US 12,434,741 B2
Vehicle control interface and vehicle including the same, autonomous driving system and vehicle including the same, and method of controlling vehicle
Eisuke Ando, Nagoya (JP); and Toshikazu Hioki, Kariya (JP)
Assigned to TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, Toyota (JP)
Filed by TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, Toyota (JP)
Filed on Sep. 19, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/947,592.
Claims priority of application No. 2021-157686 (JP), filed on Sep. 28, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2023/0109715 A1, Apr. 13, 2023
Int. Cl. B60W 60/00 (2020.01); B60W 50/035 (2012.01); B60W 50/14 (2020.01)
CPC B60W 60/0051 (2020.02) [B60W 50/035 (2013.01); B60W 50/14 (2013.01); B60W 60/0061 (2020.02)] 17 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A vehicle control interface that interfaces between an autonomous driving system (ADS) and a vehicle platform (VP) that controls a vehicle in accordance with a control request from the ADS, the vehicle including a first manual mode that is set when the VP is turned on and that does not require that an operator is present in the VP, a second manual mode in which the operator is required to be present in the VP and the VP is under control by the operator, and an autonomy mode in which the VP is under control by the ADS, the vehicle control interface comprising:
a processor; and
a memory in which a program executable by the processor is stored, wherein
the processor is configured to
inform the ADS whether the operator is present in the VP,
receive, from the ADS, an operator command for transition of the vehicle from the first manual mode to the second manual mode when it has been determined that the operator is present in the VP, and not transitioning the vehicle from the first manual mode to the autonomy mode when it has not been determined that the operator is present in the VP, and
after the vehicle has transitioned to the second manual mode in which the operator is present in the VP, provide the ADS with an autonomy ready signal indicating readiness for autonomous driving of the VP and receive, from the ADS, an autonomy request for transition of the vehicle from the second manual mode to the autonomy mode.