Control system for semi-autonomous control of vehicle along learned route

Abstract

A control system for controlling a vehicle includes a vehicle control operable to control driving of the vehicle. The vehicle control includes circuitry and associated software and is operable to learn features of a route driven by the vehicle during multiple repetitive drives of the route by the vehicle. After the vehicle control has sufficiently learned the route, the vehicle control is operable to at least semi-autonomously control the vehicle to drive the vehicle along the route. While the vehicle control is at least semi-autonomously controlling the vehicle to drive the vehicle along the route, and responsive to determination of a deviation from the learned features of the route, the vehicle control adjusts the at least semi-autonomously control of the vehicle.

1 . A control system for controlling a vehicle, said control system comprising:
 a vehicle control comprising circuitry and associated software, wherein said vehicle control is operable to control driving of the vehicle;   wherein said vehicle control is operable to learn features of a route driven by the vehicle during multiple repetitive drives of the route by the vehicle;   wherein, after said vehicle control has sufficiently learned the route, said vehicle control is operable to at least semi-autonomously control the vehicle to drive the vehicle along the route; and   wherein, while said vehicle control is at least semi-autonomously controlling the vehicle to drive the vehicle along the route, and responsive to determination of a deviation from the learned features of the route, said vehicle control adjusts the at least semi-autonomously control of the vehicle.   
     
     
         2 . The control system of  claim 1 , wherein, while said vehicle control is at least semi-autonomously controlling the vehicle to drive the vehicle along the route, and responsive to determination of a deviation from the learned features of the route, said vehicle control generates an alert to have a driver of the vehicle take over driving of the vehicle. 
     
     
         3 . The control system of  claim 2 , wherein said vehicle control, responsive to determination that the driver of the vehicle has not taken over driving of the vehicle after the alert is generated, controls driving of the vehicle to slow or stop the vehicle. 
     
     
         4 . The control system of  claim 1 , wherein said vehicle control determines a deviation from the learned features of the route via processing of data captured by one or more sensors of the vehicle. 
     
     
         5 . The control system of  claim 4 , wherein said vehicle control determines a deviation by determining a pedestrian present along the learned route. 
     
     
         6 . The control system of  claim 1 , wherein said vehicle control determines a deviation from the learned features of the route responsive to a remote communication. 
     
     
         7 . The control system of  claim 1 , wherein said vehicle control determines a deviation from the learned features of the route via determination of a change in weather conditions. 
     
     
         8 . The control system of  claim 1 , wherein said vehicle control learns features of the route via a neural network algorithm. 
     
     
         9 . The control system of  claim 1 , wherein said vehicle control learns road contour features and road lane features and road curvature features of the route. 
     
     
         10 . The control system of  claim 1 , wherein said vehicle control semi-autonomously controls the vehicle to drive the vehicle along the route responsive to a user input when the vehicle is at a location along the learned route. 
     
     
         11 . The control system of  claim 10 , wherein said vehicle control provides an alert to a driver of the vehicle as the vehicle approaches an end of the learned route. 
     
     
         12 . The control system of  claim 11 , wherein the alert comprises a countdown as the vehicle approaches the end of the learned route. 
     
     
         13 . The control system of  claim 1 , wherein said vehicle control controls at least the steering of the vehicle, the accelerator of the vehicle and the braking system of the vehicle as the vehicle controls the vehicle to drive the vehicle along the learned route. 
     
     
         14 . The control system of  claim 1 , wherein said vehicle control controls the vehicle at least in part responsive to a GPS system of the vehicle. 
     
     
         15 . The control system of  claim 14 , wherein said vehicle control controls the vehicle at least in part responsive to processing of data captured by at least one sensor of the vehicle that senses forward of the vehicle. 
     
     
         16 . The control system of  claim 15 , wherein said at least one sensor comprises a forward viewing camera of the vehicle that is operable to capture image data, and wherein said vehicle control includes a processor operable to process image data captured by said camera to detect the presence of objects present in the field of view of said camera. 
     
     
         17 . The control system of  claim 15 , wherein, responsive to an output of said at least one sensor being indicative of an obstacle in the path of travel of the vehicle along the learned route, said control one of (i) controls the vehicle to avoid the obstacle and (ii) generates the alert so a driver can take over control of the vehicle. 
     
     
         18 . A control system for controlling a vehicle, said control system comprising:
 a vehicle control comprising circuitry and associated software, wherein said vehicle control is operable to control driving of the vehicle;   wherein said vehicle control is operable to learn features of a route driven by the vehicle during multiple repetitive drives of the route by the vehicle as the vehicle is driven by a driver of the vehicle;   wherein, after said vehicle control has sufficiently learned the route, said vehicle control is operable to at least semi-autonomously control the vehicle to drive the vehicle along the route;   wherein, while said vehicle control is at least semi-autonomously controlling the vehicle to drive the vehicle along the route, and responsive to determination of a deviation from the learned features of the route, said vehicle control generates an alert to have the driver of the vehicle take over driving of the vehicle; and   wherein said vehicle control determines a deviation from the learned features of the route via processing of data captured by one or more sensors of the vehicle.   
     
     
         19 . The control system of  claim 18 , wherein said vehicle control, responsive to determination that the driver of the vehicle has not taken over driving of the vehicle after the alert is generated, controls driving of the vehicle to slow or stop the vehicle. 
     
     
         20 . A control system for controlling a vehicle, said control system comprising:
 a vehicle control comprising circuitry and associated software, wherein said vehicle control is operable to control driving of the vehicle;   wherein said vehicle control is operable to learn features of a route driven by the vehicle during multiple repetitive drives of the route by the vehicle;   wherein, after said vehicle control has sufficiently learned the route, said vehicle control is operable to at least semi-autonomously control the vehicle to drive the vehicle along the route;   wherein said vehicle control semi-autonomously controls the vehicle to drive the vehicle along the route responsive to a user input when the vehicle is at a location along the learned route;   wherein, while said vehicle control is at least semi-autonomously controlling the vehicle to drive the vehicle along the route, and responsive to determination of a deviation from the learned features of the route, said vehicle control at least one of (i) adjusts the at least semi-autonomously control of the vehicle and (ii) generates an alert to have a driver of the vehicle take over driving of the vehicle;   wherein said vehicle control determines a deviation from the learned features of the route via processing of data captured by one or more sensors of the vehicle; and   wherein said vehicle control provides an alert to the driver of the vehicle as the vehicle approaches an end of the learned route.