IP Library Granted Patent US 12,441,372
Granted Patent B2
US 12,441,372 · App. 18/096,321 · Granted Oct 14, 2025

Autonomous vehicle operator engagement

Inventors: Manuel Ludwig Kuehner (Mountain View, CA); Hiroshi Yasuda (San Francisco, CA)
Assignee: Woven By Toyota, Inc.
B60W60/0053B60W2554/40B60W2555/20B60W2556/45
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,441,372
App. No.
18/096,321
Granted
Oct 14, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

Systems, methods, and other embodiments described herein relate to keeping an operator of a host vehicle that is semi-autonomous or autonomous engaged. In one embodiment, a method includes determining whether a disengagement ratio of the host vehicle is below a predetermined threshold value and determining whether driving conditions at an upcoming road segment are conducive for disengagement of autonomous vehicle control in the host vehicle. The method includes disengaging the autonomous vehicle control in the host vehicle in response to at least the disengagement ratio being below the predetermined threshold value and the driving conditions being conducive for the disengagement of the autonomous vehicle control.

Claims (58)

1. A system comprising:

a processor; and

a memory storing machine-readable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:

determine whether a disengagement ratio of a host vehicle is below a predetermined threshold value, the disengagement ratio of the host vehicle being at least one of a ratio between a number of system-initiated disengagements to a predetermined time period and a ratio between an amount of time that the host vehicle is in a manual mode and an amount of time that the host vehicle is in an autonomous mode;

determine whether driving conditions at an upcoming road segment are conducive for disengagement of autonomous vehicle control in the host vehicle, the driving conditions belonging to a domain in which the autonomous vehicle control is designed to operate; and

disengage the autonomous vehicle control in the host vehicle in response to at least the disengagement ratio being below the predetermined threshold value and the driving conditions being conducive for the disengagement of the autonomous vehicle control.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the driving conditions include at least one of:

a road condition;

a weather condition;

a visibility condition; or

a traffic condition.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the machine-readable instructions further include instructions that when executed by the processor cause the processor to:

receive the driving conditions from one or more vehicles that have traversed the upcoming road segment.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the machine-readable instructions further include instructions that when executed by the processor cause the processor to:

determine whether, in response to disengaging the autonomous vehicle control in the host vehicle, an operator has taken control of the host vehicle.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the machine-readable instructions further include instructions that when executed by the processor cause the processor to:

determine whether characteristics of an operator of the host vehicle are conducive for disengagement of autonomous vehicle control in the host vehicle; and

disengage the autonomous vehicle control in the host vehicle in response to at least the disengagement ratio being below the predetermined threshold value, the driving conditions being conducive for the disengagement of the autonomous vehicle control, and the characteristics of the operator of the host vehicle.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the machine-readable instructions further include instructions that when executed by the processor cause the processor to:

disengage the autonomous vehicle control in the host vehicle in a virtual manner.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the disengagement ratio is a ratio of a number of system-initiated disengagements to a predetermined time period.

8. A method comprising:

determining whether a disengagement ratio of a host vehicle is below a predetermined threshold value, the disengagement ratio of the host vehicle being at least one of a ratio between a number of system-initiated disengagements to a predetermined time period and a ratio between an amount of time that the host vehicle is in a manual mode and an amount of time that the host vehicle is in an autonomous mode;

determining whether driving conditions at an upcoming road segment are conducive for disengagement of autonomous vehicle control in the host vehicle, the driving conditions belonging to a domain in which the autonomous vehicle control is designed to operate; and

disengaging the autonomous vehicle control in the host vehicle in response to at least the disengagement ratio being below the predetermined threshold value and the driving conditions being conducive for the disengagement of the autonomous vehicle control.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the driving conditions include at least one of:

a road condition;

a weather condition;

a visibility condition; or

a traffic condition.

10. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:

receiving the driving conditions from one or more vehicles that have traversed the upcoming road segment.

11. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:

determining whether, in response to disengaging the autonomous vehicle control in the host vehicle, an operator has taken control of the host vehicle.

12. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:

determining whether characteristics of an operator of the host vehicle are conducive for disengagement of autonomous vehicle control in the host vehicle; and

disengaging the autonomous vehicle control in the host vehicle in response to at least the disengagement ratio being below the predetermined threshold value, the driving conditions being conducive for the disengagement of the autonomous vehicle control, and the characteristics of the operator of the host vehicle.

13. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:

disengaging the autonomous vehicle control in the host vehicle in a virtual manner.

14. The method of claim 8 , wherein the disengagement ratio is a ratio of a number of system-initiated disengagements to a predetermined time period.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium including instructions that when executed by a processor cause the processor to:

determine whether a disengagement ratio of a host vehicle is below a predetermined threshold value, the disengagement ratio of the host vehicle being at least one of a ratio between a number of system-initiated disengagements to a predetermined time period and a ratio between an amount of time that the host vehicle is in a manual mode and an amount of time that the host vehicle is in an autonomous mode;

determine whether driving conditions at an upcoming road segment are conducive for disengagement of autonomous vehicle control in the host vehicle, the driving conditions belonging to a domain in which the autonomous vehicle control is designed to operate; and

disengage the autonomous vehicle control in the host vehicle in response to at least the disengagement ratio being below the predetermined threshold value and the driving conditions being conducive for the disengagement of the autonomous vehicle control.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the driving conditions include at least one of:

a road condition;

a weather condition;

a visibility condition; or

a traffic condition.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the instructions further include instructions that when executed by the processor cause the processor to:

receive the driving conditions from one or more vehicles that have traversed the upcoming road segment.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the instructions further include instructions that when executed by the processor cause the processor to:

determine whether, in response to disengaging the autonomous vehicle control in the host vehicle, an operator has taken control of the host vehicle.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the instructions further include instructions that when executed by the processor cause the processor to:

determine whether characteristics of an operator of the host vehicle are conducive for disengagement of autonomous vehicle control in the host vehicle; and

disengage the autonomous vehicle control in the host vehicle in response to at least the disengagement ratio being below the predetermined threshold value, the driving conditions being conducive for the disengagement of the autonomous vehicle control, and the characteristics of the operator of the host vehicle.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the instructions further include instructions that when executed by the processor cause the processor to:

disengage the autonomous vehicle control in the host vehicle in a virtual manner.

Assignments (3)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 21, 2023
From: WOVEN BY TOYOTA, U.S., INC.
To: WOVEN BY TOYOTA, INC.
Reel/Frame 064649/0130 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Aug 2, 2023
From: WOVEN PLANET NORTH AMERICA, INC.
To: WOVEN BY TOYOTA, U.S., INC.
Reel/Frame 064464/0897 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 25, 2023
From: KUEHNER, MANUEL LUDWIG; YASUDA, HIROSHI
To: WOVEN PLANET NORTH AMERICA, INC.
Reel/Frame 063426/0797 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20240239380A1 · Jul 18, 2024
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