BACKGROUND

The present disclosure relates generally to programming motor vehicle control systems. More specifically, aspects of this disclosure relate to systems, methods and devices to identify accidental turn signal activations and to determine a driver engagement level before executing lane change maneuver in an ADAS equipped vehicle.

The operation of modern vehicles is becoming more automated, i.e. able to provide driving control with less and less driver intervention. Vehicle automation has been categorized into numerical levels ranging from zero, corresponding to no automation with full human control, to five, corresponding to full automation with no human control. Various advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS), such as cruise control, adaptive cruise control, and parking assistance systems correspond to lower automation levels, while true “driverless” vehicles correspond to higher automation levels.

Adaptive cruise control systems have been developed where not only does the system maintain the set speed and remain centered within the current lane, but also will automatically slow the vehicle down in the event that a slower moving preceding vehicle is detected using various sensors such as radar and cameras. Lane change on demand (LCoD) may be sub-feature of lane centering (LCC). LCC allows hands off operation in conjunction with a certain amount of look away time, where driver can be looking away from the road. This creates opportunity for accidental lane change which could be initiated by driver through inadvertent bumping of turn signal selector. It would be desirable to overcome these problems to provide a method and apparatus for prevention of unintended lane change maneuver in an ADAS equipped motor vehicle.

The above information disclosed in this background section is only for enhancement of understanding of the background of the invention and therefore it may contain information that does not form the prior art that is already known in this country to a person of ordinary skill in the art.

SUMMARY

Disclosed herein are autonomous vehicle control system training systems and related control logic for provisioning autonomous vehicle control, methods for making and methods for operating such systems, and motor vehicles equipped with onboard control systems. By way of example, and not limitation, there is presented an automobile with onboard vehicle control learning and control systems.

In accordance with an aspect of the present invention, an apparatus including a sensor for detecting a driver engagement level, a memory operative to store the driver engagement level, a user interface for providing a user alert in response to an alert signal, a selector operative to generate a request for a lane change operation, and a processor operative to receive the request for the lane change operation, to compare the driver engagement level to a threshold engagement level, and to generate the alert signal in response to the driver engagement level being less than the threshold engagement level.

In accordance with another aspect of the present invention wherein the processor is further operative to perform the lane change operation in response to the driver engagement level being greater than the threshold engagement level.

In accordance with another aspect of the present invention wherein the driver engagement level is detected in response to a vehicle operator area of focus over a duration of time.

In accordance with another aspect of the present invention wherein the sensor is a driver management system operative to monitor a vehicle operator area of focus and wherein the driver engagement level is detected by the driver management system in response to the vehicle operator area of focus over a duration of time.

In accordance with another aspect of the present invention wherein the driver engagement level is determined in response to a first vehicle operator area of focus at a first time and a second vehicle operator area of focus at a second time.

In accordance with another aspect of the present invention wherein the selector is a turn signal selector.

In accordance with another aspect of the present invention including a vehicle controller for performing an assisted driving operation and wherein the driver engagement level is determined in response to the assisted driving operation being performed.

In accordance with another aspect of the present invention wherein the processor is further operative to ignore the request for the lane change operation in response to the driver engagement level being less than the threshold engagement level.

In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, a method performed by a processor including performing an assisted driving operation in a vehicle, detecting a vehicle operator area of focus by a driver monitoring system, establishing a driver engagement level in response to the vehicle operator area of focus, receiving a request for a lane change operation, comparing the driver engagement level to a threshold engagement level in response to the request for a lane change operation, and generating a user alert in response to the driver engagement level being less than the threshold engagement level.

In accordance with another aspect of the present invention including cancelling the request for the lane change operation in response to the driver engagement level being less than the threshold engagement level.

In accordance with another aspect of the present invention including performing the lane change operation in response to the driver engagement level being greater than the threshold engagement level.

In accordance with another aspect of the present invention wherein the driver engagement level is determined in response to the vehicle operator area of focus at a first time and a subsequent vehicle operator area of focus at a second time.

In accordance with another aspect of the present invention wherein the detecting the vehicle operator area of focus is performed in response to performing the assisted driving operation.

In accordance with another aspect of the present invention wherein the method is performed by an advanced driving assisted system equipped vehicle.

In accordance with another aspect of the present invention wherein the assisted driving operation is a lane centering operation.

In accordance with another aspect of the present invention wherein the request for a lane change operation is generated in response to an activation of a turn signal indicator.

In accordance with another aspect of the present invention wherein the user alert is a high intensity audio visual alert for prompting a vehicle operator re-engagement.

In accordance with another aspect of the present invention wherein the driver engagement level is a driver engagement score calculated for a plurality of vehicle operator area of focus detections over a time duration.

In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, an advanced driver assistance system for controlling a host vehicle including a driver monitoring system for detecting a first vehicle operator area of focus and a second vehicle operator area of focus and to generate a driver engagement level in response to the first vehicle operator area of focus and the second vehicle operator area of focus, a turn signal selector operative to generate a request for a lane change operation, a processor operative to receive the request for the lane change operation, to compare the driver engagement level to a threshold engagement level, to generate a user alert in response to the driver engagement level being less than the threshold engagement level, and for generating a lane change control signal in response to the driver engagement level being greater than the threshold engagement level, and a vehicle controller for performing an assisted driving operation, the vehicle controller being further operative to perform the lane change operation in response to the lane change control signal.

In accordance with another aspect of the present invention including a user interface for providing a vehicle operator reengagement request in response to the user alert.

The above advantage and other advantages and features of the present disclosure will be apparent from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.

