US 12,065,157 B2
Vehicle control apparatus and vehicle control method
Eiji Oba, Tokyo (JP)
Assigned to SONY SEMICONDUCTORSOLUTIONS CORPORATION, Kanagawa (JP)
Appl. No. 16/466,704
Filed by SONY SEMICONDUCTOR SOLUTIONS CORPORATION, Kanagawa (JP)
PCT Filed Jan. 5, 2018, PCT No. PCT/JP2018/000095
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Jun. 5, 2019,
PCT Pub. No. WO2018/135318, PCT Pub. Date Jul. 26, 2018.
Claims priority of application No. 2017-007477 (JP), filed on Jan. 19, 2017.
Prior Publication US 2019/0329791 A1, Oct. 31, 2019
Int. Cl. B60W 50/12 (2012.01); B60K 28/06 (2006.01); B60N 2/02 (2006.01); B60W 50/14 (2020.01); G05D 1/00 (2024.01); G07C 5/02 (2006.01); B60W 60/00 (2020.01); G08G 1/16 (2006.01)
CPC B60W 50/12 (2013.01) [B60K 28/063 (2013.01); B60N 2/0244 (2013.01); B60W 50/14 (2013.01); G05D 1/0016 (2013.01); G05D 1/0212 (2013.01); B60W 2540/22 (2013.01); B60W 2720/10 (2013.01); G07C 5/02 (2013.01)] 18 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A vehicle control apparatus, comprising:
a set of sensors configured to detect a driving intervention level wherein
the driving intervention level is based on a plurality of automated driving levels of a vehicle and the driving intervention level indicates an extent of driver intervention in at least one driving task that controls the vehicle; and
a processor configured to:
determine a number of occurrences of the driving intervention level is less than a first threshold value for a specific period of time, wherein the first threshold value is different for each automated driving level of the plurality of automated driving levels;
control an output device to output an alert signal based on the determination that the number of occurrences of the driving intervention level is less than the first threshold value;
determine the driving intervention level remains less than a second threshold value; and
control the output device to apply a penalty based on the determination that the driving intervention level remains less than the second threshold value, wherein the penalty is applied after the output of the alert signal.