Vehicle for performing minimal risk maneuver and method for operating the same

Abstract

Disclosed is a vehicle which supports a minimal risk maneuver. The vehicle performs driving, perform the minimal risk maneuver when a specific event occurs during the driving, eliminates the risk of the vehicle in accordance with the initiation of the minimal risk maneuver, ends the minimal risk maneuver when the risk of the vehicle is eliminated, and performs the driving again after ending the minimal risk maneuver.

1 . An autonomous vehicle comprising:
 a sensor which senses an environment around the vehicle and generates data related to the environment;   a processor which monitors a state of the vehicle to generate data related to the state of the vehicle, and controls autonomous driving of the vehicle; and   a controller which controls operations of the vehicle according to the control of the processor,   wherein the processor
 generates a request for a minimal risk maneuver, 
 determines a failure state of the vehicle, 
 determines the minimal risk maneuver according to the failure state of the vehicle, and 
 controls to perform the minimal risk maneuver in accordance with the determined the minimal risk maneuver. 
   
     
     
         2 . (canceled) 
     
     
         3 . The vehicle of  claim 1 , wherein the identified components of the vehicle comprise at least one of a brake, steering, and a vehicle surroundings detection sensor. 
     
     
         4 . The vehicle of  claim 1 , wherein, when it is not possible to detect an object around the vehicle, the processor determines in-lane stop of the vehicle as the minimal risk maneuver. 
     
     
         5 . The vehicle of  claim 1 , wherein, when it is determined that the vehicle is out of an operational design domain, the processor determines an operation of stopping the vehicle as the minimal risk maneuver. 
     
     
         6 . The vehicle of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the processor is configured to determine the minimal risk maneuver based on whether a speed of the vehicle is greater than a predetermined speed, and   wherein the predetermined speed is determined such that a recognition distance value calculated in consideration of a maximum speed limit of a road on which the vehicle travels and a relative speed measurement error is smaller than a maximum detection distance of a side-rear sensor of the vehicle.   
     
     
         7 . The vehicle of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the processor controls the controller to perform another minimal risk maneuver when the minimal risk maneuver is not completed within a maximum execution time,   and wherein the maximum execution time is determined as a time required for the vehicle to stop in a flat land condition by using a neutral gear.   
     
     
         8 . The vehicle of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the processor
 calculates a severity of the state of the vehicle based on at least one of the number of failed parts of the vehicle, a position of the failed parts, and a type of the failed parts, when there is the request for the minimal risk maneuver, 
 determines to perform the minimal risk maneuver when the calculated severity exceeds a predetermined level, 
 performs a diagnosis of the vehicle when the calculated severity does not exceed the predetermined level, and 
 determines whether the vehicle performs the autonomous driving or manual driving based on a result obtained by performing the diagnosis. 
   
     
     
         9 . The vehicle of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the processor provides an alarm to the inside and outside of the vehicle when an occupant is in the vehicle, and provides an alarm to the outside of the vehicle when no occupant is in the vehicle, and   wherein the alarm comprises at least one of hazard warning light blink and information on the minimal risk maneuver.   
     
     
         10 . (canceled) 
     
     
         11 . The vehicle of  claim 1 , wherein the processor controls the vehicle to decelerate at a deceleration lower than a predetermined deceleration and to stop, and performs a stop state management after the vehicle stops. 
     
     
         12 . The vehicle of  claim 1 , wherein the processor ends the minimal risk maneuver by the completion of the minimal risk maneuver or by an operation of an authorized driver. 
     
     
         13 . (canceled) 
     
     
         14 . A method for operating an autonomous vehicle, the method comprising:
 a first step of generating a request for a minimal risk maneuver;   a second step of determining a failure state of the vehicle;   a third step of determining the minimal risk maneuver according to the failure state of the vehicle; and   a fourth step of performing the minimal risk maneuver according to the determined minimal risk maneuver.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the second step comprises monitoring a state of each of components of the vehicle in real time and identifying failed components. 
     
     
         16 . (canceled) 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the third step comprises determining in-lane stop of the vehicle as the minimal risk maneuver when it is not possible to detect an object around the vehicle. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the third step comprises determining an operation of stopping the vehicle as the minimal risk maneuver when it is determined that the vehicle is out of an operational design domain. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 14 ,
 wherein the third step comprises determining the minimal risk maneuver based on whether a speed of the vehicle is greater than a predetermined speed, and   wherein the predetermined speed is determined such that a recognition distance value calculated in consideration of a maximum speed limit of a road on which the vehicle travels and a relative speed measurement error is smaller than a maximum detection distance of a side-rear sensor of the vehicle.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising performing another minimal risk maneuver when the minimal risk maneuver is not completed within a maximum execution time, wherein the maximum execution time is determined as a time required for the vehicle to stop in a flat land condition by using a neutral gear. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the second step further comprises:
 calculating a severity of the state of the vehicle based on at least one of the number of failed parts of the vehicle, a position of the failed parts, and a type of the failed parts, when there is the request for the minimal risk maneuver;   determining to perform the minimal risk maneuver when the calculated severity exceeds a predetermined level;   performing a diagnosis of the vehicle when the calculated severity does not exceed the predetermined level; and   determining whether the vehicle performs the autonomous driving or manual driving based on a result obtained by performing the diagnosis.   
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 14 ,
 wherein the fourth step comprises providing an alarm to the inside and outside of the vehicle when an occupant is in the vehicle, and providing an alarm to the outside of the vehicle when no occupant is in the vehicle,   and wherein the alarm comprises at least one of hazard warning light blink and information on the minimal risk maneuver.   
     
     
         23 . (canceled) 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 14 ,
 wherein the fourth step comprises controlling the vehicle to decelerate at a deceleration lower than a predetermined deceleration and to stop,   and wherein the method further comprises a fifth step of performing a stop state management after the vehicle stops.   
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising canceling the minimal risk maneuver by the completion of the minimal risk maneuver or by an operation of an authorized driver. 
     
     
         26 . (canceled)