System and method for providing driver assistance features

Abstract

The invention relates to a system and method for providing driver assistance features. A vehicle system of a vehicle may include one or more processors configured to receive sensor data from one or more sensors associated with the vehicle, determine whether a driver of the vehicle is contacting a steering wheel of the vehicle based on the sensor data, and, upon determining that the driver of the vehicle is contacting the steering wheel, transmit the received sensor data to the one or more sensors. When it is determined that a driver of the vehicle does not touch a steering wheel, shared lateral control of the vehicle is performed, and swap lateral control of the vehicle is performed.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This specification relates to vehicle control systems, and more particularly, to systems and methods for providing driver assistance features. Background Art

[0002] Modern vehicles typically have driver assistance features such as lane keeping assistance and adaptive cruise control. These features usually have to be activated by the driver pressing an appropriate button on the steering wheel or dashboard. As a result, the driver may be confused about how to activate certain driver assistance features or which safety features have been activated. Consequently, the driver may think that a particular driver assistance feature has been turned on when it has not, or may not know that a driver assistance feature is active. Thus, there is a need for an improved vehicle control system. Summary of the Invention

[0003] In an embodiment, a vehicle system of a vehicle may include one or more processors configured to receive sensor data from one or more sensors associated with the vehicle, determine based on the sensor data whether a driver of the vehicle is contacting the steering wheel of the vehicle, perform shared lateral control of the vehicle when determining that the driver of the vehicle is contacting the steering wheel, and perform switched lateral control of the vehicle when determining that the driver of the vehicle is not contacting the steering wheel.

[0004] In another embodiment, a vehicle system of a vehicle may include one or more processors configured to receive sensor data from one or more sensors associated with the vehicle, determine based on the sensor data whether a driver of the vehicle is contacting the accelerator pedal or the brake pedal, perform shared longitudinal control of the vehicle when determining that the driver of the vehicle is contacting the accelerator pedal or the brake pedal, and perform switched longitudinal control of the vehicle when determining that the driver of the vehicle is not contacting the accelerator pedal or the brake pedal.

[0005] In another embodiment, a method may include receiving sensor data from one or more sensors associated with a vehicle, determining based on the sensor data whether a driver of the vehicle is contacting the steering wheel of the vehicle, performing shared lateral control of the vehicle when determining that the driver of the vehicle is contacting the steering wheel, and performing switched lateral control of the vehicle when determining that the driver of the vehicle is not contacting the steering wheel. Brief Description of the Drawings

[0006] The embodiments set forth in the drawings are illustrative and exemplary in nature and are not intended to limit the disclosure. The following detailed description of the illustrative embodiments can be understood when read in conjunction with the following drawings, in which like structures are indicated by like reference numerals, and in which:

[0007] Figure 1Schematically depict a system for vehicle assistance in accordance with one or more embodiments shown and described herein;

[0008] Figure 2 Schematically depict a vehicle system in accordance with one or more embodiments shown and described herein;

[0009] Figure 3 Depict an example vehicle interior in accordance with one or more embodiments shown and described herein;

[0010] Figure 4 Schematically depict in accordance with one or more embodiments shown and described herein Figure 2 the memory module of a vehicle system; and

[0011] Figure 5 Depict a flowchart of a method executable by a Figure 2 vehicle system in accordance with one or more embodiments shown and described herein. Detailed Description

[0012] The embodiments disclosed herein include methods and systems for providing driving assistance. When a human rides a horse, the human can exert a certain degree of control over the horse's behavior. However, even if the human rider commands the horse to run off a cliff, the horse will not run off the cliff. Similarly, the embodiments disclosed herein provide a digital equivalent for a vehicle or an artificial intelligence (AI) horse. That is, driving assistance is provided in the vehicle to assist the driver and prevent the driver from taking certain dangerous driving behaviors.

[0013] Modern vehicles are capable of providing many driving assistance features such as lane keeping assistance (LKA), lane tracing assistance (LTA), adaptive cruise control (ACC), forward collision assistance (FCA), etc. These features allow the vehicle to drive semi-autonomously and perform certain driving functions without human driver intervention. In some examples, the driving assistance features operate through shared control, where the human driver and the vehicle system share control of the vehicle. In shared control, some driving operations are controlled by the human driver, while some driving operations are autonomously controlled by the vehicle system. In other examples, the driving assistance features operate through traded control, where at any given time, either the human driver or the vehicle system controls the vehicle. In a traded control system, when the human driver is controlling the vehicle, the vehicle system does not perform any autonomous driving functions.

[0014] The driving function generally consists of lateral control (e.g., controlling the vehicle's steering wheel) and longitudinal control (e.g., controlling the vehicle's accelerator pedal and brake pedal). In the embodiments disclosed herein, certain driving assistance features can operate under shared control while the human driver also operates the vehicle. That is, when the driver operates the steering wheel and the accelerator pedal or the brake pedal, the vehicle system can provide a limited amount of control to assist the driver (e.g., LKA or FCA). If the driver removes their hands from the steering wheel, the vehicle system may switch to the vehicle's alternating lateral control and perform lateral control without any input from the driver. Similarly, if the driver removes their feet from the accelerator pedal and the brake pedal, the vehicle may switch to the vehicle's alternating longitudinal control and perform longitudinal control without any input from the driver. If the driver places their hands back on the steering wheel or their feet back on the accelerator pedal or the brake pedal, the vehicle system may resume shared control. Thus, the vehicle system can implement different driving assistance features without the driver pressing any buttons or otherwise turning these features on or off.

[0015] Now turning to the drawings, Figure 1 schematically depicts a system for performing driving assistance as disclosed herein. In Figure 1 the example, system 100 includes a host vehicle 102 traveling along a road 104. In Figure 1 the example, two additional vehicles 106, 108 are also traveling along the road 104. However, in other examples, any number of other vehicles may be traveling along the road 104.

[0016] In Figure 1 the example, the host vehicle 102 can perform certain driving assistance features as described herein. That is, the host vehicle 102 can autonomously perform certain driving functions, either as shared control or alternating control, as described in further detail below.

[0017] Figure 2 Depicts an example vehicle system 200 that may be included in the Figure 1 host vehicle 102. In Figure 2 the example, the vehicle system 200 includes one or more processors 202, a communication path 204, one or more memory modules 206, a satellite antenna 208, one or more vehicle sensors 210, and a data storage component 212, the details of which will be elaborated in the paragraphs below.

[0018] Each of the one or more processors 202 can be any device capable of executing machine-readable and executable instructions. Thus, each of the one or more processors 202 can be a controller, an integrated circuit, a microchip, a computer, or any other computing device. The one or more processors 202 are coupled to a communication path 204 that provides signal interconnection between the various modules of the vehicle system 200. Thus, the communication path 204 can communicatively couple any number of processors 202 to each other and allow the modules coupled to the communication path 204 to operate in a distributed computing environment. Specifically, each module can act as a node that sends and / or receives data. As used herein, the term "communicatively coupled" means that the coupled components are capable of exchanging data signals, such as electrical signals via a conductive medium, electromagnetic signals via air, optical signals via an optical waveguide, and the like.

[0019] Thus, the communication path 204 can be formed by any medium capable of transmitting signals, such as conductive wires, conductive traces, optical waveguides, and the like. In some embodiments, the communication path 204 can facilitate the transmission of wireless signals, such as Wi-Fi, Near Field Communication (NFC), and the like. Additionally, the communication path 204 can be formed by a combination of media capable of transmitting signals. In one embodiment, the communication path 204 includes a combination of conductive traces, conductive wires, connectors, and buses that cooperate to allow the transmission of electrical data signals to components such as processors, memories, sensors, input devices, output devices, and communication devices. Thus, the communication path 204 can include a vehicle bus, such as a LIN bus, a CAN bus, a VAN bus, and the like. Additionally, it should be noted that the term "signal" means a waveform (e.g., electrical, optical, magnetic, mechanical, or electromagnetic) capable of propagating through a medium, such as direct current, alternating current, sine wave, triangular wave, square wave, vibration, and the like.

[0020] Vehicle system 200 includes one or more memory modules 206 coupled to a communication path 204. The one or more memory modules 206 can include RAM, ROM, flash memory, a hard disk drive, or any device capable of storing machine-readable and executable instructions such that the machine-readable and executable instructions can be accessed by one or more processors 202. The machine-readable and executable instructions can include logic or algorithms written in any generation of any programming language (e.g., 1GL, 2GL, 3GL, 4GL, or 5GL), such as machine language that can be directly executed by a processor, or assembly language, object-oriented programming (OOP), scripting language, microcode, etc. that can be compiled or assembled into machine-readable and executable instructions and stored on the one or more memory modules 206. Alternatively, the machine-readable and executable instructions can be written in a hardware description language (HDL), such as logic implemented through field-programmable gate array (FPGA) configuration or application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) or their equivalents. Thus, the methods described herein can be implemented in any conventional computer programming language, as pre-programmed hardware elements, or as a combination of hardware and software components.

[0021] Still referring to Figure 2 , vehicle system 200 includes a satellite antenna 208 coupled to communication path 204 such that communication path 204 communicatively couples satellite antenna 208 to other modules of vehicle system 200. Satellite antenna 208 is configured to receive signals from global positioning system satellites. Specifically, in one embodiment, satellite antenna 208 includes one or more conductive elements that interact with electromagnetic signals transmitted by global positioning system satellites. The received signals are transformed into data signals indicative of the position (e.g., latitude and longitude) of the vehicle including vehicle system 200 to which satellite antenna 208 is attached.

[0022] Vehicle system 200 includes one or more vehicle sensors 210. Each of the one or more vehicle sensors 210 is coupled to communication path 204 and communicatively coupled to one or more processors 202. The one or more vehicle sensors 210 can include, but are not limited to, LiDAR sensors, radar sensors, optical sensors (e.g., cameras, laser sensors), proximity sensors, position sensors (e.g., GPS modules), etc. Vehicle sensors 210 can collect data that can be used to perform autonomous driving functions.

[0023] Additionally, as Figure 3 shown, vehicle sensors 210 can also include steering wheel sensors 300, 302 and pedal sensors 304. In an embodiment, steering wheel sensors 300, 302 can determine whether a driver's hands are on the steering wheel 306 of the vehicle 102, and pedal sensor 304 can determine whether a driver's foot is on the accelerator pedal 308 or the brake pedal 310.

[0024] In one example, the steering wheel sensors 300 and 302 include capacitive sensors that determine whether the driver's hands are in contact with the steering wheel sensors 300, 302 and then with the steering wheel 306. In other examples, the steering wheel sensors 300, 302 may include other types of sensors that determine whether the driver's hands are in contact with the steering wheel 306. In the example shown in the illustration, two capacitive sensors 300, 302 are shown at positions on the steering wheel 306 where the driver may contact the steering wheel 306 when gripping it. However, in other examples, any number of capacitive sensors may be present at any position on the steering wheel 306. In some examples, the entire steering wheel 306 may include capacitive sensors to determine whether the driver is in contact with the steering wheel 306. In the example shown in the illustration, the steering wheel sensors 300, 302 may be attached to the outer surface of the steering wheel 306. In other examples, the steering wheel sensors 300, 302 may be located inside the steering wheel 306.

[0025] In some examples, the vehicle sensor 210 may include a torque sensor that measures the torque on the steering wheel 306. If the driver is not in contact with the steering wheel 306, there is no torque on the steering wheel 306. Thus, when the torque on the steering wheel 306 is greater than a predetermined amount, the torque sensor may determine that the driver is in contact with the steering wheel 306. In some examples, the vehicle sensor 210 may include a camera that captures an image of the steering wheel 306 and performs image analysis to determine whether the driver is in contact with the steering wheel 306.

[0026] Although the embodiments described herein relate to the steering wheel 306 and the steering wheel sensors 300 and 302, in other examples, the vehicle system 200 may include other devices for performing lateral control of the host vehicle 102. For example, the vehicle system 200 may include a joystick or other lateral control element for performing lateral control of the host vehicle 102. In these examples, the steering wheel sensors 300, 302 may be replaced with sensors that determine whether the driver of the host vehicle 102 is in contact with the lateral control element of the vehicle system 200.

[0027] The pedal sensor 304 can determine whether the driver's foot is in contact with the accelerator pedal 308 or the brake pedal 310. In the illustrated example, the pedal sensor 304 includes a camera attached to or embedded in the driver's side door or side panel of the vehicle 102, which captures images of the accelerator pedal 308 and the brake pedal 310. In the illustrated example, the pedal sensor 304 performs image analysis to determine whether the driver's foot is in contact with the accelerator pedal 308 or the brake pedal 310 based on such captured images. In other examples, other types of sensors can be used to determine whether the driver's foot is in contact with the accelerator pedal 308 or the brake pedal 310. For example, the pedal sensor 304 can include a contact sensor or a proximity sensor attached to or embedded in the accelerator pedal 308 and / or the brake pedal 310.

[0028] Although the embodiments described herein relate to the accelerator pedal 308, the brake pedal 310, and the pedal sensor 304, in other examples, the vehicle system 200 can include other devices for performing longitudinal control of the vehicle. For example, the vehicle system 200 can include a throttle controller or a longitudinal control element. In these examples, the pedal sensor 304 can be replaced with a sensor for determining whether the driver of the vehicle 102 is in contact with the longitudinal control element of the vehicle system 200.

[0029] Still referring to Figure 2 , the vehicle system 200 includes a data storage component 212. The data storage component 212 can store data used by the various components of the vehicle system 200. Additionally, the data storage component 212 can store data collected by the vehicle sensors 210.

[0030] Now referring to Figure 4 , the memory module 206 of the vehicle system 200 is schematically illustrated. One or more memory modules 206 include a sensor data receiving module 400, a lateral control module 402, and a longitudinal control module 404. Each of the sensor data receiving module 400, the lateral control module 402, and the longitudinal control module 404 can be a program module in the form of an operating system, an application program module, and other program modules stored in one or more memory modules 206. In some embodiments, the program modules can be stored in a remote storage device that can communicate with the vehicle system 200. Such program modules can include, but are not limited to, routines, subroutines, programs, objects, components, data structures, etc. for performing specific tasks or executing specific data types as described below.

[0031] The sensor data receiving module 400 can receive data from the vehicle sensors 210. In particular, the sensor data receiving module 400 can receive data from the steering wheel sensors 300, 302 and from the pedal sensors 304. Based on the data received from the steering wheel sensors 300, 302 and the pedal sensors 304, the sensor data receiving module 400 can determine whether the driver of the host vehicle 102 is in contact with the steering wheel 306, and whether the driver is in contact with the accelerator pedal 308 or the brake pedal 310.

[0032] In an embodiment, the sensor data receiving module 400 can continuously receive data from the steering wheel sensors 300, 302 and from the pedal sensors 304 (e.g., can receive data per second). Thus, the sensor data receiving module 400 can determine at multiple time steps whether the driver of the host vehicle 102 is in contact with the steering wheel 306 or the accelerator pedal 308 or the brake pedal 310. The lateral control module 402 and the longitudinal control module 404 can perform different types of vehicle control according to whether the driver is in contact with the steering wheel 306, and whether the driver is in contact with the accelerator pedal 308 or the brake pedal 310, as described in further detail below.

[0033] As disclosed herein, the lateral control module 402 can perform the lateral control of the host vehicle 102. The lateral control used herein refers to controlling the steering of the host vehicle 102 so as to control the lateral direction of the host vehicle 102. In an embodiment, the lateral control module 402 can perform the shared lateral control of the host vehicle 102 when the driver is in contact with the steering wheel 306, and can perform the switched lateral control of the host vehicle 102 when the driver is not in contact with the steering wheel 308, as described in further detail below.

[0034] In the example shown in the illustration, when the driver of the host vehicle 102 touches the steering wheel 306, the lateral control module 402 can perform shared lateral control of the host vehicle 102. That is, the vehicle system 200 can perform a limited amount of lateral control, while the driver of the host vehicle 102 also uses the steering wheel 306 for lateral control. In particular, when performing shared lateral control, the driver should exercise the primary control to steer the host vehicle 102, and the lateral control module 402 provides supplementary or supportive lateral control. For example, when performing shared lateral control, the lateral control module 402 can perform LKA. That is, when performing shared lateral control, the vehicle sensors 210 can monitor the lane lines of the lane in which the host vehicle 102 is traveling. If the host vehicle 102 drifts too close to the lane line or starts to steer into another lane, the lateral control module 402 can push the vehicle back to the center of the lane to prevent the host vehicle 102 from inadvertently steering into another lane. In another example, when performing shared lateral control, the vehicle sensors 210 can detect that the lane in which the host vehicle 102 is traveling approaches a curve or turn. If the driver does not turn the steering wheel by a sufficient amount to follow the curve or turn, the lateral control module 402 can turn the steering wheel by an additional amount to ensure that the host vehicle 102 correctly follows the curve or turn.

[0035] However, when the lateral control module 402 performs shared lateral control, the amount of lateral control exercised by the lateral control module 402 may be limited because the driver should use the steering wheel 306 for a certain amount of lateral control, such that the lateral control is shared between the driver and the lateral control module 402. In one example, when performing shared lateral control, the lateral control module 402 may be limited to generating a maximum amount of centrifugal force (e.g., not exceeding 0.3g). When performing switched control, the lateral control module 402 can perform lateral control without such limitations.

[0036] When the driver releases the steering wheel 306 and no longer performs lateral control, the lateral control module 402 can perform switched lateral control. That is, when the driver does not control the steering wheel, the lateral control module 402 can perform full lateral control of the vehicle without any limitations, as described above, until the driver resumes using the steering wheel 306, and the lateral control module 402 returns to shared lateral control. In some examples, once the driver releases the steering wheel 306, the lateral control module 402 can start performing switched lateral control. In other examples, the lateral control module 402 can start performing switched lateral control after the driver has released the steering wheel 306 for a threshold amount of time (e.g., more than two seconds).

[0037] When performing swap lateral control, vehicle sensor 210 can collect sensor data regarding the status of host vehicle 102 and the surrounding environment, and lateral control module 402 can autonomously control the steering of host vehicle 102 using the sensor data. In some examples, after the driver touches the steering wheel 306, lateral control module 402 can return to shared lateral control. In other examples, lateral control module 402 can return to shared lateral control only when the driver touches the steering wheel 306 for more than a threshold amount of time (e.g., more than two seconds).

[0038] When lateral control module 402 controls the steering of host vehicle 102 in swap control mode, the human driver can still perform longitudinal control of host vehicle 102 by using the accelerator pedal 308 and / or the brake pedal 310. That is, the human driver can control the braking and acceleration of host vehicle 102 while lateral control module 402 autonomously controls the steering. However, the driver can also hand over both the lateral control and the longitudinal control of host vehicle 102 to vehicle system 200, as described below.

[0039] As disclosed herein, longitudinal control module 404 can perform longitudinal control of host vehicle 102. Longitudinal control as used herein refers to controlling the braking and acceleration of host vehicle 102 so as to control the longitudinal speed of host vehicle 102. In an embodiment, longitudinal control module 404 can perform shared longitudinal control of host vehicle 102 when the driver touches the accelerator pedal 308 or the brake pedal 310, and can perform swap longitudinal control of host vehicle 102 when the driver does not touch the accelerator pedal 308 or the brake pedal 310, as described in further detail below.

[0040] In the illustrated example, when the driver of host vehicle 102 touches the accelerator pedal 308 or the brake pedal 310, longitudinal control module 404 can perform shared longitudinal control of host vehicle 102. That is, vehicle system 200 can perform a limited amount of longitudinal control while the driver of host vehicle 102 also uses the accelerator pedal 308 or the brake pedal 310 to perform longitudinal control. In particular, when performing shared longitudinal control, the driver should exercise primary control of the speed of host vehicle 102 while longitudinal control module 404 provides supplementary or supportive longitudinal control. For example, when performing shared longitudinal control, longitudinal control module 404 can perform FCA. That is, when performing shared longitudinal control, vehicle sensor 210 can monitor the vehicle in front of host vehicle 102, and if host vehicle is too close to other vehicles, longitudinal control module 404 can autonomously brake host vehicle 102 to prevent a forward collision. In other examples, longitudinal control module 404 can perform other types of shared longitudinal control.

[0041] When the driver removes their foot from the accelerator pedal 308 and the brake pedal 310 and no longer performs longitudinal control, the longitudinal control module 404 can perform switched longitudinal control. That is, when the driver is not controlling the speed of the host vehicle 102, the longitudinal control module 404 can perform full longitudinal control of the vehicle until the driver presses the accelerator pedal 308 or the brake pedal 310 again, and the longitudinal control module 404 returns to shared longitudinal control. In some examples, once the driver removes their foot from the accelerator pedal 308 or the brake pedal 310, the longitudinal control module 404 can start performing switched longitudinal control. In other examples, the longitudinal control module 404 can start performing switched longitudinal control after the driver has removed their foot from the accelerator pedal 308 and the brake pedal 310 for more than a threshold amount of time (e.g., more than two seconds).

[0042] In one example, when performing switched longitudinal control, the longitudinal control module 404 can perform cruise control, where the speed of the host vehicle 102 is maintained at a constant rate. In another example, when performing switched longitudinal control, the longitudinal control module 404 can perform adaptive cruise control, where the speed of the host vehicle 102 is maintained at a maximum rate and a minimum distance is maintained between the host vehicle 102 and a vehicle ahead (e.g., Figure 1 vehicle 106). In other examples, when performing switched longitudinal control, the longitudinal control module 404 can perform other types of longitudinal control (e.g., slowing down and / or stopping considering traffic signs and traffic lights, adjusting to different speed limits, slowing down to follow a turn, etc.).

[0043] When performing switched longitudinal control, the vehicle sensors 210 can collect sensor data regarding the state of the host vehicle 102 and the surrounding environment, and the longitudinal control module 404 can autonomously control the acceleration and braking of the host vehicle 102 using the sensor data. In an embodiment, after the driver touches the accelerator pedal 308 or the brake pedal 310, the longitudinal control module 404 can return to shared longitudinal control.

[0044] When the longitudinal control module 404 controls the speed of the host vehicle 102 in a switched control mode, the human driver can still perform lateral control of the host vehicle 102 by using the steering wheel 306. That is, the human driver can control the steering of the host vehicle 102 while the longitudinal control module 404 autonomously controls the speed. However, the driver can also hand over both the longitudinal control and the lateral control of the host vehicle 102 to the vehicle system 200.

[0045] Figure 5 Depiction can be made by Figure 2Flowchart of an example method performed by vehicle system 200. At step 500, sensor data receiving module 400 receives sensor data from vehicle sensors 210. In particular, sensor data receiving module 400 may receive data from steering wheel sensors 300, 302 and from pedal sensor 304.

[0046] At step 502, based on the received sensor data, sensor data receiving module 400 determines whether the driver of host vehicle 102 is touching steering wheel 306. In some examples, if the driver is not touching steering wheel 306, sensor data receiving module 400 may determine whether the driver has not touched steering wheel 306 for a time period exceeding a threshold amount of time. If sensor data receiving module 400 determines that the driver is touching steering wheel 306 (step 502: Yes), control proceeds to step 504. If sensor data receiving module 400 determines that the driver is not touching steering wheel 306 (step 502: No), control proceeds to step 506.

[0047] At step 504, when the driver of host vehicle 102 touches steering wheel 306, lateral control module 402 performs shared lateral control of host vehicle 102. That is, both lateral control module 402 and the driver of host vehicle 102 perform lateral control of host vehicle 102. In some examples, when performing shared lateral control, lateral control module 402 may perform lateral control such that a predetermined amount of centrifugal force on host vehicle 102 is not exceeded.

[0048] At step 506, when the driver of host vehicle 102 does not touch steering wheel 306 for a time period exceeding a predetermined amount of time, lateral control module 402 performs switched lateral control of host vehicle 102. That is, lateral control module 402 performs lateral control of host vehicle 102 without any input from the driver. In some examples, when performing switched lateral control, lateral control module 402 may perform lateral control without any limitation on the magnitude of the centrifugal force on host vehicle 102. When the driver touches steering wheel 306 again, lateral control module 402 may return to performing shared lateral control.

[0049] At step 508, based on the received sensor data, sensor data receiving module 400 determines whether the driver of host vehicle 102 is touching the accelerator pedal 308 or the brake pedal 310. If sensor data receiving module 400 determines that the driver of host vehicle 102 is touching the accelerator pedal 308 or the brake pedal 310 (step 508: Yes), control proceeds to step 510. If sensor data receiving module 400 determines that the driver of host vehicle 102 is not touching the accelerator pedal 308 or the brake pedal 310 (step 508: No), control proceeds to step 512.

[0050] In step 510, when the driver of the host vehicle 102 touches the accelerator pedal 308 or the brake pedal 310, the longitudinal control module 404 performs shared longitudinal control of the host vehicle 102. That is, both the longitudinal control module 404 and the driver of the host vehicle 102 perform longitudinal control of the host vehicle 102.

[0051] In step 512, when the driver of the host vehicle 102 does not touch the accelerator pedal 308 or the brake pedal 310, the longitudinal control module 404 performs switched longitudinal control of the host vehicle 102. That is, the longitudinal control module 404 performs longitudinal control of the host vehicle 102 without any input from the driver. When the driver touches the accelerator pedal 308 or the brake pedal 310 again, the longitudinal control module 404 can return to perform shared longitudinal control.

[0052] It should now be understood that the embodiments described herein are directed to a vehicle system for performing driving assistance. When a human driver drives a vehicle, the vehicle system can perform shared control of the vehicle to assist the driver in driving operations. For example, the vehicle system can perform shared lateral control (e.g., LKA) and shared longitudinal control (e.g., FCA). The vehicle system performing certain driving assistance functions when the driver is driving the vehicle can improve the overall driving performance of the vehicle.

[0053] If the vehicle driver removes their hand from the steering wheel, the vehicle system may automatically start performing switched lateral control of the vehicle until the driver touches the steering wheel again. In addition, if the driver removes their foot from the pedal, the vehicle system may automatically start performing switched longitudinal control of the vehicle until the driver touches the pedal again. This can allow the driver to easily activate or deactivate the autonomous lateral control and autonomous longitudinal control of the vehicle without having to press any buttons. In addition, the driver can continue to perform lateral control while the vehicle system autonomously performs longitudinal control, or the driver can perform longitudinal control while the vehicle system performs lateral control. Thus, the driving experience of the driver and the overall driving performance of the vehicle can be improved.

[0054] In some examples, the vehicle system can prevent the driver from taking certain harmful actions. This is similar to a human riding a horse and instructing the horse to jump off a cliff. The horse will refuse to jump off the cliff because it knows it is dangerous. Similarly, the vehicle system can prevent the driver from taking certain actions when driving manually.

[0055] It should be noted that the terms "substantially" and "about" may be used herein to represent the degree of inherent uncertainty that can be attributed to any quantitative comparison, value, measurement, or other representation. These terms are also used herein to represent the degree to which a quantitative representation may vary from the reference without causing a change in the basic function of the subject matter being discussed.

[0056] While specific embodiments have been illustrated and described herein, it should be understood that various other changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the claimed subject matter. Additionally, although aspects of the claimed subject matter are described herein, these aspects need not be used in combination. Accordingly, the appended claims are intended to cover all such changes and modifications within the scope of the claimed subject matter.

Claims

1. A vehicle system for a vehicle, comprising one or more processors configured to: Receive sensor data from one or more sensors associated with the vehicle; Determine, based on the sensor data, whether the driver of the vehicle is in contact with the vehicle's steering wheel; Perform shared lateral control of the vehicle when it is determined that the driver of the vehicle is in contact with the steering wheel; And Perform switching lateral control of the vehicle when it is determined that the driver of the vehicle is not in contact with the steering wheel.

2. The vehicle system according to claim 1, wherein the one or more sensors include one or more capacitance sensors that detect when the driver of the vehicle contacts the steering wheel.

3. The vehicle system according to claim 1, wherein the one or more sensors measure the torque associated with the steering wheel.

4. The vehicle system according to claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to: Perform shared lateral control of the vehicle by performing lane keeping assistance; and Perform switching lateral control of the vehicle by performing lane centering assistance.

5. The vehicle system according to claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to: Perform shared lateral control of the vehicle by performing lateral control such that the centrifugal force on the vehicle remains below a predetermined amount; and Perform switching lateral control of the vehicle by performing lateral control without restricting the centrifugal force on the vehicle.

6. The vehicle system according to claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to: Determine, based on the sensor data, whether the driver has not been in contact with the steering wheel for a time period exceeding a predetermined amount of time; and Perform switching lateral control of the vehicle when it is determined that the driver has not been in contact with the steering wheel for a time period exceeding a predetermined amount of time.

7. The vehicle system according to claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to: Determine whether the driver is in contact with the steering wheel when performing switching lateral control; and Perform shared lateral control when it is determined that the driver is in contact with the steering wheel.

8. A vehicle system for a vehicle, comprising one or more processors configured to: Receive sensor data from one or more sensors associated with the vehicle; Determine, based on the sensor data, whether the driver of the vehicle is in contact with the accelerator pedal or the brake pedal; Perform shared longitudinal control of the vehicle when it is determined that the driver of the vehicle is in contact with the accelerator pedal or the brake pedal; And Perform switching longitudinal control of the vehicle when it is determined that the driver of the vehicle is not in contact with the accelerator pedal or the brake pedal.

9. The vehicle system according to claim 8, wherein the one or more sensors include a camera that captures images of the accelerator pedal and the brake pedal.

10. The vehicle system according to claim 8, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to: Perform shared longitudinal control of the vehicle by performing forward collision avoidance assistance; and Perform switching longitudinal control of the vehicle by performing adaptive cruise control.

11. The vehicle system according to claim 8, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to: When performing switched longitudinal control, determine whether the driver touches the accelerator pedal or the brake pedal; and When it is determined that the driver touches the accelerator pedal or the brake pedal, perform shared longitudinal control.

12. A method, comprising: Receiving sensor data from one or more sensors associated with a vehicle; Based on the sensor data, determining whether the driver of the vehicle is touching the steering wheel of the vehicle; When it is determined that the driver of the vehicle is touching the steering wheel, performing shared lateral control of the vehicle; And When it is determined that the driver of the vehicle is not touching the steering wheel, performing switched lateral control of the vehicle.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the one or more sensors include one or more capacitance sensors that detect when the driver of the vehicle touches the steering wheel.

14. The method according to claim 12, wherein the one or more sensors measure the torque associated with the steering wheel.

15. The method according to claim 12, further comprising: Performing shared lateral control of the vehicle by performing lane keeping assistance; And Performing switched lateral control of the vehicle by performing lane centering assistance.

16. The method according to claim 12, further comprising: Performing shared lateral control of the vehicle by performing lateral control such that the centrifugal force on the vehicle remains below a predetermined amount; And Performing switched lateral control of the vehicle by performing lateral control without restricting the centrifugal force on the vehicle.

17. The method according to claim 12, further comprising: Based on the sensor data, determining whether the driver has not touched the steering wheel for a time period exceeding a predetermined time amount; And When it is determined that the driver has not touched the steering wheel for a time period exceeding a predetermined time amount, performing switched lateral control of the vehicle.

18. The method according to claim 12, further comprising: Based on the sensor data, determining whether the driver of the vehicle is touching the accelerator pedal or the brake pedal; When it is determined that the driver of the vehicle is touching the accelerator pedal or the brake pedal, performing shared longitudinal control of the vehicle; And When it is determined that the driver of the vehicle is not touching the accelerator pedal or the brake pedal, performing switched longitudinal control of the vehicle.

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein the one or more sensors include a camera that captures images of the accelerator pedal and the brake pedal.

20. The method according to claim 18, further comprising: Performing shared longitudinal control of the vehicle by performing forward collision avoidance assistance; And Performing switched longitudinal control of the vehicle by performing adaptive cruise control.

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