Echelon parking
Upon determining that one of a driver condition and a subsystem fault preventing continued operation has occurred, certain actions are taken by an autonomously operating vehicle. An appropriate road-side location for parking is identified. The vehicle is maneuvered to the appropriate road side location. The vehicle is oriented to a specified acute angle to an adjacent traffic lane.
1. A system, comprising a computing device that includes a processor and a memory, the memory storing instructions executable by the processor to:
determine when one of a driver condition and a subsystem fault preventing continued operation on a roadway occurs;
identify an orientation for parking the vehicle at a specified acute angle relative to an adjacent traffic lane; and
initiate operation in an autonomous mode only in a predetermined geographic area and maneuver the vehicle to park at the orientation.
2. A system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein an initial specified acute angle is 45°.
3. A system as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the angle is reduced to accommodate a shoulder obstacle.
4. A system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the driver condition is a lack of response from a driver responsive to a request initiated by the computing device.
5. A system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the instructions further comprise instructions to prompt a driver to operate the vehicle in a manual driving mode upon exiting the predetermined geographic area.
6. A system as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the instructions further comprise instructions to return operation to the autonomous mode after a second period of time of operation in the manual driving mode.
7. A system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the instructions further comprise instructions to prompt a driver to operate the vehicle in a manual driving mode after a first predetermined period of time of operation in an autonomous mode.
8. A system as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the instructions further comprise an instruction to return operation to the autonomous mode after a second period of time of operation in the manual driving mode.
9. A system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the subsystem fault may include any one of a compromised steering system, a compromised drive motor, a compromised brake system, and a compromised tire and a vehicle impact.
10. A method of controlling a vehicle, comprising:
determining when one of a driver condition and a subsystem fault preventing continued operation on a roadway occurs;
identifying an orientation for parking the vehicle at a specified acute angle relative to an adjacent traffic lane; and
initiating operation in an autonomous mode only in a predetermined geographic area and maneuvering the vehicle to park at the orientation.
11. A method as claimed in claim 10 , wherein an initial specified acute angle is 45°.
12. A system as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the angle is reduced to accommodate a shoulder obstacle.
13. A method as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the driver condition is a lack of response from a driver responsive to a request initiated by the computing device.
14. A method as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the method further comprises a step of prompting a driver to operate the vehicle in a manual driving mode upon exiting the predetermined geographic area.
15. A method as claimed in claim 14 , wherein the method further comprises a step of returning operation to the autonomous mode after a second period of time of operation in the manual driving mode.
16. A method as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the method further comprises a step of prompting a driver to operate the vehicle in a manual driving mode after a first predetermined period of time of operation in an autonomous mode.
17. A method as claimed in claim 16 , wherein the method further comprises a step of returning operation to the autonomous mode after a second period of time of operation in the manual driving mode.
18. A method as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the subsystem fault may include any one of a compromised steering system, a compromised drive motor, a compromised brake system, and a compromised tire and a vehicle impact.
19. A system, comprising a computing device that includes a processor and a memory, the memory storing instructions executable by the processor to:
determine when one of a driver condition and a subsystem fault preventing continued operation on a roadway occurs;
identify an orientation for parking the vehicle at a specified acute angle relative to an adjacent traffic lane;
maneuver the vehicle to park at the orientation; and
prompt a driver to operate the vehicle in a manual driving mode after a first predetermined period of time of operation in an autonomous mode.