Autonomous vehicle and method of controlling the same

Abstract

An autonomous vehicle and a method of controlling the same are presented. A method of controlling an autonomous vehicle including a processor configured to control a sensor includes: detecting an object located in front of the autonomous vehicle based on driving information sensed by the sensor under control of the processor; and when the detected object enters the preset safety distance range, determining whether an occupant in the autonomous vehicle fastens a safety belt. When the detected object enters a preset safety distance range, a control operation is performed to variably activate a safety mode based on determining whether the occupant has fastened the seatbelt.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an autonomous vehicle and a method of controlling the same, and more particularly, to an autonomous vehicle capable of controlling variable warning and collision risk variable braking of a forward collision avoidance assist (FCA) function based on whether a seat belt is fastened, and a method of controlling the same. Background Art

[0002] The statements in this section merely provide background information related to the present disclosure and may not constitute prior art.

[0003] A seat belt of a vehicle is an example of a safety device that can prevent serious injuries by elastically restraining the body of an occupant when encountering a sudden impact due to a minor collision or a crash during driving.

[0004] In a normal driving environment, the possibility of occupants being injured is low even if they are not wearing seat belts before a collision, so some occupants do not wear seat belts.

[0005] For example, when a vehicle is subjected to emergency braking through FCA and an occupant is not wearing a seat belt during driving, there is a problem in that, as the speed of the vehicle decreases rapidly, the occupant who is not wearing a seat belt may be tilted forward due to the acceleration of the vehicle and collide with internal components of the vehicle, causing injury. Summary of the invention

[0006] The present invention is directed to an autonomous vehicle and method of controlling the same that substantially obviates one or more problems due to limitations and disadvantages of the related art.

[0007] An object of the present invention is to provide an autonomous vehicle capable of controlling variable warning of an FCA function and variable braking of a collision risk based on whether a seat belt is fastened, and a method of controlling the same.

[0008] The technical challenges sought to be achieved in the present invention are not limited to the technical challenges mentioned above, and a person of ordinary skill in the technical field to which the present invention belongs should clearly understand other technical challenges not mentioned herein through the following description.

[0009] Additional advantages, purposes and features of the present invention are set forth in part in the following description, and in part should become apparent to those skilled in the art after reviewing the following, or may be learned from the practice of the present invention. The purposes and other advantages of the present invention may be realized and obtained by the structures particularly pointed out in the written description and its claims as well as the drawings.

[0010] To achieve these objects and other advantages, and in accordance with the purpose of the present invention, as embodied and generally described herein, a method of controlling an autonomous vehicle including a processor configured to control a sensor includes: detecting, by the processor, an object located in front of the autonomous vehicle based on driving information sensed by the sensor. The method also includes determining, by the processor, whether an occupant of the autonomous vehicle is wearing a seat belt when the detected object enters a preset safety distance range; and performing, by a controller, a control operation to variably activate a safety mode based on a determination result of whether the occupant is wearing a seat belt when the detected object enters the preset safety distance range.

[0011] In at least one embodiment of the present invention, performing the control operation may include, under the control of the processor, operating the collision risk signal faster than the collision risk signal in the normal mode when it is determined that the occupant is not wearing a seat belt.

[0012] In at least one embodiment of the present invention, the collision risk signal may include a collision risk advance warning, a collision risk advance braking, or any combination thereof. In another embodiment, performing the control operation further includes, under the control of the processor, running a collision risk advance warning faster than a collision risk warning in a normal mode when it is determined that the occupant is not wearing a seat belt.

[0013] In at least one embodiment of the present invention, performing the control operation further includes operating the collision risk advance braking faster than the collision risk braking in the normal mode when it is determined that the occupant is not wearing a seat belt.

[0014] In at least one embodiment of the present invention, the method further comprises: when it is determined that the occupant is not wearing a seat belt, detecting, by a processor, whether a safety mode is activated; and when the safety mode is activated, determining, by a processor, a degree of driving risk.

[0015] In at least one embodiment of the present invention, the method further comprises: when the driving risk level is outside a preset driving risk range, determining, by a processor, that the vehicle is in a driving risk state; and under the control of the processor, again warning for not wearing a seat belt.

[0016] In at least one embodiment of the present invention, the method further includes: when the driving risk level is outside a preset driving risk range, determining, by a processor, that the vehicle is in a driving risk state; and executing, by the processor, control to operate the airbag under an airbag operating condition that is more relaxed than a previous airbag operating condition.

[0017] In another aspect of the present invention, a non-transitory computer-readable recording medium stores a program for executing a method of controlling an autonomous vehicle. Specifically, the program instructs a processor of the autonomous vehicle to perform the following actions: i) detecting an object located in front of the autonomous vehicle based on driving information sensed by at least one sensor of the autonomous vehicle; ii) determining whether an occupant of the autonomous vehicle is wearing a seat belt when the detected object enters a preset safety distance range; and iii) executing control to variably activate a safety mode based on a determination result of whether the occupant is wearing a seat belt when the detected object enters the preset safety distance range.

[0018] In another aspect of the present invention, an autonomous vehicle includes a sensor, and a processor configured to control the sensor. Specifically, the processor is configured to: detect an object located in front of the autonomous vehicle based on driving information sensed by the sensor; determine whether an occupant in the autonomous vehicle is wearing a seat belt when the detected object enters a preset safety distance range; and perform a control operation to variably activate a safety mode based on a determination result of whether the occupant is wearing a seat belt when the detected object enters the preset safety distance range.

[0019] The processor may be further configured to, when it is determined that the occupant is not wearing a seat belt, perform a control operation to run the collision risk signal faster than the collision risk signal in the normal mode.

[0020] The collision risk signal may include at least one of a collision risk advance warning or a collision risk advance braking, and the processor may be further configured to, when it is determined that the occupant is not wearing a seat belt, perform a control operation to run the collision risk advance warning faster than the collision risk warning in the normal mode.

[0021] The processor may be further configured to, when it is determined that the occupant is not wearing a seat belt, perform a control operation to operate the collision risk advance braking faster than the collision risk braking in the normal mode.

[0022] The processor may be further configured to detect whether a safety mode is activated when it is determined that the occupant is not wearing a seat belt, and when the safety mode is activated, perform a control operation to determine a driving risk level.

[0023] The processor may be further configured to determine that the vehicle is in a driving risk state when the driving risk level is outside a preset driving risk range, and execute a control operation to warn again that the seat belt is not fastened.

[0024] The processor may be further configured to determine that the vehicle is in a driving risk state when the driving risk level is outside a preset driving risk range, and operate the airbag under an airbag operating condition that is more relaxed than a previous airbag operating condition.

[0025] It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description of the present invention are exemplary and explanatory and are intended to provide further explanation of the invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0026] The accompanying drawings are included to provide a further understanding of the present invention and are incorporated in and constitute a part of the present invention. The accompanying drawings illustrate embodiments of the present invention and together with the description serve to explain the principles of the present invention. In the drawings:

[0027] Figure 1 is a block diagram for describing an autonomous vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 2 is a flowchart for describing a method of controlling an autonomous vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention; and

[0029] Figure 3 is a diagram for describing a control operation of an autonomous vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0030] In the following, embodiments of the present invention are described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings so that those skilled in the art can easily implement these embodiments. However, the present invention can be implemented in several different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein. In order to clearly describe the present invention in the accompanying drawings, parts not related to the description are omitted, and similar reference numerals are assigned to similar parts throughout the present invention.

[0031] Throughout the present invention, unless otherwise specified, when a component "includes" a certain element, it means that other elements may be further included, rather than excluding other elements. In addition, throughout the present invention, components denoted by the same reference numerals refer to the same elements.

[0032] In addition, the term "unit" or "control unit" included in names such as vehicle control unit (VCU) is only a term widely used to name a controller that controls a specific function of a vehicle, and the term does not mean a general functional unit. For example, each control unit may include a communication device configured to communicate with another control device or sensor to control the function assigned to it, a memory configured to store an operating system or logic commands and input / output information, and one or more processors configured to perform determinations, calculations, decisions, etc. as necessary for controlling the function assigned to it. When a component, device, unit, element, etc. of the present invention is described as having a purpose or performing an operation, function, etc., the component, device, unit, element, etc. should be considered to be "configured to" meet the purpose or perform the operation or function in this article. Each component, device, unit, element, etc. can be embodied alone or included as part of the device together with a processor and a memory such as a non-transitory computer-readable medium.

[0033] Figure 1 is a block diagram for describing an autonomous vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0034] refer to Figure 1 , an autonomous vehicle 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention may include a processor 110 and a sensor 130 .

[0035] The sensor 130 may be a front detection sensor 130 disposed in front of the autonomous vehicle 100, a vehicle, etc. In one embodiment, the sensor 130 may include a radar, a camera, a laser radar (LiDAR), etc.

[0036] At least one radar may be installed on the autonomous vehicle 100. The radar may measure a relative speed and a relative distance with respect to the recognized object in combination with a wheel speed sensor installed on the autonomous vehicle 100.

[0037] At least one camera may be installed on the autonomous vehicle 100. The camera may photograph obstacles and conditions of obstacles around the autonomous vehicle 100, and output image data based on the photographed information.

[0038] At least one laser radar may be installed in or on the autonomous vehicle 100. The laser radar may radiate laser pulses to an object. When an object is within the measurement range of the laser radar, the laser pulse is reflected by the object and returns to the laser radar. The laser radar measures the time taken to receive the returned laser pulse, tracks its angle from the moment the laser pulse is radiated, and outputs laser radar data including at least one of the distance to the object, the direction of the object, or the speed of the object. Here, the object may refer to an obstacle, a person, an object, etc., existing outside the autonomous vehicle 100.

[0039] The processor 110 may detect an object located in front of the autonomous vehicle 100 based on the driving information sensed by the sensor 130, determine whether an occupant in the autonomous vehicle 100 is wearing a seat belt 150 when the detected object enters a preset distance range around the vehicle 100 (hereinafter, referred to as a "preset safety distance range"), and perform a control operation to variably activate a safety mode based on the determination result. The safety mode may include an FCA function of the vehicle (which is an autonomous driving function), a lane departure warning (LDW) function, a lane keeping assist (LKA) device, a blind spot collision avoidance assist (BCA) function, or any combination thereof.

[0040] When it is determined that the seat belt 150 of the occupant is not fastened, the processor 110 may control the collision risk signal to run faster than the collision risk signal in the normal mode. There may be one or more occupants in the vehicle. The occupants may include a driver or a passenger.

[0041] Here, the collision risk signal may include collision risk early warning and collision risk early braking.

[0042] When it is determined that the seat belt 150 of the occupant is not fastened, the processor 110 may perform a control operation such that the collision risk advance warning operates faster than the collision risk warning in the normal mode.

[0043] When it is determined that the seat belt 150 of the occupant is not fastened, the processor 110 may perform a control operation such that the collision risk advance braking operates faster than the collision risk braking in the normal mode.

[0044] Furthermore, upon determining that the seat belt 150 of the occupant is not fastened, the processor 110 may detect whether the safety mode is activated, and when the safety mode is activated, perform a control operation to determine the degree of driving risk.

[0045] When the driving risk level is outside the preset driving risk range, the processor 110 may determine that the vehicle is in a driving risk state, and perform a control operation to re-issue a warning for not wearing a seat belt 150. When determining that the vehicle is in a driving risk state, the processor 110 may issue at least one warning for not wearing a seat belt 150. In other words, the processor 110 may re-issue a warning for not wearing a seat belt 150.

[0046] When the driving risk degree is outside the preset driving risk range, the processor 110 may determine that the vehicle is in a driving risk state and perform a control operation such that the airbag 170 operates under a more relaxed / loose operating condition than a previous operating condition of the airbag 170 .

[0047] For example, when the airbag 170 operates under the existing operating condition at a speed of more than 30 km, the processor 110 may cause the airbag 170 to operate under the relaxed operating condition at a speed of more than 20 km, thereby more safely protecting an occupant who is not wearing the seat belt 150 .

[0048] Figure 2 is a flowchart for describing a method of controlling an autonomous vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 3 is a diagram for describing a control operation of the autonomous vehicle 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0049] refer to Figure 2 , the processor 110 may detect an object located in front of the autonomous vehicle 100 based on the driving information sensed by the sensor 130 .

[0050] In operation S11, the processor 110 may use the sensor 130 to identify an FCA target among objects located in front of the autonomous vehicle 100. The objects or FCA targets may include vehicles, pedestrians, and bicycles.

[0051] The processor 110 may determine whether the detected object or the identified FCA target enters a preset safety distance range. For example, in operation S12, when the identified FCA target enters the preset safety distance range, the processor 110 may select the identified FCA target as the FCA control target.

[0052] Then, in operation S13 , the processor 110 may determine whether the seat belt 150 of the occupant is fastened.

[0053] The processor 110 may perform a control operation to variably activate the safety mode based on the determination result.

[0054] In one embodiment, upon determining that the occupant is wearing the seat belt 150 , the processor 110 may operate in a normal mode.

[0055] like Figure 3 As shown, in the normal mode, in operation S14, a collision risk warning may occur about 2 seconds before the time to collision (TTC). Thereafter, in the normal mode, a collision risk braking control may be performed about 1 second before the TTC and at an acceleration of 1g (operation S15).

[0056] Thereafter, in operation S18, the processor 110 may perform a control operation such that the operation in the normal mode is released after the stop brake control is completed.

[0057] On the contrary, when it is determined that the occupant's seat belt 150 is not fastened, the processor 110 may perform a control operation so that the collision risk signal operates faster than the collision risk signal in the normal mode. Here, the collision risk signal may include a collision risk advance warning, a collision risk advance braking, or a combination of a collision risk advance warning and a collision risk advance braking.

[0058] In operation S16, when it is determined that the occupant is not wearing the seat belt 150, the processor 110 may perform a control operation so that the collision risk advance warning operates faster than the collision risk warning in the normal mode. Figure 3 As shown, the processor 110 may perform control operations such that the collision risk advance warning operates approximately 2.5 seconds before the TTC.

[0059] Thereafter, in operation S17, when it is determined that the occupant is not wearing the seat belt 150, the processor 110 may perform a control operation so that the collision risk advance braking is performed faster than the collision risk braking in the normal mode. Figure 3 As shown, the processor 110 may perform control operations such that collision risk advance braking is approximately 1.5 seconds before TTC and operates within an acceleration range of 0.6 g to 1 g.

[0060] Thereafter, in operation S18 , the processor 110 may perform a control operation such that the FCA function is released or deactivated after the stop brake control is completed.

[0061] In addition, in operation S19, when it is determined that the occupant's seat belt 150 is not fastened, the processor 110 may detect whether the safety mode is running (S19). Here, the safety mode may be activated when a warning of an autonomous driving function (FCA, LDW, LKA, BCA, etc.) is confirmed or braking / steering control occurs.

[0062] In operations S20 and S21 , the processor 110 may perform a control operation such that the safety mode determines the degree of driving risk.

[0063] When the warning occurs 5 times cumulatively in the same driving cycle (in operation S20), or when the warning occurs 3 times consecutively within 10 minutes (in operation S21), the processor 110 may determine that the driving risk range is outside the preset driving risk range.

[0064] For example, when the warning appears 5 times cumulatively in the same driving cycle, the processor 110 may determine that the vehicle is in a driving risk state. Alternatively, when the warning appears three times in a row within 10 minutes, the processor 110 may determine that the vehicle is in a driving risk state. The present invention is not limited to this and may vary according to the driving environment.

[0065] In operation S22 , when the driving risk level is outside a preset driving risk range, the processor 110 may determine that the vehicle is in a driving risk state.

[0066] When it is determined that the vehicle is not in a driving risk state (No in operation S22), the processor 110 may perform a control operation so that the collision risk advance warning operates faster than the collision risk warning in the normal mode. Figure 3 As shown, the processor 110 may perform control operations such that the collision risk advance warning operates approximately 2.5 seconds before the TTC.

[0067] When it is determined that the vehicle is in a driving risk state (in operation S22, yes), the processor 110 may perform a control operation to re-issue a warning for not fastening the seat belt 150. In other words, the processor 110 may warn again for not fastening the seat belt 150 (S22).

[0068] In operation S24, the processor 110 may determine that the vehicle is in a driving risk state, and perform a control operation so that the airbag 170 operates under an operating condition that is more relaxed than a previous operating condition.

[0069] For example, when the airbag 170 operates under existing operating conditions above 30 km, the processor 110 of the present invention may enable the airbag 170 to operate under relaxed operating conditions above 20 km, thereby more safely protecting occupants who are not wearing seat belts 150 .

[0070] As described above, the autonomous vehicle and method for controlling the same in the present invention can allow the driver to identify dangerous situations in advance by issuing an advance warning in the variable warning point logic, so that when the emergency braking of the FCA function is operated, the occupants who are not wearing seat belts can prepare for emergency braking, thereby reducing the possibility that the occupants who are not wearing seat belts may be injured due to the rapid deceleration of the vehicle and the collision with the interior of the vehicle.

[0071] In addition, the autonomous vehicle and the method for controlling the same in the present invention can minimize the impact on the occupants by reducing the braking force and the early operation of the brake control of the FCA function when the occupants in the vehicle are not wearing seat belts.

[0072] In addition, the autonomous vehicle and the method for controlling the same in the present invention can determine the degree of driving risk by accumulating the number of warnings issued by the autonomous driving function regarding the driver's driving habits or inattention state, and when it is determined that the vehicle is in a driving risk state, warn the occupants again that they are not wearing seat belts, thereby inducing the occupants to wear seat belts for safety.

[0073] In addition, the autonomous vehicle and the method for controlling the autonomous vehicle of the present invention can reduce the occurrence of occupant injuries during a collision by relaxing the airbag operating conditions when determining that the vehicle is in a driving risk state to prepare for the occurrence of a vehicle collision.

[0074] The autonomous vehicle and method for controlling the same in the present invention configured as described above have the following effects: by issuing an advance warning in the variable warning point logic, the driver is allowed to recognize dangerous situations in advance, so that in the event of emergency braking operation of the FCA function, occupants who are not wearing seat belts can prepare for emergency braking, thereby reducing the possibility that occupants who are not wearing seat belts may be injured by colliding with the interior of the vehicle due to rapid deceleration of the vehicle.

[0075] Furthermore, the autonomous vehicle and the method for controlling the autonomous vehicle of the present invention have the following effects: when the occupants of the vehicle are not wearing seat belts, the influence on the occupants can be minimized by reducing the braking force and the early operation of the brake control of the FCA function.

[0076] In addition, the autonomous vehicle and the method for controlling the autonomous vehicle in the present invention have the following effects: the degree of driving risk can be determined by accumulating the number of warnings issued by the autonomous driving function regarding the driver's driving habits or inattention state, and when it is determined that the vehicle is in a driving risk state, the occupants are warned again that they are not wearing seat belts, thereby inducing the occupants to wear seat belts for safety.

[0077] In addition, the autonomous vehicle and the method for controlling the autonomous vehicle of the present invention have the following effects: it is possible to reduce the occurrence of occupant injuries during a collision by relaxing the airbag operating conditions when it is determined that the vehicle is in a driving risk state and preparing for the occurrence of a vehicle collision.

[0078] Effects obtainable from the present invention are not limited to the above-mentioned effects, and other effects not mentioned herein can be clearly understood from the above description by those having ordinary skill in the technical field to which the present invention pertains.

[0079] The present invention described above can be implemented as a computer-readable code on a medium having a program recorded therein. Computer-readable media include all types of recording devices in which data that can be read by a computer system is stored. Examples of computer-readable media include hard disk drives (HDDs), solid-state drives (SSDs), silicon disk drives (SDDs), ROMs, RAMs, CD-ROMs, magnetic tapes, floppy disks, optical data storage devices, and the like.

[0080] Therefore, the above detailed description should not be interpreted as limiting in all aspects, but should be regarded as illustrative. The scope of the present invention needs to be determined by reasonable interpretation of the appended claims, and all changes within the equivalent scope of the present invention are included in the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A method for controlling an autonomous vehicle, the autonomous vehicle comprising a processor configured to control a sensor, the method comprising: detecting, by the processor, an object located in front of the autonomous vehicle based on driving information sensed by the sensor; When the detected object enters a preset safety distance range, determining, by the processor, whether an occupant of the autonomous vehicle is wearing a seat belt; as well as When the detected object enters a preset safety distance range, control is performed by the processor to variably activate a safety mode based on a determination result of whether the occupant is wearing a seat belt. 2 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein executing control includes operating a collision risk signal faster than a collision risk signal in a normal mode when it is determined that the occupant is not wearing a seat belt.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the collision risk signal comprises at least one of a collision risk advance warning or a collision risk advance braking, and The executing control further includes running a collision risk advance warning faster than a collision risk warning in the normal mode when it is determined that the occupant is not wearing a seat belt. 4 . The method according to claim 3 , wherein executing control further comprises operating collision risk advance braking faster than collision risk braking in the normal mode when it is determined that the occupant is not wearing a seat belt.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: When it is determined that the occupant is not wearing a seat belt, detecting, by the processor, whether the safety mode is activated; and When the safety mode is activated, the degree of driving risk is determined by the processor.

6. The method according to claim 5, further comprising: When the driving risk level is outside a preset driving risk range, determining, by the processor, that the vehicle is in a driving risk state; and Under the control of the processor, a warning is given again regarding not wearing a seat belt.

7. The method according to claim 5, further comprising: When the driving risk level is outside a preset driving risk range, determining, by the processor, that the vehicle is in a driving risk state; and By the processor, control is performed to operate the airbag under an airbag operating condition that is more relaxed than a previous airbag operating condition.

8. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium having a program recorded thereon, the program directing a processor of an autonomous vehicle to perform the following actions: detecting an object located in front of the autonomous vehicle based on driving information sensed by at least one sensor of the autonomous vehicle; When the detected object enters a preset safety distance range, determining whether an occupant of the autonomous vehicle is wearing a seat belt; and When the detected object enters a preset safety distance range, control is performed to variably activate the safety mode based on a determination result of whether the occupant is wearing a seat belt.

9. An autonomous vehicle comprising: sensor; as well as A processor configured to control the sensor, wherein the processor is configured to: detecting an object located in front of the autonomous vehicle based on driving information sensed by the sensor; When the detected object enters a preset safety distance range, determining whether an occupant in the autonomous vehicle is wearing a seat belt; as well as When the detected object enters a preset safety distance range, a control operation is performed to variably activate the safety mode based on a determination result of whether the occupant is wearing a seat belt.

10. The autonomous vehicle of claim 9, wherein the processor is further configured to, upon determining that the occupant is not wearing a seat belt, perform a control operation to run the collision risk signal faster than the collision risk signal in a normal mode.

11. The autonomous vehicle of claim 10, wherein: The collision risk signal includes at least one of a collision risk advance warning or a collision risk advance braking; and The processor is further configured to, when it is determined that the occupant is not wearing a seat belt, perform a control operation to run the collision risk advance warning faster than the collision risk warning in the normal mode.

12. The autonomous vehicle of claim 11, wherein the processor is further configured to, upon determining that the occupant is not wearing a seat belt, execute a control operation to operate collision risk advance braking faster than collision risk braking in the normal mode.

13. The autonomous vehicle of claim 9, wherein the processor is further configured to: When it is determined that the occupant is not wearing a seat belt, detecting whether the safety mode is activated; and When the safety mode is activated, a control operation is performed to determine the degree of driving risk.

14. The autonomous vehicle of claim 13, wherein the processor is further configured to: When the driving risk level is outside a preset driving risk range, determining that the vehicle is in a driving risk state; and Perform control operation to warn again that the seat belt is not fastened.

15. The autonomous vehicle of claim 13, wherein the processor is further configured to: When the driving risk level is outside a preset driving risk range, determining that the vehicle is in a driving risk state; and The air bag is operated under a more relaxed air bag operating condition than a previous air bag operating condition.

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