IP Library Patent Application 18194064
Patent Application
App. No. 18/194,064

SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR ACTIVATING UNIFIED ARCHITECTURE COMPONENTS BASED ON VEHICLE MODE

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US None
App. No.
18/194,064
Abstract

System, methods, and other embodiments described herein relate to managing a unified architecture for controlling a vehicle in multiple different modes. In one embodiment, a system includes a processor and a memory storing machine-readable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to receive an instruction that identifies a target operating mode for a vehicle; determine whether the target operating mode is different from a current operating mode of the vehicle; identify components of a unified architecture of the vehicle to activate while in the target operating mode and operating parameters for the components to activate, the unified architecture to control the vehicle in a semi-autonomous mode and an autonomous mode; configure, based on the operating parameters, the components to activate while in the target operating mode; and activate the components according to the target operating mode.

Claims (57)

1 . A system, comprising:

a processor; and

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

receive an instruction that identifies a target operating mode of a vehicle;

determine whether the target operating mode is different from a current operating mode of the vehicle;

identify components of a unified architecture of the vehicle to activate while in the target operating mode and operating parameters for the components, the unified architecture controlling the vehicle in a semi-autonomous mode and an autonomous mode;

configure, based on the operating parameters, the components while in the target operating mode; and

activate the components according to the target operating mode.

2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions to identify components comprise instructions to identify, when the target operating mode is the autonomous mode:

a first subset of available components of the unified architecture as the components that are to be active; and

a second subset of available components of the unified architecture as components that are to be inactive.

3 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions to identify components comprise instructions to identify, when the target operating mode is the semi-autonomous mode, a driver state system, a reactive pipeline, a semi-autonomous manager, a human-machine interface (HMI) manager, a driver controller, a platform driver, a planner, and a controller as the components of the unified architecture to activate, a subset of the components of the unified architecture also being identified when the target operating mode is the autonomous mode.

4 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions to identify components comprise instructions to identify, when the target operating mode is the autonomous mode:

a platform driver, a planner, and a controller as the components of the unified architecture to be active; and

a driver-state system, a reactive pipeline, a semi-autonomous manager, a human-machine interface (HMI) manager, and a haptic controller of the controller as components of the unified architecture to be inactive.

5 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising instructions to plan, via a planner of the unified architecture, a trajectory for the vehicle, wherein the instructions to configure the components comprises instructions to configure the planner, when the target operating mode is the autonomous mode, to output the trajectory without a safety boundary.

6 . The system of claim 5 , further comprising instructions to plan, via a planner of the unified architecture, a trajectory for the vehicle, wherein the instructions to configure the components comprises instructions to configure the planner, when the target operating mode is the semi-autonomous mode, to output the trajectory with a safety boundary.

7 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising instructions to generate, via a controller of the unified architecture, a vehicle command, wherein:

the instructions to configure the components comprise instructions to configure the controller, when the target operating mode is the semi-autonomous mode, to receive a user input command from a user input device and convert the user input command into the vehicle command to be executed by a platform driver of the unified architecture; and

the instructions to configure the components comprises instructions to configure the controller, when the target operating mode is the autonomous mode, to receive an automated driving command from a planner of the unified architecture and convert the automated driving command to the vehicle command to be executed by the platform driver.

8 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions to identify components of the unified architecture further comprise:

instructions to perform a validity check by determining that the components associated with the target operating mode are functioning and components not associated with the target operating mode are in an inactive mode; and

instructions to authorize activation of the components based on the validity check.

9 . A non-transitory machine-readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to:

receive an instruction that identifies a target operating mode for a vehicle;

determine whether the target operating mode is different from a current operating mode of the vehicle;

identify components of a unified architecture of the vehicle to activate while in the target operating mode and operating parameters for the components, the unified architecture controlling the vehicle in a semi-autonomous mode and an autonomous mode;

configure, based on the operating parameters, the components while in the target operating mode; and

activate the components according to the target operating mode.

10 . The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 9 , wherein the instructions to identify components comprise instructions to identify, when the target operating mode is the semi-autonomous mode, a driver state system, a reactive pipeline, a semi-autonomous manager, a human-machine interface (HMI) manager, a driver controller, a platform driver, a planner, and a controller as the components of the unified architecture to activate, a subset of the components of the unified architecture also being identified when the target operating mode is the autonomous mode.

11 . The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 9 , wherein the instructions to identify components comprise instructions to identify, when the target operating mode is the autonomous mode:

a platform driver, a planner, and a controller as the components of the unified architecture to be active; and

a driver-state system, a reactive pipeline, a semi-autonomous manager, a human-machine interface (HMI) manager, and a haptic controller of the controller as components of the unified architecture to be inactive.

12 . A method, comprising:

receiving an instruction that identifies a target operating mode for a vehicle;

determining whether the target operating mode is different from a current operating mode of the vehicle;

identifying components of a unified architecture of the vehicle to activate while in the target operating mode and operating parameters for the components, the unified architecture controlling the vehicle in a semi-autonomous mode and an autonomous mode;

configuring, based on the operating parameters, the components while in the target operating mode; and

activating the components according to the target operating mode.

13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein identifying the components comprises identifying, when the target operating mode is the autonomous mode:

a first subset of available components of the unified architecture as the components that are to be active; and

a second subset of available components of the unified architecture as components that are to be inactive.

14 . The method of claim 12 , wherein identifying the components comprises identifying, when the target operating mode is the semi-autonomous mode, a driver state system, a reactive pipeline, a semi-autonomous manager, a human-machine interface (HMI) manager, a driver controller, a platform driver, a planner, and a controller as the components of the unified architecture to activate, a subset of the components of the unified architecture also being identified when the target operating mode is the autonomous mode.

15 . The method of claim 12 , wherein identifying the components comprises identifying, when the target operating mode is the autonomous mode:

a platform driver, a planner, and a controller as the components of the unified architecture to be active; and

a driver-state system, a reactive pipeline, a semi-autonomous manager, a human-machine interface (HMI) manager, and a haptic controller of the controller as components of the unified architecture to be inactive.

16 . The method of claim 12 , further comprising planning, via a planner of the unified architecture, a trajectory for the vehicle, wherein configuring the components comprises configuring the planner, when the target operating mode is the autonomous mode, to output the trajectory without a safety boundary.

17 . The method of claim 12 , further comprising planning, via a planner of the unified architecture, a trajectory for the vehicle, wherein configuring the components comprises configuring the planner, when the target operating mode is the semi-autonomous mode, to output the trajectory with a safety boundary.

18 . The method of claim 12 , further comprising generating, via a controller of the unified architecture, a vehicle command, wherein:

configuring the components comprises configuring the controller, when the target operating mode is the semi-autonomous mode, to receive a user input command from a user input device and convert the user input command into the vehicle command to be executed by a platform driver of the unified architecture; and

configuring the components comprises configuring the controller, when the target operating mode is the autonomous mode, to receive an automated driving command from a planner of the unified architecture and convert the automated driving command to the vehicle command to be executed by the platform driver.

19 . The method of claim 12 , wherein receiving an instruction comprises:

receiving, at a controller of the unified architecture, a user selection of the target operating mode while the vehicle is moving; and

mapping the user selection to a first subset of available components of the unified architecture to activate while in the target operating mode.

20 . The method of claim 12 , wherein identifying components of a unified architecture to activate further comprises:

performing a validity check by determining that the components associated with the target operating mode are functioning and components not associated with the target operating mode are in a deactivated mode; and

authorizing activation of the components based on the validity check.

Assignments (2)
MERGER AND CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Jun 23, 2023
From: WOVEN ALPHA, INC.; WOVEN BY TOYOTA, INC.
To: WOVEN BY TOYOTA, INC.
Reel/Frame 064044/0373 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 5, 2023
From: DESARAJU, VISHNU R.; KOEHLER, SARAH M.; YASUDA, HIROSHI; ELKINS, MICHAEL L.; BOBIER-TIU, CARRIE; PAN, SELINA
To: WOVEN ALPHA, INC.
Reel/Frame 063850/0584 →