ADS Hand-Over Control Using Driver Readiness Constraints
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current autonomous driving systems lack reliable and safe methods for handing over control from automated driving features to human drivers, particularly in scenarios where the ADS may have limited performance or fail, posing risks if the driver is not adequately prepared to take control.
Innovation Solution
A method for managing hand-over from an Automated Driving System (ADS) to a driver, where the ADS feature is associated with pre-cautionary constraints. The method involves obtaining a request to deactivate the ADS, providing partial control of the vehicle to the driver, monitoring and evaluating the driver's manual operation against pre-set constraints, and either deactivating these constraints for full driver control or reverting control to the ADS if the evaluation fails.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the ADS feature controls the vehicle with pre-cautionary constraints, then the safety and reliability of autonomous driving is improved, but the complexity of the control system increases due to multiple constraint sets and evaluation mechanisms
Solution Approach 1:
The control system is segmented into distinct operational modes (ADS-controlled mode and driver-controlled mode) with clearly defined constraint sets for each mode. The PCS module evaluates driver operation in discrete time periods with specific constraint violations triggering mode transitions, simplifying the overall system architecture through clear segmentation of control authority.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary evaluation of driver readiness before full hand-over by implementing a probationary period where the driver operates under the second set of pre-cautionary constraints. This preliminary action allows the system to assess driver capability in advance of complete control transfer, ensuring safety while managing complexity through staged evaluation.
2Reliability
If the system provides partial control to the driver with monitoring and evaluation, then the driver readiness is improved, but the time required for hand-over increases due to monitoring time period
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements partial control transfer during the evaluation period, allowing the driver to operate the vehicle under monitored conditions with the second set of pre-cautionary constraints. This partial action enables concurrent evaluation and operation, reducing the time loss by avoiding complete stoppage while still ensuring thorough assessment of driver readiness.
Solution Approach 2:
The monitoring and evaluation process operates continuously during the probationary period without interrupting vehicle operation. The PCS module continuously evaluates driver performance against constraints while the driver maintains control, ensuring uninterrupted useful action (vehicle operation) while assessing readiness, thereby minimizing hand-over time.
3Ease of operation
If the system deactivates pre-cautionary constraints for full driver control, then the ease of operation is improved, but the safety risk increases if the driver is not adequately evaluated
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary evaluation of driver capability by monitoring operation against the second set of pre-cautionary constraints during a defined time period before deactivating constraints for full control. This preliminary action ensures driver adequacy is verified in advance, enabling ease of operation only after safety validation.
Solution Approach 2:
The PCS module provides continuous feedback during the evaluation period by monitoring driver operation against predefined constraints and determining compliance. This feedback mechanism ensures safety risks are identified and addressed before full control transfer, allowing ease of operation to be achieved only when feedback confirms driver readiness.
Data Source
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AI summary
The present disclosure relates to a method for managing a hand-over from an Automated Driving System (ADS) to a driver of a vehicle, where the ADS comprises an ADS feature being associated with a first set of pre-cautionary constraints out of a plurality of pre-cautionary constraints imposed by a Pre-cautionary Safety (PCS) module while the ADS feature controls the vehicle. The method comprises obtaining a request to deactivate the ADS feature, and providing partial control of the vehicle to the driver in order to enable manual driver operation of the vehicle based on the obtained request. The partial control comprises (at least) access to steering, acceleration, and braking of the vehicle while the PCS module imposes a second set of pre-cautionary constraints out of the plurality of pre-cautionary constraints for the driver while the driver has partial control of the vehicle. Furthermore, the method comprises monitoring the manual driver operation of the vehicle for a time period, and evaluating the monitored manual driver operation of the vehicle against the second set of pre-cautionary constraints during the time period. Then, based on the evaluation, the method comprises deactivating the second set of pre-cautionary constraints upon the expiry of the time period if the manual driver operation passes the evaluation, or providing control of the vehicle to the ADS if the manual driver operation fails the evaluation