Autonomous driving controller, vehicle system including autonomous driving controller, and autonomous driving control method

Abstract

The present application relates to an automatic driving controller, a vehicle system including the automatic driving controller, and an automatic driving control method. The automatic driving controller includes a processor configured to control automatic driving and determine whether to enable an automatic driving mode or switch the automatic driving mode to a manual driving mode based on a current position of a driver seat, and a storage device configured to store data and algorithms executed by the processor. The processor controls at least one of whether to enable the automatic driving mode, whether to limit position adjustment of the driver seat, or whether to hand over control based on a moving position of the driver seat in a forward or backward direction or a backrest angle of the driver seat.

Description

[0001] Cross-references to related applications

[0002] This application claims priority and benefit to U.S. Patent Application No. 62 / 950,084, filed December 18, 2019, and Korean Patent Application No. 10-2020-0140556, filed October 27, 2020, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0003] This invention relates to an autonomous driving controller, a vehicle system including the autonomous driving controller, and an autonomous driving control method. Background Technology

[0004] The statements in this section are provided only as background information relating to the invention and do not constitute prior art.

[0005] A vehicle is a device that travels on a road and is equipped with various devices for the protection of passengers, to assist in operation, or to improve the quality of the ride.

[0006] In recent years, research has been actively carried out on autonomous driving controllers, in order to enable vehicles to automatically drive to their destination by controlling the vehicle to autonomously identify the road environment, determine the driving conditions, and drive along the planned driving route.

[0007] Such an autonomous driving controller uses the identified information to recognize changes in the position of obstacles and lane lines and controls the vehicle to avoid obstacles while driving in a safe lane.

[0008] When an unexpected situation occurs while the vehicle is operating autonomously, the autonomous driving controller transfers control of the vehicle to the driver. However, if the driver's seat is in a position where the driver cannot immediately take over control, the transfer of control may be delayed, potentially increasing the risk of an accident. Summary of the Invention

[0009] This invention provides an autonomous driving controller, a vehicle system including the autonomous driving controller, and an autonomous driving control method. The autonomous driving controller is used to: determine whether the position of the driver's seat is within the safe area of ​​the driver's seat to determine whether to enable the autonomous driving function; monitor the position of the driver's seat when the autonomous driving function is executed; and when the position of the driver's seat deviates from the safe area during the execution of the autonomous driving function, request the driver to take over control or restrict the adjustment of the position of the driver's seat to safely control the autonomous driving.

[0010] According to one embodiment of the present invention, an autonomous driving controller may include: a processor and a storage device, the processor being configured to control autonomous driving and determine, based on the current position of the driver's seat, whether to activate an autonomous driving mode or switch from an autonomous driving mode to a manual driving mode; the storage device being configured to store data and algorithms executed by the processor. The processor may control at least one of the following based on the forward or backward movement of the driver's seat or the backrest angle of the driver's seat: whether to activate an autonomous driving mode, whether to restrict the position adjustment of the driver's seat, or whether to transfer control.

[0011] In one implementation, the processor may disable the autonomous driving mode when the driver's seat moves forward or backward to a position greater than a predetermined first threshold or the backrest angle of the driver's seat is greater than a predetermined second threshold.

[0012] In one implementation, when the autonomous driving mode is executed, the processor may restrict the position adjustment of the driver's seat when the forward or backward movement of the driver's seat exceeds a predetermined first threshold or when the backrest angle of the driver's seat exceeds a predetermined second threshold.

[0013] In one implementation, when the autonomous driving mode is executed, the processor may request the driver to take over control when the driver's seat moves forward or backward in a position greater than a predetermined first threshold or when the backrest angle of the driver's seat is greater than a predetermined second threshold.

[0014] In one embodiment, when the driver's seat moves forward or backward in a position greater than a predetermined first threshold or the backrest angle of the driver's seat is greater than a predetermined second threshold, and when at least one of the following situations occurs: the driver keeps his hands on the steering wheel, the driver operates the brake pedal, or the driver operates the accelerator pedal, the processor can control the execution of driver's seat position adjustment.

[0015] In one embodiment, when the driver's seat moves forward or backward at a position greater than a predetermined first threshold or the backrest angle of the driver's seat is greater than a predetermined second threshold, the processor may adjust the first threshold or the second threshold if at least one of the following occurs: the driver keeps his hands on the steering wheel, the driver operates the brake pedal, or the driver operates the accelerator pedal.

[0016] In one implementation, the processor can maintain or increase the first threshold or the second threshold.

[0017] In one implementation, when the driver's seat moves forward or backward in a position greater than a predetermined first threshold or when the backrest angle of the driver's seat is greater than a predetermined second threshold, and when the driver keeps his hands on the steering wheel, the processor can determine the driver's facial position or the driver's eye position and adjust the first threshold or the second threshold.

[0018] In one implementation, the processor may disable adjustment of a first threshold or a second threshold when the distance between the driver's face position and the driver's seat is greater than or equal to a predetermined distance.

[0019] In one implementation, the processor may disable adjustment of a first threshold or a second threshold when the distance between the driver's face position and the driver's seat and the distance between the driver's face and the camera capturing the driver's face are greater than a predetermined reference value.

[0020] In one implementation, when the driver's seat moves in the rearward direction to a position greater than a predetermined position, the processor can determine that the position of the driver's seat in the forward or rearward direction is greater than a predetermined first threshold.

[0021] In one implementation, when the backrest angle of the driver's seat is tilted forward or backward relative to a right angle by more than a predetermined angle, the processor can determine that the backrest angle of the driver's seat is greater than a predetermined second threshold.

[0022] According to another embodiment of the present invention, a vehicle system may include: an automatic driving controller and a seat position adjustment device, the automatic driving controller being configured to control automatic driving and determine whether to activate an automatic driving mode or switch from automatic driving mode to manual driving mode based on the current position of the driver's seat; the seat position adjustment device being configured to perform or restrict the position adjustment of the driver's seat according to commands from the automatic driving controller. The automatic driving controller may control at least one of the following: whether to activate the automatic driving mode, whether to restrict the position adjustment of the driver's seat, or whether to transfer control, based on the forward or backward movement position of the driver's seat or the backrest angle of the driver's seat.

[0023] In one embodiment, the vehicle system may further include: a hands-on sensor and a driver monitoring sensor, the hands-on sensor sensing that the driver is holding his hands on the steering wheel; the driver monitoring sensor sensing the driver's facial position.

[0024] In one implementation, the autonomous driving controller may disable the autonomous driving mode when the driver's seat moves forward or backward in a position greater than a predetermined first threshold or the backrest angle of the driver's seat is greater than a predetermined second threshold.

[0025] According to another embodiment of the present invention, an autonomous driving control method may include: detecting the position of a driver's seat; determining, based on the position of the driver's seat, whether to activate an autonomous driving mode or to switch from an autonomous driving mode to a manual driving mode; and controlling autonomous driving in the determined mode. The determination may include: controlling at least one of the following based on the forward or backward movement position of the driver's seat or the backrest angle of the driver's seat: whether to activate the autonomous driving mode, whether to restrict the position adjustment of the driver's seat, or whether to transfer control.

[0026] In one implementation, the determining step may include: disabling the automatic driving mode when the driver's seat moves forward or backward in a position greater than a predetermined first threshold or the backrest angle of the driver's seat is greater than a predetermined second threshold.

[0027] In one embodiment, the determining step may include: when the driver's seat moves in a forward or backward direction to a position greater than a predetermined first threshold or the backrest angle of the driver's seat is greater than a predetermined second threshold, and when at least one of the following situations exists: the driver keeps his hands on the steering wheel, the driver operates the brake pedal, or the driver operates the accelerator pedal, the driver controls the execution of driver seat position adjustment.

[0028] In one implementation, determining may include: when executing an autonomous driving mode, restricting the position adjustment of the driver's seat when the forward or backward movement of the driver's seat exceeds a predetermined first threshold or when the backrest angle of the driver's seat exceeds a predetermined second threshold.

[0029] In one implementation, determining may include: when executing an autonomous driving mode, requesting the driver to take over control when the driver's seat moves forward or backward in a position greater than a predetermined first threshold or when the backrest angle of the driver's seat is greater than a predetermined second threshold.

[0030] Other areas of application will become apparent from the description provided herein. It should be understood that this specification and specific examples are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. Attached Figure Description

[0031] To provide a good understanding of the invention, various embodiments of the invention, given by way of example, will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0032] Figure 1 A block diagram illustrating the configuration of a vehicle system including an autonomous driving controller according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0033] Figure 2A and Figure 2B A schematic diagram illustrating the method for determining the position of a driver's seat for enabling autonomous driving functions according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0034] Figure 3A and Figure 3B A schematic diagram illustrating the method for determining the backrest angle of a driver's seat to enable autonomous driving functions according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0035] Figure 4A , Figure 4B and Figure 4C A schematic diagram illustrating a threshold update condition according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown;

[0036] Figure 5 A flowchart illustrating a method for controlling autonomous driving by determining the position of the driver's seat and the backrest angle of the driver's seat according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0037] Figure 6 A flowchart illustrating a method for controlling autonomous driving by determining the position of the driver's seat and the backrest angle of the driver's seat according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0038] Figure 7 A flowchart illustrating a method for controlling autonomous driving by determining the position of the driver's seat and the backrest angle of the driver's seat according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0039] Figure 8 A block diagram of a computing system according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0040] The accompanying drawings described herein are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention in any way. Detailed Implementation

[0041] The following description is merely exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit the invention, application, or use.

[0042] In the following description, various embodiments of the invention will be described in detail with reference to the exemplary accompanying drawings. When adding reference numerals to components in each drawing, it should be noted that identical or equivalent components are indicated by the same reference numerals even when shown in other drawings. Furthermore, in describing embodiments of the invention, detailed descriptions of well-known features or functions will be omitted to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the essence of the invention.

[0043] In describing components according to various embodiments of the present invention, terms such as first, second, "A", "B", (a), (b), etc., may be used. These terms are intended only to distinguish one component from another, and do not limit the nature, order, or sequence of these constituent components. Unless otherwise defined, all terms used herein (including technical or scientific terms) have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention pertains. Terms as defined in commonly used dictionaries should be interpreted as having a meaning equivalent to that in the context of the relevant technical field, and should not be interpreted as having an idealized or overly formal meaning, unless expressly defined as having such a meaning in this application.

[0044] One embodiment of the present invention may disclose the following technology: determining whether to enable the autonomous driving function based on the position of the driver's seat; and when the driver's seat is changed to a position unsuitable for autonomous driving, restricting the position adjustment of the driver's seat or continuing to monitor the position of the driver's seat to automatically transfer control to the driver.

[0045] In the following text, reference will be made to Figures 1 to 4C The embodiments and implementation methods of the present invention will be described in detail below.

[0046] Figure 1 A block diagram illustrating the configuration of a vehicle system including an autonomous driving controller according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0047] refer to Figure 1 The vehicle system may include: an autonomous driving controller 100, a sensing device 200, a brake pedal 310, an accelerator pedal 320, a seat position adjustment device 400, an interface 500, and a vehicle controller 600.

[0048] An autonomous driving controller 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention can be implemented in a vehicle. In this case, the autonomous driving controller 100 can be configured integrally with the control unit in the vehicle, or it can be implemented as a separate device connected to the control unit of the vehicle via a separate connection device.

[0049] The autonomous driving controller 100 can control autonomous driving and can determine whether to activate the autonomous driving mode or switch from the autonomous driving mode to manual driving mode based on the current position of the driver's seat. In other words, the autonomous driving controller 100 can control at least one of the following based on the forward or backward movement position of the driver's seat or the backrest angle of the driver's seat: whether to activate the autonomous driving function, whether to restrict the position adjustment of the driver's seat, and whether to transfer control. For example, when the forward or backward movement position of the driver's seat or the backrest angle of the driver's seat is greater than a predetermined threshold, the autonomous driving controller 100 can disable the autonomous driving mode, switch the autonomous driving mode to manual driving mode when it is in operation, and restrict the position adjustment of the driver's seat.

[0050] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the automatic driving controller 100 that performs the above operations can be implemented as a standalone hardware device (which includes a memory and a processor for processing each operation), or it can be driven as a component of another hardware device (e.g., a microprocessor or a general-purpose computer system).

[0051] The autonomous driving controller 100 may include a communication device 110, a storage device 120, and a processor 130.

[0052] The communication device 110 can be a hardware device implemented through various electronic circuits to send and receive signals via wireless or wired connections. It can send and receive information with devices in the vehicle based on network communication technology in the vehicle. As examples, network communication technology in the vehicle may include Controller Area Network (CAN) communication, Local Interconnect Network (LIN) communication, flex-ray communication, etc.

[0053] Furthermore, the communication device 110 can communicate with servers, infrastructure, other vehicles, etc., outside the vehicle via wireless internet technology or short-range communication technology. In this document, wireless internet technology may include wireless local area network (WLAN), Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi, and world interoperability for microwave access (WiMAX). Short-range communication technologies may include Bluetooth, ZigBee, ultra-wideband (UWB), radio frequency identification (RFID), and infrared data association (IrDA).

[0054] As an example, the communication device 110 can communicate in the vehicle with the sensing device 200, brake pedal 310, accelerator pedal 320, seat position adjustment device 400, interface 500, vehicle controller 600, etc.

[0055] The storage device 120 can store the sensing results of the sensing device 200, the data obtained by the processor 130, or the data, algorithms, etc. necessary for the operation of the processor 130.

[0056] As an example, storage device 120 may store thresholds, pre-determined from experimental values, used to determine whether to enable autonomous driving functions. Furthermore, storage device 120 may store reference values, pre-determined from experimental values, used to determine whether to update the thresholds.

[0057] Storage device 120 may include at least one type of storage medium, such as flash memory, hard disk memory, micro memory, card memory (e.g., Security Digital (SD) card or Ultimate Digital (XD) card), random access memory (RAM), static RAM (SRAM), read-only memory (ROM), programmable ROM (PROM), electrically erasable PROM (EEPROM), magnetic RAM (MRAM), magnetic disk, and optical disk.

[0058] The processor 130 can be electrically connected to the communication device 110, storage device 120, etc., and can electrically control various components. The processor 130 can be an electronic circuit that executes software instructions and can perform various data processing and calculations described below. The processor 130 can be, for example, an electronic control unit (ECU), a microcontroller unit (MCU), or another sub-controller installed in the vehicle.

[0059] The processor 130 can control autonomous driving and can determine whether to activate the autonomous driving mode or switch from the autonomous driving mode to manual driving mode based on the current position of the driver's seat. In this case, the current position of the driver's seat may include the forward or backward movement position of the driver's seat or the backrest angle of the driver's seat. In other words, the processor 130 can control at least one of the following based on the forward or backward movement position of the driver's seat or the backrest angle of the driver's seat: whether to activate the autonomous driving function, whether to restrict the position adjustment of the driver's seat, whether to transfer control, etc.

[0060] When the driver's seat moves forward or backward to a position greater than a predetermined first threshold, or when the backrest angle of the driver's seat is greater than a predetermined second threshold, the processor 130 may disable the automatic driving mode.

[0061] When the driver's seat moves backward to a position greater than a predetermined position, the processor 130 can determine that the position of the driver's seat in the forward or backward direction is greater than a predetermined first threshold. Figure 2A and Figure 2BA schematic diagram illustrating the method for determining the position of a driver's seat for enabling autonomous driving functions according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0062] When the driver's seat position in the forward or backward direction is greater than a first threshold, or when the backrest angle of the driver's seat is greater than a second threshold, the automatic driving controller 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention may prevent the automatic driving function from being changed to an enabled state.

[0063] Furthermore, when the autonomous driving function is being executed, if the position of the driver's seat in the forward or backward direction is greater than a first threshold or if the backrest angle of the driver's seat is greater than a second threshold, the autonomous driving controller 100 may request the driver to take over control and may switch to manual driving mode.

[0064] refer to Figure 2A The driver's seat can be adjusted in height up / down and in position forward / backward.

[0065] refer to Figure 2B In the forward or backward direction of the driver's seat, when the driver's seat's adjustable range is ①, range ① can be divided into range ② and range ③. Range ② can be the range where the automatic driving function cannot be activated or where the driver needs to take over control. Range ③ can be the range where the automatic driving function can be activated.

[0066] In other words, when the driver's seat is in range ② in the forward or backward direction, the automatic driving controller 100 can determine that the automatic driving function cannot be enabled or can request the driver to take over control, while when the driver's seat is in range ③, the automatic driving controller 100 can determine that the automatic driving function can be enabled.

[0067] In this case, the driver's seat range ③ can be a safe zone, which can refer to the range of motion of the driver's seat in a state where the driver can easily keep his eyes on the road, operate the steering wheel, brake and use other controls.

[0068] When the driver's seat backrest angle tilts forward or backward beyond a predetermined angle relative to a right angle, Figure 1 The processor 130 can determine that the backrest angle of the driver's seat is greater than a predetermined second threshold. Figure 3A and Figure 3B A schematic diagram is shown for determining the backrest angle of a driver's seat for enabling autonomous driving functions according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0069] refer to Figure 3A The driver's seat backrest can be adjusted to a certain angle.

[0070] refer to Figure 3B When the adjustable range of the driver's seat backrest angle is ①, range ① can be divided into range ② and range ③. Range ② can be the range where the automatic driving function cannot be activated or where the driver needs to take over control. Range ③ can be the range where the automatic driving function can be activated.

[0071] In other words, when the backrest angle of the driver's seat is within range ②, the automatic driving controller 100 can determine that the automatic driving function cannot be enabled or can request the driver to take over control, while when the backrest angle of the driver's seat is within range ③, the automatic driving controller 100 can determine that the automatic driving function can be enabled.

[0072] In this case, the driver's seat range ③ can be a safe zone, which can refer to the range of tilt angles of the driver's seat in a state where the driver can easily keep his eyes on the road, operate the steering wheel, brake, and use other controls.

[0073] When the autonomous driving mode is executed, and when the driver's seat moves forward or backward in a position greater than a predetermined first threshold or when the backrest angle of the driver's seat is greater than a predetermined second threshold, the processor 130 may restrict the position adjustment of the driver's seat and may request the driver to take over control so that the vehicle can drive in manual driving mode.

[0074] If the driver's seat moves forward or backward in a position greater than a predetermined first threshold, or if the driver's seat backrest angle exceeds a predetermined second threshold, the processor 130 can determine whether the driver has their hands on the steering wheel, whether the driver is operating the brake pedal, and whether the driver is operating the accelerator pedal. When at least one of these conditions is present, the processor 130 can control and perform a position adjustment of the driver's seat.

[0075] Furthermore, when the driver's seat moves forward or backward to a position greater than a predetermined first threshold or the driver's seat backrest angle exceeds a predetermined second threshold, and when at least one of the following conditions exists: the driver is holding their hands on the steering wheel, the driver is operating the brake pedal, or the driver is operating the accelerator pedal, the processor 130 can control the first or second threshold. In other words, the processor 130 can maintain or increase the first or second threshold to update the first or second threshold.

[0076] When the driver's seat moves forward or backward in a position greater than a predetermined first threshold, or when the backrest angle of the driver's seat is greater than a predetermined second threshold, and when the driver keeps his hands on the steering wheel, the processor 130 can determine the driver's face position or the driver's eye position, and can adjust the first threshold or the second threshold.

[0077] When the distance from the driver's face to the driver's seat is greater than or equal to a predetermined distance, the processor 130 may disable the adjustment of the first threshold or the second threshold.

[0078] When the distance from the driver's face position to the driver's seat is greater than a predetermined reference value compared to the distance from the driver's face to the camera CAM capturing the driver's face, the processor 130 may disable adjustment of the first threshold or the second threshold. Figures 4A to 4C A schematic diagram illustrating a threshold update condition according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown. (Reference) Figure 4A When the driver's seat is positioned forward or backward and the backrest angle is within the normal position (i.e., range ①), the distance 402 from the driver's face to the driver's seat is within a predetermined distance. Furthermore, when the distance 402 from the driver's face to the driver's seat is less than the distance 401 from the driver's face to the camera CAM, Figure 1 The autonomous driving controller 100 can determine an updatable first threshold and a second threshold for determining whether to enable autonomous driving functionality.

[0079] refer to Figure 4B When the driver's seat moves in the rearward direction and the distance 403 from the driver's face to the driver's seat is greater than a predetermined reference value, the autonomous driving controller 100 may determine that it cannot update the first and second thresholds used to determine whether to enable the autonomous driving function. In this case, when the distance 403 from the driver's face to the driver's seat is greater than the distance 401 from the driver's face to the camera CAM, the autonomous driving controller 100 may determine that it cannot update the first and second thresholds used to determine whether to enable the autonomous driving function.

[0080] refer to Figure 4C When the driver's seat back is reclined and the distance 404 from the driver's face to the driver's seat is greater than a predetermined reference value, the autonomous driving controller 100 may determine that it cannot update the first and second thresholds used to determine whether to enable the autonomous driving function. In this case, when the distance 404 from the driver's face to the driver's seat is greater than the distance 401 from the driver's face to the camera CAM, the autonomous driving controller 100 may determine that it cannot update the first and second thresholds used to determine whether to enable the autonomous driving function.

[0081] Figure 1The sensing device 200 may include a hands-on sensor 210 and a driver monitoring sensor 220. The hands-on sensor 210 can sense whether the driver (or user) keeps their hands on the steering wheel. The driver monitoring sensor 220 can sense the driver's state (e.g., the position of their face).

[0082] Therefore, the hand positioning sensor 210 may include a body temperature sensor, a decompression sensor, etc. The driver monitoring sensor 220 may include a camera, an ultrasonic sensor, etc.

[0083] When the driver presses the brake pedal 300, the brake pedal 300 can send a brake pedal signal to the automatic driving controller 100.

[0084] The seat position adjustment device 400 can be controlled by the automatic driving controller 100 to control the angle, height, forward position or rearward position of the driver's seat.

[0085] The seat position adjustment device 400 can sense the driver's seat's forward / rear position, its height in the upward / downward direction, and the tilt angle of the driver's seat backrest. Furthermore, the seat position adjustment device 400 can adjust the driver's seat's forward / rear position, its height in the upward / downward direction, and the tilt angle of the driver's seat backrest through driver input, system requests, etc.

[0086] Interface 500 can output the automatically adjusted position of the driver's seat when the driver's seat is adjusted, so that the driver can recognize it. In addition, interface 500 can output a screen requesting the driver to take over control in order to receive feedback from the driver (such as consent or refusal).

[0087] As an example, the interface 500 can be implemented as a head-up display (HUD), a combined instrument panel, an audio-visual navigation (AVN) device, a human-machine interface (HMI), a user selection menu (USM), etc.

[0088] The interface 500 may include an input device and an output device, wherein the input device is used to receive control commands from the user; and the output device is used to output the operating status, operating results, etc. of the automatic driving controller 100.

[0089] In this document, the input device may include buttons, and may further include a mouse, joystick, rotary knob, stylus, etc. Furthermore, the input device may further include soft keys implemented on the display.

[0090] The output device may include a display and may further include a voice output device, such as a speaker. In this case, when the display incorporates a touch sensor (such as a touch film, touch pad, or touch panel), the display functions as a touchscreen and can be implemented as an input and output device integrated together. As an example, the output device may output information such as switching between autonomous driving and manual driving modes, autonomous driving enabled status, autonomous driving disabled status, notifications of inability to autopilot, and notifications of availability for autonomous driving. As an example, the output device may be implemented as a dashboard, head-up display (HUD), audio-visual navigation (AVN) device, display, warning speaker, haptic device, etc.

[0091] In this case, the display may include at least one of a liquid crystal display (LCD), a thin film transistor LCD (TFT-LCD), an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display, a flexible display, a field emission display (FED), or a three-dimensional (3D) display.

[0092] The vehicle controller 600 can control the vehicle's acceleration, deceleration, braking, steering, etc.

[0093] In order to use autonomous driving functions, the vehicle controller 600 can basically determine whether the relevant systems (such as sensors, actuators, etc.) are in a normal state.

[0094] One embodiment of the present invention provides a method for detecting the position of a driver's seat; determining whether the position of the driver's seat is within a suitable area (e.g., a seat area where the driver can immediately control the vehicle upon handover of control); and determining whether an autonomous driving function can be used.

[0095] Furthermore, one embodiment of the present invention proposes a method for continuously detecting the position of the driver's seat when an autonomous driving function is executed; restricting or controlling the adjustment of the driver's seat position to move away from the unsuitable position when the driver's seat position is adjusted to an inappropriate area; generating a request to take over control; and restricting the use of the system.

[0096] Reference Figures 5 to 7 This invention provides a detailed description of a method for controlling autonomous driving by determining the position of the driver's seat and the backrest angle of the driver's seat, according to one embodiment of the present invention. Figures 5 to 7 A flowchart illustrating a method for controlling autonomous driving by determining the position of the driver's seat and the backrest angle of the driver's seat according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0097] In the following text, it is assumed that Figure 1 The automatic driving controller 100 performs Figures 5 to 7The process. Furthermore, in the process of... Figures 5 to 7 In the description, the operation described as being performed by the device can be understood as being controlled by the processor 130 of the automatic driving controller 100.

[0098] refer to Figure 5 In step S101, the device can determine whether the position of the driver's seat and the backrest angle of the driver's seat are greater than predetermined thresholds Thld1 and Thld2 based on information about the position of the driver's seat and the backrest angle of the driver's seat. This information is obtained from... Figure 1 The seat position adjustment device 400 receives the data. Thresholds Thld1 and Thld2 can be preset using experimental values. Figure 2B The starting position of range ② can be set as the threshold Thld1. Figure 3B The starting position of range ② can be set as the threshold Thld2.

[0099] In step S101, when the driver's seat position in the forward or backward direction exceeds a predetermined threshold Thld1, or when the driver's seat backrest angle exceeds a predetermined threshold Thld2, in step S102, the device can determine whether an autonomous driving function is being executed. When the autonomous driving function is executed, in step S103, the device can restrict the driver's seat position adjustment and request the driver to take over control. In step S105, the device can control the vehicle to drive in manual driving mode. In this case, manual driving mode may refer to a driving mode where the driver directly drives the vehicle, rather than an autonomous driving mode.

[0100] Meanwhile, when the autonomous driving function is not activated, the device can disable the autonomous driving function in step S104. In step S105, the device can control the vehicle to drive in manual driving mode.

[0101] refer to Figure 6 In step S201, the device can determine whether the position of the driver's seat and the backrest angle of the driver's seat are greater than predetermined thresholds Thld1 and Thld2 based on information about the position of the driver's seat and the backrest angle of the driver's seat, the information being received from the seat position adjustment device 400.

[0102] When the driver's seat position in the forward or backward direction exceeds a predetermined threshold Thld1, or when the driver's seat backrest angle exceeds a predetermined threshold Thld2, in step S202, the device can determine whether an autonomous driving function is being executed. When the autonomous driving function is executed, in step S203, the device can restrict the driver's seat position adjustment and request the driver to take over control. In step S207, the autonomous driving controller 100 can control the vehicle to drive in manual driving mode.

[0103] Meanwhile, when the automatic driving function is not activated, the device can disable the automatic driving function in step S204. In step S205, the device can determine whether the driver has their hands on the steering wheel or whether the driver is operating the brake pedal / accelerator pedal.

[0104] Thus, when the position of the driver's seat in the forward or backward direction is greater than a predetermined threshold Thld1 or the backrest angle of the driver's seat is greater than a predetermined threshold Thld2, in step S206, when the driver keeps his hands on the steering wheel or when the driver operates the brake pedal / accelerator pedal, the device can control the execution of the driver's seat position adjustment and can update the thresholds Thld1 and Thld2.

[0105] In other words, the device can update thresholds Thld1 and Thld2 to the current position value, or it can update thresholds Thld1 or Thld2 to a value obtained by adding a predetermined value (A or B) to the current position value. In other words, even if the driver's seat position is greater than a predetermined threshold, the device can adjust the driver's seat position and increase the threshold when the driver keeps their hands on the steering wheel or when the driver operates the brake / accelerator pedal, thereby expanding the autonomous driving activation area.

[0106] Meanwhile, if the position of the driver's seat in the forward or backward direction is greater than a predetermined threshold Thld1 or the backrest angle of the driver's seat is greater than a predetermined threshold Thld2, in step S207, when the driver does not keep his hands on the steering wheel or when the driver does not operate the brake pedal / accelerator pedal, the device can transfer control to the driver, so that the vehicle can drive in manual driving mode.

[0107] refer to Figure 7 In step S301, the device can determine whether the position of the driver's seat and the backrest angle of the driver's seat are greater than predetermined thresholds Thld1 and Thld2 based on information about the position of the driver's seat and the backrest angle of the driver's seat, the information being received from the seat position adjustment device 400.

[0108] When the driver's seat position in the forward or backward direction exceeds a predetermined threshold Thld1, or when the driver's seat backrest angle exceeds a predetermined threshold Thld2, in step S302, the device can determine whether an autonomous driving function is being executed. When the autonomous driving function is being executed, in step S303, the device can restrict the driver's seat position adjustment and can request the driver to take over control. In step S308, the device can control the vehicle to drive in manual driving mode.

[0109] Meanwhile, when the automatic driving function is not activated, in step S304, the device can disable the automatic driving function. In step S305, the device can determine whether the driver keeps their hands on the steering wheel.

[0110] Thus, when the driver's seat position in the forward or backward direction is greater than a predetermined threshold Thld1 or the driver's seat back angle is greater than a predetermined threshold Thld2, the device can determine the driver's eye position (or the driver's face position) when the driver keeps his hands on the steering wheel, and can calculate the distance between the driver's face and the driver's seat, as well as the distance between the driver's face and the camera.

[0111] In step S306, the device can determine whether the distance between the driver's face and the driver's seat is greater than a predetermined distance compared to the distance between the driver's face and the camera. When the distance between the driver's face and the driver's seat is greater than the predetermined distance compared to the distance between the driver's face and the camera, in step S308, the device can prevent the updating of thresholds Thld1 and Thld2 and can control the vehicle to drive in manual driving mode.

[0112] When the distance between a non-driver's face and the driver's seat is greater than a predetermined distance compared to the distance between the driver's face and the camera, in step S307, the device can perform driver's seat position adjustment and update thresholds Thld1 and Thld2.

[0113] In other words, the device cannot update thresholds Thld1 and Thld2 when the distance between the driver's face and the camera is less than the distance between the driver's face and the driver's seat.

[0114] Thus, when the position of the driver's seat (e.g., the position in the forward / backward direction) or the backrest angle of the driver's seat in autonomous driving mode is not suitable for driving the vehicle in manual driving mode, the device according to one embodiment of the present invention can prevent the activation of the autonomous driving function, and can restrict the position adjustment of the driver's seat or transfer control to the driver when the autonomous driving function is executed, thereby performing safe driving.

[0115] Furthermore, one embodiment of the present invention can maintain a high level of driver control, thereby minimizing risks when transferring control in an emergency or disengaging the autopilot function.

[0116] Figure 8 A block diagram of a computing system according to one embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0117] refer to Figure 8 The computing system 1000 may include at least one processor 1100, memory 1300, user interface input device 1400, user interface output device 1500, storage device 1600 and network interface 1700, which are interconnected via bus 1200.

[0118] Processor 1100 may be a central processing unit (CPU) or a semiconductor device that processes instructions stored in memory 1300 and / or storage device 1600. Memory 1300 and storage device 1600 may include various types of volatile or non-volatile storage media. For example, memory 1300 may include ROM (Read-Only Memory) 1310 and RAM (Random Access Memory) 1320.

[0119] Therefore, the operation of the methods or algorithms described in conjunction with the various embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented directly by hardware modules or software modules, or a combination thereof, executed by processor 1100. Software modules can reside on storage media (i.e., memory and / or storage devices) such as RAM, flash memory, ROM, EPROM, EEPROM, registers, hard disks, removable disks, and CD-ROMs.

[0120] An exemplary storage medium can be connected to processor 1100, which can read information from and record information on the storage medium. Alternatively, the storage medium can be integrated with processor 1100. The processor and storage medium can reside in an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC). The ASIC can reside within the user terminal. In another scenario, the processor and storage medium can reside as separate components in the user terminal.

[0121] This technology can determine whether the driver's seat is within the safe zone of the driver's seat to determine whether to enable the autonomous driving function. It can monitor the position of the driver's seat when the autonomous driving function is being executed, and when the position of the driver's seat deviates from the safe zone, it can request the driver to take over control or restrict the adjustment of the driver's seat position, thereby increasing the safety of autonomous driving.

[0122] Furthermore, various effects can be provided directly or indirectly through the present invention.

[0123] Although the invention has been described above with reference to exemplary embodiments and accompanying drawings, it is not limited thereto, but can be modified and altered by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed by the appended claims.

Claims

1. An autonomous driving controller, comprising: The processor is configured as follows: Controlling autonomous driving; The driver determines whether to activate the automatic driving mode or switch from automatic driving mode to manual driving mode based on the current position of the driver's seat. Based on the forward or backward movement of the driver's seat or the backrest angle of the driver's seat, control at least one of the following: whether to activate the autonomous driving mode, whether to restrict the position adjustment of the driver's seat, or whether to transfer control. as well as A storage device configured to store data and algorithms executed by the processor; The processor is configured to not activate the autonomous driving mode when the driver's seat moves forward or backward in a position greater than a first threshold or when the backrest angle of the driver's seat is greater than a second threshold. The processor is configured to limit the adjustment of a first threshold or a second threshold when the distance between the driver's face and the driver's seat is greater than or equal to a predetermined distance.

2. The automatic driving controller according to claim 1, wherein, The processor is configured to adjust the position of the driver's seat when the driver's seat moves forward or backward in a position greater than a first threshold or the backrest angle of the driver's seat is greater than a second threshold, while the driver keeps his hands on the steering wheel, operates the brake pedal, or operates the accelerator pedal.

3. The automatic driving controller according to claim 1, wherein, The processor is configured to adjust the first or second threshold when the driver keeps his hands on the steering wheel, operates the brake pedal, or operates the accelerator pedal, or when the driver's seat moves forward or backward in a position greater than a first threshold or the backrest angle of the driver's seat is greater than a predetermined second threshold.

4. The automatic driving controller according to claim 3, wherein, The processor is configured to maintain or increase a first threshold or a second threshold.

5. The automatic driving controller according to claim 1, wherein, The processor is configured to adjust the first threshold or the second threshold based on the driver's face position or eye position when the driver keeps his hands on the steering wheel and the forward or backward movement of the driver's seat is greater than a first threshold, or when the driver keeps his hands on the steering wheel and the backrest angle of the driver's seat is greater than a second threshold.

6. The automatic driving controller according to claim 1, wherein, The processor is configured to limit the adjustment of a first threshold or a second threshold when the distance between the driver's face and the driver's seat and the distance between the driver's face and the camera capturing the driver's face are greater than a predetermined reference value.

7. The automatic driving controller according to claim 1, wherein, The processor is configured to restrict the position adjustment of the driver's seat when the driver's seat moves forward or backward in a position greater than a first threshold or when the backrest angle of the driver's seat is greater than a second threshold during the execution of autonomous driving mode.

8. The automatic driving controller according to claim 1, wherein, The processor is configured to request the driver to take over control when the driver's seat moves forward or backward in a position greater than a first threshold or when the backrest angle of the driver's seat is greater than a second threshold during the execution of autonomous driving mode.

9. The automatic driving controller according to claim 1, wherein, When the driver's seat moves backward beyond a predetermined position, the processor is configured to determine that the position of the driver's seat in the forward or backward direction is greater than a first threshold.

10. The automatic driving controller according to claim 1, wherein, The processor is configured to determine that the backrest angle of the driver's seat is greater than a second threshold when the backrest angle of the driver's seat is tilted forward or backward relative to a right angle by more than a predetermined angle.

11. A vehicle system comprising: The automatic driving controller is configured as follows: Controlling autonomous driving; The driver determines whether to activate the automatic driving mode or switch from automatic driving mode to manual driving mode based on the current position of the driver's seat. Based on the forward or backward movement of the driver's seat or the backrest angle of the driver's seat, control at least one of the following: whether to activate the autonomous driving mode, whether to restrict the position adjustment of the driver's seat, or whether to transfer control. as well as A seat position adjustment device configured to perform or limit the position adjustment of the driver's seat according to commands from the automatic driving controller; The autonomous driving controller is configured as follows: The automatic driving mode is prohibited when the driver's seat moves forward or backward beyond a first threshold or when the backrest angle of the driver's seat exceeds a second threshold. When the distance between the driver's face and the driver's seat is greater than or equal to a predetermined distance, the adjustment of the first threshold or the second threshold is restricted.

12. The vehicle system of claim 11, further comprising: A hand position sensor, configured to sense when the driver places their hands on the steering wheel; as well as A driver monitoring sensor is configured to sense the driver's facial position.

13. An automatic driving control method, comprising: The position of the driver's seat is detected by the processor; The processor determines whether to activate the automatic driving mode or switch from automatic driving mode to manual driving mode based on the position of the driver's seat; The processor controls autonomous driving according to the pattern determined in the defined steps; The determining step includes: Based on the forward or backward movement of the driver's seat or the backrest angle of the driver's seat, control at least one of the following: whether to activate the autonomous driving mode, whether to restrict the position adjustment of the driver's seat, or whether to transfer control. The determining step includes: The automatic driving mode is prohibited when the driver's seat moves forward or backward beyond a first threshold or when the backrest angle of the driver's seat exceeds a second threshold. When the distance between the driver's face and the driver's seat is greater than or equal to a predetermined distance, the adjustment of the first threshold or the second threshold is restricted.

14. The automatic driving control method according to claim 13, wherein, The determining steps include: When the driver's seat moves forward or backward beyond a first threshold, or when the driver's seat backrest angle exceeds a second threshold, Adjust the position of the driver's seat while the driver keeps their hands on the steering wheel, operates the brake pedal, or operates the accelerator pedal.

15. The automatic driving control method according to claim 13, wherein, The determining steps include: When the autonomous driving mode is activated, the driver's seat position adjustment is restricted when the forward or backward movement of the driver's seat exceeds a first threshold or when the backrest angle of the driver's seat exceeds a second threshold.

16. The automatic driving control method according to claim 13, wherein, The determining steps include: When the autonomous driving mode is activated, if the driver's seat moves forward or backward beyond a first threshold or if the backrest angle of the driver's seat exceeds a second threshold, the system requests the driver to take over control.

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