transmitter/receiver configured to communicate with a high risk location monitoring module at a location remote to the vehicle, the high risk location monitoring module configured to generate a map identifying areas where the autonomous drive system is likely to experience decreased performance or fail;

wherein when the control module determines that performance of the autonomous drive system is below a predetermined performance threshold, the control module is configured to retrieve the vehicle's location from the location module and transmit the vehicle's location to the high risk location monitoring module, which records the vehicle's current location to notify other vehicles that autonomous drive issues may occur at the vehicle's location.

2. The autonomous drive system of claim 1 , wherein the autonomous drive module is configured to pilot the vehicle and monitor driving conditions without input from the driver when performance of the autonomous drive system is at or above the predetermined performance threshold.

3. The autonomous drive system of claim 1 , further comprising:

environment perception sensors configured to sense an environment about the vehicle;

wherein the control module determines that performance of the autonomous drive system is below the predetermined performance threshold when one or more of the environment perception sensors is unable to sense the environment.

4. The autonomous drive system of claim 1 , wherein the high risk location monitoring module is at a roadside location.

5. The autonomous drive system of claim 1 , further comprising a driver alert module configured to alert a driver of the vehicle that the control module has determined that performance of the autonomous drive system is below the predetermined threshold.

6. The autonomous drive system of claim 5 , wherein the alert is at least one of an audio alert and a visual alert.

7. The autonomous drive system of claim 1 , wherein when the control module determines that performance of the autonomous drive system is at or greater than the predetermined performance threshold, the control module is configured to:

obtain the vehicle's location from the location module;

operate the transmitter/receiver to transmit the vehicle's location to the high risk location monitoring module;

operate the transmitter/receiver to receive from the high risk location monitoring module high risk locations proximate to the vehicle, the high risk locations are locations where the autonomous drive system is expected to have a high risk of performing below the predetermined performance threshold;

determine whether the vehicle is within a predetermined distance of one of the high risk locations; and

warn the driver when the vehicle is within the predetermined distance of one of the high risk locations to prepare the driver for potentially having to take manual control of the vehicle from the autonomous drive system.

8. The autonomous drive system of claim 7 , wherein the control module is further configured to:

determine when the driver takes manual control, and when the driver does not take manual control, in response to the vehicle being proximate to one of the high risk locations; and

control the transmitter/receiver to transmit data to the high risk location monitoring module indicating when the driver takes manual control, and when the driver does not take manual control, in response to the vehicle being proximate to one of the high risk locations.

9. The autonomous drive system of claim 8 , wherein:

when the driver takes manual control when the vehicle is proximate to the high risk location, the high risk location monitoring module classifies the high risk location at a higher risk level; and

when the driver does not take manual control when the vehicle is proximate to the high risk location, the high risk location monitoring module classifies the high risk location at a lower risk level.

10. An autonomous drive system for a vehicle comprising:

an autonomous drive module configured to pilot the vehicle;

a location module configured to identify the vehicle's location;

a transmitter/receiver configured to communicate with a high risk location monitoring module at a location remote to the vehicle, the high risk location monitoring module configured to generate a map identifying areas where the autonomous drive system is likely to experience decreased performance or fail; and

a control module configured to:

obtain the vehicle's location from the location module;

transmit the vehicle's location to the high risk location monitoring module;

receive from the high risk location monitoring module high risk locations proximate to the vehicle, the high risk locations are locations where the autonomous drive system is expected to have a high risk of performing below a predetermined performance threshold;

determine whether the vehicle is within a predetermined distance of one of the high risk locations; and

warn the driver when the vehicle is within the predetermined distance of one of the high risk locations to prepare the driver for potentially having to take manual control of the vehicle from the autonomous drive system.

11. The autonomous drive system of claim 10 , wherein the control module is further configured to:

determine when the driver takes manual control, and when the driver does not take manual control, in response to the vehicle being proximate to one of the high risk locations; and

control the transmitter/receiver to transmit data to the high risk location monitoring module indicating when the driver takes manual control, and when the driver does not take manual control, in response to the vehicle being proximate to one of the high risk locations.

12. The autonomous drive system of claim 11 , wherein:

when the driver takes manual control when the vehicle is proximate to the high risk location, the high risk location monitoring module classifies the high risk location at a higher risk level; and

when the driver does not take manual control when the vehicle is proximate to the high risk location, the high risk location monitoring module classifies the high risk location at a lower risk level.

13. The autonomous drive system of claim 10 , wherein:

the control module is further configured to monitor operating performance of the autonomous drive system; and

when the control module determines that performance of the autonomous drive system is below a predetermined performance threshold, the control module is configured to retrieve the vehicle's location from the location module and transmit the vehicle's location to the high risk location monitoring module, which records the vehicle's current location to notify other vehicles that autonomous drive issues may occur at the vehicle's location.

14. The autonomous drive system of claim 13 , wherein the autonomous drive module is configured to pilot the vehicle and monitor driving conditions without input from the driver when performance of the autonomous drive system is at or above the predetermined performance threshold.

15. The autonomous drive system of claim 14 , further comprising:

environment perception sensors configured to sense an environment about the vehicle;

wherein the control module determines that performance of the autonomous drive system is below the predetermined performance threshold when one or more of the environment perception sensors is unable to sense the environment.

16. The autonomous drive system of claim 10 , wherein the high risk location monitoring module is at a roadside location.

17. The autonomous drive system of claim 10 , further comprising a driver alert module configured to warn the driver when the vehicle is within the predetermined distance of one of the high risk locations to prepare the driver for potentially having to take manual control of the vehicle from the autonomous drive system.

18. A method for autonomously operating a vehicle comprising:

obtaining the vehicle's location from a location module;

transmitting the vehicle's location to a high risk location monitoring module configured to generate a map identifying areas where the autonomous drive system is likely to experience decreased performance or fail;

receiving from the high risk location monitoring module high risk locations proximate to the vehicle, the high risk locations are where the autonomous drive system is expected to have a high risk of performing below the predetermined performance threshold;

determining whether the vehicle is within a predetermined distance of any one of the high risk locations; and

warning the driver when the vehicle is within the predetermined distance to prepare the driver for potentially having to take manual control of the vehicle from the autonomous drive system.

19. The method of claim 18 , further comprising:

determining when the driver takes manual control of the vehicle, and when the driver does not take manual control of the vehicle, in response to the vehicle being proximate to one of the high risk locations; and

transmitting data to the high risk location monitoring module indicating when the driver takes manual control, and when the driver does not take manual control, in response to the vehicle being proximate to one of the high risk locations.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein:

when the driver takes manual control when the vehicle is proximate to the high risk location, the high risk location monitoring module classifies the high risk location at a higher risk level; and

when the driver does not take manual control when the vehicle is proximate to the high risk location, the high risk location monitoring module classifies the high risk location at a lower risk level.