Evacuation control such as deceleration or stop of a vehicle is executed in response to an application from a driver of the vehicle for refusal of switching to manual driving. It is a moving apparatus that is switchable between automatic driving and manual driving and includes a driver information acquisition unit that acquires driver information of a driver of the moving apparatus, an environmental information acquisition unit that acquires surrounding information of the moving apparatus, a takeover abandonment input unit that inputs, to a system, takeover refusal information for a driver to refuse driving takeover to change automatic driving of the moving apparatus to manual driving, and a data processing unit that checks a switching point from automatic driving to manual driving on the basis of information acquired by the environmental information acquisition unit and executes a manual driving return request notification to the driver before reaching the switching point, in which the data processing unit further executes an evacuation process of a vehicle in response to a takeover abandonment input.

When a driver camera is determined to operate abnormally during driving control performed in an automatic drive mode, determination is performed as to whether the driver is prepared for manual driving at the time point immediately before the driver camera is determined to operate abnormally. When the driver is determined prepared, a forced switching signal for forcibly switching from the automatic drive mode to the manual drive mode is output. When the driver is determined unprepared, determination is performed as to whether the driver recovers the state prepared for manual driving based on a detection signal output from a torque sensor while the automatic drive mode is retained. When the driver is determined to have recovered the state, the forced switching signal is output.

An automatic driving system for vehicles safely switches a vehicle from an automatic drive mode to a manual drive mode. An automatic driving controller of the automatic driving system includes a travel behavior determining unit that determines a travel behavior of a vehicle during automatic driving based on an operational state of a steering system, an accelerating system, and/or a braking system thereof; a driver's state determining unit that determines a state of a driver based on a face image of the driver captured by a face image camera, biometric information of the driver obtained from body pressure of the driver and variation thereof detected by body pressure sensors of a driver's seat, and signals from pressure-sensitive sensors arranged at a steering wheel and the like; and a drive mode switching control unit that controls in stages switching to manual driving based on the determination results.

Upon determining that one of a driver condition and a subsystem fault preventing continued operation has occurred, certain actions are taken by an autonomously operating vehicle. An appropriate road-side location for parking is identified. The vehicle is maneuvered to the appropriate road side location. The vehicle is oriented to a specified acute angle to an adjacent traffic lane.

An electronic control unit for a vehicle for switching vehicle control from an autonomous driving mode includes one or more processors, network interface hardware configured to communicate with a remote server over a network, and one or more memory modules that store logic. The electronic control unit executes logic to determine that the autonomous driving mode of the vehicle will terminate, determine that a driver is unavailable to take immediate control of the vehicle upon termination of the autonomous driving, transfer control of the vehicle to a remote operator over the network interface hardware for a first time period, generate an alert to the driver to take manual control of the vehicle, and transfer control of the vehicle to one of the driver and the autonomous driving mode after the first time period has elapsed.

A vehicle control device includes an automated driving control unit that automatically controls at least a steering of a subject vehicle so that the subject vehicle travels along a route to a destination, and a switching controller that switches a driving mode of the subject vehicle among a plurality of driving modes including a first driving mode and a second driving mode in which a degree of automated driving is lower than that in the first driving mode on the basis of an operation performed with respect to an operation device on which an operation of a vehicle occupant is performed, the switching controller prohibiting switching from the first driving mode to the second driving mode based on an operation for instructing acceleration of the subject vehicle with respect to the operation device when control to automatically perform lane change is performed by the automated driving control unit.

A control unit performs driving assistance. An acquiring unit acquires future circumstance information related to a future circumstance that an own vehicle is predicted to subsequently encounter on a route further ahead of a current location. A determining unit determines whether or not the future circumstance indicated by the acquired future circumstance information is applicable to an event in which continuation of driving assistance is not possible. An urgency level setting unit sets an urgency level that indicates a level of urgency of the future circumstance when the determining unit determines that continuation of driving assistance is not possible. A limit setting unit sets a limit related to time or distance at which to cancel driving assistance and switch to manual driving, based on the set urgency level. A notifying unit notifies a driver of information prompting cancellation of driving assistance based on content of the set limit.

System, methods, and other embodiments described herein relate to implementing operator vigilance tests. In one embodiment, a method includes sending from a first vehicle a light activation request to a second vehicle; detecting a light activation by the second vehicle via the first vehicle; and determining a measure of operator vigilance in the first vehicle based on a vehicle operator response to the light activation.

A method for transitioning a drive mode of a vehicle from an assisted drive mode (AS) to an automated drive mode (AD), the method including: providing an assisted drive mode (AS) configured to support a driver controlling the vehicle at a medium support level; receiving an activation request for activating an automated drive mode (AD) configured to control a driving of the vehicle autonomously; reducing a support level (SL) to a safe assisted drive mode (ADAS) configured to support the driver at a low support level, the reduction of the SL from the AS to the ADAS including a first kinematic feedback; and if the activation request is successful, increasing the SL from the ADAS to the AD, the increase of the SL from the ADAS to the AD including a second kinematic feedback to the driver; or if the activation request fails, maintaining the ADAS.

An electronic control unit for a vehicle for switching vehicle control from an autonomous driving mode includes one or more processors, network interface hardware configured to communicate with a remote server over a network, and one or more memory modules that store logic. The electronic control unit executes logic to determine that the autonomous driving mode of the vehicle will terminate, determine that a driver is unavailable to take immediate control of the vehicle upon termination of the autonomous driving, transfer control of the vehicle to a remote operator over the network interface hardware for a first time period, generate an alert to the driver to take manual control of the vehicle, and transfer control of the vehicle to one of the driver and the autonomous driving mode after the first time period has elapsed.