Driver Seat Position Control for Autonomous Driving Handover

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing autonomous vehicle controllers face delays in handing over control authority to the driver during unexpected situations due to the driver's seat position being unsuitable for immediate take-over, increasing the risk of accidents.

Innovation Solution

An autonomous controller determines the position of the driver's seat and backrest angle to enable or disable autonomous driving, restrict seat adjustments, and request the driver to take over control when the seat is in an unsuitable position, using thresholds adjusted based on driver interaction with the vehicle controls.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Extent of automation

If the autonomous driving function is enabled without checking driver's seat position, then the autonomous driving can be performed without restriction, but the driver cannot immediately take over control authority when needed, increasing accident risk

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveautonomous driving functionVSAvoidcontrol authority handover
Core Design Contradiction:
Extent of automationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary verification of the driver's seat position before enabling autonomous driving mode. The controller checks whether the seat position and backrest angle are within predetermined safe ranges, and only allows autonomous driving to be activated when these conditions are met. This preliminary action ensures the driver is in a position to immediately take over control when needed.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Reliability

If the driver's seat position is monitored and restricted during autonomous driving, then the driver can immediately take over control authority, but the autonomous driving function may be unnecessarily disabled when the driver is in an acceptable position

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecontrol authority handoverVSAvoidautonomous driving function
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSExtent of automation

Solution Approach 1:

The system defines specific parameter thresholds for seat position (forward-backward distance) and backrest angle to determine whether autonomous driving can be enabled. These parameters are compared against predetermined values to automatically control the activation and deactivation of autonomous driving mode, providing an objective and consistent decision-making mechanism.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Reliability

If the autonomous driving mode is disabled when seat position exceeds thresholds, then safety is improved, but the driver experience is degraded due to unnecessary mode switching

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedriver safetyVSAvoiddriver experience
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The system dynamically adjusts the threshold values for seat position and backrest angle based on different driving scenarios and vehicle configurations. The controller can modify these thresholds to accommodate variations in driver height, seat design, and driving conditions, allowing the safety criteria to adapt rather than applying rigid fixed limits.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentEP3838703B1Autonomous controller and control method
Publication Date: 2026.01.28 HYUNDAI MOTOR CO LTD
  • EP3838703B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3838703B1 patent drawingFigure 2A~2B
  • EP3838703B1 patent drawingFigure 3A~3B

AI summary

The present invention relates to an autonomous controller (100) including: a processor (130) configured to control autonomous driving and determining whether to enable an autonomous driving mode or to convert the autonomous driving mode into a manual driving mode based on a current position of the driver's seat, and a storage (120) configured to store data and an algorithm run by the processor. The processor controls at least one of whether to enable an autonomous driving mode, whether to restrict position adjustment of the driver's seat, or whether to hand over control authority based on a movement position in a forward or backward direction of the driver's seat or an angle of the backrest of the driver's seat. The present invention further relates to a corresponding system and method.