A METHOD FOR ENABLING AN AUTONOMOUS DRIVING MODE FOR A MIXED-MODE VEHICLE

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a method for enabling an autonomous driving mode for a mixed-mode vehicle (200) configured to switch between a manual driving mode and an autonomous driving mode, the method comprising: (S1) determining if a geographical position of the vehicle is within a predetermined launch area (LA), characterized in that the method further comprises: (S2) determining if a vehicle user is present aboard the vehicle or not, and (S3) enabling the autonomous driving mode when at least the two following conditions are determined: the geographical position of the vehicle is within the predetermined launch area and a vehicle user is not present aboard the vehicle. The disclosure further relates to a control unit, to a mixed-mode vehicle, to a computer program and to a computer readable medium carrying a computer program.

Claims

1. A method for enabling an autonomous driving mode for a mixed-mode vehicle configured to switch between a manual driving mode and an autonomous driving mode, the method comprising: determining if a geographical position of the vehicle is within a predetermined launch area, characterized in that the method further comprises: determining if a vehicle user is present aboard the vehicle or not, and enabling the autonomous driving mode when at least the two following conditions are determined: the geographical position of the vehicle is within the predetermined launch area and a vehicle user is not present aboard the vehicle.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the determination of whether a vehicle user is present aboard the vehicle or not is performed by identifying if a vehicle door is unlocked or locked.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the determination of whether a vehicle user is present aboard the vehicle or not is performed by a vehicle sensor which is adapted to identify if a vehicle user is present inside the vehicle or not, such as any one of a movement identification sensor and a vehicle alarm sensor.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the determination of whether a vehicle user is present aboard the vehicle or not is performed by a vehicle seat sensor provided in a vehicle seat of the vehicle, which vehicle seat sensor is adapted to identify if a vehicle user is sitting in the vehicle seat or not, such as a seat weight sensor.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: receiving a signal indicative of an autonomous driving mission, and initiating the autonomous driving mission when also the autonomous driving mode is enabled.

6. The method according to claim 5, further comprising: determining if a load is connected to the vehicle and/or provided on the vehicle in accordance with a condition given by the autonomous driving mission, and initiating the autonomous driving mission when it is also determined that the load is connected to the vehicle and/or provided on the vehicle.

7. The method according to claim 5, further comprising: determining an ambient weather condition of the vehicle, and initiating the autonomous driving mission when it has also been determined that the ambient weather condition is within an allowable predetermined ambient weather condition range.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of determining if a vehicle user is present aboard the vehicle or not comprises determining if the vehicle user is present in a predefined space of the vehicle or not, such as a driver cabin.

9. A control unit for a mixed-mode vehicle configured to switch between a manual driving mode and an autonomous driving mode, the control unit being configured to perform the steps of the method according to claim 1.

10. A mixed-mode vehicle configured to switch between a manual driving mode and an autonomous driving mode, wherein the mixed-mode vehicle comprises a control unit according to claim 9.

11. A computer program comprising program code means for performing the steps of claim 1, when said program is run on a computer.

12. A computer readable medium carrying a computer program comprising program code means for performing the steps of claim 1, when said program product is run on a computer.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0045] With reference to the appended drawings, below follows a more detailed description of embodiments of the invention cited as examples.

[0046] In the drawings:

[0047] FIG. 1 shows a mixed-mode vehicle in the form of a heavy-duty truck according to an example embodiment of the present invention;

[0048] FIG. 2 shows a flowchart of a method according to an example embodiment of the present invention; and

[0049] FIG. 3 shows a schematic view of a mixed-mode vehicle operating in a confined area according to an example embodiment of the present invention;

[0050] FIG. 4 shows a schematic view of a mixed-mode vehicle according to an example embodiment of the present invention;

[0051] FIG. 5 shows another flowchart of a method according to an example embodiment of the present invention.

[0052] The drawings show diagrammatic exemplifying embodiments of the present invention and are thus not necessarily drawn to scale. It shall be understood that the embodiments shown and described are exemplifying and that the invention is not limited to these embodiments. It shall also be noted that some details in the drawings may be exaggerated in order to better describe and illustrate the invention. Like reference characters refer to like elements throughout the description, unless expressed otherwise.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXAMPLE EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

[0053] FIG. 1 shows a heavy-duty truck 200 which is a mixed-mode vehicle configured to switch between a manual driving mode and an autonomous driving mode according to an example embodiment of the present invention. The truck 200 is here in the form of a towing truck adapted for towing one or more trailers (not shown). It shall however be noted that the present invention is not restricted to this type of vehicle, but may also be used for other types of vehicles, such as buses, construction equipment vehicles etc.

[0054] The mixed-mode vehicle 200 comprises a control unit 100. The control unit 100 is configured to perform the steps of the method according to the present invention, which will be further described in the below.

[0055] The control unit 100 may include a microprocessor, microcontroller, programmable digital signal processor or another programmable device. The control unit 100 may also, or instead, include an application specific integrated circuit, a programmable gate array or programmable array logic, a programmable logic device, or a digital signal processor. Where the control unit 100 includes a programmable device such as the microprocessor, microcontroller or programmable digital signal processor mentioned above, the processor may further include computer executable code that controls operation of the programmable device. The control unit 100 may comprise embedded hardware, sometimes with integrated software, where the hardware show close physical relationship. Examples of physical relationships are: shared casing and components mounted on one or several circuit boards. It shall be noted that the control unit 100 may be formed by one or more connected sub control units, or equivalent computer resources.

[0056] In FIG. 2, a flowchart of a method according to an example embodiment of the present invention is shown. The flowchart comprises a sequence of steps S1-S7, whereby the steps S4-S7 are optional steps, which is indicated by boxes with dashed lines. It shall be noted that the steps does not necessarily need to be executed in the order as shown in FIG. 2, but could likewise be executed in any other order, or even simultaneously with other steps.

[0057] The method is provided for enabling an autonomous driving mode for the mixed-mode vehicle 200 which is configured to switch between the manual driving mode and the autonomous driving mode. The method comprises the following steps:

[0058] S1—determining if a geographical position of the vehicle 200 is within a predetermined launch area LA,

[0059] S2—determining if a vehicle user is present aboard the vehicle 200 or not, and

[0060] S3—enabling the autonomous driving mode when at least the two following conditions are determined: the geographical position of the vehicle 200 is within the predetermined launch area LA and a vehicle user is not present aboard the vehicle 200.

[0061] The determination of the geographical position of the vehicle 200 may be determined by one or more geographical position determination means (not shown), such as by a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) mounted on the vehicle 200. This may for example be GPS (Global Positioning system), GLONASS, Galileo or any other equivalent system. Still further, as a complement or as an alternative, the geographical position of the vehicle 200 may be determined also by other geographical position determination means, such as by use of a camera system or the like which can identify that the vehicle 200 is located at the predetermined launch area LA. Examples of other geographical position determination means may be to make use of a barcode reader, or any other type of reader, to identify that the vehicle 200 is at the predetermined launch area LA by e.g. scanning a barcode which is located at the predetermined launch area LA.

[0062] The step S2 of determining if a vehicle user is present aboard the vehicle 200 or not may be done by one or more vehicle user presence determination means as described herein, such as means for determining if the vehicle doors are unlocked or locked, vehicle seat sensors, movement identification sensors, or any other means which are configured to identify if a vehicle user is aboard the vehicle 200 or not.

[0063] In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the vehicle user presence determination means used are means for determining if the vehicle doors are unlocked or locked, and also an alarm sensor which is configured to identify if a vehicle user is located inside the driver cabin. Hence, the expression “a vehicle user is present aboard the vehicle” means in this context that a vehicle user is located inside the driver cabin.

[0064] As an alternative example, the mixed-mode vehicle may be a bus (not shown), whereby the step S2 may determine if a vehicle user in the form of a driver is present aboard the vehicle or not. Hence, the bus may still be able to switch to the autonomous driving mode when passengers are present aboard the vehicle. Purely by way of example, a bus at an airport area may be used to autonomously drive passengers from one location to another, and also configured to switch between the autonomous mode and a manual driving mode where a driver is in control of the driving. As such, the step S2 of determining if a vehicle user is present aboard the vehicle or not will comprises determining if the vehicle user is present in a predefined space of the vehicle or not, such as a driver cabin of the bus.

[0065] The method may further comprise a step S4 of receiving a signal indicative of an autonomous driving mission. The signal may for example be received by wireless communication means provided on the vehicle 200, such as by a telematics unit 210 as shown in FIG. 4.

[0066] As further shown in FIG. 2, the method may further comprise a step S5 of determining if a load is connected to the vehicle and/or provided on the vehicle in accordance with a condition given by the autonomous driving mission. In the case of the towing vehicle 200 as shown in FIG. 1, the load connected to the vehicle preferably means that a trailer (not shown) has been connected to the vehicle 200. This may e.g. be determined by sensors (not shown) on the vehicle 200 which are configured to identify when a trailer has been connected. Further, in such a case, the vehicle 200 may in some embodiments be able to determine the identity of the trailer, whereby the identity is controlled with respect to the condition given by the autonomous driving mission, i.e. controlling if the “right” trailer has been connected or not. Still further, according to an example embodiment, the weight of the trailer may be determined to control if it has been loaded according the predetermined condition given by the autonomous driving mission. As a complement or as an alternative, it may also be determined if a load is provided on the vehicle, such as pallets, boxes, sand, gravel etc, or even passengers. As an example, one or more weight sensors provided on the vehicle or on a weight measuring station (not shown) at the predetermined launch area LA may be used for determining if the load has been provided on the vehicle or not.

[0067] The method may further comprise a step S6 of determining an ambient weather condition of the vehicle, as shown in FIG. 2. As already explained in the above, an ambient weather condition may be unsuitable for autonomous driving, such as when external perception sensors, e.g. cameras, LIDAR (light imaging, detection and ranging), RADAR (radio detection and ranging) or the like, are not functioning correctly due to the ambient weather condition.

[0068] Further, the method may comprise a step S7 of initiating the autonomous driving mission when the autonomous driving mode is enabled and when the signal indicative of the autonomous driving mission has been received, and optionally further when it has also been determined that the load is connected to the vehicle and/or provided on the vehicle and/or when the ambient weather condition is within an allowable predetermined ambient weather condition range.

[0069] The method may as a complement, or as an alternative, comprise determining if one or more external perception sensors of the vehicle are functioning correctly for performing autonomous driving. For example, the external perception sensors may be tested before initiating the autonomous driving mission. If the external perception sensors fail the test, the autonomous driving mission may not be initiated. Still further, the result of the test may be communicated to a back office central 400 or the like for informing that something has failed.

[0070] Further, as an alternative or as a complement, the method may further comprise a step of controlling the autonomous driving mission according to a predefined operational design domain (ODD) condition. The ODD condition may include any one of the following parameters: geographic predefined area, type of roadway, environmental condition(s) and speed limitation(s). If any of the ODD conditions exceeded/not followed during the autonomous driving mission, the mission may be interrupted and/or a warning signal may be sent to the back-office central 400.

[0071] The mixed-mode vehicle 200 may be operating within a confined area CA as schematically shown in FIG. 3. Within the confined area is a predetermined launch area LA. The vehicle 200 may be enabled for autonomous driving, i.e. the autonomous driving mode may be enabled, once it is located in the predetermined launch area LA, and also when the other condition(s) according to the present invention is/are fulfilled. The confined area CA may be defined by virtual and/or by physical markers. The predetermined launch area LA may also be defined by virtual and/or by physical markers as already explained in the above. The confined area CA may e.g. be a logistics center, an airport, a harbour, a construction site or the like. The vehicle 200 may for example be the towing vehicle as shown in FIG. 1 which can be manually driven, i.e. operating in a manual driving mode, to e.g. a logistics center and parked at a predetermined launch area. Thereafter, once it is determined that the driver has left the towing truck 200, an autonomous driving mode may be enabled, whereby the towing truck 200 can initiate an autonomous driving mission inside the logistics center. Alternatively, the vehicle 1 may be configured to operate in manual mode in the confined area CA and in autonomous mode when e.g. it is driving in a public road network. Hence, by the present invention it can be assured that a vehicle user is not present aboard the vehicle 1 when it is conducting an autonomous driving mission in the public road network. The vehicle 1 may for example be loaded, filled with fuel and/or electrically charged when in the confined area CA and when in a manual mode.

[0072] FIG. 4 shows a schematic view of a mixed-mode vehicle 200 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The vehicle 200 comprises a control unit 100 as already described in the above. The control unit is connected to a telematics unit 210 of the vehicle, which is configured to wirelessly transmit and/or receive signals to and from the vehicle 200. The control unit 100 is further connected to an autonomous driving system 220 of the vehicle 200. The autonomous driving system 220 preferably comprises one or more control units for executing longitudinal and/or lateral control commands to one or more steering and braking actuators and to propulsion means, such as an electric motor and/or an internal combustion engine.

[0073] The control unit 100 is also connected to at least one or more autonomous driving mode enabler units 230, indicated by dashed lines. The one or more autonomous driving mode enabler units 230 may be in the form of GNSS 240, an alarm sensor 250 of the vehicle 200 and a locking system 260 for vehicle doors of the vehicle 200.

[0074] The telematics unit 210 may be configured to wirelessly communicate with a nomadic locking device 300 and/or with a back office central 400. The nomadic locking device 300 may be in the form of a key fob, a smartphone or any other means which can remotely unlock and lock a vehicle door. Preferably, the determination that a vehicle user is not present aboard the vehicle is done when a vehicle door of the vehicle has been locked by the nomadic locking device 300. Hence, it can be assumed that no-one is inside the vehicle when a vehicle user has locked the vehicle door from a remote location with respect to the vehicle. Of course, to be absolutely certain that no-one is still in the vehicle, or at least not in the driver cabin, the other vehicle user presence determination means as described herein may also be used. The locking by use of the nomadic locking device 300 by the vehicle user may also be used as a manual confirmation means which confirms that the vehicle user accepts that the vehicle 1 can be enabled for autonomous driving. The back-office central 400 may be a central which is operating and managing the confined area CA as shown in FIG. 3. The back-office central 400 may be operating and managing a plurality of mixed-mode vehicles and/or one or more confined areas.

[0075] With respect to FIG. 5, a flowchart of a method for enabling an autonomous driving mode and initiating an autonomous driving mission for a mixed-mode vehicle 200 is shown. The flowchart starts at 1 where the autonomous driving mode is turned OFF, i.e. it is not enabled. As a next step, 2, the geographical position of the vehicle 200 is determined. As a next step, 3, it is determined if the vehicle 200 is within a predetermined launch area LA. If YES, then the method is continued to step 4. If NO, then the method is started over again at 1. In step 4, door lock status of one or more vehicle doors of the vehicle 200 is assessed. As a next step, 5, it is determined if the one or more doors are locked. If YES, then the method is continued to step 5. If NO, then then the method is started over again at 1. In step 6, it is determined if a vehicle user is present inside the vehicle 200 or not, e.g. inside a vehicle cabin or not. As a next step, 7, it is determined if the vehicle 200 is empty. If YES, then the method is continued to step 8. If NO, then then the method is started over again at 1. In step 8, it is determined if a signal has been received which is indicative of an autonomous driving mission. If NO, then then the method is started over again at 1. If YES, then the autonomous driving mode is enabled and the autonomous driving mission is initiated at step 10.

[0076] It is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above and illustrated in the drawings; rather, the skilled person will recognize that many changes and modifications may be made within the scope of the appended claims.