US 12,221,111 B2
Vehicle platform, vehicle control interface box, and autonomous driving system
Toshikazu Hioki, Kariya (JP)
Assigned to TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, Toyota (JP)
Filed by TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, Toyota (JP)
Filed on Sep. 16, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/946,875.
Claims priority of application No. 2021-157538 (JP), filed on Sep. 28, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2023/0115003 A1, Apr. 13, 2023
Int. Cl. B60W 30/182 (2020.01); B60W 50/08 (2020.01); B60W 50/10 (2012.01); B60W 60/00 (2020.01)
CPC B60W 30/182 (2013.01) [B60W 50/082 (2013.01); B60W 50/10 (2013.01); B60W 60/0051 (2020.02)] 2 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A vehicle system comprising:
a vehicle platform that includes (i) a base vehicle and (ii) a vehicle control interface box; and
an autonomous driving system that is removably attached to an external surface of the base vehicle and that is configured to control a power mode of the vehicle platform; wherein:
the base vehicle includes multiple subsystems that are controllable to cause acceleration, deceleration and steering of the base vehicle based on input from a driver of the base vehicle or based on control signals supplied from the autonomous driving system,
the base vehicle includes a button for switching the base vehicle between power statuses of ON and OFF when the button is pressed by the driver of the base vehicle, the power status of the base vehicle being consistent with the power mode of the vehicle platform in the absence of the driver pressing the button, the driver pressing the button causing a transition of the power status of the base vehicle regardless of a power mode of the vehicle platform as controlled by the autonomous driving system,
the vehicle control interface box is configured to interface between the base vehicle and the autonomous driving system, and
the autonomous driving system comprises:
a compute assembly including at least a processor and a memory; and
a communication module that communicates with the vehicle control interface box, wherein
the compute assembly is programmed to receive a signal that indicates that the driver has pressed the button to cause transition of the status of the base vehicle, the signal being received by the compute assembly from the vehicle control interface box through the communication module, and
when the compute assembly receives the signal, the compute assembly controls the power mode of the vehicle platform to be consistent with the power status of the base vehicle that has been caused by the transition.