A safety device for use in a vehicle which is configured to be operated at least intermittently in an automated driving mode, in which the vehicle drives in an automated manner, and which includes a first data source which is designed as a human machine interface and configured to output data about a driving status, including computing device and a first data interface, the safety device being configured to receive data about the driving status from the first data source via the first data interface, the safety device being configured to receive data about the driving status from a second data source different from the first data source, and the safety device being configured to output pieces of information about the driving status to a driver, using an information output device and based on the data received from the first data source and the second data source.

A redundant-controls system suitable for use an automated vehicle includes a primary-control-device, a secondary-control-device, an occupant-detection-device, and a controller. The primary-control-device is installed in a vehicle. The primary-control-device is selectively enabled to allow operation from an operator-seat of the vehicle by an operator of the vehicle to control movement of the vehicle. The secondary-control-device is installed in the vehicle. The secondary-control-device is selectively enabled to allow operation from a passenger-seat of the vehicle by a passenger of the vehicle to control movement of the vehicle. The occupant-detection-device is used to determine an operator-state-of-awareness of the operator and a passenger-state-of-awareness of the passenger. The controller is in communication with the primary-control-device, the secondary-control-device, and the operator-detection-device. The controller is configured to selectively enable the secondary-control-device to override the primary-control-device when the passenger-state-of-awareness indicates greater awareness than the operator-state-of-awareness.

A vehicle is a vehicle on which an ADK is mountable. The vehicle includes: a VP that controls the vehicle in accordance with an instruction from the ADK; and a VCIB that serves as an interface between the ADK and the VP. The VP outputs an accelerator pedal position signal in accordance with an amount of depression of an accelerator pedal by a driver, and outputs an accelerator pedal intervention signal, to the ADK through the VCIB. The accelerator pedal intervention signal indicates that the accelerator pedal is depressed, when the accelerator pedal position signal indicates that the amount of depression is larger than a threshold value, and indicates beyond autonomy acceleration of the vehicle, when an acceleration request in accordance with the amount of depression is higher than a system acceleration request.

A vehicle control device mounted to a vehicle and configured to control a traveling state of the vehicle is provided. The vehicle control device sets control contents for functions for automated driving of the vehicle, respectively, and to control the vehicle according to the control contents. The functions are each associated with one or more items of vehicle vicinity information in advance. The vehicle control device determines, for each of the functions, whether it is possible to recognize the associated one or more items of the vehicle vicinity information. The vehicle control device maintains the automated driving that uses a function associated with one or more items of the vehicle vicinity information recognized by the recognition determination unit, and switches over, into manual driving, the automated driving that uses a function associated with one or more items of the vehicle vicinity information not recognized by the recognition determination unit.

System, methods, and other embodiments described herein relate to improving the training of a driver during automated driving system mode. In one embodiment, a method includes generating, in association with a vehicle takeover and a maneuver by the driver, an automated motion plan associated with the maneuver. The method also includes determining if a difference parameter satisfies a threshold, wherein the difference parameter indicates a disparity between the maneuver by the driver in relation to the automated motion plan associated with the maneuver. The method also includes notifying, if the difference parameter does not satisfy the threshold, the driver that the vehicle takeover and the maneuver by the driver were unnecessary.

Aspects of the disclosure relate to controlling a transition between a manual driving mode and an autonomous driving mode of a vehicle. For instance, one or more processors of one or more control computing devices may control the vehicle in the autonomous driving mode. While controlling the vehicle in the autonomous driving mode and decelerating at a given rate, the processors may receive at a user input of the vehicle input requesting a transition from the autonomous driving mode to the manual driving mode. In response to the input, the processors may transition the vehicle to the manual driving mode. After transitioning the vehicle to the manual driving mode, the processors may send deceleration signals to a deceleration actuator thereby causing the vehicle to continue to decelerate at the given rate.

A method of controlling vehicle driving, when a plurality of occupants is in the vehicle, by implementing components required for vehicle driving control as holographic images to ensure a maximum space in an autonomous vehicle, may include steps of requesting, by a first occupant currently having no driving control authority, a transfer of the authority by use of a holographic image, accepting, by a second occupant currently having the driving control authority, the transfer of the authority by use of the holographic image, selecting, by the first occupant, a mode by use of the holographic image based on the acceptance by the second occupant, and performing vehicle control in accordance with the mode selected by the first occupant, and the holographic images in the respective steps are displayed to the occupants wearing an HMD device.

A steering wheel is provided. A steering wheel of a vehicle capable of autonomous driving includes a grip unit having a rim shape and held by a driver to steer the vehicle, an illumination unit provided in each of a left portion and a right portion of the grip unit in a circumferential direction of the grip unit, and a control unit configured to control the illumination unit to light up in a hold induction pattern for inducing holding by the driver according to a situation of the vehicle and a vehicle state pattern for guiding the driver through a state of the vehicle.

A vehicle is a vehicle on which an ADK is mountable. The vehicle includes: a VP that controls the vehicle in accordance with an instruction from the ADK; and a VCIB that serves as an interface between the ADK and the VP. The VP outputs an accelerator pedal position signal in accordance with an amount of depression of an accelerator pedal by a driver, and outputs an accelerator pedal intervention signal, to the ADK through the VCIB. The accelerator pedal intervention signal indicates that the accelerator pedal is depressed, when the accelerator pedal position signal indicates that the amount of depression is larger than a threshold value, and indicates beyond autonomy acceleration of the vehicle, when an acceleration request in accordance with the amount of depression is higher than a system acceleration request.

System, methods, and other embodiments described herein relate to improving the training of a driver during automated driving system mode. In one embodiment, a method includes generating, in association with a vehicle takeover and a maneuver by the driver, an automated motion plan associated with the maneuver. The method also includes determining if a difference parameter satisfies a threshold, wherein the difference parameter indicates a disparity between the maneuver by the driver in relation to the automated motion plan associated with the maneuver. The method also includes notifying, if the difference parameter does not satisfy the threshold, the driver that the vehicle takeover and the maneuver by the driver were unnecessary.