A method for deactivating an automated driving mode of a vehicle involves automatically terminating the automated driving mode if, due to a manual steering torque acting on the steering wheel of the vehicle, a system steering torque generated by a control system of an assistance system for automated driving mode in terms of amount is exceeded by a predetermined first value if at least one hand of a vehicle user is detected on the steering wheel of the vehicle, is exceeded by a predetermined second value if neither of the vehicle user's hands is detected on the steering wheel, or is exceeded by a predetermined third value if it is determined that the vehicle user is distracted from the driving situation, or if it is determined that there is a lateral collision risk for the vehicle and the manual steering torque of the vehicle user is acting in the direction of the collision risk.

A vehicle control device executes driving assistance control for assisting driving a host vehicle by a driver. The vehicle control device stops the driving assistance control under execution when a predetermined actuator of the host vehicle is operated. The vehicle control device executes, as the driving assistance control, abnormality countermeasure control for securing safe traveling of the host vehicle when the driver falls into an abnormal state having a problem in driving the host vehicle, and when the predetermined actuator is operated, and when the abnormality countermeasure control is not being executed, stops the driving assistance control, and when the abnormality countermeasure control is being executed, does not stop the driving assistance control including the abnormality countermeasure control.

A drive mode switch control device acquires operation information. The drive mode switch control device switches a drive state among at least an autonomous drive state, a manual drive state, and a coordination drive state. The operation detection unit detects a first operation and a second operation based on the operation information when the drive state is not in the manual drive state. The second operation is the drive operation different from the first operation and input after the input of the first operation. The drive mode switch control device switches the drive state from the autonomous drive state to the coordination drive state based on a detection determination of the first operation. The drive mode switch control device switches the drive state from the coordination drive state to the manual drive state based on a detection determination of the first operation.

A method, apparatus, and computer program product are provided for identifying the reliability of objects within a mapped region for localization and facilitating autonomous control of a vehicle. Methods may include: receiving an indication of an event having event data; assigning at least one object at a location of the event an impact score based on an estimated impact of the event; and providing an indication of a reduction in autonomous vehicle capability in response to the impact score failing to satisfy a predetermined value. The impact score may include a probability that the corresponding object is reliable for localization or autonomous vehicle control. Methods may include providing the indication of a reduction in autonomous vehicle capability to at least one device associated with a vehicle in response to the at least one device associated with the vehicle having a travel path including the at least one road link.

An autonomous vehicle location providing apparatus for providing a location of an autonomous vehicle which travels to a location of a user depending on a call of the user and a method thereof are provided. The autonomous vehicle location providing apparatus receives a call, a call location, and user information from a user's terminal and communicates with the user's terminal around an autonomous vehicle corresponding to the user information, while the autonomous vehicle travels to the call location depending on the call. The autonomous vehicle location providing apparatus provides a location of the autonomous vehicle which travels to a location of the user depending on a call of the user to recognize a customer who calls an auto-taxi.

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.

A vehicle guidance system detects when a driver of the vehicle manually intervenes in the longitudinal and/or transverse guidance of the vehicle while the vehicle is being operated in an automated driving mode. The vehicle guidance system outputs an indication to the driver via a user interface of the vehicle prompting the driver to take over the longitudinal and/or transverse guidance of the vehicle. The vehicle guidance system also continues to provide the longitudinal and/or lateral guidance of the vehicle in at least a partially automated manner for a takeover period of time and/or for a takeover distance.

A method for operating a vehicle in an automatic driving operation not requiring any user action which can be deactivated by a deactivation action of a driver of the vehicle includes, during the automatic driving operation in a learning phase, driving situations in which the driver deactivates the automatic driving operation are recorded by a surroundings recording device and the recorded driving situations are stored in a memory as subjectively critical driving situations. The method further includes, during an operating phase of the automatic driving operation, comparing a currently recorded driving situation to the stored subjectively critical driving situations and emitting a warning to the driver when the currently recorded driving situation matches one of the stored subjectively critical driving situations within a tolerance range.

Systems and methods are provided for a selective disengagement mechanism that allows a vehicle passenger, e.g., driver, to pre-emptively prepare to override autonomous control of a vehicle. A selective disengagement switch may be actuated by the driver. An autonomous control system of the vehicle, unaware of the selective disengagement switch operation, may at some point erroneously command the vehicle to move. Because the driver has actuated the selective disengagement switch, upon receipt of the erroneous command to move the vehicle, the autonomous control system may be overridden. The driver need not react to a safety-critical event or scenario.

An apparatus for providing a notification of control authority transition in a vehicle is provided. The apparatus includes a speaker configured to output a sound notification, a vibration motor configured to output a vibration notification, and a control circuit configured to be electrically connected with the speaker and the vibration motor. The control circuit is configured to output a first notification using the speaker during a first time interval, when a situation to transfer control authority for the vehicle occurs, output a second notification using the speaker and the vibration motor during a second time interval, after the first time interval elapses, and output a third notification using the speaker and the vibration motor during a third time interval, after the second time interval elapses.