US 12,391,287 B2
Stowable pedal assembly
Joshua Mccready, Ypsilanti, MI (US); Seema Gami, Novi, MI (US); Brandon Beauvais, Dearborn, MI (US); and Daniel A. Gabor, Canton, MI (US)
Assigned to Ford Global Technologies, LLC, Dearborn, MI (US)
Filed by Ford Global Technologies, LLC, Dearborn, MI (US)
Filed on Apr. 22, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/726,636.
Prior Publication US 2023/0339516 A1, Oct. 26, 2023
Int. Cl. B60W 60/00 (2020.01); B60T 7/04 (2006.01); B60T 7/06 (2006.01); B60W 40/08 (2012.01); B60W 50/10 (2012.01); B60W 50/14 (2020.01)
CPC B60W 60/0053 (2020.02) [B60T 7/06 (2013.01); B60W 40/08 (2013.01); B60W 50/10 (2013.01); B60W 50/14 (2013.01); B60W 60/0061 (2020.02); B60T 7/042 (2013.01); B60T 2220/04 (2013.01); B60W 2510/182 (2013.01)] 18 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A computer including a processor and a memory storing instructions executable by the processor to:
detect a request by a human driver in a vehicle to change the vehicle from an autonomous drive mode to a manual drive mode;
operate a braking system of the vehicle in a validation mode while the vehicle remains in the autonomous drive mode in response to a request by the human driver to change the vehicle from autonomous drive mode to manual drive mode;
while the braking system is in the validation mode and the vehicle is in autonomous drive mode, move a brake pedal of the braking system from a stowed position to a deployed position in response to the request by the human driver to change the vehicle from autonomous drive mode to the manual drive mode;
with the brake pedal in the deployed position and while the vehicle remains in the autonomous drive mode and the braking system remains in the validation mode, prompt the human driver to depress the brake pedal;
while the vehicle remains in the autonomous drive mode and the braking system remains in the validation mode, validate the braking system as being operable to control vehicle braking based on the depression of the brake pedal by the human driver without using input from the brake pedal to slow the vehicle; and
change from the autonomous drive mode to the manual drive mode in response to validation that the braking system is operable to control vehicle braking based on depression of the brake pedal by the human driver in the validation mode.