Automated Driving Transition Control for Steering Grip Timing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Automated driving vehicles face challenges in smoothly transitioning from a state where the driver has an obligation to grip the steering wheel and monitor surroundings to a state where they do not, leading to confusion and potential errors in recognizing when to release control.
Innovation Solution
An automated driving control apparatus and program that includes a grip grasping section, control switching section, and notification control section to monitor the driver's grip and surroundings, issuing notifications to prompt the driver to grip the steering wheel or monitor the environment when necessary, ensuring a smooth transition to autonomous travel control without the obligation to monitor surroundings.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Extent of automation
If the system transitions from driving assistance control to autonomous travel control, then the driver's obligation to monitor surroundings is eliminated, but the driver may not recognize when to release control leading to errors
Solution Approach 1:
The notification control section issues a start notification to the driver before the transition to autonomous travel control is completed. This preliminary notification alerts the driver in advance that the transition is occurring, allowing the driver to prepare for releasing control without confusion about when to do so.
Solution Approach 2:
The grip grasping section continuously monitors whether the driver is gripping the steering wheel and provides feedback to the notification control section. When the driver stops gripping during the transition period, the system issues a hands-on notification to prompt the driver to regrip, creating a feedback loop that ensures proper driver awareness and control state.
2Ease of operation
If the driver is permitted to be in a hands-off state during automated driving, then ease of operation is improved, but the driver may stop gripping the steering wheel too early causing control issues
Solution Approach 1:
The grip grasping section monitors the driver's steering wheel grip status and provides real-time feedback to the notification control section. When the driver releases the steering wheel during the transition period before autonomous travel control starts, the system detects this and issues a hands-on notification to prompt the driver to regrip, ensuring proper control timing.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts the transition timing based on driver behavior. The notification control section can issue hands-on notifications to prompt the driver to grip the steering wheel during the period after transition conditions are satisfied but before the start notification is issued, creating a flexible adaptive transition process.
3Reliability
If the system issues notifications to prompt driver action, then driver awareness is improved, but the complexity of the control system increases
Solution Approach 1:
The notification control section serves multiple functions: it issues start notifications to alert drivers of upcoming transitions, issues hands-on notifications to prompt drivers to grip the steering wheel, and manages the overall transition control logic. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate dedicated components for each notification type.
Solution Approach 2:
The grip grasping section and notification control section are integrated into a unified control system. The grip grasping section's detection capability is combined with the notification control section's communication capability to create a coordinated system that monitors driver state and provides appropriate notifications, reducing overall system complexity through functional integration.
Data Source
AI summary
An automated driving control apparatus that enables traveling of a subject vehicle using an automated driving function is configured to grasp whether a driver of the subject vehicle grips a steering wheel, permit a transition from a driving assistance control with obligation for the driver to grip the steering wheel to an autonomous travel control, and cause a start notification to be issued to the driver. A hands-on notification that prompts the driver to grip the steering wheel is issued when it is grasped that the driver stops gripping the steering wheel during a period after at least one of transition conditions is satisfied and before the start notification is issued.