Granted Patent B2

US 12,637,113 · App. 18/223,858 · Granted May 26, 2026

Inventors: Su Hong Chae (Hwaseong-si, KR); Ji Hwan Park (Seoul, KR); Young Jin Sung (Seoul, KR); Chan Hee Jung (Seoul, KR)

Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company; Kia Corporation

B60W60/0053B60W30/095B60W50/10B60W50/14B60W60/0059B60W2050/146B60W2554/80

Abstract

Claims (83)

1 . An apparatus comprising:

a sensor device, of a vehicle, to acquire information associated with at least one collision risk during an autonomous driving of the vehicle;

a user input sensor device configured to sense, from a user of the vehicle, a control input associated with switching of an autonomous driving mode; and

a processor configured to:

during autonomous driving control of the vehicle in the autonomous driving mode, determine, based on the information acquired through the sensor device, a collision risk of the at least one collision risk;

determine whether to switch, from the autonomous driving mode to a manual mode, based on the control input and the determined collision risk; and

control, based on a determination whether to switch from the autonomous driving mode to the manual mode, the autonomous driving of the vehicle by:

determining at least one of an emergency avoidance control of the autonomous driving mode or an emergency braking control of the autonomous driving mode; and

while maintaining the autonomous driving mode, adjusting, based on a control amount of the control input, the at least one of the emergency avoidance control or the emergency braking control by at least partially applying the control input in adjusting the at least one of the emergency avoidance control or the emergency braking control.

2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the sensor device is configured to acquire information indicating at least one of: a surrounding object of the vehicle, a speed of the vehicle, an acceleration of the vehicle, or a distance to the surrounding object,

wherein a minimum risk maneuver function of the autonomous driving mode comprises the emergency avoidance control and the emergency braking control, and

wherein the processor is configured to activate, based on the determined collision risk satisfying a threshold risk, the minimum risk maneuver function.

3 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the user input sensor device is configured to sense at least one of: an input for terminating the autonomous driving, an input for steering, an input for acceleration, or an input for deceleration.

4 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to:

perform, through a control of the autonomous driving of the vehicle and based on the collision risk, at least one of: the adjusted emergency avoidance control or the adjusted emergency braking control; and

maintain the autonomous driving mode based on at least one of: the adjusted emergency avoidance control or the adjusted emergency braking control, wherein a control input indicating a switch to the manual mode is sensed after initiating at least one of the emergency avoidance control or the emergency braking control.

5 . The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the processor is further configured to:

after temporarily maintaining the autonomous driving mode based on the adjusted emergency avoidance control or the adjusted emergency braking control, switch to the manual mode, based on the collision risk being removed or the vehicle being stopped.

6 . The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the processor is further configured to:

switch to the manual mode, after a specific time is elapsed, based on:

the emergency avoidance control or the emergency braking control being maintained; and

the collision risk being removed or the vehicle being stopped.

7 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to:

perform, through a control of the autonomous driving and based on the collision risk, at least one of the adjusted emergency avoidance control or the adjusted emergency braking control; and

maintain, based on the control input comprising a sensed input for steering, the autonomous driving mode based on at least one of: the adjusted emergency avoidance control or the adjusted emergency braking control, wherein a control amount of the sensed input for steering exceeds a preset threshold value, and wherein the sensed input for steering is at least partially ignored in adjusting the at least one of the emergency avoidance control or the emergency braking control.

8 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to:

determine, based on the control input comprising a sensed input for steering, whether the collision risk is associated with a steering direction of the sensed input for steering, wherein a control amount of the sensed input for steering does not exceed a preset threshold value; and

maintain the autonomous driving mode based on at least one of the adjusted emergency avoidance control or the adjusted emergency braking control, wherein the autonomous driving mode based on at least one of the adjusted emergency avoidance control or the adjusted emergency braking control is maintained based on an adjustment of the sensed input for steering and based on the collision risk not being associated with the steering direction, and wherein a reduced amount of the sensed input for steering is applied in adjusting the at least one of the emergency avoidance control or the emergency braking control.

9 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to:

perform, through a control of the autonomous driving and based on the collision risk, at least one of the adjusted emergency avoidance control or the adjusted emergency braking control; and

maintain the autonomous driving mode based on at least one of the adjusted emergency avoidance control or the adjusted emergency braking control, wherein the autonomous driving mode based on the at least one of the adjusted emergency avoidance control or the adjusted emergency braking control is maintained based on an adjustment of a sensed input for deceleration and based on a control amount of the sensed input for deceleration exceeding a deceleration control amount, wherein the at least one of the adjusted emergency avoidance control or the adjusted emergency braking control adjusted based on the sensed input for deceleration is determined to reduce a risk of collision.

10 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to:

during autonomous driving control of the vehicle in the autonomous driving mode, activate, based on the collision risk, a minimum risk maneuver function of the autonomous driving mode;

during the minimum risk maneuver function being activated, determine a control amount of a sensed input for acceleration or a sensed input for deceleration;

determine that the user holds a steering wheel, based on:

the collision risk;

the sensed input for acceleration or the sensed input for deceleration; and

the control amount of the sensed input for acceleration or the sensed input for deceleration not exceeding a preset threshold value;

determine whether the collision risk is associated with a steering direction of the steering wheel, based on the determination that the user holds the steering wheel; and

switch the autonomous driving mode to the manual mode, based on the collision risk not being associated with the steering direction.

11 . The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:

a display device configured to display information indicating a switching from the autonomous driving mode to the manual mode.

12 . A method comprising:

acquiring, by a sensor device of a vehicle, information associated with at least one collision risk during an autonomous driving of the vehicle;

sensing, by a user input sensor device and from a user of the vehicle, a control input associated with switching of an autonomous driving mode;

during autonomous driving control of the vehicle in the autonomous driving mode, determining, by a processor of the vehicle and based on the information acquired through the sensor device, a collision risk of the at least one collision risk;

determining, by the processor, whether to switch, from the autonomous driving mode to a manual mode, based on the control input and the determined collision risk; and

controlling, by the processor and based on a determination whether to switch from the autonomous driving mode to the manual mode, the autonomous driving of the vehicle by:

determining at least one of an emergency avoidance control of the autonomous driving mode or an emergency braking control of the autonomous driving mode; and

while maintaining the autonomous driving mode, adjusting, based on a control amount of the control input, the at least one of the emergency avoidance control or the emergency braking control by at least partially applying the control input in adjusting the at least one of the emergency avoidance control or the emergency braking control.

13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the sensing of the control input comprises:

sensing, by the user input sensor device, at least one of: an input for terminating the autonomous driving, an input for steering, an input for acceleration, or an input for deceleration.

14 . The method of claim 12 , further comprising:

performing, through a control of the autonomous driving of the vehicle and based on the collision risk, at least one of: the adjusted emergency avoidance control or the adjusted emergency braking control,

wherein the controlling the autonomous driving of the vehicle comprises:

maintaining, by the processor, the autonomous driving mode based on at least one of: the adjusted emergency avoidance control or the adjusted emergency braking control, wherein a control input indicating a switch to the manual mode is sensed during at least one of the emergency avoidance control or the emergency braking control.

15 . The method of claim 14 , further comprising:

after temporarily maintaining the autonomous driving mode based on the adjusted emergency avoidance control or the adjusted emergency braking control, switching, by the processor, to the manual mode, based on the collision risk being removed or the vehicle being stopped.

16 . The method of claim 14 , further comprising:

switching, by the processor, to the manual mode after a specific time is elapsed, based on:

the emergency avoidance control or the emergency braking control being maintained; and

the collision risk being removed or the vehicle being stopped.

17 . The method of claim 12 , further comprising:

performing, through a control of the autonomous driving and based on the collision risk, at least one of the adjusted emergency avoidance control or the adjusted emergency braking control,

wherein the controlling the autonomous driving of the vehicle comprises:

maintaining, by the processor and based on the control input comprising a sensed input for steering, the autonomous driving mode based on at least one of: the adjusted emergency avoidance control or the adjusted emergency braking control, wherein a control amount of the sensed input for steering exceeds a preset threshold value, and wherein the sensed input for steering is at least partially ignored in adjusting the at least one of the emergency avoidance control or the emergency braking control.

18 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the determining whether to switch from the autonomous driving mode to the manual mode the collision risk comprises:

determining, by the processor and based on the control input comprising a sensed input for steering, whether the collision risk is associated with a steering direction of the sensed input for steering, wherein a control amount of the sensed input for steering does not exceed a preset threshold value; and

wherein the controlling the autonomous driving of the vehicle comprises:

maintaining, by the processor, the autonomous driving mode based on at least one of the adjusted emergency avoidance control or the adjusted emergency braking control, wherein the autonomous driving mode based on at least one of the adjusted emergency avoidance control or the adjusted emergency braking control is maintained based on an adjustment of the sensed input for steering and based on the collision risk not being associated with the steering direction, and wherein a reduced amount of the sensed input for steering is applied in adjusting the at least one of the emergency avoidance control or the emergency braking control.

19 . The method of claim 12 , further comprising:

performing, through a control of the autonomous driving and based on the collision risk, at least one of the adjusted emergency avoidance control or the adjusted emergency braking control,

wherein the controlling the autonomous driving of the vehicle comprises:

maintaining, by the processor, the autonomous driving mode based on at least one of the adjusted emergency avoidance control or the adjusted emergency braking control, wherein the autonomous driving mode based on the at least one of the adjusted emergency avoidance control or the adjusted emergency braking control is maintained based on an adjustment of a sensed input for deceleration and based on a control amount of the sensed input for deceleration exceeding a deceleration control amount, wherein the at least one of the adjusted emergency avoidance control or the adjusted emergency braking control adjusted based on the sensed input for deceleration is determined to reduce a risk of collision.

20 . The method of claim 12 , further comprising:

during autonomous driving control of the vehicle in the autonomous driving mode, activating, based on the collision risk, a minimum risk maneuver function of the autonomous driving mode;

during the minimum risk maneuver function being activated, determining a control amount of a sensed input for acceleration or a sensed input for deceleration;

determining, by the processor, that the user holds a steering wheel, based on:

the collision risk;

the sensed input for acceleration or the sensed input for deceleration; and

the control amount of the sensed input for acceleration or the sensed input for deceleration not exceeding a preset threshold value;

determining, by the processor, whether the collision risk is associated with a steering direction of the steering wheel, based on the determining that the user holds the steering wheel; and

switching, by the processor, the autonomous driving mode to the manual mode, based on the collision risk not being associated with the steering direction.

Assignments (1)

Priority Claims (1)

Continuity (1)

References Cited (21)