Autonomous Vehicle Safe State Transition via Escalated Haptic Warnings
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing autonomous driving systems lack an effective warning escalation strategy to ensure driver safety and intervention in case the driver falls asleep or experiences a health issue while the vehicle is in autonomous mode, particularly during regular driving or temporary stationary situations.
Innovation Solution
A multi-step warning escalation strategy involving increasing optical, acoustic, and haptic warnings, followed by automatic braking to bring the vehicle to a safe state, including the use of intense haptic warnings and activation of the parking brake, to alert the driver and ensure safety of other road users.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the driver is repeatedly warned with optical and acoustic signals, then the driver may be awakened from sleep, but the warning system becomes more complex and energy-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The warning system is segmented into multiple independent warning stages (optical warning, acoustic warning, haptic warning) that can be activated sequentially. Each warning type uses separate actuators and control logic, allowing the system to progress through increasingly intense warnings without requiring all components to operate simultaneously, thus managing complexity while maintaining reliability
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary actions by first activating less intrusive optical warnings before progressing to more intense acoustic and haptic warnings. This staged approach allows the driver to be awakened gently at first, with progressively stronger stimuli if needed, optimizing the balance between driver safety and system resource consumption
2Reliability
If intense haptic warnings are generated by abrupt braking, then the driver is strongly stimulated to wake up, but the vehicle's motion state changes and may affect other road users
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies partial braking force rather than full emergency braking when generating haptic warnings. The brake pressure is calibrated to provide sufficient haptic feedback to wake the driver while limiting the deceleration to levels that do not create hazardous situations for surrounding traffic, thus achieving driver stimulation without excessive harmful effects
Solution Approach 2:
The haptic warnings are generated periodically with brief intervals between successive braking pulses. This periodic application of mild braking stimuli allows the driver to be awakened through repeated gentlejolts rather than a single intense braking event, reducing the overall impact on vehicle motion and surrounding road users while maintaining effective driver alertness
3Reliability
If the vehicle is brought to a safe state by automatic braking, then the driver and other road users are protected, but the vehicle's normal operation is interrupted
Solution Approach 1:
The system activates the parking brake in advance to hold the vehicle stationary after the warning sequence, creating a cushioning effect that prevents further motion. This prior cushioning action ensures the vehicle is secured in a safe state before any potential hazards can materialize, protecting both the driver and other road users while allowing the driver time to regain control
Data Source
Figure 1~2
AI summary
The invention relates to a method and an apparatus for changing a motor vehicle in an autonomous travel mode to a safe state when the driver of the motor vehicle is not able to monitor the autonomous travel mode and possibly to assume control of the motor vehicle (S2). In this case, a) the vehicle driver is warned (S2) using warning signals of increasing intensity; b) other road users in the area surrounding the motor vehicle are warned (S3) using optical and/or acoustic signals; c) the motor vehicle is braked and/or accelerated repeatedly, to be precise with an intensity such that at least parts of the body of the vehicle driver noticeably move in the direction of travel owing to inertia and also so briefly that the current travel speed of the motor vehicle changes relatively little (S4) during the repeated braking and/or acceleration; and d) the motor vehicle is brought to a standstill (S5) or is kept at a standstill (S6) by means of automatic braking in order to change the vehicle to a safe state.