IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,434,743
Granted Patent B2
US 12,434,743 · App. 18/485,485 · Granted Oct 7, 2025

Autonomous driving vehicle system

Inventors: Hiromitsu Urano (Numazu, JP); Kentaro Ichikawa (Shizuoka-ken, JP); Taisuke Sugaiwa (Susono, JP); Toshiki Kindo (Yokohama, JP)
Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
B60W60/0055B60W30/182B60W50/10G05D1/0061G05D1/0088G05D1/0278B60W50/082B60W2420/403B60W2420/408B60W2520/10B60W2520/105B60W2520/14B60W2540/10B60W2540/12B60W2540/18B60W2540/215B60W2710/202B60W2900/00
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,434,743
App. No.
18/485,485
Granted
Oct 7, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

A system includes an acquisition unit that acquires an operation amount or a duration count, and a switching unit that switches a driving state. The switching unit switches the driving state to the cooperative driving state when the operation amount is equal to or greater than an intervention threshold and less than a start threshold or the duration count is equal to or greater than a first threshold and less than a second threshold during the autonomous driving state, switches the driving state to the autonomous driving state when the operation amount is less than the intervention threshold or the duration count is less than the first threshold during the cooperative driving state, and switches the driving state to the manual driving state when the operation amount is equal to or greater than the start threshold or the duration count is equal to or greater than the second threshold.

Claims (28)

1. An autonomous driving vehicle system configured to switch a driving state of a vehicle, the autonomous driving vehicle system comprising:

a steering sensor configured to acquire an operation amount of a steering operation of a driver; and

at least one electronic control unit (ECU) programmed to:

switch the driving state among a first state in which the vehicle travels without the steering operation of the driver, a second state in which the vehicle travels based on at least both the steering operation of the driver and a steering control by the autonomous driving vehicle system, and a third state in which the vehicle travels by manual steering operation of the driver, and

when the driving state is the first state, switch the driving state to one of the second state or the third state based on the operation amount.

2. The autonomous driving vehicle system according to claim 1 , wherein after the driving state is switched from the first state to the third state, the at least one ECU is programmed to maintain the driving state in the third state until a request operation for starting autonomous driving is received from the driver.

3. The autonomous driving vehicle system according to claim 1 , wherein after the driving state is switched from the first state to the second state, the at least one ECU is programmed to automatically switch the driving state from the second state to the first state unless a predetermined condition is satisfied.

4. The autonomous driving vehicle system according to claim 3 , wherein the predetermined condition is at least one of: (i) the operation amount is equal to or more than a threshold value or (ii) the steering operation of the driver continues for a predetermined duration count.

5. The autonomous driving vehicle system according to claim 4 , wherein when the predetermined condition is satisfied, the at least one ECU is programmed to maintain the driving state in the second state or switch the driving state from the second state to the third state.

6. A method of switching a driving state of a vehicle having autonomous driving vehicle control, using at least one electronic control unit (ECU), the method comprising:

acquiring an operation amount of a steering operation of a driver; and

switching the driving state among a first state in which the vehicle travels without the steering operation of the driver, a second state in which the vehicle travels based on at least both the steering operation of the driver and a steering control by the autonomous driving vehicle system, and a third state in which the vehicle travels by manual steering operation of the driver, and

when the driving state is the first state, switching the driving state to one of the second state or the third state based on the operation amount.

7. The method according to claim 6 , wherein after the driving state is switched from the first state to the third state, maintaining the driving state in the third state until a request operation for starting autonomous driving is received from the driver.

8. The method according to claim 6 , wherein after the driving state is switched from the first state to the second state, automatically switching the driving state from the second state to the first state unless a predetermined condition is satisfied.

9. The method according to claim 8 , wherein the predetermined condition is at least one of: (i) the operation amount is equal to or more than a threshold value or (ii) the steering operation of the driver continues for a predetermined duration count.

10. The method according to claim 9 , wherein when the predetermined condition is satisfied, maintaining the driving state in the second state or switching the driving state from the second state to the third state.

11. A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon instructions which, when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to:

acquire an operation amount of a steering operation of a driver of a vehicle having autonomous driving vehicle control; and

switch a driving state of the vehicle among a first state in which the vehicle travels without the steering operation of the driver, a second state in which the vehicle travels based on at least both the steering operation of the driver and a steering control by the autonomous driving vehicle system, and a third state in which the vehicle travels by manual steering operation of the driver, and

when the driving state is the first state, switch the driving state to one of the second state or the third state based on the operation amount.

12. The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 11 , wherein the at least one processor is further caused to:

wherein after the driving state is switched from the first state to the third state, maintain the driving state in the third state until a request operation for starting autonomous driving is received from the driver.

13. The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 11 , wherein the at least one processor is further caused to:

wherein after the driving state is switched from the first state to the second state, automatically switch the driving state from the second state to the first state unless a predetermined condition is satisfied.

14. The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 13 , wherein the predetermined condition is at least one of: (i) the operation amount is equal to or more than a threshold value or (ii) the steering operation of the driver continues for a predetermined duration count.

15. The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 14 , wherein the at least one processor is further caused to:

when the predetermined condition is satisfied, maintain the driving state in the second state or switching the driving state from the second state to the third state.

Priority Claims (1)
JP 2015-008141 · Jan 19, 2015 · national
Continuity (6)
Continuation 17566041 · Dec 30, 2021
Continuation 17514613 · Oct 29, 2021
Continuation 16845260 · Apr 10, 2020
Continuation 15805544 · Nov 7, 2017
Continuation 15000467 · Jan 19, 2016
Related Publication 20240034364A1 · Feb 1, 2024
References Cited (54)
US 8527199B1 · Burnette et al. · 2013 [cited by applicant]
US 8670891B1 · Szybalski · 2014 [cited by examiner]
US 9845096B2 · Urano et al. · 2017 [cited by applicant]
US 10227073B2 · Urano et al. · 2019 [cited by applicant]
US 10654482B2 · Urano et al. · 2020 [cited by applicant]
US 11260868B2 · Urano · 2022 [cited by applicant]
US 11738779B2 · Urano · 2023 [cited by applicant]
US 20090322503A1 · Suzuki et al. · 2009 [cited by applicant]
US 20130110343A1 · Ichikawa et al. · 2013 [cited by applicant]
US 20130211656A1 · An et al. · 2013 [cited by applicant]
US 20140244096A1 · An et al. · 2014 [cited by applicant]
US 20150134204A1 · Kunihiro · 2015 [cited by applicant]
US 20160207537A1 · Urano et al. · 2016 [cited by applicant]
US 20160207538A1 · Urano · 2016 [cited by applicant]
US 20160280235A1 · Sugaiwa et al. · 2016 [cited by applicant]
US 20160280236A1 · Otsuka · 2016 [cited by applicant]
US 20170017233A1 · Ichikawa et al. · 2017 [cited by applicant]
US 20180065635A1 · Urano · 2018 [cited by applicant]
US 20200238993A1 · Urano · 2020 [cited by applicant]
US 20220048508A1 · Urano et al. · 2022 [cited by applicant]
US 20220118978A1 · Urano · 2022 [cited by applicant]
US 20230104712A1 · Urano · 2023 [cited by applicant]
DE 10144797A1 · 2003 [cited by applicant]
JP 2002120596A · 2002 [cited by applicant]
JP 2007196809A · 2007 [cited by applicant]
JP 200874321A · 2008 [cited by applicant]
JP 2011140275A · 2011 [cited by applicant]
JP 2011131838A · 2011 [cited by applicant]
JP 2011162132A · 2011 [cited by applicant]
JP 2012051441A · 2012 [cited by applicant]
JP 5382218B2 · 2013 [cited by applicant]
JP 2016175613A · 2016 [cited by applicant]
JP 2016175614A · 2016 [cited by applicant]
JP 201719436A · 2017 [cited by applicant]
KR 1020130091907A · 2013 [cited by applicant]
KR 1020140106939A · 2014 [cited by applicant]
WO 2014165681A1 · 2014 [cited by applicant]
Urano, Hiromitsu et al., U.S. Appl. No. 15/000,467, filed Jan. 19, 2016. [cited by applicant]
JP 2012 051441 Masahiro et al. (see attached PDF machine translation provided by Espacenet). published Mar. 15, 2012 (Year: 2012). [cited by applicant]
Urano, Hiromitsu et al., U.S. Appl. No. 16/845,260, filed Apr. 10, 2020. [cited by applicant]
JP2011 131838 Masahiro et al. (see attached PDF machine translation provided by Espacenet). published Jul. 7, 2011 (Year: 2011). [cited by applicant]
Urano, Hiromitsu et al., U.S. Appl. No. 15/805,544, filed Nov. 7, 2017. [cited by applicant]
Notice of Allowance dated on Nov. 2, 2021 issued in U.S. Appl. No. 16/845,260. [cited by applicant]
Notice of Allowance dated Aug. 15, 2017, which issued during the prosecution of U.S. Appl. No. 15/000,467. [cited by applicant]
Notice of Allowance dated Jan. 14, 2020, which issued during the prosecution of U.S. Appl. No. 15/805,544. [cited by applicant]
Urano, Hiromitsu et al., U.S. Appl. No. 17/514,613, filed Oct. 29, 2021. [cited by applicant]
Urano, Hiromitsu et al., US Office Action for U.S. Appl. No. 17/514,613, Issued Mar. 2, 2023. [cited by applicant]
Notice of Allowance dated May 24, 2023, which issued during the prosecution of U.S. Appl. No. 17/514,613. [cited by applicant]
Notice of Allowance dated Jul. 14, 2023, which issued during the prosecution of U.S. Appl. No. 17/566,041. [cited by applicant]
Notice of Allowance issued Jul. 26, 2023 by the United States Patent and Trademark Office in U.S. Appl. No. 18/064,349. [cited by applicant]
Urano, Hiromitsu et al., U.S. Appl. No. 14/996,973, filed Jan. 15, 2016. [cited by applicant]
Office Action issued to U.S. Appl. No. 14/996,973 dated on Dec. 15, 2017. [cited by applicant]
Office Action issued to U.S. Appl. No. 14/996,973 dated on Jul. 12, 2018. [cited by applicant]
Notice of Allowance issued to U.S. Appl. No. 14/996,973 dated on Oct. 31, 2018. [cited by applicant]