Apparatus and method for managing failure in autonomous navigation system

1. An apparatus for managing failure in an autonomous navigation system, the apparatus comprising:

a memory configured to store program instructions; and

a controller configured to execute the program instructions, the program instructions when executed configured to:

collect failure information in the autonomous navigation system installed within an autonomous navigation vehicle, the failure information indicating a failure of the autonomous navigation system;

monitor a driver condition;

determine whether to switch control from the autonomous navigation vehicle to a manual driving mode based on the driver condition;

switch the control from the autonomous navigation vehicle to the manual driving mode in response to determining a condition of maintaining a forward gaze; and

when switching the control from the autonomous navigation vehicle to the manual driving mode in response to determining the condition of maintaining the forward gaze, sequentially switch the control by switching a steering control from the autonomous navigation vehicle to the manual driving mode and thereafter switching an acceleration/deceleration control from the autonomous navigation vehicle to the manual driving mode.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to prevent a control switch from the autonomous navigation vehicle to the manual driving mode in response to determining an unacceptable driver condition.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the unacceptable driver condition includes a drowsy condition or a condition of gazing in a direction that is not the forward direction.

4. The apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the controller is configured to:

determine a type of the collected failure information, and

transmit a control signal to the autonomous navigation system to stop the autonomous navigation vehicle when the failure information indicates a hardware failure in the autonomous navigation system, and

transmit a signal instructing software reboot to the autonomous navigation system when the failure information indicates a software failure in the autonomous navigation system.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the controller is configured to transmit a control signal to the autonomous navigation system to stop the autonomous navigation vehicle when the autonomous navigation system is not recovered after the software reboot.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1 , when failure occurs in control-switch functionality of the autonomous navigation system, the controller is configured to:

perform a first attempt to pull over the autonomous navigation vehicle onto a shoulder of a road or an emergency parking lot;

perform a second attempt to pull over the autonomous navigation vehicle onto an edge of an outermost lane of the road in response to a failure of the first attempt,

perform a third attempt to pull over the autonomous navigation vehicle near a fixed obstacle in response to a failure of the second attempt, and

stop the autonomous navigation vehicle in response to a failure of the third attempt.

7. A method for managing failure in an autonomous navigation system, the method comprising:

collecting, by a controller, failure information in the autonomous navigation system installed within an autonomous navigation vehicle, the failure information indicating a failure of the autonomous navigation system;

monitoring, by the controller, a driver condition;

switching, by the controller, control from the autonomous navigation vehicle to a manual driving mode in response to determining a maintained forward gaze;

determining, by the controller, a type of the failure information in response to determining an unacceptable driver condition;

transmitting, by the controller, a control signal to the autonomous navigation system to stop the autonomous navigation vehicle when the failure information indicates a hardware failure of the autonomous navigation system as a result of the determination of the failure type;

transmitting, by the controller, a signal to the autonomous navigation system instructing software reboot when the failure information indicates software failure of the autonomous navigation system as a result of the determination of the failure type; and

when switching the control from the autonomous navigation vehicle to the manual driving mode in response to determining the maintained forward gaze, sequentially switching, by the controller, the control by switching a steering control from the autonomous navigation vehicle to the manual driving mode and thereafter switching an acceleration/deceleration control from the autonomous navigation vehicle to the manual driving mode.

8. The method according to claim 7 , wherein the unacceptable driver condition includes a drowsy condition or a condition of gazing in a direction that is not the forward direction.

9. The method according to claim 7 , wherein transmitting the signal instructing software reboot includes:

transmitting, by the controller, a control signal to the autonomous navigation system to stop the autonomous navigation vehicle when the autonomous navigation system is not recovered after the software reboot.

10. The method according to claim 7 , further comprising:

in response to a failure occurring in control-switch functionality of the autonomous navigation system, transmitting, by the controller, a control signal to the autonomous navigation system to perform a first attempt to pull over the autonomous navigation vehicle onto a shoulder of a road or an emergency parking lot;

in response to determining a failure of the first attempt, transmitting a control signal to the autonomous navigation system to perform a second attempt to pull over the autonomous navigation vehicle onto an edge of an outermost lane of a road;

in response to determining a failure of the second attempt, transmitting a control signal to the autonomous navigation system to perform a third attempt to pull over the autonomous navigation vehicle near a fixed obstacle; and

in response to determining a failure of the third attempt, transmitting a control signal to the autonomous navigation system to stop the autonomous navigation vehicle.

11. A non-transitory computer readable medium containing program instructions executed by a controller, the computer readable medium comprising:

program instructions that collect failure information in an autonomous navigation system installed within an autonomous navigation vehicle, the failure information indicating a failure of the autonomous navigation system;

program instructions that monitor a driver condition;

program instructions that switch control from the autonomous navigation vehicle to a manual driving mode in response to determining a maintained forward gaze;

program instructions that determine a type of the failure information in response to determining an unacceptable driver condition;

program instructions that transmit a control signal to the autonomous navigation system to stop the autonomous navigation vehicle when the failure information indicates a hardware failure of the autonomous navigation system as a result of the determination of the failure type;

program instructions that transmit a signal to the autonomous navigation system instructing software reboot when the failure information indicates software failure of the autonomous navigation system as a result of the determination of the failure type; and

program instructions that, when switching the control from the autonomous navigation vehicle to the manual driving mode in response to determining the maintained forward gaze, sequentially switch the control by switching a steering control from the autonomous navigation vehicle to the manual driving mode and thereafter switching an acceleration/deceleration control from the autonomous navigation vehicle to the manual driving mode.

12. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 11 , wherein the unacceptable driver condition includes a drowsy condition or a condition of gazing in a direction that is not the forward direction.

13. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 11 , further comprising:

program instructions that transmit a control signal to the autonomous navigation system to stop the autonomous navigation vehicle when the autonomous navigation system is not recovered after the software reboot.

14. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 11 , further comprising:

program instructions that perform a first attempt to pull over the autonomous navigation vehicle onto a shoulder of a road or an emergency parking lot, in response to a failure occurring in control-switch functionality of the autonomous navigation system;

program instructions that perform a second attempt to pull over the autonomous navigation vehicle onto an edge of an outermost lane of the road in response to a failure of the first attempt,

program instructions that perform a third attempt to pull over the autonomous navigation vehicle near a fixed obstacle in response to a failure of the second attempt, and

program instructions that stop the autonomous navigation vehicle in response to a failure of the third attempt.