Method and device for controlling the journey of an autonomous vehicle operating in manual mode

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method and device for controlling the route of a vehicle (10). The vehicle (10) is configured to operate in autonomous mode with a level of autonomy exceeding a predetermined level, with the vehicle (10) operating in manual mode under the supervision of a driver. The current route of the vehicle (10) is determined from data received from sensors of an on-board system without route calculation by an on-board navigation system. The travel time of the current route is determined based on real-time road traffic information received via a V2X connection. The travel time is compared to a typical travel time for this route, and a message is displayed based on the result of the comparison. Figure 1 (for the abstract)

Description

Title of the invention: Method and device for controlling the journey of an autonomous vehicle operating in manual mode. Technical field

[0001] The present invention relates to methods and devices for monitoring the journey of a vehicle, in particular a motor vehicle. The present invention also relates to a method and device for determining the travel time of a vehicle journey. Technological background

[0002] Some contemporary vehicles are configured to operate in a so-called autonomous or semi-autonomous mode, that is to say under the supervision of a set of functions or system(s) or driving assistance system(s), called AD AS (from the English "Advanced Driver-Assistance System" or in French "Système d'aide à la conduite avancé") on board which ensure under certain conditions the control of the vehicle, for example the control of speed, trajectory, etc.

[0003] Some AD AS systems use data obtained from one or more sensors on board the vehicle which provide data on the vehicle's environment, for example data on the presence of obstacles, other vehicles, road signs, etc.

[0004] However, using the vehicle in autonomous mode is not possible in all situations, particularly for journeys on secondary roads or in urban areas. The restrictions on the use of autonomous mode therefore limit the appeal of autonomous vehicles, while the equipment required to control the vehicle in autonomous mode is expensive.

[0005] Summary of the present invention

[0006] One object of the present invention is to solve at least one of the problems of the technological background described above.

[0007] Another object of the present invention is to optimize the use of embedded systems in a vehicle.

[0008] Another object of the present invention is to improve the safety of vehicle passengers.

[0009] According to a first aspect, the present invention relates to a method for controlling the journey of a vehicle, the vehicle being configured to operate in an autonomous mode with a level of autonomy greater than a predetermined level of autonomy, the vehicle operating in a manual mode under the supervision of a driver of the vehicle, the method comprising the following steps: - obtaining initial information representative of an initial part of a current vehicle journey from at least one on-board system of the vehicle; - selection, from a plurality of routes stored in a vehicle memory, of a route corresponding to the current route, called the selected route, by comparing the first information with second information representative of each route stored from the plurality of routes stored; - reception of third information representative of road traffic in real time along the selected route according to a vehicle-to-everything wireless communication mode, known as V2X; - determination of a current travel time for the selected route based on the third pieces of information and the second pieces of information representative of the selected route; - comparison of the current travel time with a travel time stored in memory and associated with the selected route; - rendering of an alert message to the driver based on a comparison result.

[0010] Such a method makes it possible to benefit from the information of one or more systems of a vehicle configured to operate in an autonomous mode but operating in a manual mode under the supervision of the driver, some on-board systems then being in a standby mode while the sensor(s) of this or these systems continue to obtain data on the environment of the vehicle.

[0011] Such a method makes it possible to determine that a current route corresponds to a known route of the vehicle without any action required from the driver. This recognition of a known route, combined with the reception of traffic data on that known route, allows the travel time of the route to be compared with a stored travel time corresponding, for example, to the average travel time on that known route. The result of the comparison alerts the driver if an anomaly is detected, thereby optimizing the use of on-board systems and sensors, while improving the safety of the vehicle's passenger(s) by informing them of potential risky situations.

[0012] According to one variant, the alert message is rendered when the result of the comparison indicates that a difference between the memorized travel time and the current travel time is greater than a determined threshold.

[0013] According to another variant, the initial information includes: - temporal information representing a temporal instant corresponding to the beginning of the current journey; and - path information representative of a path followed by the vehicle.

[0014] According to a further variant, the path information corresponds to representative data of geographical positions along the initial part of the current path received from a receiver of a satellite positioning system on board the vehicle.

[0015] According to yet another variant, the second information representing the selected route includes information representing a path associated with the selected route.

[0016] According to an additional variant, the second information is obtained from a navigation system embedded in the vehicle, the navigation system being in a standby mode.

[0017] According to another variant, the determined level of autonomy is equal to 3.

[0018] According to a second aspect, the present invention relates to a vehicle journey control device, the device comprising a memory associated with a processor configured for the implementation of the steps of the process according to the first aspect of the present invention.

[0019] According to a third aspect, the present invention relates to a vehicle, for example of the automobile type, comprising a device as described above according to the second aspect of the present invention.

[0020] According to a fourth aspect, the present invention relates to a computer program which includes instructions adapted for carrying out the steps of the process according to the first aspect of the present invention, in particular when the computer program is executed by at least one processor.

[0021] Such a computer program may use any programming language, and be in the form of source code, object code, or an intermediate code between source code and object code, such as in a partially compiled form, or in any other desirable form.

[0022] According to a fifth aspect, the present invention relates to a computer-readable recording medium on which is recorded a computer program comprising instructions for carrying out the steps of the process according to the first aspect of the present invention.

[0023] On the one hand, the recording medium can be any entity or device capable of storing the program. For example, the medium can include a storage means, such as a ROM, a CD-ROM or a microelectronic circuit-type ROM, or a magnetic recording means or a hard disk drive.

[0024] On the other hand, this recording medium can also be a transmissible medium such as an electrical or optical signal, such a signal being able to be transmitted via an electrical or optical cable, by conventional or radio frequency or by beam. self-steering laser or by other means. The computer program according to the present invention can in particular be downloaded onto an Internet-type network.

[0025] Alternatively, the recording medium may be an integrated circuit in which the computer program is incorporated, the integrated circuit being adapted to execute or to be used in the execution of the process in question. Brief description of the figures

[0026] Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the description of the particular and non-limiting embodiments of the present invention below, with reference to the attached Figures 1 to 3, in which:

[0027] [Fig-1] schematically illustrates a vehicle environment, according to an example of particular and non-limiting implementation of the present invention;

[0028] [Fig.2] schematically illustrates a device configured for controlling a vehicle's journey of [Fig.1], according to a particular and non-limiting embodiment of the present invention;

[0029] [Fig.3] illustrates a flowchart of the different stages of a method for controlling a journey of the vehicle of [Fig.1], according to a particular and non-limiting example of the present invention.

[0030] Description of examples of implementation

[0031] A method and a device for controlling the journey of a vehicle will now be described in what follows with joint reference to Figures 1 to 3. The same elements are identified with the same reference signs throughout the description that follows.

[0032] According to a particular and non-limiting embodiment of the present invention, the control of a vehicle's current journey, for example by a vehicle computer, includes obtaining, for example receiving, initial information representative of an initial portion of the vehicle's current journey from at least one on-board system of the vehicle. The vehicle advantageously corresponds to a vehicle configured to operate in autonomous mode, with, for example, an autonomy level greater than or equal to 3, but operating in the context of the present invention in manual mode, that is to say, under the supervision or control of a driver. The vehicle carries, for example, a geolocation and navigation system that is not activated by the driver, that is to say, no route is calculated or proposed to the driver.The first pieces of information correspond, for example, to the start time of the current journey and / or to successive position data of the vehicle at the beginning of the current journey. This first information is compared to sets of second pieces of information, each representative of a journey stored in a memory (for example, a memory of the system). The vehicle's navigation system uses a second set of data, with each stored route corresponding, for example, to a route regularly or occasionally driven with the vehicle. The stored route whose second set of data best matches the first set is selected; this route is referred to as the "selected route" in the rest of the description. Third set of data, representing real-time traffic, is received by the vehicle via a vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication protocol. This third set of data is used in conjunction with the second set of data representing the selected route to determine the time required to travel the selected route under the conditions indicated by the third set of data.This current travel time is compared to a travel time associated with the selected route and stored in memory (corresponding, for example, to the average travel time usually required to travel this route), and an alert is issued based on the result of this comparison.

[0033] Such a method has the advantage of using the data and information acquired by the vehicle's on-board systems (for example, by sensors and / or receivers) even when these systems are not activated by the driver, for example, when these systems are in a "standby" mode. The method makes it possible, for example, to alert the vehicle's driver when traffic conditions along their route are unfavorable, even if the driver has not activated the route calculation function of the navigation system.

[0034] Fig. 1 schematically illustrates an environment 1 in which a vehicle evolves, according to a particular and non-limiting embodiment of the present invention.

[0035] Vehicle 10 corresponds, for example, to a vehicle with an internal combustion engine, with electric motor(s), or even a hybrid vehicle with an internal combustion engine and one or more electric motors. Vehicle 10 thus corresponds, for example, to a land vehicle, for example a car, a truck, a bus.

[0036] According to a particular embodiment, the vehicle 10 carries one or more AD / AS systems, each controlled by one or more computers. These computers form, for example, a multiplexed architecture for providing various services useful for the proper functioning of the vehicle and for assisting the driver and / or passengers in controlling the vehicle 10 via the control of the AD / AS system(s) embedded in the vehicle 10. The computers communicate and exchange data with each other via one or more computer buses, for example, a CAN (Controller Area Network) or CAN FD (Controller Area Network Flexible Data-Rate) data bus. "Flexible data rate controller network"), FlexRay (according to ISO 17458), LIN (from the English "Local Interconnect Network" or in French "Réseau interconnecté local") or Ethernet (according to ISO / IEC 802-3).

[0037] The AD AS system(s) on board the vehicle 10 correspond, for example, to one or more of the AD AS systems in the following list, this list being non-exhaustive and provided for illustrative purposes: - navigation and geolocation system, also called GNSS system (Geolocation and Navigation by a Satellite System), for example a GPS type system (from the English "Global Positioning System" or in French "Système de géo-positionnement par satellites"); - a speed regulation system, for example an adaptive cruise control, known as ACC (Adaptive Cruise Control); - a lane keeping assist system, called LKA (from the English "Lane Keeping Assist"); - a lane departure warning system, known as a lane departure warning system; and / or - a traffic sign reading / recognition system, called a TSR system (from the English "Traffic Sign Recognition"); - a system for detecting and recognizing ground markings.

[0038] One or more of these systems operate on the basis of data received from a data receiving device (for example a GNSS system data receiver) and / or from radar(s), lidar(s) and / or camera type sensors.

[0039] The sensor(s) associated with these AD AS systems correspond, for example, to one or more of the following sensors: - one or more millimeter-wave radars arranged on the vehicle 10, for example at the front, at the rear, on each front / rear corner of the vehicle; each radar is adapted to emit electromagnetic waves and to receive the echoes of these waves reflected by one or more objects, for the purpose of detecting obstacles and their distances from the vehicle 10; and / or - one or more LIDAR(s) (Light Detection and Ranging), a LIDAR sensor corresponding to an optoelectronic system composed of a laser emitter, a receiver including a light collector (to collect the portion of the light emitted by the emitter and reflected by any object located in the path of the light rays emitted by the emitter) and a photodetector that transforms the collected light into an electrical signal; a LIDAR sensor thus makes it possible to detect the presence of objects located in the emitted light beam and to measure the distance between the sensor and each detected object; and / or - one or more cameras (with or without a depth sensor) for acquiring one or more images of the environment around the vehicle 10 that are in the field of vision of the camera(s), for example a so-called front camera, such a front camera 101 being arranged in the passenger compartment of the vehicle 10 under the windshield and at the top and in the middle of this windshield and having a field of vision corresponding to the space in front of the vehicle 10 according to the direction of travel of the vehicle 10.

[0040] Vehicle 10 corresponds to a vehicle configured to operate under the control of the driver and / or under the control of one or more AD / AS systems supplied with data by the devices and sensors associated with the AD / AS systems. Vehicle 10 thus corresponds, for example, to a vehicle adapted to operate in an autonomous or semi-autonomous driving mode, that is to say, under the partial or total supervision of one or more AD / AS systems on board vehicle 10. Vehicle 10 is, for example, configured to operate in environment 1 with an autonomy level greater than or equal to 3 according to the scale defined by the US federal agency, which has established 5 levels of autonomy ranging from 1 to 5, level 0 corresponding to a vehicle with no autonomy, whose driving is under the total supervision of the driver, and level 5 corresponding to a fully autonomous vehicle.

[0041] The 5 levels of autonomy in the classification of the federal agency responsible for road safety are: - level 0: no automation, the vehicle driver fully controls the main functions of the vehicle (engine, accelerator, steering, brakes); - level 1: driver assistance, automation is active for certain vehicle functions, the driver retaining overall control over driving the vehicle; cruise control is part of this level, as are other aids such as ABS (anti-lock braking system) or ESP (electronic stability program); - level 2: automation of combined functions, the control of at least two main functions is combined in the automation to replace the driver in certain situations; for example, adaptive cruise control combined with lane centering allows a vehicle to be classified as level 2, as does automatic parking assist; - level 3: limited autonomous driving, the driver can cede complete control of the vehicle to the automated system which will then be in charge of critical safety functions; however, autonomous driving can only take place under certain specific environmental and traffic conditions (only on highways for example); - level 4: fully autonomous driving under certain conditions, the vehicle is designed to independently perform all critical safety functions over a complete journey; the driver provides a destination or navigation instructions but is not required to be available to take back control of the vehicle; - Level 5: Completely autonomous driving without driver assistance in all circumstances.

[0042] The classification of the international organization of motor vehicle manufacturers is similar to that listed above, except that it has 6 levels, level 3 of the American classification being divided into 2 levels in that of the international organization of motor vehicle manufacturers.

[0043] The vehicle 10 is also configured to communicate (receive and / or transmit) data with other vehicles and / or a communication network infrastructure according to a wireless communication mode, known as V2X.

[0044] For this purpose, the vehicle 10 carries a communication device corresponding for example to a telematic control unit, called TCU (from the English "Telematic Control Unit") associated with one or more antennas.

[0045] The environment 1 of the vehicle 10 includes, for example, a mobile communication infrastructure, for example, a V2X (Vehicle-to-everything) network infrastructure, with which the vehicle 10 is configured to communicate data. The communication infrastructure 1 implements, for example, communications using LTE (Long-Term Evolution), LTE-Avanced (Long-Term Evolution-Advanced), or C-V2X (Cellular-Vehicle-to-Everything) technology, which is based on 4G and / or 5G, based on LTE. Vehicle 10 communicates advantageously using a so-called V2X communication system, for example based on the 3GPP LTE-V or IEEE 802.1 lp standards of ITS G5.In such a V2X communication system, each vehicle carries a node to enable vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V), vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I), and / or vehicle-to-pedestrian (V2P) communication.

[0046] The network infrastructure includes, for example, communication devices 110 corresponding to relay antennas and / or roadside units (RSUs), each corresponding to a node of the network.

[0047] The antenna or UBR 110 is advantageously connected to one or more remote servers 111, 112, for example via the "cloud" 100 (or in French "nuage"), via a wired and / or wireless connection. The antenna or UBR 110 is thus configured to act as a relay between the "cloud" 100 (and the remote server 111) and the vehicle 10.

[0048] A process for controlling a journey of the vehicle 10 is advantageously implemented by one or more processors of one or more computers of the vehicle 10.

[0049] The process is advantageously implemented while the vehicle is operating in manual mode, that is, under the control and supervision of the driver. In such a manual mode, the autonomy level is, for example, equal to 0, 1, or 2.

[0050] In such a manual mode, the AD AS systems configured to control the vehicle at an autonomy level of 3 or higher are not activated and remain, for example, in an inactive or standby mode. If these AD AS systems are not activated, the sensors that provide environmental data 1 to the vehicle 10 remain active, and environmental perception data are acquired as the vehicle 10 moves.

[0051] For example, even if the GNSS system is not activated by the driver, the vehicle 10 continues to receive, via the GNSS system receiver, data representing the successive geographical positions taken by the vehicle 10 as it moves (for example, data corresponding to the latitude and longitude of the vehicle 10).

[0052] In a first operation of the process, initial information representative of an initial part of a current vehicle journey is obtained from one or more vehicle on-board systems.

[0053] The current journey corresponds to a journey started at a time 't' under the control of the vehicle driver, the destination of this current journey not being known to the vehicle's navigation system 10.

[0054] The initial part of the current path corresponds to a part of the path carried out over a time interval since the start of the path, for example for 30, 60, 90 or 120 seconds after the start of the current path.

[0055] The initial information includes, for example, one or more of the following pieces of information or data: - time information corresponding to the start time of the journey, expressed for example in hours and minutes (for example at 8:05, 12:00, 17:30, etc.); and / or - information on the path followed by vehicle 10 on the initial part of the journey, this path information corresponding for example to the successive positions taken by the vehicle (for example the GPS coordinates received from the GNSS system), information on directions followed by vehicle 10 recognized by analysis of images acquired by a camera 101 of vehicle 10, information on points of interest in the road environment of vehicle 10 (intersections, public buildings, etc.) recognized by analysis of images acquired by the camera 101 of vehicle 10, etc.

[0056] A path corresponds to a geometric object representing the spatial displacement of the vehicle 10 without consideration of speed. The representation of the path and its discretization are therefore independent of time, such a representation being, for example, arbitrary (number of points fixed or determined) or determined by a length between each point.

[0057] In a second operation of the process, the first information is compared with second information representative of journeys previously made by the vehicle 10. These previously made journeys correspond for example to journeys made regularly with the vehicle 10, for example every day, once a week or once a month.

[0058] The second pieces of information representing each of these journeys are, for example, stored in a memory of the vehicle 10, for example a memory of the GNSS system. These journeys are thus called memorized journeys.

[0059] The second set of information includes, for example, one or more of the following pieces of information or data, for each memorized route: - a time-based information representative of the start of the journey, for example the start time of the journey, this time-based information corresponding, for example, to an average of each start time of journeys previously made over a given time period (for example, over the week or month preceding the start of the current journey); and / or - temporal information representing the travel time of the memorized route (for example, average time to travel the memorized route); and / or - representative data of the path associated with the memorized route, for example starting point, arrival point (destination), road segment identifier, intersection identifier, direction taken at each intersection, etc.

[0060] The first and second pieces of information compared with each other advantageously correspond to information of the same type or nature (for example, the start time of the current journey is compared to the start time of each memorized journey, the information representing the path of the initial part of the current journey is compared to the information representing the path of each memorized journey).

[0061] The information being compared is, for example, compared according to a specific sequence or order, for example, starting with information such as "start time" followed by information such as "route description", etc. A sequential comparison by type of information allows, for example, the iterative selection of the stored route(s) that best correspond to the current route, ultimately leading to the selection of the stored route closest to the current route.

[0062] In a third operation, the memorized route that best corresponds to the current route is selected from the list of memorized routes as a result of the comparison in the second operation.

[0063] For example, if the current journey starts at 8hl5 and a single memorized journey has a departure time also equal to 8hl5, then this memorized journey is selected as the memorized journey that best corresponds to the current journey (or the most probable).

[0064] If the list of memorized journeys includes a journey with a start time of 8hl5 and another journey with a start time of 8h30, then the selection also takes into account other comparison results such as the result of the comparison between the information relating to the paths.

[0065] In a fourth operation of the process, third pieces of information representing real-time traffic concerning the route selected in the third operation are received according to a V2X communication mode, for example according to an I2V communication mode (from the English "Infrastructure-to-Vehicle" or in French "Infrastructure à véhicule"), this information being for example emitted by a server 111 of the "cloud" 100.

[0066] This third information belongs, for example, to traffic information emitted by the server, for example at regular intervals, this information describing the state of the traffic, for example the description of events having an impact on road traffic (for example presence of traffic jams or works), the average speed of vehicles on each portion of the road environment 1 in which the vehicle 10 travels, etc.

[0067] In a fifth operation of the process, the travel time of the selected route, corresponding to the duration (for example, expressed in minutes or hours and minutes) required to complete the selected route, is determined or calculated based on the third and second pieces of information, in particular the second pieces of information describing the path associated with the selected route. This travel time is called the current travel time.

[0068] In a sixth operation of the process, the current travel time of the selected path determined in the fifth operation is compared to a travel time associated with the selected path and stored in memory including the second information for example.

[0069] In a seventh operation of the process, an alert message is rendered to the driver of vehicle 10, depending on the result of the comparison of the sixth operation.

[0070] For example, when the current travel time determined in the fifth operation exceeds the stored travel time by a specified duration, then a An alert message informing the driver that the journey time is abnormally high is displayed in vehicle 10. In other words, the alert message is displayed when the result of the comparison of the sixth operation indicates that a difference between the memorized journey time and the current journey time is greater than a determined threshold (for example, the current journey time is 10, 20, 30% greater than the memorized journey time).

[0071] The rendering of an alert message includes, for example: - the generation of the message, the content of which is fixed and stored in memory and / or adapted to the situation (for example indicating the current travel time compared to the memorized travel time); - the transmission of data representing the message to one or more rendering devices (for example a display screen of vehicle 10 and / or speakers of vehicle 10); - rendering on the rendering device(s), for example displaying a text or graphic message on the onboard screen and / or rendering an audio or voice message via the speakers.

[0072] According to another example, when the current journey time is equal to the memorized journey time (within a margin, for example within 1, 2 or 5%) and / or when the result of the comparison of the sixth operation indicates that a difference between the memorized journey time and the current journey time is less than the threshold determined previously, the warning message rendered corresponds to a message informing the driver that the journey time of the current trip is normal or slightly above normal.

[0073] The rendering of such a message has the advantage of informing the driver of potential problems, thanks to the data received or obtained from the systems on board the vehicle 10. This allows, for example, the driver to implement actions adapted to the situation, for example the activation of the on-board navigation system so that the latter calculates the best route to reach the destination desired by the driver.

[0074] Figure 2 schematically illustrates a device 2 configured for controlling the journey of a vehicle, for example vehicle 10, according to a particular and non-limiting embodiment of the present invention. The device 2 corresponds, for example, to a device embedded in the vehicle 10, for example a computer.

[0075] Device 2 is, for example, configured to carry out the operations described opposite [Fig. 1] and / or the steps of the process described opposite [Fig. 3]. Examples of such a device 2 include, but are not limited to, embedded electronic equipment such as a vehicle's on-board computer, an electronic control unit such as an ECU (Electronic Control Unit), a A smartphone, a tablet, a laptop. The elements of device 2, individually or in combination, can be integrated into a single integrated circuit, into several integrated circuits, and / or into discrete components. Device 2 can be implemented as electronic circuits or software (or computer) modules, or a combination of electronic circuits and software modules.

[0076] The device 2 comprises one (or more) processor(s) 20 configured to execute instructions for carrying out the steps of the process and / or for executing instructions from the software embedded in the device 2. The processor 20 may include integrated memory, an input / output interface, and various circuits known to those skilled in the art. The device 2 further comprises at least one memory 21, corresponding, for example, to volatile and / or non-volatile memory, and / or includes a memory storage device that may include volatile and / or non-volatile memory, such as EEPROM, ROM, PROM, RAM, DRAM, SRAM, flash, magnetic disk, or optical disk.

[0077] The computer code of the embedded software(s) including the instructions to be loaded and executed by the processor is for example stored on memory 21.

[0078] According to various specific and non-limiting embodiments, the device 2 is coupled in communication with other similar devices or systems and / or with communication devices, for example a TCU (Telematic Control Unit), for example via a communication bus or through dedicated input / output ports.

[0079] According to a particular and non-limiting embodiment, the device 2 comprises a block 22 of interface elements for communicating with external devices. The interface elements of the block 22 comprise one or more of the following interfaces: - radio frequency RF interface, for example of the Wi-Fi® type (according to IEEE 802.11), for example in the 2.4 or 5 GHz frequency bands, or of the Bluetooth® type (according to IEEE 802.15.1), in the 2.4 GHz frequency band, or of the Sigfox type using UBN (Ultra Narrow Band) radio technology, or LoRa in the 868 MHz frequency band, LTE (Long-Term Evolution), LTE-Advanced; - USB interface (from the English "Universal Serial Bus" or "Universal Serial Bus" in French); - HDMI interface (from the English "High Definition Multimedia Interface", or "High Definition Multimedia Interface" in French); - LIN interface (from the English "Local Interconnect Network", or in French "Réseau interconnecté local").

[0080] According to another particular and non-limiting embodiment, the device 2 includes a communication interface 23 which allows communication to be established with other devices (such as other computers in the embedded system) via a communication channel 230. The communication interface 23 corresponds, for example, to a transmitter configured to transmit and receive information and / or data via the communication channel 230. The communication interface 23 corresponds, for example, to a wired network of the CAN (Controller Area Network) type, CAN FD (Controller Area Network Flexible Data-Rate) type, FlexRay (standardized by ISO 17458) or Ethernet (standardized by ISO / IEC 802-3).

[0081] According to a particular and non-limiting embodiment, the device 2 can provide output signals to one or more external devices, such as a display screen 240, touch or not, one or more speakers 250 and / or other peripherals 260 (projection system) via output interfaces 24, 25 and 26 respectively. According to a variant, one or more of the external devices is integrated into the device 2.

[0082] Figure 3 illustrates a flowchart of the different steps in a method for controlling the journey of a vehicle, for example vehicle 10, according to a particular and non-limiting embodiment of the present invention. The method is implemented, for example, by a device embedded in the vehicle 10 or by device 2 of Figure 2.

[0083] In a first step 31, initial information representative of an initial part of a current vehicle journey is obtained from at least one vehicle onboard system.

[0084] In a second step 32, a route corresponding to the current route, called the selected route, is selected from among a plurality of routes stored in a memory of the vehicle, the selection being obtained by comparing the first information with second information representative of each route stored from the plurality of routes stored.

[0085] In a third step 33, third pieces of information representative of real-time road traffic along the selected route are received according to a vehicle-to-everything wireless communication mode, known as V2X.

[0086] In a fourth step 34, a current travel time of the selected route is determined based on the third pieces of information and the second pieces of information representative of the selected route.

[0087] In a fifth step 35, the current travel time is compared with a travel time stored in memory and associated with the selected route.

[0088] In a sixth step 36, an alert message is sent to the driver based on a result of the comparison.

[0089] According to one variant, the variants and examples of the operations described in relation to [Fig.1] apply to the steps of the process in [Fig.3].

[0090] Of course, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above but extends to a method for determining the travel time of a journey that would include secondary steps without falling outside the scope of the present invention. The same would apply to a device configured for implementing such a method.

[0091] The present invention also relates to a vehicle, for example an automobile or more generally an autonomous land-powered vehicle, comprising device 2 of [Fig.2].

Claims

1.

2. Demands A method for controlling the journey of a vehicle (10), said vehicle (10) comprising an advanced driver assistance system configured to provide autonomous vehicle control with a level of autonomy exceeding a predetermined level of autonomy, said advanced driver assistance system operating on the basis of data received from a geolocation and navigation system and on the basis of data received from sensors enabling data to be obtained on an environment (1) of the vehicle, a method in which said advanced driver assistance system is in standby mode and in which said geolocation and navigation system is not activated by the driver, said vehicle (10) operating in manual mode under the supervision of a driver of said vehicle (10), said method comprising the following steps: - obtaining (31) initial information representative of an initial part of a current journey of said vehicle, the initial information being obtained from said geolocation and navigation system and from said sensors from at least one on-board system of said vehicle (10); - selection (32), from a plurality of routes stored in a memory of said vehicle (10), of a route corresponding to said current route, said selected route, by comparison of said first information to second information representative of each route stored from said plurality of stored routes; - reception (33) of third information representative of real-time road traffic along said selected route according to a vehicle-to-everything wireless communication mode, known as V2X; - determination (34) of a current travel time of said selected route based on said third information and the second information representative of said selected route; - comparison (35) of said current travel time with a travel time stored in said memory and associated with said selected route; - rendering (36) of an alert message to said driver based on a result of said comparison. A method according to claim 1, wherein said alert message is rendered when said comparison result (35) indicates that a the difference between the said memorized travel time and the said current travel time is greater than a determined threshold.

3. A method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said first information comprises: - time information representing a time instant corresponding to a start of said current journey; and - path information representing a path followed by said vehicle (10).

4. A method according to claim 3, wherein said path information corresponds to representative data of geographical positions along said initial part of said current path received from a receiver of a satellite positioning system on board said vehicle (10).

5. A method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein said second information representing said selected path includes information representing a path associated with said selected path.

6. A method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein said second information is obtained from a navigation system embedded in said vehicle (10), said navigation system being in a standby mode.

7. A method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein said determined autonomy level is equal to 3.

8. A computer program comprising instructions for carrying out the method according to any one of the preceding claims, when such instructions are executed by a processor.

9. Device (2) for controlling the journey of a vehicle, said device (2) comprising a memory (21) associated with at least one processor (20) configured for carrying out the steps of the method according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

10. Vehicle (10) comprising the device (2) according to claim 9.

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