IP Library Granted Patent US 12,227,210
Granted Patent B1
US 12,227,210 · App. 18/046,164 · Granted Feb 18, 2025

Disengagement of an autonomous driving mode based on vehicle operating conditions

Inventors: Aaron Carroll (Mountain View, CA); Justin Erickson (San Francisco, CA); Mario Delgado (San Francisco, CA); John Hayes (Mountain View, CA); Volkmar Uhlig (Cupertino, CA)
Assignee: APPLIED INTUITION, INC.
B60W60/0053B60W40/09
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,227,210
App. No.
18/046,164
Granted
Feb 18, 2025
Kind
B1
Abstract

Disengagement of an autonomous driving mode based on vehicle operating conditions, including: receiving, from a steering torque sensor, torque sensor data indicating an amount of torque applied to a steering system of an autonomous vehicle; determining a predicted torque based on one or more motion attributes of the steering system of the autonomous vehicle; determining an estimated operator-provided torque as a differential between the predicted torque and the amount of torque; selecting a threshold from a plurality of thresholds, wherein each threshold of the plurality of thresholds corresponds to a different possible operating condition of the autonomous vehicle; and disengaging an autonomous driving mode of the autonomous vehicle based on the differential exceeding the threshold.

Claims (37)

1. A method comprising:

receiving, from a steering torque sensor, torque sensor data indicating an amount of torque applied to a steering system of an autonomous vehicle;

determining a predicted torque based on one or more motion attributes of the steering system of the autonomous vehicle;

determining an estimated operator-provided torque as a differential between the predicted torque and the amount of torque;

selecting, from a plurality of thresholds, a magnitude threshold and a time threshold, wherein the magnitude threshold and the time threshold each correspond to a different possible operating condition of the autonomous vehicle; and

disengaging an autonomous driving mode of the autonomous vehicle based on the differential exceeding the magnitude threshold for a duration exceeding the time threshold, wherein the magnitude threshold and the time threshold are user-defined.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein one or more of the magnitude threshold and the time threshold are selected further based on a current weather condition.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein one or more of the magnitude threshold and the time threshold are selected further based on a current street type.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more motion attributes comprise a steering column rotational angle, a steering column rotational velocity, and a steering column rotational acceleration.

5. The method of claim 4 , further comprising:

receiving steering column angle data indicating the steering column rotational angle; and

calculating, based on the steering column angle, the steering column rotational velocity and the steering column rotational acceleration.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising applying one or more conditioning operations to the differential.

7. An apparatus comprising a computer processor, a computer memory operatively coupled to the computer processor, the computer memory having disposed within it computer program instructions that, when executed by the computer processor, cause the apparatus to carry out steps comprising:

receiving, from a steering torque sensor, torque sensor data indicating an amount of torque applied to a steering system of an autonomous vehicle;

determining a predicted torque based on one or more motion attributes of the steering system of the autonomous vehicle;

determining an estimated operator-provided torque as a differential between the predicted torque and the amount of torque;

selecting, from a plurality of thresholds, a magnitude threshold and a time threshold, wherein the magnitude threshold and the time threshold each correspond to a different possible operating condition of the autonomous vehicle; and

disengaging an autonomous driving mode of the autonomous vehicle based on the differential exceeding the magnitude threshold for a duration exceeding the time threshold, wherein the magnitude threshold and the time threshold correspond to a particular profile.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein one or more of the magnitude threshold and the time threshold are selected further based on a current weather condition.

9. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein one or more of the magnitude threshold and the time threshold are selected further based on a current street type.

10. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the one or more motion attributes comprise a steering column rotational angle, a steering column rotational velocity, and a steering column rotational acceleration.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the steps further comprise:

receiving steering column angle data indicating the steering column rotational angle; and

calculating, based on the steering column angle, the steering column rotational velocity and the steering column rotational acceleration.

12. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the steps further comprise applying one or more conditioning operations to the differential.

13. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing computer program instructions that, when executed, cause a computer system of an autonomous vehicle to carry out steps comprising:

receiving, from a steering torque sensor, torque sensor data indicating an amount of torque applied to a steering system of an autonomous vehicle;

determining a predicted torque based on one or more motion attributes of the steering system of the autonomous vehicle;

determining an estimated operator-provided torque as a differential between the predicted torque and the amount of torque;

selecting, from a plurality of thresholds, a magnitude threshold and a time threshold, wherein the magnitude threshold and the time threshold each correspond to a different possible operating condition of the autonomous vehicle; and

disengaging an autonomous driving mode of the autonomous vehicle based on the differential exceeding the magnitude threshold for a duration exceeding the time threshold, wherein the magnitude threshold and the time threshold are user-defined, wherein the magnitude threshold and the time threshold are user-defined.

14. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 13 , wherein one or more of the magnitude threshold and the time threshold are selected further based on a current weather condition.

15. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 13 , wherein one or more of the magnitude threshold and the time threshold are selected further based on a current street type.

16. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 13 , wherein the one or more motion attributes comprise a steering column angle, a steering column rotational velocity, and a steering column rotational acceleration.

17. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 13 , wherein the steps further comprise applying one or more conditioning operations to the differential.

18. The method of claim 1 , further comprising repeatedly updating one or more of the magnitude threshold or the time threshold based on a current operating condition of the autonomous vehicle.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 18, 2024
From: GHOST AUTONOMY, INC.
To: APPLIED INTUITION, INC.
Reel/Frame 068982/0647 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 13, 2022
From: CARROLL, AARON; ERICKSON, JUSTIN; DELGADO, MARIO; HAYES, JOHN; UHLIG, VOLKMAR
To: GHOST AUTONOMY INC.
Reel/Frame 061405/0576 →
Continuity (1)
Continuation 17079431 · Oct 24, 2020
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