ROAD VEHICLE AND AUTONOMOUS DRIVING PROCESS WITH PERSON MONITORING DURING TRANSPORT TO IMPROVE THE ACCEPTANCE OF AUTONOMOUS MANEUVERS

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a road vehicle and a method for autonomous driving of such a road vehicle.

[0002] The invention relates to the technical field of autonomous road vehicles for transporting people.

[0003] US 2019 / 389454A1 describes an autonomous driving control unit for controlling autonomous driving of a host vehicle and for predicting physical abnormalities occurring in a passenger due to autonomous driving. An interface control unit generates operating contents of the host vehicle to mitigate the predicted physical abnormalities and provides these contents to the passenger.

[0004] US 2018 / 0072323A1 describes an autonomous driving vehicle that warns passengers of an upcoming maneuver and explains why the autonomous vehicle will perform that maneuver.

[0005] US 10,372,130 B1 describes techniques for communicating information to passengers of autonomous vehicles about the reasons for actions taken by autonomous vehicles in order to establish a climate of trust with the passengers.

[0006] Road vehicles for transporting people, such as a self-driving car or a self-driving bus, are known, which are capable of implementing autonomous maneuvers using a driving robot. These autonomous maneuvers can be flexible and progressive, such as maintaining the vehicle's lane, so that they have no impact on the people being transported, whether they are drivers of the vehicle or not. On the contrary, the people being transported may be surprised or disconcerted by the implementation of certain abrupt or uncomfortable autonomous maneuvers, for example emergency braking or a sudden change of direction to avoid an obstacle.Due to discomfort during the autonomous maneuver, surprise or misunderstanding of the reasons that led the vehicle to implement the autonomous maneuver, the transported persons may be led not to accept the autonomous maneuver that has just been carried out, even though the driving automation carried out this maneuver in the interest of the transported persons, for their safety, or for the safety of a driving environment 8 of the vehicle. Acceptance of the autonomous maneuver is the most reduced when the persons were inattentive to the driving of the vehicle at the time when the autonomous maneuver is implemented, because the maneuver then generates surprise and misunderstanding among these persons. In the event of a sudden autonomous maneuver, an inattentive transported person may even be physically mistreated if they have not held on sufficiently.Ultimately, these difficulties may affect the level of trust that the passengers have in the automated driving system. However, it is essential that the passengers transported by the autonomous road vehicle have a high level of trust to accept the automated driving system.

[0007] The invention aims to remedy these drawbacks by proposing a new road vehicle which significantly improves the acceptance of autonomous maneuvers of the road vehicle by the person transported.

[0008] The subject of the invention is a road vehicle, comprising a driving automaton, which is configured to drive the road vehicle according to autonomous maneuvers. According to the invention, the road vehicle further comprises: an acceptability calculator, which is configured to, at a given time when the driving automaton has planned to drive the road vehicle according to a new autonomous maneuver, determine an acceptability index of said new autonomous maneuver, as a function of maneuver intention data supplied to the acceptability calculator by the driving automaton and reflecting the new autonomous maneuver;an acceptance calculator, which is configured to, at said time in question, determine an acceptance index attributed to a person transported by the road vehicle, as a function of the acceptability index determined by the acceptability calculator and as a function of: a level of attention of the person at said time in question, determined by a monitoring module, monitoring said person at said time in question and belonging to the road vehicle and a level of involvement of the person in driving the road vehicle, at said time in question; and a warning device, which is configured to emit a signal to the attention of said person at said time in question, as a function of the value of the acceptance index, in particular only if the acceptance index reaches a trigger threshold.;

[0009] An idea underlying the invention is to warn, if necessary, the person being transported, using the signal emitted by the warning device, that the road vehicle is implementing the new autonomous maneuver, or will very soon implement the new autonomous maneuver. This makes it possible to significantly increase the acceptance of this new maneuver by the person, who, thus warned, is less surprised and / or has the possibility of understanding the reasons which led to the implementation of such an autonomous maneuver. The person thus warned may possibly have the possibility of taking certain measures, such as holding on to the road vehicle. To avoid too many signals being emitted to the person, the signal is only emitted when necessary, that is to say only if the person is likely to have difficulty accepting the new autonomous maneuver.The need for signal transmission is determined based on the acceptance index determined for that individual. A reduced amount of signals avoids overloading the individual with information. The individual is therefore able to better interpret the signals received and therefore better accept the new autonomous maneuver.

[0010] Whether to inform or alert the person is determined based on the value of the acceptance index. This acceptance index is an indicator that provides information on whether the person is likely or not to accept the new autonomous maneuver according to which the automaton plans to drive the road vehicle. For example, the value of the acceptance index is a number between 0 and 10. For example, the lowest values of the acceptance index correspond to a situation where the person is unlikely, or not at all, to accept the new autonomous maneuver, while the highest values correspond to a situation where the person will probably or certainly accept the new autonomous maneuver. In other words, the acceptance index concerns whether the person is in a good position to be subjected to the new autonomous maneuver.

[0011] The acceptance calculator determines the acceptance index based on several parameters. One of these parameters is the acceptability index of the new autonomous maneuver. This acceptability index is an indicator that provides information on whether the new autonomous maneuver is more or less easy to accept by a person transported by the vehicle. For example, the value of the acceptability index is a number between 0 and 10. For example, the highest values of the acceptability index correspond to the case where the new autonomous maneuver is smooth and gradual, such as a simple lane change, while the lowest values correspond to the case where the new autonomous maneuver is abrupt or violent, such as emergency braking.In other words, the acceptability index of the new autonomous maneuver illustrates a level of acceptability of the new autonomous maneuver, which depends for example on the degree of brutality of this new autonomous maneuver and / or the difficulty that a person would have in understanding or accepting the reasons leading to the implementation of the new maneuver. The acceptability index is determined by the acceptability calculator using the maneuver intention data provided by the driving automaton, this data being information that describes the new autonomous maneuver, indicating for example the type of autonomous maneuver and its characteristics.

[0012] Other parameters for determining the acceptance index are the level of attention that the person allocates to the driving environment of the road vehicle and the level of involvement of the person in driving the road vehicle.

[0013] Optional and advantageous features of the invention are defined below.

[0014] Preferably, the monitoring module comprises a sensor for tracking the gaze and / or posture and / or movements and / or facial expressions of the person being monitored, in order to determine the level of attention of said person.

[0015] Preferably, the road vehicle is configured to switch between an autonomous driving mode with supervision by the person and an autonomous driving mode without supervision by the person. Preferably, the acceptance calculator determines the level of involvement of the person by determining whether, at said time in question, the road vehicle is in autonomous driving mode with supervision by said person or in autonomous driving mode without supervision by said person.

[0016] Preferably, the road vehicle is configured to switch to a manual driving mode in which the person drives the road vehicle according to manual maneuvers, by action of the person on a driving control of the road vehicle. Preferably, the acceptance computer determines the level of involvement of the person by determining whether, at the said instant in question, the road vehicle is in manual driving mode.

[0017] Preferably, the acceptability calculator comprises a memory which lists autonomous maneuver scenarios parameterized with parameters, and, for each scenario, a calculation for determining the acceptability index as a function of the parameters. Preferably, to determine the acceptability index, the acceptability calculator is configured to: as a function of the maneuver intention data, identify a scenario, from among the listed scenarios, which applies to the new autonomous maneuver; determine the value of the parameters of the identified scenario so that the identified scenario is comparable to the new autonomous maneuver; perform the calculation for determining the acceptability index using the value of the parameters thus determined.

[0018] Preferably, the warning device is configured so that the signal emitted to the person is emitted according to modalities which depend on at least one of the following elements: the autonomous maneuver scenario identified by the acceptability calculator; the acceptability index determined by the acceptability calculator; the acceptance index determined by the acceptance calculator.

[0019] Preferably, the warning device belongs to a human-machine interface of the road vehicle.

[0020] Preferably, the warning device is configured to begin transmitting the signal before the new autonomous maneuver begins.

[0021] Preferably, the autonomous maneuvers comprise at least one of the following maneuvers: emergency braking; obstacle avoidance; lane change; lane keeping; distance management between the road vehicle and another vehicle.

[0022] The invention also relates to a method for autonomous driving of the road vehicle in accordance with the above. The method comprises: using the driving automaton, providing the maneuver intention data to the acceptability calculator, reflecting the new autonomous maneuver according to which the driving automaton has planned to drive the road vehicle at the time in question; at said time in question, using the acceptability calculator, determining the acceptability index of said new autonomous maneuver as a function of the maneuver intention data; at said time in question, determining the level of attention of the person using the monitoring module and the level of involvement of the person using the acceptance calculator; using the acceptance calculator, determining the acceptance index as a function of the acceptability index and as a function of the determined level of attention and the determined level of involvement;using the alarm, emit the signal to the attention of said person according to the value of the acceptance index, in particular only if the acceptance index reaches a trigger threshold.;

[0023] The invention will be better understood upon reading the following description, given solely as a non-limiting example and with reference to the attached drawing.

[0024] [ Fig 1 ] There figure 1 is a schematic view of a road vehicle according to an embodiment in accordance with the invention.

[0025] There figure 1 shows a road vehicle 1, which may be in the form of, for example, a car, a bus, a coach, a truck, a two-wheeler, or any other type of road vehicle. The road vehicle 1 is self-propelled and for this purpose comprises an on-board engine, actuating a means of rolling the vehicle on the road, such as wheels belonging to the vehicle. More generally, by "road vehicle" is meant a land vehicle, capable of moving at least on a road, more generally on the ground, preferably by rolling the road vehicle.

[0026] The vehicle 1 moves in a driving environment 8, that is to say a driving situation in which the vehicle 1 is located, constituting the external environment around the vehicle 1, including for example a road, signs, obstacles and / or other vehicles.

[0027] Road vehicle 1 is an autonomous vehicle designed to transport at least one person, or even several.

[0028] The road vehicle 1 comprises a driving control 5, a driving automation system 6 and a monitoring module 7.

[0029] The driving control 5, when actuated, is used to steer the vehicle 1 according to a maneuver. For this purpose, the driving control 5 controls driving members of the vehicle 1, such as an engine, a steering gear and / or a braking member of the vehicle. In other words, via the driving members, the driving control 5 produces a substantial effect on the driving of the vehicle within its driving environment 8, relating in particular to its mobility, in particular in contrast to an auxiliary control of the vehicle 1, including for example a control of air conditioning, lighting or opening a door of the vehicle 1.

[0030] Preferably, the driving control 5 comprises a control for managing the trajectory of the road vehicle. The trajectory management control controls in particular the steering gear of the vehicle 1, which is a driving member regulating, for example, an orientation of the wheels of the vehicle 1 in yaw. The trajectory management control therefore determines the trajectory of the vehicle 1 when it is moving, for example along a curve, or along a straight line.

[0031] Preferably, the driving control 5 comprises a control for accelerating the road vehicle. The acceleration control in particular controls the engine of the vehicle 1, which is a driving member producing a driving power applied for example to the wheels of the vehicle 1, to produce an acceleration or a maintenance of the speed of the vehicle 1. The driving control 5 then makes it possible to increase or maintain the speed of the vehicle, in particular forwards or backwards.

[0032] Preferably, the driving control 5 comprises a control for decelerating the road vehicle. The deceleration control in particular controls a braking and / or kinetic energy recovery system of the vehicle 1, which are driving members of the vehicle 1 producing a deceleration of the vehicle 1, while the vehicle 1 is moving in a forward or backward direction at a non-zero speed.

[0033] To operate the driving members, the driving control 5 comprises electronic and / or mechanical control means for the driving members.

[0034] The driving control 5 is configured to be itself actuated by the driving automaton 6 to cause the vehicle 1 to perform so-called autonomous maneuvers, and possibly by a person driving 2 of the vehicle 1 to cause the vehicle 1 to perform so-called manual maneuvers. Whether autonomous or manual, the maneuver is understood as the way in which the vehicle 1 is driven, that is to say in particular how its movement and its trajectory are adjusted in the driving environment 8.For example, the maneuvers include emergency braking of the road vehicle 1, avoidance of an obstacle present in the driving environment 8 by the road vehicle 1, a change of lane of the road vehicle 1 among lanes of a road belonging to the driving environment 8, maintaining in the lane of the road vehicle 1 among lanes of a road belonging to the driving environment 8, and / or distance management between the road vehicle and another vehicle belonging to the driving environment 8, whether this other vehicle is in particular a predecessor, follower, or lateral to the vehicle 1.

[0035] To be actuated by the automaton 6, the driving control 5 comprises for example an electronic input port configured to receive orders emanating from an output port of the automaton 6. To be actuated by the person 2, the driving control 5 comprises for example joysticks, such as a steering wheel and / or pedals, configured to be actuated by the person 2. Depending on the situation, the control 5 controls the driving members according to the orders received by the automaton 6 from the input port or by the person 2 from the joysticks.

[0036] The driving automaton 6 is an automatic control unit, which is configured to actuate the driving control 5 automatically. It is therefore by means of the control 5 that the automaton 6 drives the vehicle 1 according to autonomous maneuvers. The driving automaton 6 comprises for example a computer implementing a computer program, possibly supplemented by a system for connection to a wireless network by means of which the computer receives orders issued remotely regarding the driving of the vehicle 1. This computer can actuate the driving control 5 by means of the output port of the automaton 6.

[0037] In order for the driving automaton 6 to be able to drive the vehicle 1 according to the driving environment 8 of said vehicle 1, the vehicle 1 advantageously comprises different sensors of the driving environment 8. These sensors make it possible, for example, to detect and / or determine other vehicles, the road, obstacles, signage and / or geolocation, which are data belonging to the driving environment 8. These sensors include, for example, optical, radar, and / or geolocation sensors. The vehicle 1 also comprises sensors relating to characteristics of the vehicle 1 itself, for example relating to the speed, the engine speed, or even the state of certain components of the vehicle 1. All of these sensors are interfaced with the driving automaton 6, to provide the driving automaton 6 with sufficient perception of the state of the vehicle 1 and of the driving environment 8 of the vehicle 1.The automaton 6 can therefore analyze the driving environment 8 in which the vehicle 1 is located and drive the vehicle 1 according to the autonomous maneuvers based on all this information, in the same way as a driver.

[0038] There figure 1 shows that the road vehicle 1 transports the driver 2 and a passenger 3. The persons 2 and 3 are for example transported by being installed in a passenger compartment 4 of the vehicle 1, by being seated on an individual seat of the vehicle 1. However, the installation of the persons depends on the type of vehicle desired. For example, the vehicle 1 may be without seats and / or a passenger compartment, the installation of the persons being carried out in other postures and / or outside.

[0039] The driver 2 is preferably in a driving position of the vehicle 1, here in the passenger compartment 4, which gives him access to the levers of the driving control 5. By "driver", we mean a person designated as responsible for driving the vehicle 1, able to drive the vehicle himself by acting on the driving control 5 according to manual maneuvers, or at least to supervise the driving automaton 6 for autonomous maneuvers, preferably via the driving control 5.

[0040] Preferably, the passenger 3 is seated at a position from which he or she does not have access to the controls of the driving control 5.

[0041] It can be provided that the vehicle 1 is always driven autonomously by the automaton 6 without supervision by the person(s) on board, so that the presence of a driver 2 is not necessary. However, the vehicle 1 remains dedicated to the transport of at least one person, then necessarily a passenger. More generally, it can be provided that the vehicle 1 transports one or more people, who are not necessarily drivers.

[0042] In the present example, the vehicle 1 preferentially implements an unsupervised autonomous driving mode, in which the driving control 5 is actuated by the automaton 6 without supervision by the person(s) on board, i.e. without the need for these persons to monitor the driving of the vehicle 1 by the automaton 6. In unsupervised autonomous driving mode, the driving is carried out entirely by the automaton 6 without the responsibility of any person on board the vehicle 1.

[0043] In the present example, the vehicle 1 preferentially implements an autonomous driving mode with supervision, in addition to the unsupervised mode. In autonomous driving mode with supervision, the driving control 5 is actuated by the automaton 6, under the supervision, i.e. the verification of the driver 2. It is noted that the passenger 3 is not responsible for this supervision. The presence of the autonomous driving mode with supervision requires the presence of at least one driver on board the vehicle 1. In this mode, it may be required that the driver 2 allocates attention to the driving environment 8, which may optionally be verified by the vehicle 1 using the monitoring module 7. In this driving mode, the person 2 does not act on the control 5 himself, but is ready to act on the driving control 5 to interrupt an autonomous maneuver or modify its characteristics.In autonomous driving mode with supervision, driving is therefore carried out by the automaton 6 under the responsibility of the driver 2.

[0044] In addition to the autonomous driving mode(s), the driving control 5 preferably implements a manual driving mode, in which the driver 2 manually drives the road vehicle 1 using the driving control 5, so as to make said road vehicle 1 perform manual maneuvers. It is noted that the implementation of the manual driving mode requires the presence of at least one driver 2 on board the vehicle. It is also noted that the passenger(s) are not in charge of driving the vehicle in manual driving mode. In the manual driving mode, the driver 2 operates the driving control via the levers of the driving control 5, including for example a steering wheel, an accelerator pedal and a deceleration or brake pedal.The manual driving mode may be a manual driving mode supervised by the automaton 6, that is to say a driving mode where the driving is entirely carried out by the driver 2, but where the driving automaton 6 can at any time switch the driving control 5 to autonomous driving mode to carry out an autonomous maneuver, for example if a lack of attention by the person 2, a driving error by the person 2, or even a dangerous situation in the driving environment 8, is detected. The manual driving mode may be a manual driving mode without supervision by the automaton 6, where the automaton 6 does not intervene of its own accord in the driving exercised by the person 2.

[0045] Manual driving mode and manual maneuvers performed with automatic correction by active safety devices, such as a vehicle trajectory correction or stability system 1, or an anti-lock braking system, are still considered manual maneuvers. This type of active safety device does not constitute a driving automation, but simply a manual driving corrector.

[0046] The monitoring module 7 is configured to monitor a level of attention by the persons 2 and 3 on board. Preferably, the monitoring module 7 is a monitoring module for the driver 2. However, the monitoring module 7 may be a monitoring module for the passenger 3. It may be provided that the monitoring module 7 monitors several persons on board the vehicle 1, or all the persons on board the vehicle 1.

[0047] The level of attention is an indicator that reflects the attention paid by the person monitored by the module 7 to the driving environment 8 of the vehicle 1 and / or to the maneuvers performed by the vehicle 1. For example, the value of the level of attention is a number between 0 and 10. For example, when the person has the level of attention whose value is high, this person is fully aware of the driving environment 8, and has identified, among the environment 8, the sufficient elements that would allow this person to drive the vehicle 1 manually in complete safety, these elements including in particular the layout of the road, the signs, the presence of obstacles, pedestrians, other vehicles, the trajectory of these other vehicles, more generally the presence of dangers, or the route to follow with the vehicle 1 to reach a given destination, etc.On the contrary, when the value of the attention level is lower, this person has little or no awareness of the driving environment 8. The lowest values of the attention level concern, for example, cases where the person monitored by the module 7 is entirely focused on an activity other than driving, such as reading a book, such as a telephone conversation, such as a conversation with another person on board the vehicle 1, or the case where the person monitored by the module 7 is asleep or otherwise unconscious. Intermediate values of the attention level correspond, for example, to cases where the monitored person glances from time to time at the driving environment 8, so that he is only aware of some of the elements of the driving environment 8. This situation can also occur when the person is drowsy.

[0048] To monitor the level of attention of person 2 and / or person 3, the monitoring module 7 preferably comprises a sensor for tracking the gaze and / or posture and / or movements and / or facial expressions of each person 2 or 3 monitored. This sensor includes, for example, one or more optical sensors pointed at the person monitored, as well as a module for processing the images emanating from these optical sensors. In the case where the gaze is tracked, the processing of the images makes it possible to analyze in which direction the gaze is directed, and / or whether the eyes of the person are open or closed. The same type of information can be determined in the case where the facial expression is tracked, so that the level of attention paid by the person to the driving environment 8 can be determined.In the case where the posture is tracked, the image processing makes it possible to determine the posture of the person, seated in a toned manner facing the driving environment 8, or on the contrary with the head tilted as a sign of falling asleep, or leaning forward to grab an object on the floor of the vehicle 1 or in a glove compartment of the vehicle 1, or from behind, for example having turned backward to converse with another person on board the vehicle, or any other posture likely to be dangerous in the event of a sudden automatic maneuver of the vehicle 1. Tracking the movement of the person can make it possible to determine the same type of information concerning the person, reflecting their level of attention to the driving environment 8. The image processing can for example make it possible to determine whether the person is clinging to the vehicle 1, or is not holding on and risks falling if a sudden maneuver is implemented.To help monitor all this information about the person, it may also be provided that the tracking sensor includes other types of sensors, for example haptic sensors, which may in particular equip a seat of the vehicle 1 on which the person is seated, or equip joysticks of the driving control 5. Using these means or other means performing the same function, the tracking sensor checks whether the person being monitored is actively scanning elements of the driving environment 8, or on the contrary looking at something else unrelated to the driving environment 8, or whether the person's eyes are open or closed.It is also possible to provide that the tracking sensor verifies whether the person has detected certain well-known elements of the driving environment 8, for example an obstacle or another vehicle belonging to the driving environment 8, by cross-referencing information provided by the sensors directed at the person concerning his gaze and information provided by sensors intended for the driving automaton 6 and detecting the driving environment 8.

[0049] The monitoring module 7 may include further types of sensors to determine the level of attention of the person being monitored, for example a body temperature sensor of the person.

[0050] To determine the level of attention of the person being monitored, the monitoring module 7 may also comprise a dead man's device. This type of device includes, for example, a button or other similar haptic organ, available to the person being monitored, and the actuation of which by the person according to a predetermined pattern makes it possible to demonstrate a high level of attention on their part. If this organ is not actuation by the person, or if actuation according to an erroneous pattern is carried out, it is concluded that the level of attention of the person is low or zero.

[0051] The road vehicle 1 further comprises an acceptability calculator 9, an acceptance calculator 10 and a warning device 12. These devices are intended, if necessary, to emit a signal to the attention of persons 2 and / or 3, when the automaton 6 plans to implement a new autonomous maneuver. This ensures that persons 2 and 3 will be in a good position to accept the new autonomous maneuver which is going to be implemented, or the implementation of which has already begun, in particular by not being surprised and / or by having understood the benefit of this new autonomous maneuver.

[0052] The driving automaton 6 decides at a “considered instant” that it will drive the vehicle 1 according to the new autonomous maneuver, based on the information that it has received from the driving environment 8 via the various sensors equipping the vehicle 1.

[0053] The acceptability calculator 9 aims to determine an acceptability index, the value of which depends entirely on this new autonomous maneuver. The acceptance calculator 10 aims to determine an acceptance index, which is specific to each person 2 and 3 on board for a given moment. The acceptance index is advantageously individual for each person or group of people on board. It is possible to choose to determine the acceptance index of a single person or of several people on board.

[0054] Each new autonomous maneuver has in itself a character that is more or less acceptable to any person, which is illustrated by the acceptability index assigned to said autonomous maneuver. The acceptability index is an indicator that provides information on the fact that the new autonomous maneuver is more or less easy to accept by any person transported by the vehicle, or by a particular person, for example depending on whether this person has the status of driver or passenger. For example, the value of the acceptability index is a number between 0 and 10.In particular, the autonomous maneuver has a lower acceptability index value if this maneuver is abrupt or violent, for example subjecting the vehicle 1 to strong longitudinal and / or lateral accelerations or jolts, and / or if this maneuver has any consequence considered undesirable by the person, for example a delay on the planned route or causing an incident or accident involving the vehicle 1, which may be desirable to protect the vehicle 1 or its environment 8 from a more serious incident or accident. The autonomous maneuver has a higher acceptability index value if this autonomous maneuver is gradual and causes little jolts, and / or if this autonomous maneuver has no consequences on the integrity of the vehicle 1 and the environment 8.

[0055] The acceptability calculator 9 comprises, for example, a computer on board the vehicle 1, implementing a computer program. The acceptability calculator 9 is connected to the driving automaton 6, for example using appropriate data ports. The acceptability calculator 9 begins determining the acceptability index for the new autonomous maneuver, from the moment in question when the automaton 6 has decided that it is going to drive the vehicle 1 according to this new autonomous maneuver. The expression “determination” means that the acceptability calculator 9 calculates or evaluates. This decision is taken before the start of said new autonomous maneuver or else, the new autonomous maneuver is started immediately when the decision is taken by the automaton 6.

[0056] More specifically, it is provided that the automaton 6 provides maneuver intention data to the acceptability calculator 9, based on which the acceptability calculator determines the acceptability index. This maneuver intention data is advantageously transmitted via the data ports connecting the calculator 9 and the automaton 6. The maneuver intention data is generated as an output of the automaton 6, and describes or provides information on the new autonomous maneuver whose implementation is planned by the automaton 6. For example, this maneuver intention data is a message indicating the type to which the new autonomous maneuver belongs as well as the characteristics that the automaton 6 has decided for this new autonomous maneuver, for example with regard to the intensity of the longitudinal acceleration or deceleration, and with regard to the intensity of the lateral acceleration, at different stages of the autonomous maneuver.

[0057] Preferably, the acceptability calculator 9 comprises a memory which lists autonomous maneuver scenarios, i.e. autonomous maneuver models capable of being implemented by the driving automaton 6 with the vehicle 1. The memory belongs for example to the computer of the acceptability calculator 9.

[0058] The autonomous maneuver scenarios are pre-recorded and have been developed in advance, for example on the basis of simulations of maneuvers in the laboratory and / or on the basis of automatic learning of the automaton during driving and / or on the basis of tests carried out on a typical vehicle carrying a person constituting a test driver, or more generally a witness person.

[0059] Preferably, autonomous maneuver scenarios are parameterized with parameters, that is to say that each scenario is presented in the form of a model whose characteristics can be modified by modifying the value of said parameters, so that the model thus configured corresponds as best as possible to the new autonomous maneuver which is going to be implemented.

[0060] An example of an autonomous maneuver is emergency braking. The memory lists in particular an emergency braking scenario, which is parameterized with parameters that include, for example, the value of a braking force over time, or the longitudinal acceleration of vehicle 1 over time due to the intensity of the braking. Depending on the value of the braking force or the longitudinal acceleration over time, the value of the acceptability index will be higher or lower. In particular, the value of the acceptability index will be lower for heavy braking than for light braking.

[0061] The memory also lists, for each parameterized autonomous maneuver scenario, a calculation for determining the value of the acceptability index as a function of the parameters. In other words, the memory indicates how to calculate the acceptability index when the autonomous maneuver scenario and its parameters are known. In this case, to determine the value of the acceptability index of the new autonomous maneuver that will or is performed by the automaton 6, the acceptability calculator 9 identifies which scenario, among the scenarios listed in the memory, best corresponds to the new autonomous maneuver. For this, for example, the maneuver intention data supplied by the automaton 6 to the calculator 9 indicates that the automaton 6 plans to implement, as a new autonomous maneuver, emergency braking. The acceptability calculator then identifies, among the scenarios recorded in the memory, the emergency braking scenario.The acceptability calculator 9 then determines the value of the parameters of the identified scenario so that said scenario is comparable to the new autonomous maneuver actually implemented by the automaton. In the example case of emergency braking, the maneuver intention data contains the braking force values over the time that the automaton 6 wishes to impart to the vehicle 1 via the driving command 5. The calculator 9 then enters these values as parameters of the identified scenario. Finally, the calculator 9 performs the calculation to determine the value of the acceptability index, which is listed in the memory for the scenario identified by the calculator 9. To perform this calculation, the parameters provided by the automaton 6, using the maneuver intention data, are used by the calculator 9 as input variables for the calculation.

[0062] Alternatively, it may be provided that all or part of the scenarios listed in the memory are not parameterized. For each non-parameterized scenario, the memory may simply list, in a predetermined manner, the value of the acceptability index corresponding to this scenario, rather than the aforementioned calculation. Then, once the scenario has been identified by the computer 9, the value of the acceptability index is determined by the computer 9 simply by consulting the value pre-recorded in the memory, associated with the identified scenario.

[0063] The value of the acceptance index is assigned individually for each person 2 and 3, at a given time. The value of the acceptance index of this person illustrates the state of acceptance, that is to say the state of mind of the person concerned at a given time. The value of the acceptance index therefore reflects the chances that this person will accept a new autonomous maneuver decided by the automaton 6 at the time considered. In other words, this acceptance index is an indicator that provides information on whether or not the person is likely to accept the new autonomous maneuver according to which the automaton plans to drive the road vehicle. For example, the value of the acceptance index is a number between 0 and 10. Preferably, the higher the value of the acceptance index of a person, the more this person should normally accept the new autonomous maneuver when it occurs.Conversely, the lower the value of the person's acceptance index, the less likely it is that that person will accept the new autonomous maneuver when it occurs.

[0064] The acceptance computer 10 comprises for example a computer on board the vehicle 1, implementing a computer program. The acceptance computer 10 is connected to the acceptability computer 9. The acceptance computer 10 is preferably connected to the monitoring module 7. The acceptance computer 10 is preferably connected to the driving control 5 and / or to the automaton 6. These connections are for example obtained using appropriate data ports connecting the elements together.

[0065] The acceptance calculator 10 begins determining the value of the acceptance index of the person concerned from the moment in question when the automaton 6 has decided that it will drive the vehicle according to the aforementioned new autonomous maneuver. To calculate the value of the acceptance index of the person in question, for example of the driver 2 or of the passenger, the acceptance calculator 10 takes into account not only the value of the acceptability index determined by the acceptability calculator 9 for the new autonomous maneuver, but also the value of the level of attention of this person at the moment in question determined by the monitoring module 7. In addition to this value of the level of attention, the acceptance calculator 10 takes into account a value of the level of involvement of the person in driving the vehicle 1 at the moment in question.This involvement level value is determined by the acceptance calculator 10, for example on the basis of data supplied to the acceptance calculator 10 by the driving control 5 and / or by the automaton 6.

[0066] The calculation of the acceptance index carried out by the acceptance calculator 10 comprises, as input data, the value of the acceptability index determined by the acceptability calculator 9, at the instant considered. For this, the acceptability index is advantageously supplied to the acceptance calculator 10 by the acceptability calculator 9, via the data ports connecting them. In other words, the calculation of the acceptance index for each person is carried out as a function of the acceptability index attributed to the new autonomous maneuver which is provided by the automaton 6.

[0067] Preferably, the calculation of the acceptance index carried out by the acceptance calculator 10 comprises, as input data, the value of the level of attention of the person in question, at the time considered, as determined by the monitoring module 7. For this, the level of attention is advantageously supplied to the acceptance calculator 10 by the monitoring module 7 using the data ports connecting them. The value of the acceptance index attributed to the person is then calculated by the calculator 10 in particular as a function of this level of attention evaluated for this person by the module 7. For example, the value of the acceptance index is proportional to the level of attention. A low level of attention weakens the value of the acceptance index obtained. A high level of attention leads to calculating a higher acceptance index value. In other words, the acceptance index is weighted by the level of attention of the person.

[0068] As a supplement to the level of attention, the calculation of the acceptance index carried out by the acceptance calculator 10 includes, as input data, the value of the level of involvement of the person in question. The level of involvement is advantageously determined as a function of the driving mode in which the vehicle 1 is operated. For example, the manual driving mode requires a higher level of involvement for the person 2 then actuating the driving control 5, than the autonomous driving mode. Indeed, in manual driving mode, the person 2 is totally involved in the driving of the vehicle 1, whereas it is the responsibility of the automaton 6 to ensure the driving when the vehicle 1 is in autonomous driving mode.To determine the involvement index of person 2, the computer 10 determines whether, at the time in question, the driving control 5 is in manual driving mode by this person 2 without supervision by the automaton 6, in manual driving mode by this person 2 with supervision by the automaton 6, in autonomous driving mode by the automaton 6 with supervision by this person 2, or in autonomous driving mode by the automaton 6 without supervision by this person 2, these driving modes being listed here in decreasing order of the level of involvement of said person 2. In the present example, concerning the passenger 3, the level of involvement in driving is considered to be at its lowest, since the passenger 3 is not subject to any responsibility for the driving of the vehicle 1 regardless of the driving mode.For example, information on the driving mode and / or on the status of the person considered is provided to the acceptance calculator 10, as data, by the driving control 5 and / or by the automaton 6, via the ports connecting the latter to the acceptance calculator 10. For example, the value of the acceptance index is proportional to the level of involvement. A low level of involvement weakens the value of the acceptance index. A high level of involvement leads to calculating a higher acceptance index value. In other words, the acceptance index is weighted by the level of involvement of the person.

[0069] According to the invention, the acceptance calculator 10 is based on both the level of attention and the level of involvement to determine the value of the acceptance index, for example by adding them or multiplying them with each other, possibly with weighting of one level relative to the other. Therefore, a low acceptance index value is obtained if the level of attention and the level of involvement are low, while a high acceptance index value is obtained if the level of attention and the level of involvement are high. For example, determining the acceptance index consists of multiplying the acceptability index attributed to the new autonomous maneuver, by the level of attention and by the level of involvement attributed to the person.

[0070] In any event, the acceptance calculator 10 is based at least on one of the two levels attributed to the person, among the level of attention and the level of involvement, to determine the acceptance index, in addition to the acceptability index attributed to the new autonomous maneuver.

[0071] Once the automaton 6 has planned to implement the new autonomous maneuver, the warning device 12 has the function of emitting the signal, only if necessary, to the attention of the person 2 and / or 3 for whom the acceptance index attached to this new autonomous maneuver has been calculated.

[0072] The warning device 12 preferably comprises a computer on board the vehicle and a program implemented by this computer, as well as one or more human-machine interfaces for emitting the signal on command from the computer.

[0073] The signal emitted by the warning device 12 is preferably in the form of a symbolic display or a message formed on one or more screens of a human-machine interface on board the vehicle, possibly associated with an audible sound signal emitted by one or more loudspeakers of the human-machine interface. This screen or set of screens, and possibly this or these loudspeakers, then constitute the warning device 12. The signal can be formed by any type of signal sufficiently perceptible by the person 2 or 3 to whom this signal is addressed, for example a visual signal, in particular in the form of a symbol, a pictogram or a written message, an audible signal, in particular a ringing tone or a voice message, or even a haptic signal, in particular a vibrator. The signal emitted by the warning device 12 can also be a combination of all or part of these types of signals.

[0074] To be brought to the attention of the person 2, it is provided for example that the warning device 12, or a part of the warning device 12, belongs to a human-machine interface occupying a part of a dashboard of the vehicle 1, inside the passenger compartment 4, if applicable. To be brought to the attention of the person 3, it is provided for example that another part of the warning device 12 belongs to a second human-machine interface arranged under the gaze of the person 3, for example in a door of the vehicle 1 or in the back of the seat of the driver 2. If the warning device includes means for emitting haptic signals, for example in the form of a vibrator, the vibrator is for example arranged in the seat and / or in the back of the seat of the person concerned, or in the levers of the driving control 5 if it is the driver 2.

[0075] The warning device 12 emits the signal only if the acceptance index reaches a certain level, which is referred to as the "trigger threshold". For example, it is provided that the warning device does not emit the signal if the acceptance index is of a value greater than the trigger threshold value, while the warning device emits the signal if the acceptance index is of a value less than the trigger threshold value, or vice versa. The aim is to send the signal to the person concerned only if their acceptance index reflects that the person is likely not to accept the new autonomous maneuver provided by the automaton 6.

[0076] Preferably, the acceptance calculator 10 commands the alarm 12 to emit or not emit the signal, for example via data ports connecting them. Preferably, the acceptance calculator 10 makes a comparison between the acceptance index and the trigger threshold and then, depending on the result of this comparison, commands the alarm 12 to emit or not emit the signal. It can be provided that, when the value of the acceptance index does not reach the trigger threshold, the alarm 12 still emits a signal, but which is clearly distinguishable, for the person, from the signal which would have been emitted if the acceptance index had reached the trigger threshold. For example, when the threshold value is reached, a fairly loud alarm signal is emitted, whereas, when the threshold value is not reached, a simple information signal is emitted, more discreet, which can more easily be ignored by the recipient.

[0077] It may be provided that the trigger threshold is predetermined, for example by being recorded in the memory of the acceptance calculator 10 or the acceptability calculator 9. For example, a single, fixed threshold value may be provided, which applies to any person and any maneuver. Alternatively, it may be provided that the trigger threshold value depends on the new autonomous maneuver that is planned by the automaton 6. For this, it is provided, for example, that when the acceptability calculator 9 chooses which maneuver scenario the new autonomous maneuver corresponds to, the acceptability calculator 9 chooses the trigger threshold value associated with this scenario, or calculates the trigger threshold value.Alternatively, it may be provided that the threshold value depends on the person concerned by the acceptance index, for example depending on their status on board, driver or passenger, which may be determined using the acceptance calculator 10. Alternatively, the trigger threshold value may be calculated by the acceptance calculator 10 and / or the acceptability calculator 9 depending on different criteria, including for example the maneuvering scenario identified by the calculator 9 and criteria specific to the person 2 or 3 for whom the signal is intended, in particular their status as driver or passenger.

[0078] Preferably, the warning device 12 is configured to emit the signal, individually, to the attention of the person or persons on board for whom the acceptance index reaches the trigger threshold, and not to emit the signal to the other persons on board. However, provision may be made to emit the signal indiscriminately to the attention of several persons or all persons as soon as a single person or a sufficient number of persons sees their individual or group acceptance index reach the trigger threshold.

[0079] Preferably, when possible, the signal transmission begins before the new automatic maneuver begins, for example a few seconds or tenths of a second before. This allows time for the person concerned receiving the signal to either take certain measures such as holding on to the vehicle 1, or to become aware that the new autonomous maneuver is going to be implemented, or even to understand what maneuver it is and / or why the new autonomous maneuver is being implemented. Alternatively, depending on the case, the signal transmission may begin simultaneously with the start of the new autonomous maneuver, or even after the start of the new autonomous maneuver, for example at the start of a critical or abrupt part of the autonomous maneuver. The signal may be transmitted during the autonomous maneuver if it is determined that the acceptance level has been modified and eventually reaches the trigger threshold.

[0080] The acceptance signal's transmission methods can be modified depending on the situation. For example, a signal with different modalities can be chosen depending on whether the new autonomous maneuver is an emergency braking or a simple lane change.

[0081] Advantageously, it is provided that the warning device 12, the acceptability calculator 9 or the acceptance calculator 10 determines the modalities of the signal emitted to the attention of the person, for example as a function of the autonomous maneuver scenario which has been identified by the acceptability calculator 9, as a function of the acceptability index value and / or as a function of the acceptance index value. For example, a low acceptance index can cause the emission of a high intensity sound signal, whereas a higher value, although having reached the trigger threshold, will simply cause the discreet visual display without sound signal.Particularly in the case where the signal is in the form of a voice and / or written message, or in the form of a symbol, this signal can advantageously indicate to which scenario the new maneuver corresponds, for example indicating that the maneuver is emergency braking or obstacle avoidance, to provoke an appropriate reaction in the person receiving the signal, in order to increase the value of his acceptance index. The signal can also advantageously indicate to the person concerned to hold on.

[0082] In the foregoing, when describing a computer implementing a program, expressions such as "configured for" should be understood as "specially programmed for". Any computer and computer programs mentioned in the foregoing may be grouped and / or combined. In particular, the aforementioned computers belonging to the computers 9 and 10 may be formed by a single computer implementing a computer program performing all the aforementioned functions. It may even be envisaged that the computers of the monitoring module 7 and / or the driving controller 6 and / or the warning device 12 are also part of this computer.

[0083] Any feature described in the foregoing for one embodiment or variation may be implemented for any other embodiment or variation described in the foregoing, as far as technically feasible.

Claims

1. A road vehicle (1), comprising an automatic driving system (6), which is configured to drive the road vehicle (1) using autonomous manoeuvres; the road vehicle (1) further comprising: • an acceptability calculator (9), which is configured in order, at a given instant when the automatic driving system (6) has planned to drive the road vehicle (1) using a new autonomous manoeuvre, to determine an acceptability index of said new autonomous manoeuvre, as a function of manoeuvre intention data supplied to the acceptability calculator (9) by the automatic driving system (6) and reflecting the new autonomous manoeuvre; and • a warning device (12); characterised in that: • the road vehicle (1) further comprises an acceptability calculator (10), which is configured to determine, at said given instant, an acceptability index assigned to a person (2, 3) transported by the road vehicle (1), as a function of the acceptability index determined by the acceptability calculator and as a function of: ◆ a level of attention of the person (2, 3) at said given instant, determined by a monitoring module (7) monitoring said person (2, 3) at said given instant and belonging to the road vehicle (1), and ◆ a level of involvement of the person (2, 3) in driving the road vehicle (1) at said given instant; and • the warning device (12) is configured to emit a signal to the attention of said person (2, 3) at said given instant, as a function of the value of the acceptability index, in particular only if the acceptability index reaches a trigger threshold.

2. The road vehicle (1) according to claim 1, in which the monitoring module (7) comprises a sensor for monitoring the gaze and / or the posture and / or the movements and / or the facial expressions of the person (2, 3) being monitored, in order to determine the level of attention of said person (2, 3).

3. The road vehicle (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein: • the road vehicle (1) is configured to switch between: ◆ an autonomous driving mode with supervision by the person (2, 3); and ◆ an autonomous driving mode without supervision by the person (2, 3); • the acceptability calculator (10) determines the level of involvement of the person (2, 3) by determining whether, at said given instant, the road vehicle (1) is in autonomous driving mode with supervision by said person (2, 3) or in autonomous driving mode without supervision by said person (2, 3).

4. The road vehicle (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein: • the road vehicle (1) is configured to switch to a manual driving mode in which the person (2, 3) drives the road vehicle (1) according to manual manoeuvres, by action of the person (2, 3) on a driving control (5) of the road vehicle (1); • the acceptability calculator (10) determines the level of involvement of the person (2, 3) by determining whether, at said given instant, the road vehicle (1) is in manual driving mode.

5. The road vehicle (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein: • the acceptability calculator (9) comprises a memory which lists: ◆ autonomous manoeuvre scenarios with parameters, and ◆ for each scenario, a calculation to determine the acceptability index as a function of the parameters; • to determine the acceptability index, the acceptability calculator (9) is configured to: ◆ on the basis of the manoeuvre intention data, identify one of the scenarios listed that applies to the new autonomous manoeuvre; ◆ determine the value of the parameters of the identified scenario so that the identified scenario is comparable to the new autonomous manoeuvre; ◆ calculate the acceptability index using the values of the parameters thus determined.

6. The road vehicle (1) according to claim 5, in which the warning device (12) is configured so that the signal emitted to the attention of the person is emitted according to conditions which depend on at least one of the following elements: • the autonomous manoeuvre scenario identified by the acceptability calculator (9); • the acceptability index determined by the acceptability calculator (9); • the acceptability index determined by the acceptability calculator (10).

7. The road vehicle (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the warning device (12) belongs to a human-machine interface of the road vehicle (1).

8. The road vehicle (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the warning device (12) is configured to start transmitting the signal before the new autonomous manoeuvre begins.

9. The road vehicle (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the autonomous manoeuvres comprise at least one of the following manoeuvres: • emergency braking; • obstacle avoidance; • a lane change; • staying in the same lane; • managing distance between the road vehicle (1) and another vehicle.

10. A method for autonomously driving the road vehicle (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, the method comprising: • using the automatic driving system (6), supplying the manoeuvre intention data to the acceptability calculator (9), reflecting the new autonomous manoeuvre according to which the automatic driving system (6) has planned to drive the road vehicle (1) at said given instant; and • at said given instant, using the acceptability calculator (9), determine the acceptability index of said new autonomous manoeuvre as a function of the manoeuvre intention data; characterised in that the method further comprises: • at said given instant, determining the level of attention of the person (2, 3) using the monitoring module (7) and the level of involvement of the person (2, 3) using the acceptability calculator (10); • using the acceptability calculator (10), determine the acceptability index as a function of the acceptability index and as a function of the level of attention determined and the level of involvement determined; and • using the warning device (12), emitting the signal to the attention of said person (2, 3) as a function of the value of the acceptability index, in particular only if the acceptability index reaches a trigger threshold.