FEEDBACK PERFORMANCE CONTROL AND TRACKING
A method is provided for optimizing the use of autonomous features of advanced driver assistance systems and the tracking thereof. For example, a vehicle may be equipped with several driver assistance systems in which a driver of the vehicle may be assisted. The vehicle may automatically change the number of active assistance systems or suggest to the driver one or more assistance systems to activate based on several factors, including poor driving on behalf of the driver or poor driving conditions due to weather or road quality. Statistics regarding the use of such advanced driver assistance systems may be monitored and tracked and stored on an onboard database or transmitted continuously or periodically to various entities. For example, the system may operate to allow an insurance company to track the driving performance and the use of the advanced driver assistance systems to update actuarial models to more accurately adjust rates.
1 - 20 . (canceled)
21 . A method for tracking activation of an advanced driver assistance (“ADA”) system of a vehicle, the method comprising:
a sensor detecting a driving context, wherein the driver context comprises current vehicle-related information, current occupant-related information, and exterior environmental and object information;
at a first time, a processor determining, based on the detected driving context and from among plural automation levels, a first optimum automation level of the ADA system, the plural automation levels comprising multiple of Automation Level 0, Automation Level 1, Automation Level 2, Automation Level 3, Automation Level 4, and Automation Level 5;
the processor initiating the first optimum automation level of the ADA system;
based on initiating the first optimum automation level, the processor creating a first entry in a database, wherein the first database entry comprises a timestamp associated with the initiation of the first optimum automation level of the ADA system and a description of the first optimum automation level;
at a second later time, the processor determining, based on the detected driving context and from among the plural automation levels, a second optimum automation level of the ADA system, the second optimum automation level being different from the first optimum automation level;
the processor initiating the second optimum automation level of the ADA system;
based on initiating the second optimum automation level, the processor creating a second entry in a database, wherein the second database entry comprises a second timestamp associated with the initiation of the second optimum automation level of the ADA system and a description of the second optimum automation level, wherein the first and second database entries indicate one or more of a level of human involvement in operating the vehicle and a level of automation in operating the vehicle to enable allocation of fault between a human occupant and the vehicle manufacturer in the event of an accident.
22 . The method of claim 21 , wherein the first optimum automation level is one of Automation Levels 0, 1, and 2 and the second automation level is one of Automation Level 3, 4, and 5 and wherein the processor determines a current spatial location of the vehicle, receives current vehicle-related information, current occupant-related information, and exterior environmental and object information, generates, from the exterior environmental and object information a three-dimensional map comprising exterior animate objects in spatial proximity to the vehicle, models from the three-dimensional map predicted behavior of one or more of the exterior animate objects and from the occupant-related information predicted behavior of one or more vehicle occupants, and based on the three-dimensional map and predicted behaviors of the one or more exterior animate objects and one or more vehicle occupants, issues a command to a vehicle component to perform a vehicle driving operation, wherein the command is one or more of an acceleration rate of the vehicle, a deceleration rate of the vehicle, a steering angle of the vehicle, and an inter-object spacing of the vehicle relative to an exteriorly located object, and wherein a communication system of the vehicle transmits the first and second entries to the third party via a communication network.
23 . The method of claim 22 , wherein the processor determines the optimum automation level automatically based on a risk score, the risk score being based on the current vehicle-related information, current occupant-related information, and exterior environmental and object information, wherein the sensor comprises a global positioning system (GPS), a LIDAR sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, a RADAR sensor, an infrared sensor, a camera, and/or a microphone, wherein the third party is one or more of an insurance company insuring the vehicle and a manufacturer of the vehicle, and wherein the processor one or more of transmits the predicted behaviors of the one or more exterior animate objects to the different vehicle for execution by a processor of the different vehicle and transmits the predicted behaviors of the one or more occupants of the vehicle to the different vehicle for execution by a processor of the different vehicle.