Driver Takeover Capability Estimation for Automated Vehicles

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current automatic driving systems face challenges in ensuring reliable driver takeover in rare scenarios, as drivers may not react instantly to warnings, leading to uncertainty that conflicts with safety requirements, necessitating an accurate estimate of a driver's capability to take over vehicle control.

Innovation Solution

A computer-implemented method estimates a vehicle driver's capability to take over control using multiple estimation parameters, which are fused according to a predefined rule to provide an accurate assessment of their ability to regain control, including time periods for physical and mental processing, with the option to use image data and sensors for determining hand position and distraction levels.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If multiple estimation parameters are fused to improve driver capability assessment accuracy, then estimation precision increases, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedriver capability estimation accuracyVSAvoidprocessing system complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the driver assessment into distinct estimation parameters (distraction level, reaction capability, time period) that can be independently determined and then fused. This segmentation allows the complex assessment task to be divided into manageable components, each processed separately before integration, reducing overall system complexity while maintaining high estimation precision.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The processing unit serves multiple functions: it determines individual estimation parameters, fuses them according to predefined rules, and generates the final capability estimate. This multi-functional approach consolidates what could be separate complex systems into a single versatile processing unit, reducing device complexity while achieving high measurement precision through multiple parameters.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentEP3795441B1Method and device for determining an estimate of the capability of a vehicle driver to take over control of a vehicle
Publication Date: 2024.11.20 APTIV TECHNOLOGIES AG
  • EP3795441B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3795441B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3795441B1 patent drawingFigure 3a

AI summary

A computer-implemented method for determining an estimate of the capability of a vehicle driver to take over control of a vehicle, wherein the method comprises: determining at least one estimation parameter, the at least one estimation parameter representing an influencing factor for the capability of the vehicle driver to take over control of the vehicle; and determining an estimate on the basis of the at least one estimation parameter by means of a predefined estimation rule, the estimate representing the capability of the vehicle driver to take over control of the vehicle.