Autonomous Vehicle Control Retaking via Eye Tracking

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current autonomous vehicle systems inadequately assess a user's fitness and safety before handing back control, particularly in complex or dangerous situations, leading to insufficient disengagement from automated driving modes.

Innovation Solution

An autonomous vehicle system incorporating an eye or face tracking sensor, a head-up display, an instrument cluster, and a camera monitor system, which activates indicators for the user to focus on specific displays based on detected conditions, ensuring the user is aware of the situation before taking control, using a control unit to communicate with these sensors and systems.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If audio and visual alerts are used to signal the driver to retake control, then the driver is notified of the need to take control, but the system fails to ensure the driver's fitness and safety before handing back control

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesafety of handing back controlVSAvoidcomplexity of control transfer system

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary assessments of driver fitness and awareness before transferring control back to the driver. Eye-tracking sensors verify the driver is looking at appropriate locations, and the system assesses whether the driver is aware of the driving situation before allowing control transfer, preventing unsafe handbacks.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system continuously monitors driver state through eye-tracking sensors and provides feedback on whether the driver is fit to receive control. The system adjusts the control transfer process based on real-time assessment of driver attention and awareness, creating a closed-loop safety mechanism.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

2Speed

If the vehicle quickly hands over control to the driver in dangerous situations, then the response time is reduced, but the system may hand over control before the driver is ready or aware of the situation

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvespeed of control transferVSAvoidreadiness of driver for control

Core Design Contradiction:

SpeedVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

Before completing the control transfer, the system performs preliminary checks to verify the driver is looking at the road or appropriate displays and is aware of the situation. This ensures the driver is ready to take control even when quick transfer is needed for safety.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

When dangerous situations are detected, the system accelerates the control transfer process by skipping non-critical assessment steps while maintaining essential safety checks, allowing rapid but still safe handover of control to the driver.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #21Skipping (Rushing through)

3Reliability

If the system assesses multiple driver fitness parameters before control transfer, then the safety and readiness of control handover is improved, but the time required for assessment increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveassessment of driver fitnessVSAvoidtime for control transfer

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs only the essential assessment parameters needed for safe control transfer rather than comprehensive evaluations. Eye-tracking and basic awareness checks are conducted to determine if the driver is fit for control, performing enough assessment to ensure safety without excessive time consumption.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #16Partial or excessive action

Solution Approach 2:

In time-critical situations, the system skips non-essential assessment steps and focuses only on critical safety parameters, allowing rapid control transfer while maintaining adequate fitness assessment through streamlined evaluation protocols.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #21Skipping (Rushing through)

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

Enhances the safety and effectiveness of transitioning control back to the user by confirming their awareness and readiness to handle various driving scenarios, reducing the risk of accidents and improving user fitness assessment during disengagement from automated driving.

Implementation Method 1

an eye or face tracking sensor, for tracking a user's movements or expressions

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectEye tracking:

Implementation Method 2

a time of flight sensor

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectTime of flight: Time of Flight

Data Source

PatentUS10967882B2Autonomous vehicles with control retaking systems and methods of using same

Publication Date: 2021.04.06 MOTHERSON INNOVATIONS CO LTD

AI summary

An autonomous vehicle system, and a method of using same, includes an eye or face tracking sensor for tracking a user's movements or expressions, a head up display for displaying information to the user, an instrument cluster for providing driving measurements of the autonomous vehicle, a time of flight sensor, a camera monitor system for displaying a side or rear view of the vehicle, and a control unit to communicate with the eye or face tracking sensor, the head up display, the time of flight sensor, and the camera monitor system when receiving a request to turn over driving controls to the user.