Command method for switching from manual driving mode to autonomous driving mode, and related device and motor vehicle

Abstract

The invention relates to a command method for a motor vehicle (100) comprising an automatic gearbox (130) and a selector of driving modes (110) of the vehicle, the driving modes of the vehicle comprising a plurality of manual driving modes of the automatic gearbox and an autonomous driving mode, the selector comprising a movable part (112), the method being characterised in that it comprises the following steps: First detection of a first movement of the movable part (112) to a first position. Upon detecting the first movement, commanding the activation of a first driving mode among the plurality of manual driving modes. Second detection of a second movement of the movable part (112) to a second position. Upon detecting the second movement, commanding the activation of the autonomous driving mode.

Description

[0001] DESCRIPTION

[0002] TITLE OF THE INVENTION: Control method for switching from a manual driving mode to an autonomous driving mode, associated device and motor vehicle.

[0003] The present invention claims priority from French application 2304161 filed on 04 / 25 / 2023, the content of which (text, drawings and claims) is incorporated herein by reference.

[0004] [0001 .] The invention relates to a dual-mode vehicle, i.e. comprising an autonomous driving mode and a manual driving mode.

[0005] [0002.] There is now a need to make it simple and intuitive for a driver to switch from manual driving mode to autonomous driving mode and vice versa.

[0006] [0003.] For this purpose, the invention relates to a method for controlling a motor vehicle comprising an automatic gearbox and a vehicle driving mode selector, the vehicle driving modes comprising a plurality of manual driving modes of the automatic gearbox and an autonomous driving mode, the selector comprising a moving part (located in a passenger compartment of the vehicle), the method being characterized in that it comprises the following steps:

[0007] - First detection of a first movement (by a driver of the vehicle) of the moving part to a first position,

[0008] - Upon (In other words: Following) detection of the first movement, activation command of a first driving mode among the plurality of manual driving modes.

[0009] - Second detection of a second movement (by a driver of the vehicle) of the moving part to a second position (different from the first position),

[0010] - On (In other words: Following) detection of the second movement, command to activate the autonomous driving mode. [0004.] The driver can thus use the same selector as that of the automatic gearbox to switch from manual driving mode to autonomous mode and vice versa.

[0011] [0005.] An activation command can be implemented by storing data in memory or by sending a message.

[0012] [0006.] The first movement and the second movement are for example implemented by a driver of the vehicle.

[0013] [0007.] The first detection is for example obtained from a first piece of information received from a position sensor of the moving part, the sensor being included in the selector.

[0014] [0008.] The second detection is for example obtained from a second piece of information received from the position sensor of the moving part.

[0015] [0009.] The moving part is for example a button.

[0016] [0010.] For example, the first move and the second move are rotations of the knob.

[0017] [0011 .] The button has for example a shape of a cylinder of revolution comprising an axis (of revolution) and the first displacement and the second displacement are rotations of the button around the axis.

[0018] [0012.] Alternatively, the moving part is a lever and the first movement and the second movement each comprise a translation of the lever.

[0019] [0013.] Following the activation of a driving mode (the first driving mode or the autonomous driving mode), the vehicle travels according to this mode (and the method according to the invention may include such a travel step).

[0020] [0014.] Autonomous driving mode means a driving mode where the vehicle travels without a driver. Manual driving mode means a driving mode where a driver drives the vehicle.

[0021] [0015.] According to one embodiment, the plurality of manual driving modes comprises:

[0022] A forward driving mode, and / or A reverse driving mode, and / or

[0023] - A neutral driving mode.

[0024] [0016.] According to one embodiment, the method comprises a step of switching from one mode of the plurality of manual driving modes to another mode of the plurality of manual driving modes, upon movement of the moving part.

[0025] [0017.] Alternatively, the plurality of driving modes may include other manual driving modes.

[0026] [0018.] According to one embodiment, the method further comprises the following steps:

[0027] - Determining whether the vehicle is at zero (moving) speed or not (e.g. from information received from a vehicle speed sensor, e.g. an odometer), then

[0028] - If the movement speed is not zero, blocking of the first movement or the second movement.

[0029] [0019.] For example, the motor vehicle comprising a parking brake, the method further comprises the following steps:

[0030] - Determination of whether the parking brake is activated (so as to lock the vehicle wheels) or not (for example from information received from a parking brake status sensor), then

[0031] - If the parking brake is not activated, blocking of the first or second movement.

[0032] [0020.] For example, the method further comprises the following step, which can be implemented for example before or after one of the above biogage steps: If the movement speed is zero and if the parking brake is activated, unlocking the first movement or the second movement.

[0033] [0021 .] The blocking can be implemented by electromechanical or magnetic means.

[0034] [0022.] Alternatively, the first movement and / or the second movement may take place while the vehicle is traveling on a road. [0023.] According to one embodiment, the driving modes of the vehicle include a parking mode (capable of being) activated when the moving part is moved to (in other words: is in) a third position (different from the first position and the second position).

[0035] [0024.] According to one embodiment, the third position is located between the first position and the second position (so that, when the moving part moves between the first position and the second position, the moving part necessarily passes through the third position).

[0036] [0025.] According to one embodiment, the first movement is a movement from the second position (up to) the first position or a movement from the third position (up to) the first position.

[0037] [0026.] According to one embodiment, the second movement is a movement from the first position (up to) the second position or a movement from the third position (up to) the second position.

[0038] [0027.] Alternatively, the third position is not between the first and third positions.

[0039] [0028.] In parking mode, the parking brake is activated (in other words: applied) and the transmission between the propulsion motor and the vehicle wheels is blocked so that the vehicle speed is zero.

[0040] [0029.] The invention also relates to a computer program comprising instructions, executable by a microprocessor or a microcontroller or a computer, for implementing the steps of the method according to the invention, when it is executed by the microprocessor or the microcontroller or the computer.

[0041] [0030.] The method according to the invention can be implemented by an electronic device (or a selector or by a motor vehicle).

[0042] [0031.] The invention therefore also relates to an electronic device (or a selector or a vehicle) configured to implement the steps of the method according to the invention.

[0043] [0032.] The invention also relates to a motor vehicle comprising the electronic device (or the selector). [0033.] The characteristics and advantages of the motor vehicle, of the electronic device (or of the selector) are identical to those of the method according to the invention, which is why they are not repeated here.

[0044] [0034.] It is understood that the electronic device, the selector, the motor vehicle or another element is “configured to” (or “capable of”) performing or implementing a step or an operation, by the fact that the element comprises means for (in other words “is shaped to” or “is adapted to”) performing the step or the operation. These are preferably electronic means, for example a computer program, data in memory, specialized electronic circuits, wired or wireless connections, a microprocessor and / or a microcontroller. They may also be micromechanical or mechanical means.

[0045] [0035.] When a step or operation is performed (in other words: implemented) by such an element, this generally implies that the element includes means for (in other words “is shaped for” or “is adapted for” or “is configured for”) performing the step or operation.

[0046] [0036.] Other characteristics and advantages of the present invention will appear more clearly on reading the detailed description which follows, comprising embodiments of the invention given as non-limiting examples and illustrated by the appended drawings, in which.

[0047] [0037.] [Fig. 1] represents a vehicle, according to one embodiment of the invention, in side view.

[0048] [0038.] [Fig. 2], [Fig. 3], [Fig. 4] represent a selector of the vehicle of figure 1, according to an embodiment of the invention, during method steps of figure 5, in top view.

[0049] [0039.] [Fig. 5] represents an implementation of the method according to the invention, according to a first exemplary embodiment, by the vehicle of figure 1.

[0050] [0040.] In Figure 1, certain elements are, of course, seen through transparency.

[0051] [0041.] Detailed description of an exemplary embodiment of the invention. [0042.] With reference to figures 1 to 5, in step S00, a vehicle 100 travels on a roadway 400 (figure 1). The vehicle 100 comprises an automatic gearbox 130 and a driving mode selector 110 of the vehicle 100. The selector 110 comprises a button 112, located in a passenger compartment of the vehicle 100, which has the shape of a cylinder of revolution comprising an axis A112.

[0052] [0043.] The vehicle includes the following driving modes:

[0053] - Three manual driving modes of the automatic gearbox 130, classic in motor vehicles, controlled by the electronic device 111 of the selector 110 (which has for example the architecture of a microprocessor):

[0054] - A forward driving mode, classically identified by the “D” sign on button 112, and

[0055] - A reverse driving mode, classically identified by the “R” sign on button 112 and / or

[0056] - A neutral driving mode, classically identified by the “N” sign on button 112 and / or

[0057] An autonomous driving mode controlled by a microprocessor 120 of the vehicle 100, according to the invention, identified by the sign “A” on the button 112.

[0058] [0044.] In step S00, the vehicle is traveling in the manual driving mode in forward gear. The button 112 is in the P1 position (shown in Figure 4). The electronic device 111 then controls the gearbox 130 and the vehicle is in manual driving mode.

[0059] [0045.] In step S20, the driver of the vehicle 100 stops the vehicle 100, then turns the knob around the axis 112 to put it in the position P3 (shown in FIG. 3). The electronic device 111 then detects this movement towards the position P3, for example, from information received from a position sensor 113 of the moving part 112 of the selector 110.

[0060] [0046.] In step S30, following the detection of the driver's action in step S20, the device 111 puts the vehicle in parking mode. To do this, it controls the activation (in other words: the application) of the parking brake of the vehicle 100 and the blocking of the transmission of the vehicle 100 so that the speed of the vehicle 100 is zero.

[0061] [0047.] In step S40, the device 111 determines whether the vehicle 100 is at zero travel speed or not, for example from information received from a vehicle speed sensor, for example from an odometer.

[0062] [0048.] In step S50, the device 111 determines whether the parking brake of the vehicle 100 is activated or not, for example from information received from a parking brake status sensor.

[0063] [0049.] In step S55, if the device 111 has determined that the speed of the vehicle 100 is not zero or that the parking brake is not activated, the device 111 controls a mechanical or electromagnetic means of the selector to block the rotation of the button 112 towards the position P2.

[0064] [0050.] In step S60, it is assumed that the device 111 has determined that the speed of the vehicle 100 is zero and that the parking brake is activated. The rotation of the button 112 is, in this case, not blocked. The driver then turns the button 112 around the axis A112 to put it in the position P2 (reference “A”) (shown in FIG. 2). The electronic device 111 then detects this movement towards the position P2, for example, from information received from a position sensor 113 of the moving part 112 of the selector 110.

[0065] [0051 .] In step S70, following the detection of the driver's action in step S60, the device 111 sends a message to the microprocessor 120 to activate the autonomous driving of the vehicle by the microprocessor 120.

[0066] [0052.] In step S80, the microprocessor 120, in autonomous driving mode, stops the vehicle 100 and puts the vehicle 100 into parking mode.

[0067] [0053.] In step S110, the driver turns the button 112 around the axis A112 to put it in the position P1 (reference “D”) (represented in figure 4), and the electronic device 111 detects this movement. As in step S60:

[0068] - This step S110 is preceded by a step S90 of a check whether the parking brake is activated or not and by a step S100 of a check whether the speed of the vehicle is zero or not, - This rotation of the button 112 is only possible if the parking brake is activated and if the speed of the vehicle is zero, otherwise at step S105 the button is blocked in rotation in the same way as at step S55, towards position P1.

[0069] [0054.] In step S120, following the detection of the driver's action in step S110, the device 111 stores a flag which activates a forward driving mode of the gearbox 130 and sends a message to the microprocessor 120 to deactivate the autonomous driving of the vehicle by the microprocessor 120.

[0070] [0055.] Alternatively, in step S110, the driver can turn the button 112 to a position triggering a reverse driving mode (marker “R”), or a neutral driving mode (marker “N”).

Claims

CLAIMS

1. Method for controlling a motor vehicle (100) comprising an automatic gearbox (130) and a driving mode selector (110) of the vehicle, the driving modes of the vehicle comprising a plurality of manual driving modes of the automatic gearbox and an autonomous driving mode, the selector comprising a moving part (112), the method being characterized in that it comprises the following steps: - First detection of a first movement (S110) of the moving part (112) to a first position (P1), - Upon detection of the first movement (S110), activation command (S120) of a first driving mode among the plurality of manual driving modes. - Second detection of a second movement (S60) of the moving part (112) to a second position (P2), - On detection of the second movement (S60), activation command (S70) of the autonomous driving mode.

2. Method for controlling the motor vehicle (100) according to the preceding claim in which the plurality of manual driving modes comprises: - A forward driving mode, and - A reverse driving mode, and - A neutral driving mode. [Claim s] A method of controlling the motor vehicle (100) according to any one of the preceding claims further comprising the following steps: - Determination whether the vehicle (100) is at zero speed (S40), - If the speed is not zero (S40), blocking (S55) of the first movement or the second movement.

4. A method of controlling the motor vehicle (100) according to any one of the preceding claims, the motor vehicle comprising a parking brake, the method further comprising the following steps: - Determination whether the parking brake is activated (S50), - If the parking brake is not activated, blocking (S55) of the first movement or the second movement. [Claim s] Method for controlling the motor vehicle (100) according to any one of the preceding claims in which the driving modes of the vehicle comprise a parking mode capable of being activated, when the moving part (112) is moved to a third position (P3), the third position (P3) being located between the first position (P1) and the second position (P2).

6. Computer program comprising instructions, executable by a microprocessor or a microcontroller, for implementing the steps of the method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, when executed by the microprocessor or the microcontroller.

7. Electronic device (111) configured to implement the steps of the method according to any one of claims 1 to 5. [Claim s] Motor vehicle (100) comprising the electronic device (111) according to the preceding claim.

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