IP Library › Granted Patent US 11,584,399
Granted Patent B2
US 11,584,399 · App. 16/933,543 · Granted Feb 21, 2023

Driving handover control device and driving handover control method

Inventors: Toshiki Kindo (Yokohama, JP); Yuji Suzuki (Toyota, JP); Mutsumi Matsuura (Okazaki, JP); Tomoaki Miyazawa (Nagoya, JP); Shunsuke Tanimori (Susono, JP); Kuniaki Jinnai (Nagoya, JP); Kohta Tarao (Nagoya, JP); Yoshihiro Maekawa (Toyota, JP); Hiroki Awano (Tokyo-to, JP); Tae Sugimura (Miyoshi, JP); Tomoyuki Kuriyama (Hadano, JP); Yusuke Yokota (Susono, JP); Makoto Matsushita (Ichinomiya, JP); Yasuki Nakagawa (Toyota, JP); Atsushi Hanawa (Miyoshi, JP)
Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
B60W60/0053B60W40/08B60W50/0205B60W50/14B60W60/0051B60W60/0057G05D1/0011G05D1/0022B60W2554/80G05D2201/0213
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,584,399
App. No.
16/933,543
Filed
Jul 20, 2020
Granted
Feb 21, 2023
Kind
B2
Art Unit
3668
USPC
701/2
Abstract

A driving handover control device includes a memory and a processor coupled to the memory. In a case in which driving is handed over from a first state in which a vehicle is traveling by remote driving by a first driver from outside the vehicle or by occupant driving by the first driver in the vehicle, to a second state in which the vehicle travels by the remote driving or the occupant driving by a second driver who is different from the first driver, the processor is configured to cause transition from the first state to a third state in which the vehicle is caused to travel by automatic driving, and then cause transition from the third state to the second state.

Claims (41)

1. A driving handover control device, comprising:

a memory; and

a processor coupled to the memory, wherein

in a case in which driving is handed over from a first state in which a vehicle is traveling by remote driving by a first driver from outside the vehicle, to a second state in which the vehicle travels by the remote driving by a second driver from outside the vehicle or by occupant driving by the second driver in the vehicle and who is different from the first driver, the processor is configured to cause transition from the first state to a third state in which the vehicle is caused to travel by automatic driving, and then cause transition from the third state to the second state,

the processor is further configured to detect a driving operation by the first driver in the first state and detect a preliminary driving operation performed by the second driver in the second state,

in a case in which an evaluation value, which evaluates a difference between the detected driving operation by the first driver and the detected preliminary driving operation by the second driver, is less than a threshold value, the processor causes transition from the first state to the second state without going through the third state, and

in a case in which the evaluation value is equal to or greater than the threshold value, the processor causes the transition from the first state to the third state and then from the third state to the second state.

2. The driving handover control device according to claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to:

cause the transition from the first state to the third state at a time at which the automatic driving is possible, and

cause the transition from the third state to the second state at a time at which the remote driving or the occupant driving by the second driver is possible and the second driver has indicated an intention to drive the vehicle.

3. The driving handover control device according to claim 1 , wherein:

the processor causes the transition from the first state to the third state at a time at which the automatic driving is possible and the remote driving or the occupant driving by the second driver is possible, and

the processor causes the transition from the third state to the second state at a time at which the second driver has indicated an intention to drive the vehicle.

4. The driving handover control device according to claim 1 , wherein:

in the third state, the processor causes automatic driving of an operation amount corresponding to an amount between the detected driving operation by the first driver and the detected preliminary driving operation by the second driver.

5. The driving handover control device according to claim 1 , wherein:

in a case in which the transition to the second state has been completed, the processor is configured to notify the first driver that responsibility of driving the vehicle has been transferred to the second driver.

6. The driving handover control device according to claim 1 , wherein:

the processor determines that driving is to be handed over from the first driver to the second driver upon satisfaction of any of (i) a first condition that a predetermined operation, which includes the first driver requesting handover of driving, is performed, (ii) a second condition that a predetermined driving handover time from the first driver to the second driver has arrived, or (iii) a third condition that an abnormality of the first driver is detected.

7. The driving handover control device according to claim 6 , wherein:

the processor determines that driving is to be handed over from the first driver to the second driver upon satisfaction of any of the first condition to the third condition and when an inter-vehicular distance between the vehicle and another vehicle is greater than a predetermined value.

8. A driving handover control method, comprising:

by control of a processor,

in a case in which the processor determines that driving is to be handed over from a first state in which a vehicle is traveling by remote driving by a first driver from outside the vehicle, to a second state in which the vehicle travels by the remote driving by a second driver from outside the vehicle or by occupant driving by the second driver in the vehicle and who is different from the first driver, the processor causes transitioning from the first state to a third state in which the vehicle is caused to travel by automatic driving, and then the processor causes transitioning from the third state to the second state, wherein

the processor detects a driving operation by the first driver in the first state and a preliminary driving operation performed by the second driver in the second state,

in a case in which an evaluation value, which evaluates a difference between the detected driving operation by the first driver and the detected preliminary driving operation by the second driver, is less than a threshold value, the processor causes transition from the first state to the second state without going through the third state, and

in a case in which the evaluation value is equal to or greater than the threshold value, the processor causes the transitioning from the first state to the third state and then from the third state to the second state.

9. The driving handover control method according to claim 8 , wherein:

the processor causes the transitioning from the first state to the third state at a time at which the automatic driving is possible, and

the processor causes the transitioning from the third state to the second state at a time at which the remote driving or the occupant driving by the second driver is possible and the second driver has indicated an intention to drive the vehicle.

10. The driving handover control method according to claim 8 , wherein:

the processor causes the transitioning from the first state to the third state at a time at which the automatic driving is possible and the remote driving or the occupant driving by the second driver is possible, and

the processor causes the transitioning from the third state to the second state at a time at which the second driver has indicated an intention to drive the vehicle.

11. The driving handover control method according to claim 8 , wherein:

in the third state, the processor causes automatic driving of an operation amount corresponding to an amount between the detected driving operation by the first driver and the detected preliminary driving operation by the second driver.

12. The driving handover control method according to claim 8 , wherein:

in a case in which the transitioning to the second state has been completed, the processor causes the first driver to be notified that responsibility of driving the vehicle has been transferred to the second driver.

13. The driving handover control method according to claim 8 , wherein:

the processor determines that driving is to be handed over from the first driver to the second driver upon satisfaction of any of (i) a first condition that a predetermined operation, which includes the first driver requesting handover of driving, is performed, (ii) a second condition that a predetermined driving handover time from the first driver to the second driver has arrived, or (iii) a third condition that an abnormality of the first driver is detected.

14. The driving handover control method according to claim 13 , wherein:

the processor determines that driving is to be handed over from the first driver to the second driver upon satisfaction of any of the first condition to the third condition and when an inter-vehicular distance between the vehicle and another vehicle is greater than a predetermined value.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 20, 2020
From: KINDO, TOSHIKI; SUZUKI, YUJI; MATSUURA, MUTSUMI; MIYAZAWA, TOMOAKI; TANIMORI, SHUNSUKE; JINNAI, KUNIAKI; TARAO, KOHTA; MAEKAWA, YOSHIHIRO; AWANO, HIROKI; SUGIMURA, TAE; KURIYAMA, TOMOYUKI; YOKOTA, YUSUKE; MATSUSHITA, MAKOTO; NAKAGAWA, YASUKI; HANAWA, ATSUSHI
To: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
Reel/Frame 053255/0530 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP JP2019-144752 · Aug 6, 2019 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20210039680A1 · Feb 11, 2021