Autonomous Driving Handover Logic for Driver Visibility Assurance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle control systems may fail to ensure driver visibility during autonomous driving, particularly when the windshield wiper mode is set to manual, leading to potential visibility issues that could necessitate control transfer back to the driver.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle controller with a situation determination unit and transition determination unit that assesses conditions to automatically switch from manual to autonomous driving when driver visibility is at risk, using sensors for rainfall, illuminance, and humidity to determine if devices like windshield wipers, headlights, or air conditioners need to operate to maintain visibility.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If control is transferred to autonomous driving, then productivity is improved, but driver visibility may not be ensured when wiper mode is manual
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary assessment of driver visibility conditions before allowing autonomous driving to start. The transition determination unit checks whether devices ensuring driver visibility (windshield wiper, headlight, air conditioner) are in automatic mode or can ensure visibility without operation. If visibility cannot be ensured, the system prevents autonomous driving from starting, thereby eliminating the need for subsequent control transfers and ensuring continuous visibility reliability.
2Ease of operation
If wiper mode is set to manual, then ease of operation is improved for driver control, but driver visibility cannot be ensured during autonomous driving
Solution Approach 1:
The transition determination unit continuously monitors the operating mode of visibility-related devices and provides feedback to the autonomous driving control unit. When a device is in manual mode, the system assesses whether this manual control setting will compromise driver visibility during autonomous operation. Based on this feedback mechanism, the system makes informed decisions about whether to permit autonomous driving, thereby reconciling driver preference for manual control with the requirement for ensured visibility.
3Productivity
If autonomous driving starts without visibility assurance, then productivity is improved, but control transfer back to driver becomes necessary
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary verification of visibility conditions before autonomous driving commences. By assessing the operating modes of visibility-critical devices in advance and determining whether they can ensure driver visibility during autonomous operation, the system prevents situations that would require interrupting autonomous driving to transfer control back to the driver, thereby maintaining continuous productivity without time loss from control transfers.
Data Source
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AI summary
A vehicle controller includes a situation determination unit 31 that determines whether a vehicle 1 under manual driving control is in a situation that allows for starting autonomous driving control of the vehicle 1, and a transition determination unit 32 that switches, when the vehicle 1 is in a situation that allows for starting autonomous driving control, control of the vehicle 1 from manual driving control to autonomous driving control in the case where operating mode of a device (16, 17, or 19) related to ensuring visibility of a driver of the vehicle 1 is set to automatic mode to automatically control the device. The transition determination unit 32 continues manual driving control in the case where the operating mode of the device (16, 17, or 19) related to ensuring the driver's visibility is set to manual mode to manually control the device and where the driver's visibility will not be ensured unless the device operates.